KFKU SPORTSCAST ~- April 6, 1944
SPRING SPORTS

Spring football is on in full swing at the University of Kansas.
Head Coach beni Shenk, assisted by Elmer Schaake and Dean Nesmith, have
listed thirty-five men who have checked out football suits for the spring
work out. Of that number only six, - Dan Chase, center, Wayne Hird, center,
Charles Keller, guard, Charles Moffett, aie Barrington, fullback,
Don Feullmer, back, and Bill Chestnut, drop kicker = are lettermen.» Junius
Penny, Bob Miller, LeRoy Robinson, and John Bergin are out for tracks
Warren Riegle, only experienced end, is in a swimming class, and cannot
participate due to this conflict, Other ant year's squad men who are
out are James Weatherby, back, Jim Shondell, tackle, Joe Ryan, guard, and
Harold Hill, end. All of the other men are now merr, not one of whom has
had e eriences

Most of the practice sessions are devoted to fundamentals, with
iaviitas each Friday. In order to develop more enthusiastic tackling
on the part of the Navy boys, Coach Henry Shenk has had likenesses of
Hirohito and Hitler drawn on the two tackling dummies, tT ie astonishing
how viciously those boys hit those dummies with the ae. countenances

Abide entire ‘vc rot tf Tras .

Athletic Director Kgr1 Klooz is working on a ten-game football
schedule for next year. An announcement of the schedule should be made
in a few dayse

The outdoor track season is blossoming forth in promising fashion

under the splendid coaching of Ray Kanehl, Kanehl graduated at Kansas

in 1927, having won a gold track shoe on Coach Huff's Missouri Valley
Cost. Kauskh |
Championship tean. @_is now in our department of Physical fducation,

 
 

o26
nalaté cAme to us from Wichita East High School where he was chairman of
the department, ,

The damp and chilling weather has temporarily repressed the ardent
enthustaen 4f these hopeful Jayhawkers, but there ie over fifty boys out 7
striving for the honor of representing the University of Kansas this spring.
The following boys from the recently completed indoor track season are
reporting daily for workouts: Whitson Godfrey in the distance runs and the
‘javelin throw; Rolland Hamilton in the middle distance runs; Robert
Lillibridge in the sprints, hurdles and the jumping events; Harvey Morrow
in the pole vaults; Dean Patterson in the hurdles; Jim Richey in the sprints;
Leroy Robison in the shot put, discus and javelin throw, and the high jump; |
William Schell in the middle distance and distance runs 3 tess ietienit: last
season's Big Six winiies champion high jumper, will also broad jump and run
low hurdles; Frank Stannard, Big Six indoor high ee champion, will _
compete in the low hurdles, high jump and run in relays; William Stewart,
middle distances: and ‘Sete Sutton in the dashes, John Hawley, middle
distance runner who competed in the indoor season ek been unable to report .
because of a foot operation which will delay him ror ects:

The schedule for the outdoor tai includes the University of
Oklahome. at Normap, on April 15th; the Drake Relays, April 28 end 29; a
triangular meet with Nebraska and Kansas State probably on May 5 or 6;

Iowa State at Ames, May 13; the Big Six Outdoor Meet ” Lincoln, Nebrasia.

May 20, and a meet to be scheduled later with Pittsburg State Teachers

College,

Mae

DS oes
n/a

Wy, ;
Kansas experienced a very successful indoor track season under

Kanehl's tutelage. Missouri was whipped at Columbia, 67 to 37. Kansas

also emerged first place winner in a triangular indoor meet at Lincoln

 
 

ade

when the Jayhawkers amassed a total of 43 2/3 points, and Nebraska was
second with 414 points, while Kansas State finished third with 15 points.
The Big Six Indoor Meet at Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium found Iowa
State winning first place with 38 points, Missouri second with 28 1/3;
Kansas ise third place with 27 1/3 points, Nebraska fourth with 22 1/3
points, while Oklahoma was fifth with 16 points, Kansas State failed to
place or to score a séiuts |

The outstanding place winners in the Big Six Indoor Meet, so far
as Kansas was concerned, found Frank Stannard winning first in the high hurdles

'

and third in low hurdles; Tom Scofield dtd. first place in the high jump
and placed third in the broad jump; Harvey Morrow tied for first in the
pole vault; and Robert Lillibridge tied for first in the broad jump.

