Show 0 fIRCE fI R CE A A FTER all wars morals colla and character takes a nos nose dive For wars are d destructive i imore in n more ways than in the matter of human l life e human flesh and bone and man-built man cities titles It was after the first world war wa r that the Black Sox scan scandal dal devel This was in 1919 But the Black Sox were not the only crooked offend offend- ers There were many others on other teams Everyone has heard recently o of f the soldiers who were A AWOL VOL in France where everyman everyman every everyman y man was needed for his Job Many of Grantland these theses sold old cigarettes garettes and other line front-line needs to the French black market Only a few have been convicted and sentenced to death or long terms of penitentiary penitentiary penitentiary peni- peni labor But here is proof of thousands willing to betray their own fighting mates for some form of profit This is something far beyond throwing a baseball or a basketball game Or a football game It is the ultimate in infamy So if this can happen to our army along the fighting fighting fighting fight- fight ing front with over betray als some far lower than any Benedict Ben Bene diet dict Arnold you can see what can happen to sport The Brooklyn college basketball matter was only a small part of ot the picture We Ve all know that the average kid the kid the average college student student student-is is honest We also know that we have had crooked governors crooked senators and crooked con con- con con- gressmen But politics is accepted as at least a partly crooked game Sport Must Be on Guard Once they blast the foundations of complete honesty from under sport the entire structure starts to cave in We have had too much dishonesty entirely too much crookedness entirely too much cowardice cowardice cowardice cow cow- ardice in hi politics Everyone knows that But sport cant can't be almost clean lean It can never reach the lower lower lower low low- er level of politics and still get by It is for this reason that sport must be on guard through the remainder of the present war war and and through the postwar period on beyond It isn't enough to say that most athletes are honest This applies to baseball football basketball and boxing In another way it applies to racing We Ve must go beyond this rating In 1919 there were over honest ballplayers yet there were elgh eight players who came near wrecking the game Judge Landis and Babe Babo Ruth saved it The professional gambler as Irule a I arule arule rule is smart smooth and intelligent intelligent intelligent intelli intelli- gent although there are ate exceptions He knows human nature and to its weaknesses And he has cash to offer Above all else the pro gambler gambler gambler gam gam- bler wants the winning edge the winning whining percentage for his money Too many of these would betray the souls of their mothers for a winning bet Once again I honestly believe this applies to the minority But the minority with the playing minority in sport can wreck any game whose main bulwark must behonest be behonest behonest honest effort Unless there is the strictest sort sori of control shown by sporting leaders leaders lead lead- ers including coaches college presidents and iron hearted commissioners commissioners commissioners commis commis- sport can wallow into more more crookedness than it has ever known To me it isn't enough to say that most of these athletes are honest Most people are honest But there is still many a rook crook around who can can at least come close to wrecking the whole works Lets Let's not be too gullible again Who would have believed believed believed be be- in 1919 that almost an entire ball club could be bought at a cheap price to throw a world series series in in including eluding two potential hall of hall fame fame stars Who could have believed that soldiers in France would Rould I betray their fighting mates at the front Or who could have believed that a Brooklyn basketball team- team would prides would one of Brooklyn's prides have sold out to cheap gamblers The gamblers hardly count They were barely ducking Sing Sing any any- way But the five kids are wrecked beyond all help Their lives are over in any decent community Sport today needs keen alert honest and fearless leaders more leaders more than it ever needed them before e. e For there is a tidal wave of dIShonesty dIS dIS- dIShonesty honesty on its way no matter what what the optimists may tell you 4 |