Critic Forecasts Amateur Boom As War's Effect On American Sport.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 3, 4 January 1941, Page 5 (Supplement)

Critic Forecasts Amateur Boom As War's Effect On American Sport.

ttIF you care to look a few months ahead, or a year ahead," writes a leading U.S.A. citizen. "I'll give you the answer concerning sport. We will have more sport than ever before, but most of it will be in army camps. I mean both baseball and football, especially football next falL "By that time we'll have around 2,000,000 men in army or navy life. Their main recreation will be sport. There have been so many turned down

(By GRANTLAND RICE.)

through physical disabilities that we will soon have a rush on athletes. It will not bo a surprise to see an appeal made .to all college athletes and to professional athletes of the right ago to enlUt. "Young, unmarried athietes earning fame or money next year will not be popular heroes. Certainly not with the divisions scattered all over the United States. I think you can get their viewpoint. The luck of the draft won't be taken into consideration. They will not be cheering etare who are young, strong and well-fixed financially.* It will be just aa it was in the World War more than 20 years ago. No Payoff. "I think I can give you the new schedule, as army and 'navy officials think it »will pan out. There will be baseball and football games, plus boxing matches, between regiments and divisions and armies. Thoee men in camp will need something beyond the average to break up their routine existence. They wont get this from entertainers, except in part. "Hie-y can get it only from sport, and that will mean the topranking part of sport. "It will mean jthe best of our football players, college and pros. It will mean many of our better big league and minor league baseball players. They will have to come in, either from the draft, or through the force of public demand. "They won't be getting any extra money for tfliis service. There will be no eaehing in. It will be company againet company—regiment against regiment—division against division—army againet army. For Glory. "This means we will suddenly have the greatest amateur swirl in oar history. We will have games that will overshadow Michigan and Minnesota, or all the bowl contests. They will take place all over the map. But they will be army and navy conteete in which Bob Feller may bo pitching againet Bucky Walters, or Joe Louis may be facing Billy Conn—not for world series money or 40 per cent of the gate receipts, but for the pride and honour of the regiment or the division. Just as Gene Tunney fought in France. "You may not believe me, but thia Iβ what will take place." Thie seems reasonable enough. In the last war I know the feeling enlisted men had againet thoee who were still cashing in on their physical ability to play some game. It was bitter. This time we are not at war. Bat in many respect* camp life is worse than war, when it comes to the matter of dull routine. This routine win have to be broken up. The only answer is eport. With one million or two million men in camp, averaging less than 50 dollars a month, from private to lieutenant, you can understand how they would feel and

their people wonJd fw! arrant yoanper and stronger athletes mopping tip financially. Iso far the volunteer enlistment and the draft seem to be unimportant. ,7u-t. wait a few months. It -will be quito different. There will be a tremeiidouchange in mentai attitude on tbe part of the public, a« well as those moving from reveille to taps. There i=till will be big leajnie baseball and coJleps and pro. football games. But X think there still is a big chance theso will Iks secondary matters to annv and navy sport.