Baseball will stage a come-back after a cessation of a year for
Kansas with the diamond sporte in all probability, Acting Athletic
Divseter Karl Klooz will engage Jackson J, Austin as coach of the baseball
team. Jack Austin is in our Physical Education department in charge of
ASTP physical educations Jack graduated from Kansas State Teachers College
of Emporia in 1930 with e major in physical education and a minor in
bioligical sciences. hen engaged for the ASTP work Jack was working
toward a Ph. D, degree at the University of Kansas. He coached and
taught physical education six years before going into administrative worke
Austin played quarterback for Coach Fran Welch, and also played baseball.

The baseball schedule will of necessity be with service teams here

in school cna hicariy camps and stations. Very few of the colleges are

— .

indulging in the national pastimeer~ Gasoline restrictions and the inability

Crowds

of the baseball teams to draw, on college diamonds will necessitate the

scheduling of games with service teams, But the students who are in school

 
 

who have an ines for baseball will have an éppor tunity to play the
game of their choice and at the same ik weirs the right So ey for a
varsity letter.

Tennis will receive attention and should be one of the prominent |
spring sports. There are several tennis players who are students in the
Navy V-12 who have won national recognition. Professor Dick Howie, of the
School of Business, will coach the tennis racketeers. |

The Kansas Relays are out for the duration. But on April 22nd
Kansas will stage her fortieth annual Kenses Interscholastic Meet -on
Memorial Stadium Field. Ray Kanehl, the varsity track coach, will be in
charge of the hundreds of high see boys who will come in for this
annual spring classic. |

on March 17th several hundred ASTP boys were sent in to active
trainings. They left the University for southern camps. We had four
men handling the ASTP physical education - Howard Porter, Elmer Schaake,
Vernon Hayes and Jack Austin. This large reduction in the ASTP ranks
will nabaialay cause e@ thinning out of our Geitetahns The deferments
of Elmer Schaake and Vernon Hayes will be up May first. Howard G. Porter,
a University of Missouri graduate, who came to us, last August from the
Ieaishsnn High School of Kansas City, Kensas, has presented his resignation
effective the 15th of April. Porter goes to the Planeview=Beechwood Schools,
at the edge of Wichita, as a teacher of the teachers . physical education
and recreation, Some would call it “supervisor, but the superintendent
doesn't like that word, This diselex is near the airport at Wichita,
and has a population of 20,000 within a visu of one mile, It has the

oe
largest grede school in the United States, as well ae high school

a
and junior high school, in the set-up. The Porters have been living at

s

 
 

= 5 =

2133 Vermont Street in their home which they purchased last summer, The
housing conditions being what they are ih Lawrence have enabled the Porters

to dispose of their eK entity.

The Jayhawk Club of Greater Kansas City is calling all K. Uy, folks
to their big funfest and dinner, April 25, at the President Hotel. Charles
Be Shaeffer, Kansas alumus and Regional Director of the War Br atostton
Board, as well as President of the Jagan’ Club, says: Come ye = one and
all = husband, wife and family - to the big gathering of the tribe = on
hubsidaye evening, April 25, at tie Hotel President roof ballroom + Neig us
raise the ROOF. Chancellor Deane Malott and Mrs. Melott are the honored
guests. K. U. professors and their wives will be there."

Shaeffer says a regular caravan from the University will be on hand
to renew old friendships, Those in charge of arrangements state that so
far as possible the diners will be grouped with others of your decade at
school - making it doubly easy to greet and visit with your former fellow
students and friends.s A good will hour will precede the dinner, From
6215 to 7:15 you will be in e position to let your hair down and have a
good time, At 7:15 the call for chow will be made, While you wait you
will have music. George “Dumpy" Sion. the author of "I'm a Jay+Jay-
Jayhawk", has arranged for an orchestra to soothe and inspire the dinner
guests while they wait. For those who haven't ers the dance
floor is in readiness for you to recall the old “ee when 7 were in
the University and you danced at Ecke's, the Fraternal Aid, the Country
Club, or the Union Building. You may not have Swede Wilson's music, or
Shanty Newhouse, or any of the early day orchestras, but "Dumpy" will

have it arranged so that you/will recall old times.

The hotel has a limit of 300 persons and the first 300 reservations

 
 

=6=

to come in will be the lueky ones. No special invitation is needed if
you are a Kansas alumus, a former etudent, or a friend of the University.
Write to Charles B. Shaeffer, care of the War Production Board, 414
Interstate Building, Kansas City, Missouri, and enclose your check for
$2.50 per person, including all taxes, and your tickets will be mailed
right back.

