Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-22
Growing Popularity of Football in
the United States and in
Other Countries.
THE YALE AND PRINCETON GAME.
Ur. Nimick's Retirement From Local Base
ball and Few of His
characteristics.
The GRIFFIN AND LARKIN BATTLE.
Reasons Why +. ?. slavin and Peter jackson Should
Fight as Soon as Possible


growing popularity of football 1t is now
one of the foremost outdoor sports in the
world, and in the United Statesit is at pres
ent commanding as much attention of sport
ing writers as baseball does in summer.
Where the game is publicly disparaged, it
Is safe TO say that the disparagers know
nothing about the details of the game, and
by the way there are many fine sports con-
denlned and sighted by writers who know
nothing at all about them, and that is their
only reason for opposition. For long time
all the qualifications of our sporting editors
have been little knowledge Of baseball and
trotting race. Everything else has, as
rule, been ignored, or, to use phrase,
shut out" by these editors. But the field
as getting broader, and as proof of this the
increased popularity of football need only
be cited. One great thing that has. favored
football so far this season has been the
weather. This has not only caused more
games, and of a better quality than usual,
but has caused a larger number of
people TO see these games than have
ever visited football games in the history of
the sport
But there is pleasing feature connected
with the increasing popularity of football.
1t is an indication that the purest kind of
sport is developing. 1 mean amateur sport.
There may be rough features connected
with the game, but none of us can question
its honesty. Those who take part in it are
in it for the pure love of the game, and
they are spurred on to do their best only by
the honest and Mandatory desire to down
4h,+o ad
on principles of this kind deserve support,
and particularly by those whose work it is
daily to write about sporting matters for
public reading. Professionalism in almost
every branch has done so much harm in re-
cent years that we ought to be delighted to
see amateurs coming to the front to sustain
the popularity in our sports and pastimes
In football we find the very best kind of
athletes, and by all means gentlemen of ed
ucation and undoubted honesty.
Princeton and Yale.
Next Thursday will be great day among
the patrons of football, as the teams of
Yale and Princeton are to play their annual
game then. Probably there has never, in
the history of football, ever been as many
seats sold in advance as there has been for
the Nale-Princeton game on Thanksgiving.
-AlEEdON IL Is 6ellIudlSu llldL tu,UOU
seats have been sold, and the purchasers re-
side in all parts of the country. Surely this
IS proof if anv were needed, of the popu-
laritv of the game. And Pittsburg will be
well represented at the contest, as hundreds
Of our citizens intend going to join the
thronC. Regarding the contest itself a few
words NAV be said. There is sure to be lots
of betting on the result, with Yale big
favorite. Were i going TO invest on the
7 ha -
bet substantial odds on Yale, and expect
Yale to win with lots to spare
A chief element of the success of the
Yale team this season, and in all seasons,
FOR that matter. has been their energetic
practice. The faithfulness of the players in
practice. combined with the good work of
the shrewd instructors, has made the Yale
team work almost perfect. The team are
nos only uncommonly powerful but they
said of Princeton. The PriIcetons it is
true. have been in hard luck, more or less,
but they have not in any way shown that
their team Of football players are anything
like equal TO the Yale team. Where COM
yGrisons can be made this season they are
heartily in favor of Yale, and would lead
one to think that the Princetons will have
hard time of it indeed to score at all against
the Yale team. True, the unexpected may
4l1Fptu. lil1l i dS llhSlN III lOutDdll as Al
ANYTHING else. The contest Thursday may
be a poor one, and Princeton might win it.
More unlikely things have happened be-
fore; but | don't expect to see any such re-
suit There viii be plenty of enthusiasm
whichever way it goes.
The Local Football Players.
During the week the East End Gyms
have come to the front again and In way
that cannot be misunderstood. The Gyms
are certainly very lively lot of fellows in
anything they undertake, and they are
always ready to do business. They now
claim the football championship of West
ern Pennsylvania, and as far as titles of the
kind 20 nowadays, l cannot very well see
how the title can be withheld from them.
Thev have beaten every team who have
faced them. and their local rivals, the
Three AS, decline to have anything to do
with them. except borrow their players
This is sufficient ia itself to leave no doubt
ss TO the GYMS being the best football
team in Western Pennsylvania, and this be-
ing 50, l fail TO see why the Gyms should
not be styled our champions. If there is
anything worth having in the title the
Gyms should have it certainly.
But it is a pity that the Three AS and the
GYMS have not come together. and the indi-
cations are they will not. If blame can be
attached to anybody concerning the matter,
St must be attached to the Three AS. There
have been opportunities for game between
the two teams, and, as far as have been
able to Judge, the Gyms have always been
ready TO embrace these chances and the
Three AS have not. 1t is not too late yet TO
have a contest between the teams; that is if
the Three AS can get their best team to-
gether; but getting their men together is one
of the greatest difficulties the Three AS al
wavs have TO contend with. Many OF their
members are not enthusiastic enough about
the game, and they only play when they
have nothing else to do. If they would all
brace up and go into athletics with heart
and soul they NAV make mark, and if they
do not they. as a club, will always be more
ornamental than useful There is a wav by
which all the local clubs will be forced to
meet each other, viz, to form league. 1t
is too late now to organize anything of the
kind this season, but, by all means arrange
ments should be made to have league next
wear. If there is one formed it will not
only tend to make the game more popular,
but it proves to us how all our local teams
compare one with another
Mr.. Nimicks Retirement.
One of the baseball events of the week
has been the absolute retirement OF w. A
Nimick from baseball affairs. He has sold
all Of his stock to w. c. Temple and
stepped behind the scene. Mr.. Nimfck
cannot make his departing bow from us
without arousing many feelings of regret
One bv one those familiar faces who have
on many occasions added halo OF pleasure
20 baseball surroundings are disappearing.
Within very short time we have had two
Of our most prominent magnates step
ouietIv down viz: Mr. O'Neil and Mr..