: 10—Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Thursday, Feb. 1, 1945 |

LONG HOPS WITH LOU!

About Dis a Dat t In Sports:

When Dr. Forrest C. (Phog) Allen, outstanding athletic|
‘figure in the midwest section of the United States and veteran
basketball coach at the University of Kansas,
yelled “wolf” several months ago and asserted
that a basketball “scandal that would stink to
high heaven” was in the making, most of the
folks laughed at him.

But today they’ve changed their tune. The
oldtime mentor really had something on the
ball when he made tis chatee

* *

To be sure, the so called scandal hurts
intercollegiate sports competition in more ways
than one. And on this point the Kansas U.
mentor places the blame for it squarely on the oe
National Collegiate Athletic association Dr. Allen
(NCAA).

He scores the NCAA officials for sending the basketball
teams right into the nest of professional gambling and then, in
the next breath, deplores pene on collegiate athletics.

* *

“The National Collegiate Athletic association met in Columbus in
January and expressed ‘regret’ at the prevalence of gambling on
intercollegiate sports,’ Allen revealed. “But they continue to team
up with professional promoters to hold tournaments in arenas where
everyone knows big. time gamblers operate in hordes.”

* *

“What a paradox,” yelled Phog.

“It is a sad commentary on the NCAA,” Phog observed, “when with
the top teams of the nation it is forced to seek aid from professionals
to conduct its own tournament.

“The .political oligarchy of the NCAA is busy keeping a self-perpet-
uating group in power rather than trying to smash at the cancer eating
at the heart of intercollegiate athletics,’ Allen contended.

“They’d better get busy or intercollegiate sports will be deader than
a door nail. These Brooklyn gamblers charged with giving bribes are
just small timers. Just peanuts,

 

“There are some really big operators back east. It will take more
than talk to stop those babies,” the colorful veteran coach believes.