Prexy Charles says that amount is not much in times like these.
He admonishes with this sentence: Let's go for old K.U. Let's let the
old K.U. spirit flow once more -~.its been a long time. You will be
sorry if you miss this one, Let's go. for old K.U.

The football coaches will be present and there will be many an
Opportunity for the assembled multitude to celebrate their great victory
over the Missouri Tigers oi Kansas Memorial Field last Thanksgiving day,
t~feothaieks Kansas defeated the Tigers in football, in track, and two
_ out of three games in basketballe Certainly wit} that athletic record

e

and with good food and good music, the Jayhawk Club of Greater Kansas

City should have a grand evening,

 
Seme year one ef New Yerk*s metropolitan basketball teams is
_geing te whip a major team from eut west, on one ef the Eastern courtse
They haven*t succeeded this years lly plan is te ceeperate with Chicage
and Ste Levle preneteres in effering the Best's two best teens expenses
and enticing guaranteed reyaliies with additional percentages ef the
gate for their appearances in these western cities.

This effer applies te the 1944845 seasene The plan is te
schedule the West's outstanding teams against the Baste One referee
Ss Sen SEPT ONES eeEk the geneey

eile: Citas quali Ge ORs Dales, Derthinitng e tng ot the
Eastern leaders, might be pitted against the Nerthwestern, DePaul,
Marquette, Iowa, Oklahoma Aggies, Iewa State or Oklahomis
Whitney Martin's article out ef New Yerk on January 22, quoting
Lidia etiailiae on Gn ete Galas thes ene 6 eawey vigele of
leughter. Any pedumk ceach sheuld be able te defeat a straight zene gamee

What the lesers are squawking abeut is their inability to beat
a combination ef man fer man and part zonés

There are ways te chart an effense threugh any defense if the
effensive team is intelligent and crafty eneughe It is an admission of
weakness for a coach te decry a team using any type ef defense that he
may elects

Feetball ceaches use a zene, a combination man fer man and part
zene and a gene defense as they wish. We feetball ceach decries any defenses

Too many basketball ceaches teach meving the ball quickly abeut
to beat a zones that is euly part of the anewers There are passing and
meving lanes threugh a zene defense and it is necessary te meve all ef the
men as the ball is manipulated from place te place the same as traffic
is meved in a congested traffic zenes

You will win yeur feir percentage by intelligently working threugh
@ zene defense the same as you de by working through a man for man defenses

Everett Dean ef Stanford University’s N.C.A»A. champions ef twe
years age, told mem that none of the Big Ten coaches understeed how te break
threugh a gene defenses Kentucky defeated Illinois Whiz Kids and this year
defeated Ohie State with a cembination zene and man for man plays

What ene coach calls a combination man fer man and zene, anether
may call it differentiye
A few years age Coach Johnny Bunn of Hank Luisetti~Stanferd fame,
was watching Jim Kelley's DePaul (Chicage) work-out befere the National
Association ef Basketball Beaches assembled theres A prominent coach
remarked te Bunn that Kelley wes ueing a straight man for man defense in
his team's plays Jehn Bunn replied, "I use the same type of defense and
I call it a combination ef bethe" Se it goose

the censh whe vetuess te let bis team tey to peustvete 0 sene
type of play frankly admits that he has not mastered this phase of basketball.

If & gone type ef team is behind in the score its a cinch that they
will have te come eut efter the bell. If they de net they wen"t have te
werry lenge There will net be any custemers out te see them play the
“next times

The ceaches ewe their public action and scoring by a colerful
teams When players meve systemtically ever the fleor action results, and
when censhes tench their elerges the paths of the scering lanes ant
skillful passes, scoring will result. The tetal result will be a colerful
ball games
The pseudo-patrictism ef some ef our so-called big time ceaches
Si Tilly Cacia ‘nid SadtnAN to erhentiihign thane tilitiee inc
traveling ever the country signing up all the likely 4F beys with
athletic petentialities. ‘They alse are sceuting fer all 17 year eld a#high
schoo] graduates whe have one year of athletic competition befere registering
fer selective service. |

At the same time they are indulging in frantic flag waving while
pesing as developers ef young men, siding the wer effert threugh physical
conditioning programs of athletic gemese 2 | 7

