Show fr S Y 3 W S Sa a S S 'S y Hwy y Sees hope for pro football I Elmer Laj Layden den czar of the sport intends t to go ahead with plans Pro Football Boss Says Game Will Go On Next Year YearBy I By PAT OBRIEN O'BRIEN W WASHINGTON Feb 18 UP Professional football like major league baseball Intends to carry carryon on but on-but but It wont won't be easy Elmer Layden commissioner of the National Football league said Thursday he believes the circuit can continue with limitations Layden former Notre Dame football coach and a member bithe of bi f th the famous Irish four horsemen backfield in the mid conferred conferred conferred con con- conI I with Man Power Commissioner Commission Commissioner Commis Commis- sion r Paul V. V McNutt and Transportation Transportation Transportation Trans Trans- Director Joseph B B. Eastman Eastman Eastman East East- man Wednesday Finds Encouragement He said he had found definite encouragement for the league al although although although al- al though McNutt was noncommittal as to whether the players were essential essential essential es es- es- es and Eastman was equally noncommittal on the transportation tion question It may be like the early days of professional football Layden said In those times the men played on week ends after working working working work work- ing all week in factories Theres There's nothing now to prevent them from doing the same thing Schedules may have to be rearranged rearranged rear rear- ranged t to save mileage preseason training sessions abolished and a a. great deal of the usual hoo bally-hoo done away with Layden conceded But I think we have a definite place in the American scene he said Football of course wants to help win the war more than anything else but we Ye think that so long as spectator sports exist we have a legitimate place Definite Program Layden said he believed a definite definite definite nite program would come out of the league owners' owners meetings in Chicago in April Major league baseball owners already have served notice that they intend to go through with the 1943 season although they admit admit admit ad ad- mit the caliber of play unquestionably ably will be lower Hundreds of the diamonds diamond's figures have Joined the armed services and more are donning military uniforms daily Professional football and major league baseball many baseball many of the minors have suspended for the duration probably duration probably will be the nations nation's nations nation's nations nation's na na- na- na tion's principal spectator sports The armed forces are inducting most college players of 18 and andover andover andover over which automatically rules out big time college sports and the best of the boxing fraternity already Is in uniform Service bouts leading to championship I clashes in all divisions are being considered by the army |