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I got this from the book Curling Etcetera: A Whole Bunch of Stuff About the Roaring Game, by Bob Weeks.
(If you haven't heard of curling, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curling)
It seems that in 1870, a Scottish curling team was doing a North American tour. The team wanted to play for cash, and offered a bet of 500 pounds sterling against any American or Canadian team willing to play them.
The director of the Grand National Curling Club (predecessor of the US Curling Association) replied:
"A match for money, even though the sum be devoted to charity, would drag down curling to the level of baseball."
(If you haven't heard of curling, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curling)
It seems that in 1870, a Scottish curling team was doing a North American tour. The team wanted to play for cash, and offered a bet of 500 pounds sterling against any American or Canadian team willing to play them.
The director of the Grand National Curling Club (predecessor of the US Curling Association) replied:
"A match for money, even though the sum be devoted to charity, would drag down curling to the level of baseball."