There is mere respect fer rules and fer cenduct in eur prefessienal
spert of organized baseball than that which ebtains in eur cellege
athletic competition ef tedaye The reason is very ebvieuse Judge landis
enforces the prefessienal cede te the letter and spirit, while the cellege
einheuthdes. teneiind tink-are-merguvitvting Un G0itl to tube tie binderentts JS
Fren tine inmemorial we have had proselyting ef our streng young men for
combat and for athletic contests. Faul spoke of it in Biblical times
when he referred te the Olympic Gamess

But eur present preselyters of 4F material are playing fer huge
financial stakes. Bowl games and teurnament money is the lure < in
assembling the signing ef all 4F's and elder men tee old for the drafte
The big time college ceaches are restricted to the younger mene Professional
feotball teams did it last summer and fall with successes

Prefessicnal baseball and prefessional feetball are businesses
calculated to make meney and te entertain their patrens fer the price ef
admission. The business ef the cellege & is te educate the youngster, net -
 

Zo
to prostitute him prefessionally. College athletics are suppesed to be
@ sport and net a professional business. ‘The old college ideal of former:
days is gonee One football ceach ef eur section said enly the ether day,
“oug team, had it won a couple ef mere games, would have cetten a Bowl bid
that would have paid us handsemely. Leek at the example ef ‘Siwash*
(real name not used)» Siwash wac nearly all a 4F outfit. They accepted
® Bowl bid and got the moneys We are on the lockout now for these 4P lf &

gr ee

4 PO Lg

eye teagan 4 17 6 Pe / ff
-™

The coach queted was utider the impression that he was speaking
te one of his workers but he get his geegraphy mixed. He was speaking te
a Kansas mane

Certainly I want it understeed that I am strongly in faver of 4F _
sis eaten: godine on eicee tin biti But when they are made the
uiiidahes i uk a Obie een |.
_tine fer sober reflections

Se be prepared for mere flag waving, more high sounding patrictic
phrases emulating tep physical conditioning ef our athletic teams for
she acting weninal 0) — a = £5 as

Qur number ene business in America at the present time is toe win
the war with everything we have get in the shortest pessible times, Back
EE ee The 4F athlete im war
time sheuld net be glerified -_ willified athleticallye And if something
is net dene seon fer pest war athletic rules - to rigidly enferce decadent
and dead regulations in eur cellege conferences after the war - then the
college presidents had better tie thair hats on because the gale brewing
will develop a hdlecaust excelling anything yet seens
Guct the teams that suffer mest are the ene which ebserve the conference
rules. thd’ big time teams have discarded all of the traditional collegiate
restrictions, There is ne one at present in the celleziate set up te
enforce the old rulese Maybe they are outmeded. The big timers are
ignering these rules the same as Hitler ignered the Versailles treaty and
invaded the Ruhre lie mation acted,- and no scheel or persen’is restricting
the big time teams and the big time ocachese 7/2 at :

The surest way te kill intercellegiate athletics fer the future is
to continue in the deplerable manner that they are new being conductede \ y
The enly gafe way te insure their continuance on a safe and high plane,
bringing back the fine educational phases of years gone by, tae
installation of a High Commissioner or czare A sterling character the like
ef Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis would de the tricks

mee |
 

SPORTSCAST = KFKU = March 16, 1944

The questionnaire committee of the joint basketball rules body
have sent questd salad ook to all the college, independent and high school
coaches of the United States with a view of getting their opinion concerning
suggested changes in the rules that would benefit the game of basketball.

One coach said to me today, when I was discussing research with
him, “You are right, I filled out a questionnaire and tolé them what I
thought about certain changes, not one of which I had actually tried out.”
de said, "I presume most of the coaches do it the same way. It is certainly
WR Gr odicetad on fact finding." |

These written opinions are not based upon research or any game
condition try-outs. The rules body generally meet and hick a@ cross section
of opinions and if there are enough opinions meriting a change, the rules
committee are apt to adopt a rule covering a majority opinion, ‘This procedure
is altogether wrong. No rule should be adopted in that manner, It should
only be incorporated in the rules after it has been subjected to an efficient
research committee. This committee should not only work out the problems
but they should appoint teams in different sections of the nation to try the -
various rule changes out under game conditions. Certain fact finding groups
could then report directly to the research committee. The research committee,
after carefully formulating their findings on the various rule changes, shunt
could then submit this ieee data. to the rules committee who would then be
in possession of proven facts. This would be logical and altogether different

than the procedure at present.

