Mire Ned Nordness -Bage two _ Febs 8 1941

basketball is in just as great danger as football, proportionate to the
crowds that they drawe Football will always be king because some type
of football will be playede It is a fall sport, played in the outeofe
doors where the tang of the weather and occasion for the dramatic will
also draw a great crowde In basketball you have much scoring and actions
in hockey you have much action but little scoring; in football the .
armor.andd headgear and shoulder pads appeal to the fundamental instincts
to fight, such as rumning, clubbing, throwing to the earth and pinching
the opponente 7 :
_ ‘In basketball, the great attraction is the wide open game, The
ability of the spectator to see the ball in every playe. This is the reason
that basketball is gaining followers by the million, © ee.

_ I would say that the professional geme in football is hurting
the game decidedly. The pros are more expert and they have appealed to
crowd psychology by forbidding players to rwi with a fumbled ball, passing
sny distance behind the scrimmage line, eto. and they have just pepped
up the game tremendously, while the college men have been too conservatives

: Yes, I would say that basketball is in grave danger and here is the
gravest dangers then players who have had au easy existence with soft

_ jobs ‘become the coaches of the teams in colleges, then these coaches will
only Imow of the seft job idea and they will put into their practice in
Goaching the same ideas that they received as playerss namely, a lot of
pey for ® sort jobe ‘hat is the danger to all athletics at the present
times Perhaps I can state it another waye When a boy comes to college on
his athletic ability end has an athletie clockewinding job im exchange -
for his athletic services, then when this chap finishes college and starts
to coach, he will know only this type of existence and will not be fitted
to get a team unless he recruits theme Je will not have the fundamental
conception that & boy goes to college to learn and struggle for a college
educations He will have the preconceived idea that athletics are the min
thing in college.life and not the master of the professions ;

Some real adjustment must come in the very near future or else
educators will not be fitted to call the coach an educators ie will be a
showman and a trainer of gladiators as of the Roman eras

These are not highefaluting sounding words, but real inside infore
mation on the coaching angle. I can see it in the later-day coachess @
natural softening up for easier jobs for more money just because a boy
with a sturdy pair of legs can pack a football goaleward into glorys or
because some boy with exceptional slcills can pivot and lay the little round
ball in the hoops There is danger in youvh getting things too softe