DUCK TRACKS
By Tom King
Emerald Sports Editor
The weazened little guy with a trim black goatee leaned back
in the rocker, took a deep breath, and, naturally enough started
talking.
“You know,” lie began, "anyone trying to keep up with the
rumors about proselvting that make the rounds every so often
is really up against it. And I guess Schmidt (Vie Schmidt, PCC
Commissioner) isn't different from anybody else.
“Now I’ve heard all sorts of spiels about what is going on in
intercollegiate athletics today. One day you hear some sports
caster croaking about how a flashy fullback turned down pro
offers to remain in college because he didn’t want to lose money
in making the switch. And then you flick off the radio and pick
up a paper only to read that the same 250 lb. (and all lard) tackle
who last week enrolled in Abnormal Normal is this week driving
around a shiny brown sedan.
Off-Campus Interviews Are Popular Pastime
“All right, all right,” we put in. "What does all this have to
do with—”
"Well, now,” he went on, “a fellow can get some pretty
interesting dope just by pouring over some of the doings taking
place in the PCC.
“Back in ’47 the two Los Angeles schools, USC and UCLA,
were fined a total of $4,150. They were the naughtiest of the
naughty. Taking them together, we know that in no less than
eleven different cases members of the athletic staff held off
campus interviews with prospective students. The Trojans even
went so far as to use a high school coach as middle-man for its
undercover activities.
"UCLA, on the other hand, in eight instances gave athletes
more money for working than allowed by the code (Washington
did this, too) ; they also initiated correspondence with prospects,
and to top it all, held summer basketball sessions. We don't re
member this creating nearly as large an uproar as when Oregon
was upbraided for its P. E. 190 class. Oregon (clipped for $750. in
two years) at that time had one case of an off-campus interview
plus errors in accounting for traveling expenses. More than one
school was fined for the latter. I sort of suspect there is more in
it than appears on the surface.
Oh, Mr. Cassill!—Your Slip Is Showing
“Now bend an ear, buddy. Totalling up the fines, I see that
of the ten conference teams, the four heaviest violators were the
four Southern Division outfits. The Northern Division clubs
(six of ’em) were assessed an even $1,000. That is less collective
ly than either of the UCDA or USC fines, and mere peanuts com
pared to the $5,400 overall SD total. And remember that the
South has two less schools than does the Northern Division.
“However, this past year the pendulum swung the other
way and the North decided to fight fire with fire. The Huskies
(att.: Harvey Cassill, athletic director) handed over a $3,550
check, more than the whole Southern Division combined (3,050).
The North, altogether, totalled $5,100.
“And, lo and behold, what ND school drew down a stiff $525
reprimand, second highest in the division and virtually third
highest in the whole of the PCC? Why, who else but Oregon
State and Lon Stiner. You’ll recall how A1 Stump stumped for
Stiner and his alleged puritan ways in a magazine article last
fall. Onions!
Violators Make Progress, Find New Methods
“From one year to the next the conference schools devised
various and sundry new devices for getting into the bad graces of
the PCC code. This time (1948) they not only went to prospective
students, they also approached parents. Some of the loans given
players were found to be^omething more than the word implies.
They even illegally paid athletes for time lost from work be
cause of participation in certain athletic contests.
“There was also overpayment for time lost from work due
to injuries.
“The most curious piece of skulldrudgery was a little item
which might be simply worded “unauthorized payments to stu
dent athletes.’’ That could cover plenty of ground.
What the Heck—Why Bother Anyway?
"All in all, these infractions do cover plenty of ground. Too,
they leave a lot uncovered. Even Schmidt, much to the credit of
the Fourth Estate, told me, in so many words, that sports ob
servers aren't just sounding off for the sake of hearing them
selves talk when they let go with some of these almost unbe
lievable stories about recruiting. That’s why we can say that
Schmidt is up ag'ainst it.
“And, to be truthful, there isn’t much that can be done about
it. Schmidt’s hands are tied to a large extent. It is the schools
themselves and the alumni that must reform.
“And there isn’t any good reason for them doing that. They
are having a dandy time building up their teams, the athlete is
getting rich and richer, and the fan doesn’t give a fig one way
or another. Who is being hurt' No one. really.
Mock ford, Johnson Capture
Top Honors on 'B' All-Stars
With intramural basketball
cooperation of the IM sports offi
All-Star team will be announced
Top honors went to Theta Chi's
Rog Mockford and Sigma Chi's
Dewayne Johnson, as they were
mentioned on every voter's ballot.
And they undoubtedly deserve the
right for it was mainly on the
court prowess of these two that
Theta Chi and Sigma Chi battled
it out in the championship game.
THROUGHOUT THE REGU
LAR season and during the finals
Mockford stood alone in his un
canny ability to gather in rebounds
and turn them into points.
Johnson, while not a sensational
offensive player, generalled his
teammates to the crown for the
second consecutive year by display
ing a vicious defense which cut
down the opposition like mowed
grain.
Also from the champs came
Johnny Jones, lightning-fast guard
who accounted for many of Sigma
Chi’s points while always turning
in a brilliant performance.
PAT HANNA, Nestor hall for
ward, and only independent to
reach the sacred top ten, proved
himself in his final game of the
season when he tossed in 18 points
to knock the Legal Eagles out of
a playoff berth. However, he was
surrounded by mediocre material
and didn’t get to exhibit his wares
in the playoff.
Rounding out the first five is
little A1 Lippman from Sigma Al
pha Mu.
(Please turn to page eight)
a thing of the past until next year, the Emerald staff with the
:e, has chosen its annual “B” league All-Stars. The “A” league
tomorrow.
FIRST TEAM Pos.
SECOND TEAM
Pat Hanna, Nestor F
DeWayne Johnson, Sigma Chi F
Roger Mockford, Theta Chi C
John Jones, Sigma Chi G
A1 Lippman, Sigma Alpha Mu G
Ray Heidenrich, Fijis
Jim Dunlap, Delts
Bill Laney, Sigma Chi
George Watkins, Phi Delts
Jim Popp, SAE
HONORABLE MENTION: Al> Johnson, Kappa Sigma; Harry Kannas
to. Theta Chi; Doug Cogliili, Theta Chi; Dick Garrett, Phi Delts; Norm
Hanson, Minturn; Bill Collver, Sigma Chi; Saal Lesser, SAM; and Ken
Hanson, Lambda Chi.
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