 
 

Pas

/

The definition of research, according to Webster, is Me searching
for something, especially with care and diligence; careful or critical
examination in seeking facts or principles." I would suggest that the
present basketball rules should be frozen for a three-year period. And
that a competent research:committee of basketball specialists be appointed,
“This committee, should receive adequate compensation for their services sO
that they seule be held accountable to the same degree they are given authority
and compensation. There are very few competent college coaches who would
make good research men because their search is for taller players rather than
for finding the facts ical rules of ‘the Game.

Many college coaches ve thinking more of the financial income of
the game than ‘they are in improving the game. Some of these fellows endorse
watches, pos tun or bananas in their spare time rather than spending their
effort in finding the answer to goal-tending, out of bound plays, unlimited
substitution, or the effect of fatigue upon players under varying conditions,
Most of the efficient researchers are high school executives and school
officials. ‘The college exesubives ana coaches of the N.C.A.A. haven't done
any real baskathe’: research for years, They played lightly with the tern
"basketball research", The big time college coaches are more concerned with
tall players than they are with tall baskets. I challenge their research
committee to show one instance of constructive research done in the past ten
yearse

Some coaches at the present time are much concerned over goal
tending. Their contention is that tall pines wat Hic ball away from the
basket before it enters the same. They Circoes a rule which provides "that

of awarding a field goal when a defensive player touches a try for goal

above the level of the cylinder of the basket or if the ball has started

 
 

mie

its dowmward arc." This suggested change is very inadequete and will not
do the job. Most shots for goals do not have a high arch. The ball leaves
the player's hands from a height of 5 to 5s feet. The basket height at
present is 10 feet. Most shooters use a low are on their shots, bare ly
skimming over the rim. Hence it would still be possible for 7 ft. goal
tenders to block shots before the ball gets over the cylinder of the
basket. This tall chap by moving to either side or to the front of the
basket could easily intercept 80 per cent of offensive basket shots before
they reach the plane of the basket. It would be necessary for offensive
players to use an entirely different arch ese, much higher than is
ordinarily used, to arch the ball high enough to get over this altitudinous
pier: It is doubly dierionit to teach players to change to a high arch
shot when they have been accustomed to the ordinary low, skimming shot.
This would be done only for the purpose of clearing the ball over the sky-
scraping goal tender. :

It is my observation that these coaches who are raising the
loudest hue and cry ageinst goal tending are the coaches who do not have
at the present time an site wudtsione center. They want the rule aieiuke
goal tending inserted because they have no goal tenders, ihen these certain
coaches previously had goal tenders they could not be interested in the rule
changes that abe being discussed today.

Let's not make a rule that will affect the players now in the
game, but let any proposed rule become effective three years from the time
that the same is put into effect. Such a rule will be fair for everybody
concerned and will not be construed as striking at an altitudinous player
now, in the game, That is why I say that the rules should be frozen for a

period-of time to permit the research conmittee to do some fact finding,

rather than ruling on opinions of coaches who have not tried out certain

 
 

innovations. It is interesting to note that all the top teams in the
country have sky-serapers on their basketball personnel. Check up on the
gigentic gaat tonieye with their college affiliations and their high school
residences to find the answer for the easy practice of proselyting of these
youngsters »

George Kok, 6 ft. 104 inch player is the na scant acquisition
of the University of Arkansas. He has been on the Razorback squad for about
two weeks now and he hails from Saginaw, liichigan. Arkansas will be in the
Western N.C.A.A. tournament which will be played in icases City, March 24
and 25.6 They are representing the 6th district of the Southwest Areas

ne ae Wraupon (eritigs 6 fh TH ing ead 6 Mts 6 dns, from Winriell,
Kansas, are freshmen players on Coach Adolph Rupp's toam at the University of
Kentucky.e Both of these boys played on the state Ditepionsis team before
enrolling at Kentucky.

Bob Kurland, the 7 ft. 1 in, giant who plays on Hank Thee
Oklahoma A. & Me Cowboy team from Stillwater, Oklahoma, comes from down the
Mississippi River country in the Ozark area, either on the issouri or the
Illinois side,

Mike Komenich, of last year's National Collegiate A. A. champions
at Wyoming University, played high school ball in Gary, Indiana.

