Show THE SPORT LIGHT LIGHTB 1 By B RICH t. t lilt 1114 K New w w rot York Tribune D Inc Tr jJ em m Reg-l Reg U. U O 02 I. I fco THE TILE A L TEU QUESTION We have run Into a a. large num num- numer her I er of ot people lately late who believe be amateurism should be abol abol- abolished and every competition made math madean mathan an open event hate the use uee remarked one student of ol sporting affairs A large per cent of ot present day dal amateurs are making their out of ot sport port f In one way or an an- another another other where they the are giving from fron five to 10 eight months a tI year ear to tc competitions that carry them all aE allover over the country or all a over the th world We c have havo Nurmi over here for six months Paddock and Mur- Mur Murchison MurchIson chison chleon In Europe for eight months Tilden Richards and others start tart in the spring and go gc from one competition to another until October The man who ac ac- actually ac- ac actually has to work for a living at some Job outside of ot his sport has no chance at all He Ho is sure cure cureto to be bc outclassed The whole thing Is a a. farce ONE SIDE SIDD ANI Nl TIlE THE OTHER There is too much truth in this Indictment to be pleasant But amateurism which means sport for lor tho the fun lun of It for or recreation tion UIn amusement and only a certain tam tain amount of competition ha hc h Its advocates This is espe espe- especially especial daIly cial true of ot the colleges now the backbone of ot amateur sport It Is true of ot such men as Bobby Jones Bobby Dobby Jones has declined from the t start t to malta make leite any I f He has money y yo from o writing golf gO down twenty good offers Ho plays plas In about three tournaments tournaments ments a year rear and ond he pays pas his hill own expenses at these theM tournaments He lEa gives at least eleven cleven months out of the year to the realty bust busi business ness n ss In which he Is engaged This is real ral amateurism THE TItE SOX REASON What hat Is the main reason reason for amateur sport spoil On ono is the professional who openly open and honestly makes his living from froni tome some game either as Instructor or competitor or salesman Against this side there was sup sup- supposed supposed posed to be another field work work- workIng Ing for tor a a. living at something else with sport lIport as one of th main forms of ot recreation fun tun and con con- conditioning toning This latter laUer field was not cup up posed nosed to compete upon even en terms except in rare Instances Ins an es with the professional nal star As It Is now many of ot the amateurs get more moro competition than most of ot the pro- pro prof f can get and they make maka makan more nore n e money one from it It directly 01 or It Is not a matter of ot turning over the competitive game to pro pro- or the wealthy It Is a matter of ol protecting protecting- the man who enters a a. certain number of ot com com- competitions competitions competitions petitions and ond still has to work for forn fora n a living TilE THE IDEAL Back of ot It all of ot course Is the I al sport Idal sport for tor- sports sport's sake This In time may be completely washed away The colleges are now the main stronghold Where other forms of ot amateur sport have elip- elip p pd d badly before the rush of ot com com- commercialism the colleges have im- im Improved improved proved their amateurism vastly from year to year ear There has been a steady advance to higher le In spite spile of pt big stadiums and tind large larse receipts Today oda In most of ot the colleges these conditions must be faced laced 1 A hard entrance examination that must be passed 2 One year In college before one Is eligible 3 To hold a high general aver aver- average average age of work or else elsa be bo dropped 4 No remuneration 6 fit No financial returns of ot any sort front from any connection with sport If lt I college collego sport wouldn wouldn't t last two seasons And It wouldn't lOan inan anything As It Is now young oung fellows follows by the thousands are aro taught t tho the service of ot discipline drudgery d and training mental and Ideal There Thera Is 15 for tor an no commercial reward To a certain thin tain extent sport may be bo done but there thero leatso Is also tho the Inspiration which now has 95 96 per cent of ot each stu stu- student student dent body Lody engaged In tn some lome form torm ot sport against ten per cent tit tit- fifteen fifteen teen or twenty years ago NOT PERFECT BUT n T- T College sport Isn't perfect Thor There are still spotty Instances of ot money oney slipped to star youngsters and of ot othe the Inducements offered bud Ud- budding ding talent lint But the Important point Is tho the gradual Improvement going on which Is III receiving more moro and more support All AH advancing In this stumbling tumbling human humon exist exist- existence coca ence must come slowly Thero There Is la lano no nl sudden ludden leap to any nearly per por- ct state slate Glaciers Glacier may move with greater speed than mOlt moat re forms The Tho mistake mItake ml tako that nearly all reformers make Is that ot of at attempting at at- tempting to leap to perfection In one ono jump ump They The haven't the ya a tl hence tInce nce or the philosophy to break ground slowly and surely And this hi form of at attack Is usually sh shy along With Ith all the opportunities now at nt hand to collect Important money fro meven me amateur sport there mutt must be b. somo some stand made mad madIn madaIn In Its ItA behalf or It will soon crum crum- crump crumpe p pe up The world wouldn't como come comoto to 10 nn an end if It this should hould happen nut Hut one of ot the pleasant sides o of existence e. at large would bo be b over It II Is Impossible to round up nn on any l set definition of at a p per r cen cent amateur o. But there thero ca co abs a at least an approach to a good aver aver- average averIle average age le standard f In this particular age ace ol e the game ame in general Is up against Its hardest hl trial the spirit of e t the times veering in an entirely different direction |