t the Ally It is be; ’ eling “Ure that Be done to make fre is a further mass sport. Trade Clubs "have for vided sports fa- With’ the. ee members. But f Soviet _% Thundering hooves and the rattle of an old-time stage coach will sound through B.C. this summer, as part of the Centennial celebrations. The coach will start from Barker- ville, glamor city of the gold rush days, and roll over historic routes 460-odd miles to Vancouver. It will then be thousands of / Bert Whyte SPORTLIGHT. OPPING MAD, the guy was. Came charging into the office with a wild gleam in his eye (he was one-eyed) and a clipping of Dick Bed- does’ sports column in his hot little hands (he was two- handed). “Google ikkle wopple zump!” he screamed. “Sodaz golaska! Waffle wimple wum- ple geek!” “Remove your bubble gum and talk a bit slower,’ I re- quested. “This Beddoes,” he _ said. “He says the Russian hockey players aren’t amateurs. Just because the Russian coach exposed the fact that the Can- adian players aren’t amateurs. What are you going to do about it?” “What would you suggest?” I asked. “Blast Beddoes! Expose him to the world!” “Rasy, boy,” said I, sooth- ingly. “Let‘s get the facts straight. Aside from a few snide cracks worthy of Mc- McCarthy in his heydey, what did Beddoes really say? That Canadian amateurs are paid in cash. That the Soviets feed and house their amateur ath- letes in government-suppor- ted training camps. ‘That neither country can _ boast they are producing strictly amateur athletes, in the old meaning of the word.” “So why don’t you blast him for slandering the Rus- sians?”’ “Beeause, in my opinion, it isn’t slander,” I said. “What’s wrong with subsidizing sports? _The ..Soviet. govern- ment spends millions of buck- niks on playing fields, sta diums, athletic equipment and coaches. When _ youngsters show outstanding ability in sports, they are given special training, and time off. from their jobs—at full pay—to gain experience in national and international competi- tion.” ‘Then you admit they are really professionals?” “Not at all. They are ama- teur, helped and encouraged by their government and their trade unions.” “And our definition?” “We're hypocrites, of course. Most of our amateurs get paid under the table, or are on payrolls of plants they never visit.. Everyone _knows -our amateurs get paid in cash, but no one does anything to change the rules. So our ama- teur officials look the other way, and our boys. take Olympic oaths swearing they’re as pure as the driven snow, and it’s enough to make one throw up.” ferried to Nanaimo and rumble down Vancouver Island to Victoria for a colorful wind-up celebration. Shotgun guards and gun-toting outriders will accompany the stage on its long journey. + March 7, 1958 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE 11 -