And so it goes, There is a definite traffic in these tall boys
under a low 10 foot basket bacause these’ especially tall fellows almost
insure a championship for a team that can recruit some other players to
go along with them. The decuetekins of tall players is becoming so common

that it is almost a general rule among coaches who want championship teams,

Of course, there are rules against it in practically every conference, but

 
 

-o=

rules are being broken now in college conferences more than they are being
kepte there ts no such thing as an amateur rule being respected in colleges
i
The tas oad and American League professional baseball teams are

more amateur in spirit today on account of the shpery leary powers of
Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, than are the so-called big time basket-
ball and football teams of our universities and colleges. So the feverish
hunt is on over the country for the tall boys because there are not enough
"to ts os And because the 6 ft. 8 in. boy can reach the basket without
jumping, insuring plenty of goals on Sha obtonse) sud additional insurance of
the coach realizing that this 6 ft. 8 in. boy can bat the ball away from the
basket before it gets above the cylinder of the basket,

: So the super=tall player is still plaguing tne cis makers ‘because

with a low basket it is still impossible to make a non=discriminatory rule

without raising the low 10 ft. basket out of reach of this hyper-extended

player. This discrimination of not permitting a defensive player to bat the
ball away from the basket, while porn beike the offensive player: to dunk or
push the ball in from off the rim, is shocking in its unfairness. Why
legislate against the defense while permitting the offensive player to do the
very tinue you are prohibiting the defensive player from doing?

It is treating symptoms and not removing the cause. I have
suggested 212 foot’ basket only because of the fact that the 12 foot basket
is entirely out'of the renee of both the offensive and defensive player.
Personally, I do not care whether the rule makers act upon ihe oreseika
change or not, because Kansas has won outright or tied for the Big Six
eheupionshio 9 of the Nhinis the conference has been in existence, and
we have won 17 championships of the past 27 years in the Missouri Valley and

+.

Big Six conference. However, the raised basket for college and independent

 
 

mG

teams will come eventually, as sure as death end taxes. It is the only
solution that can come which will entirely eliminate discrimination for
both the offense and the defense.
As a parallel argument, in football when the goal posts have
been placed 10 yards back of the goal line it ee everyvody a chance,
but the specialist in drop-kicking or place-kicking is atucchb ides from
many attempts which he would lentes try if the goal posts were on the
goal line.
And so this tall baskotieli specialist who dnupe wadarapetn the

basket and reaches, taps or dunks it in will not be the valuable member
he would be under a 10 foot basket. By raising the basket you take nothing
away from the short player but you Seas Eas aes of height from this
gigentic player. As a case in sehive at visaidan symptons, I wish to miaxk
eite the elisluctien of the center jump mle. These advocates claim that
the elimination of the center jump would drive the gangling, altitudinous
player out of the game. All the rule makers did by eliminating the center
jump was to add many more out of hounds plays to the already too many plays
of this nature, and’ Gee, they placed a heavier burden on the poor officials
by creating fire wagon basketball which leaves the players, officials and
spectators fatigued and dizzy after 40 minutes of this harum=-scarum basket-
ball.

. It will be interesting to watch George Kok of Arkansas against
Iowa State, Missouri and Pepperdine College. Missouri has substituted
for the University of Iowa, which was filling in the bracket so it would
be possible for the N.C.A.A. to carry on. The dates are March 24 and 25

in the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. Dartmouth, Catholic University,

Temple and Ohio State will play in New York, and the winder of the western

 
 

a

foursome will play the winner of the eastern foursome in Madison Square
Garden in New York for the National Collegiate Athletic Association title.
Then the winner of the Invitation Tournament, which is a Madison Square
Garden promotion, will play the wimer of the N.C.A.A. tournament, The
‘Invitation Tournament membérs are Muhlenberg, DePaul of Chicago, Bowling
Green, St. Johnie of Brooklyn, Oklahoma Aggies, Kentucky, and Canisius of
Buffalo. The proceeds from the final game ee the N.C.A.A. winner and

to
the Invitation Tournament winner will go/the Red Cross, This alone should

justify the game.

