"Degrading and Shocking"

Twice before, the sham and shame of commercialized college athletics had been lambasted by Manhattan General Sessions Judge Saul Streit. Last week the judge was indignant once again. Before the court were three basketball players of Kentucky University's "fabulous five," young men who had proudly worn the U.S. Olympic emblem in the 1948 games. The three had pleaded guilty to "fixing" a game for gamblers.

Sharply and concisely, Judge Streit summarized a "heinous, degrading and shocking" picture: "I found that intercollegiate basketball and football at Kentucky have become highly systematized, professionalized and commercialized enterprises. I found covert subsidization of players, ruthless exploitation of athletes, cribbing at examinations, 'Illegal' recruiting, a reckless disregard of their physical welfare, matriculation of unqualified students, demoralization of the athletes by the coach . . ."

Basketball Coach Adolph Rupp was Streit's particular villain. The judge directly linked Rupp with Bookie Ed Curd, characterized as "the Frank Erickson of Kentucky." The judge charged that Rupp 1) wined and dined Curd at Manhattan's Copacabana nightclub;* 2) with the knowledge of the players, was often in contact with Curd to get the gambler's "line" on Kentucky games; 3) once bawled out a player for missing a shot that "just cost my friend, Burgess Carey, $500." In addition, Streit charged that a player was crippled for a month when coaching authorities allowed him to play on an injured ankle shot full of novocaine. "In view of his conduct," Streit observed, "Mr. Rupp's sanctimonious attitude . . . becomes ludicrous and comic."

In the face of the evidence of the "disintegrating influence of money-mad athletics," Judge Streit could not find it in his heart to be hard on the players. Alex Groza, Ralph Beard (both All-America) and Dale Barnstable, who had split $3,500 for fixing two games, were put on indefinite probation.

*Also present at one Copacabana gathering: Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler, who piously banned Leo Durocher from baseball in 1947 for consorting with known gamblers.

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