Salt Lake Telegram | 1941-02-06 | Page 17 | Pros Riled by Layden Grid Move

Pros Riled By Layden Grid Move CHICAGO Feb 6 W Elmer tP-Elmer Elmer j Layden quit the cloisters of collegIate collegiate collegiate col col- col- col football for the turbulent pro grid business last Monday and already he has noticed the change The former Notre Dame coach and athletic director found himself in the middle of a controversy today over his appointment as National Professional football league commissioner commissioner com corn missioner hardly before the ink on his contract had dried I Bert Bell half hal Downer owner of the Philadelphia Eagles and two other i club owners owners Alexis Alexis Thompson of I Pittsburgh and Dan Topping of of Brooklyn touched Brooklyn touched off oft the debate yesterday by declaring that Layden Layden Layden Lay- Lay den had been railroaded into office The lanky Layden never known to be overly talkative assumed a strict self self-Im self imposed sed silence as pro circles debated te legality of his appointment and collegiate ranks pondered his successor at Notre Dame where the athletic board meets tomorrow The procedure followed in making makIng making mak mak- ing the appointment apparently caused the squabble among pro owners Boiled down down it appears that a a committee delegated to in interview interview interview in- in three prospective c commis commissioners quit after talking to only two recommending Layden precipItately precipitately precipitately because his contract at Notre Dame had expired Bell Ben and George Hales Halas owner of the Chicago Bears Beard formed the In Interviewing In- In committee The situation situation situation situa situa- tion was explained thusly by Halas A majority of the club owners voted to hire Layden and his appointment appointment appointment ap ap- is legal and official At a recent meeting in Chicago the plan was vasto to select the commissioner commis commis- abner at the April meeting but cir circumstances cir clr- cum made it imperative we tM hire Layden with without ut delay if we were to get him Layden's contract with Notre Dame expired last week and t the e university proffered proffered prof pro him a new one Neither Layden Layden Layden Lay Lay- I den nor Notre Dame co could ld wait until an April meeting Bell Bel charged that Layden had been railroaded illegally over John Joha P P. Kelly Philadelphia Democratic Democratic Democratic Demo Demo- cratic leader and nd Frank McCormick McCornick nick mick ick University of Minnesota a athletic ath ath- letic letle director A majority of the club owners voted for Layden and a majority isaU is all aU the league constitution demands on any matter of business Halas said