Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com DECEMBER 2021 45 After the Illinois players poured into the Taylorville lineup in the third quar- ter, Carlinville's offense had an even harder time of it, only crossing midfield once in the second half. Taylorville, meanwhile, launched three long drives. The final: Taylorville 16, Carlinville 0, and there were a lot of celebrating, in- stantly richer fans from Taylorville. News of the game was only an under- current until January reports in Chicago newspapers about the "$100,000 Football Scandal." Players from both schools were suspended from further athletic compe- tition, and while the eight Notre Dame players had completed their football eli- gibility, the punishment severely affected the Irish basketball and track teams. A contrite Buck Shaw spoke for the Irish players: "We are the goats and will take our medicine. We thought the game would be a small-town affair, which would attract no attention. "We didn't know Illinois was to play, and when we got to the town and found how big the affair really was, we were going to back out. We had a meeting and decided to play when we were told the people of Carlinville had bet consider- able money, which they would lose if we did not play. "We were sick of the entire business before we went into the game. We never stopped to think how the affair would reflect on the university." Father William Carey, CSC, head of the Faculty Athletic Board, wanted to take a strong stand against the growing allurement of pro ball. He sent a letter to 70 Midwest colleges, calling attention to the threat of professionalism entering the college ranks. "The only salvation for the colleges is to meet the threat of professional foot- ball fairly and squarely," he wrote. Rev. Carey advocated for a number of new policies, including "soliciting a pledge from each man in college eligible for athletics not to play pro games while still in college. Expel violators." Fur- ther, he said, schools should "remove the belief that it is unfriendly for one college to notify another concerning its players." He also called for colleges to "publish each fall the name, hometown and high school of each athletic prospect enter- ing college," which hadn't yet become standard practice in a sport where pros- pects sometimes hopped from school to school in the fall before settling on a team. "It is hoped that this communication will rouse the Middle West colleges and universities to concerted action against the promoters of professional football," Rev. Carey concluded. "Our coopera- tion with any such effort may be relied upon." ✦ Jim Lefebvre is an award-winning Notre Dame author and leads the Knute Rockne Memorial Society. He can be reached at: jlefebvre@blueandgold.com "The only salvation for the colleges is to meet the threat of professional football fairly and squarely." FATHER WILLIAM CAREY, CSC, HEAD OF THE NOTRE DAME FACULTY ATHLETIC BOARD Your book order supports the Knute Rockne Memorial Society. Order your autographed, inscribed copy of these books TODAY by visi ng www.RockneSociety.org/Shop or calling 612-242-3581 Get the full story on these iconic Notre Dame figures These books make great gi s for any Notre Dame fan "A must-read real jewel… wonderfully researched and detailed." --SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE "The defini ve piece on this American hero." --COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME Loyal Sons: The Story of The Four Horsemen and Notre Dame Football's 1924 Champions Winner – Independent Publisher Book Awards Coach For A Na on: The Life and Times of Knute Rockne Winner – Independent Publisher Book Awards