ATHLETICS IN U.S.A.

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 180, 2 August 1938, Page 10

ATHLETICS IN U.S.A.

“SHAM” AMATEURISM APPEARANCE MONEY DEMANDED CRACK MEN BARN STORMING THE COUNTRY America’s college athletics are becoming as “commercialised” as college football, and a sensational scandai, which promises to rock the American A.A.U. to its foundations, will break any moment, writes Len Jones from Los Angeles on June 10. Crack amateur athletes are barnstorming the country demanding as high as £2OO to run at big college athletic meets, and the colleges in their fight to attract paying customers to these meets are meeting the demands —under the lap, of course. It is alleged that Olympian Glen Cunningham, world's mile record holder, receives £2OO for appearances—and that Don Lash, a great miler is another to do the “barnstorming” act.

Universities also are fighting each other bitterly for the services of promising preparatory school and high school athletes, and offer such inducements to these boys as free scholarships and jobs to take them through college.

Glenn Cunningham, one of the greatest mile runners of all time—he has an indoor record of 4.4 3-5, and has broken 4.10 on the cinder tracks 12 times— has been going from one end of the continent to the other all this season, running mile races on an average of twice each week at big college meets. Got it Somehow. It is obvious that Glenn, whp works as a broker’s clerk in New York, when he works, could not afford to attend these meets for nothing. Sports writers here allege that Glenn demands and receives up to 800 dollars (£200) each time he runs. I saw Glenn race at Los Angeles a few weeks back as an added attraction to a Soccer match. It was an open secret among sports writers that he received 500 dollars for his efforts. The day before he appeared at a track meet at Kansas, nearly 2000 miles distant. He spent the night on a “sleeper” ’plane to get to Los Angeles the next day. A few days after the Los Angeles run I went to see Glenn race at Fresno State College meet, but he failed to appear. Sports writers alleged that Fresno had been outbid by another college and Glenn had flown to Memphis, where he received 800 dollars to race against the crack amateur milers o* that part of the country. He offered to stay at Fresno if the officials of the meet would raise their ante from 750 dollars. Donald Lash, former holder of the world’s two-mile record, and another Olympic representative, is another of the barnstormers. A few nights ago he was billed to meet Louis Zamperini, crack miler of the University or Southern California ar.d an Olympic runner, at the Compton Junior College meet. Refused to Run. This time Zamperini failed to show up With other newspaper men I called on the meet director and he charged that Zamperini had refused to run because he would not pay him 200 dollars “expense” money. The director toid us he had offered the runner “reasonable expenses,” but he had refused them.

All this was published in the Press with the result that Zamperini was stood down from the track team by the University as a disciplinary meas-

No action was taken by the Athletic Union, because Louis had not signed an entry form and ther had been no witnesses to his alleged demands for “expenses.”

Newspapers took up the cry of “Shamateurism” and one writer labelled these athletes as “Track Tramps”—men who tramp to athletic meets which pay the most money. But these champions of the cinder paths do not tramp—they ride the skyways in luxury airliners, because they get first-class expenses whereever they gu. How long these “shamateur” track athletes will be allowed to carry on : defends on when the A.A.U. deigns to notice the scathing newspaper reports of these “track tramps.” These sports writers, who are fearless in their writings, predict that men like Cunn' ’gham, Lash and several lesser runners, will be declared professionals befor the 1940 Olympiad. The irony of the whole thing Is the case of Jesse Owens, greatest athlete of all time. Jesse turned pro., either because he was honest or did not know any better, and has made very little money. If he had remained in the amateur ranks he would have made a fortune, because he could have demanded the highest appearance money of all and every amateur track meet in the country would have wanted this coloured boy on the programme. College athletics are becoming big business. An inter-college meet today draws a crowd of up to 20,000, who pay up to 7s 6d to see the meet. This means a gate of around £SOOO, which is big money in any language. Do not get the idea that every athlete gets paid. Only one or possibly two in any meet receive big “expense” money. These are usually Olympic champions or world record-holders, and they are the draw-cards for the public. The races are on the level and the public does not get taken In. The only thing that is wrong about the whole thing is that amateurism is suffering. There are no professional athletics in America, so the champions have to become professionals on the side to make a living within the amateur ranks.—(Auckland Star),