 
KFKU SPCRTSCAST, March 25, 1944

THE ADMINISTRATIVE PARADOX OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

The original conception of athletics being an integral part
of the educational scheme is at present a paradox, In both intercollegiate
big-time football and in big-time basketball, the tail now wags the doge For
instance, the bigetime aspect of intercollegiate basketball, as exemplified
by the New York Invitation Tournament; and the National Collegiate Basketball
Tournament, which rings down the curtain on a busy basketbe}1 season, should
give us pause for thought. Basketball is going bigetime tremendously fast.

lire Ce He MoBride, sports editor of the Kansas City Star, in
his sporting colwm of Tuesday, March 21, says of the National Collegiate
Athletic Association basketball tournament: quote: “As we understand ig |
the N.C.AsA. never has set a financial goal for its basketball championshipse
The organization did wish to see ns pluqreette and the championship game pay
their way end when they reached that stage, with a fair profit they seemed
quite happy over the achievement." Unquote.

I ask why should the N.C.A.A. take practically all of the
basketball receipts when it takes but ten per cent of any of the other sports
that it administers. Why should not the N.C.A.A. try to levy on the college
football bowl gate receipts? Why should not the N.C.A.A. try to levy on
_ Missouri's Orange Bowl game or on Nebraska's Rose Bowl game? ‘The answer is
obvious, because these colleges would tell the N.C.AsAs where to go. Yet
they are members of the N.C.AsA. organisation that also administers the
national basketball tournaments, :
 

 

 

ee tiee REE Ce ERE Se ay op pees Se te

 

Now this is where Mr. Ned Irish, the Horatio Alger of pro- ;
motional independent basketball, steps in, Mr. Irish is a businessman, and 7
is also promoter of the New York Invitational Sasketball Tournament. He is |

 

of the same business species as are the football bowl game promoters. We
must admire the business acumen of the qthletic departments of the Oklahom

 

Aggies, the Universities of Kentucky and of Utah in going to the New York
Invitational Tournament where the money allowance is plentiful instead of
going to the NeC.A.A. tournament where there is little money and little
glorys The N.C.AsAs big-wigs choose to take most of the money, whereas the
independent promoters give e goodly part of the gate receipts to competing
toanss

The reason that Oklahoma Aggies, Kentucky and Uéah passed up
the N.C.A.A. playeoff was because these three teams, who are members of the
NCewAcAe, could get a much better financial return in New York, and would
get only chicken feed if they supported the N.C.AsA. tournament,

The stand-out teams of the country - Oklahoma Aggies, Kentucky,
DePaul and St. John's = all of them are in the New York Invitation tournament.
But all are members of the N.C.AsAs group who chose to play where money and
fame were more abundant.

Perhaps it might be well to mention the teams in New York's
Invi tation Tournament. Muhlenberg, of Peumsylvanias DePaul of Chicago;
Bowling Green of Ohio; St, John's of Brooklyn; Oklahoma Aggies; Kentucky;

 

and Canisius, of Buffalo, Already Kentucky has defeated Utah; St, John's
has defeated Bowling Green; Oklahoma Aggies has defeated Canisius; and

 

DePaul has defeated Muhlenberg - in the first round.
In the second round last night the Oklahoma Aggies lost to Bo
DePaul of Chicago, 41 to 38; and St, John's of RE fefeated the University

  
Se
of Kentucky, 48 to 45, St. John's ie te tain vain
meet Sunday night in Madison Square Garden for the New York Invitation
championship.

In the Western N.C.AA., Missouri meets Utah, and Iowa State
meets Pepperdine, in Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium. In the Eastern
WeCeAcke, Ohio State meets Temple of Philadelphia, and Dartmouth mets
Catholic University of washington, D, Ce, in a double-header in the Garden on Fri-
day, March 24th, The winners of this eastern foursome will meet Saturday night,
March 25th.

Utah, after being whipped by Kentucky in New York's Invitation
tournament, is now going to represent the Rocky Mountain Conference in the
Western N.C.A.Ae, while Pepperdine - never a representative before for the
Pacific Coast in N.C.A.A. play = is filling in because the Pacific Coast Con-
ference refused to have a playeoff, lowa State, champions of the Big Six,
representing the Missouri Valley area, and Missouri as a fillein to complete
this heterogenous group, will pley in Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium on
Friday and Saturday nights, Mareh 24 and 25,

Back in 1940 in three games played in the unicipal Auditorium
at Kansas City for the Western and the Final N.C.A.A. Tournament, there was |
grossed $23,000, ‘The N.C.A.A. kept practically all of the net proceeds of |
this tournament, amounting to $10,000, and the colleges got barely more than
expensese This selfish act of the N.C.A.A. executive committee started the
defection of teams away from the N.C.A.A. tournament toward more lucrative
fields. The N.C.AA. is reaping the reward of its own grasping policy.
| The truth is that the N.C.A.A. is selfesufficient financially
and does not need a sinking fund at the expense of the National Basketball
Tournament, ‘The National Collegiate Athletic Association has no paid officers
and is sustained by an annual membership fee of $25.00 per years
olen

