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I Bell Lashes Out at Canadians For Raiding U. S. Grid Ranks NFL Commissioner Prepared To Fight; Jump of Bears1 Blanda Raises Latest Wrath , c By JOE McLEAN , United Press Sports Writer c PHILADELPHIA, Pa., May 11.— Com- * missioner Bert Bell of the National Football League, "tired of fooling around with those , people in Canada," said today he is prepared to go all out in fighting "raids" by ; Canadian leagues on U. S. players. Bells wrath was raised by the signing J last Saturday of George Blanda by the , Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Big Four : League. j Blandas "jump" to Canadian football appeared likely to provoke a lawsuit by the l Chicago Bears, who contend the former J University of Kentucky place-kicking spe- ] cialist broke a reserve clause in his contract c which gave the Bears an option on his J services for the 1955 season. Bell was further stung by the statement of Hamilton coach and general manager, Carl Voyles, who said the Bears option s "didnt mean a thing" in Canada. "Im surprised at Voyles for doing this," Bell fumed. "Nobody ever has been treated as well as Voyles was by us. Why, I helped Voyles get his job in Hamilton, and only last year he came down here and I helped him sign a good quarterback." Suggests Suit to Halas Bell said he advised coach George Halas of the Bears to file a court suit to nullify the signing of Blanda by the Canadian club. He said he felt "certain" a NFL option | contract would stand up in court. i "I didnt order him Halas to do it, but I told him to go ahead and file an injunction suit against the boy and a damage suit against the Tiger-Cats," Bell said. "Im sick and tired sitting around waiting for these people to do whats legally and moral-i ly right." Bell scheduled an "important" press con-, ference for Wednesday, although he de- clined to say what matter the conference will deal with. Bell said he has cooperated fully with Canadian football officials, but has not re- i ceived the same treatment from them. "Why, when a player who had signed with Winnipeg came down here and signed with one of our clubs, I ordered him back to : Canada," he said. i Raids on NFL teams by the Canadian i leagues have been widespread in recent i years. Last year, the NFL obtained a contempt : of court citation against Dick Huffman, who jumped from the Los Angeles Rams to I j play for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. But : later, Bell said, Huffman was granted permission to play for Winnipeg because it was learned he had signed a contract with , the Bombers before one was issued to him by Los Angeles. t I 1 • i . . , [ "