There are 240 uiversities and colleges which have active

alt ie a Sih iM ia Unban

meuberships and nearly as many which have allied associated and affiliated
memberships, These membership fees net the N.C.A.A. over $7,000.00 annually,
Henes there is no great need for the N.C.A.A. Executive Committee to take all ot
of the basketball money for a “hobby pot" and a traveling fund.

Now back to tournament schedules, The winner of th Western
N.CoAsA. in Kansas City will meet the winner of the Hastern NeCeAcAe in
Madison Square Garden on March 28, ‘Then the winner of the New York Invitation
tournament will meet the wimer of ‘the N.C.AsA. tournament in Madison Square
Garden on March 30, The gigantic Red Cross benefit game between the wimer
of the New York Invitation tournament and the NeCeAeAe Champions in the
Garden justifies the ventwre mainly because something like $50,000 will
accrue to this great international ageney of meroy. .

Thus we see that money can be an agency of mercy. Paradoxically
it can be the root of all evil. RBigetime football also has its money troubles.
Excessively large gate receipts stimulate proselyting. We have two exact
Opposites on the stage of American football «= the lily whites, or have-nots, -

‘those who observe the eligibility rules and become the doormats of the

conference ; the other is the tainted-money but prosperous boys - the proselytors ««
generally the champions of the conference, ‘Tho champion's illegitimate success
breeds a certain renpuctabality because their winnings draw huge gate receipts
plus bamer headlines on the sport pages.

Some athletic beards of lily white schools stress the importance
of following the rulea of the conference, At the same tine they schedule
games with the tainted-money boys for gate receipts, and gate receipts alone.
Under no other conditions would these lily whiters schedule games with these
alleged outlawse ‘The unfortwa te coach of a doormat team suffers loss of

Bs
stoi tan Lato aye st gle aes ae a
personal prestige in games won and lost, while his athletic manager considers
himself successful because of the financial gain his school receives from
guarantees, The doormat football coach is not permitted by his athletic
board to go out and get material the same as is the big-time coach, Yet he
is forced to meet teams of the proselyting coach wider unfair competition
because his athletic manager schedules games for lucrative guaranteese

| Whieh is the greater ovil - the athletic board of control
trying to observe a letter printed rule on account of academic cowardice,
or boldly facing the situation and either refusing to schedule games with
these unorthodox universities and colleges, or suffering financially?

| : This active proselyting is so aggressive that it extends

to the smaller commumities far removed from the scene of the proselytor.s
Only last week the athletic representatives of Northwestern University and
the Universities of Kentucky and Colorado contacted two of our Lawrence
High Sehool basketball boys who also doubled in football. They were offered
their board, room, tuition and books, averaging $90.00 per month. It happens
that these three universities « Northwestern, Kentucky and Colorado - ane
Kansas graduates coaching at these respective institutions. When our own
lawrence High School athletic stars are contacted by the large out of state
institutions, it is high time for our athletic oerd of sentwel ts acknewlotes
this danger by action, They should either recognize the power of these
attractions by meeting these offers in some open way orabandon intercollegiate
athletics in favor of intramurals. —

Doubtless all the tournament stars were contacted because boys
from Topeka and Kansas City who played in this tournament in Lawrence also
received flattering offers. And yet we have-nots do nothing about ite’ anal
will we wake up and take our heads out of the sand?
 

 

© Gu

If there is no way to enforce the rules that we have it would
‘be fairer to all concerned to ask the athletic board of our school to take a
 handseoff policy and let every coach be for himself and the devil take the

 

 

hindermoste
It so happens that I have long advocated the appointment of |
a national czar of intercollegiate athletics, This high commissioner to have ; 1
the same absolute power that Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis exercises in a .
professional baseball, ‘ith a national commissioner in power there would be i
no such incursions as have occurred in our ow town the past weeke Our —
conference along with other soecalled respectable conferences, has always :
had plenty of rules agains’ proselyting, but they have never bem enforced,
Apparently rules are printed to be ignored. Either have rules respected
or remove their restrictions from our Kansas coaches. ;
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