The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-17
NEW NATIONAL GAME.
Football Growing in Popular
Favor Everywhere.
THE PACIFIC COAST OUTLOOK
Promising Material For Players In
Abundance-Salary Evil Alarm.
Ing Baseball Msgnatea

II.
A few years ago it was thought of second
airy consideration, and played only by a
few OF the leading colleges of the country.
But from autumn to autumn-for the vio-
lent physical exertion il entails makes it
only possible to be played when the tenn
perature has premonition of winters
frosts in tits prestige has grown until
now it has become as much permanent
feature OF the fall season as are elections
or Thanksgiving. The season forrootball
is now close at hand, and in many places
it has already begun. With it comes an
interest which Is greater, perhaps, than
has ever before been shown. The craze is
making its way through the whole coun-
Try. Wherever colleges are, discussion of
the sport and preparations for coming
battles are absorbing the attention and
time Of students. Alumni and ex college
men are watching the progress in practice
Of their respective college teams with eager
interest. If ever there is a time when a
college man wants 10 visit his alma mater,
it is during the football season.
In days gone by the names of great
baseball players were themes of household
speech. They are to-day, to certain ex-
tent. Football has not yet reached that
point, and it is undoubtedly for the reason
that it has not advanced beyond the field
OF amateurism-it might be said, has not
been degraded beyond it. However this
may be, there are very few people who
are interested in field sports who have
not heard Of the giant plunger. Heffel-
finger; the feet-footed little McClung. of
the Yale team; or of that stone wall,
Riggs. and that kibbing full-back Honi-
ans, of the Princeton 'leven; or of Traf-
ford, who captained the pride of Harvard,
and Marshall Newell, their right tackle,
who was almost sure death to an oppo-
nent's attempt at run. These are men
of the present day. and such names as
Ames, Camp, Cummock, Donnelly and
others are framed in halo of valiant
achievements in the past
While to the Eastern college man, how
ever far he may be removed from the
scenes of these heroes triumphs, their
names are synonyms of all that is admir-
able in the game, to great mass in the
far West the subject has but little signiti-
canoe. They have perhaps read and heard
at times of the football giants and their
deeds, and been moved to passing interest
by a Yale Princeton match, accounts of
which I'LL the press reports. yet the feeling
was short-lived. On the Pacific coast the
sport is an infant in swaddling clothes.
Indeed. in many sections the child has
not been born. 1t lives only in the fond
recollection of few minds transplanted
from Eastern soil.
With all the backwardness of the sport
here at this time the possibilities of the
future seem great. The Pacific coast is
the cradle of the most splendid products
known to athletes. 1t has sent out world
beating pugilsts. famous ball players,
crack oarsmen and feet runners. In such
adeveloper of fine physical manhood, why
should not the Coast football player of
the near future fairly rival the Eastern
college cracks who rank as the worlds
= best? With the establishment and grow tn
Of educational institutions, the formation
of amateur athletic clubs and the sprin G.
Ing into life of a healthy rivalry to excel,
q high degree of excellence IN this leader
of field sports cannot long be delayed.
Such circumstances existing, Yale. Prince
ton and Harvard may well look to their
isurels with this vigorous young giant of
the west coast in early prospect.
Football at least the American college
or revised Rugby game, was dished up to
Seattle audience for the first time in Sat
urday's match between the Seattle Ath-
1t Jumped at once into popular favor, and
seems assured of taking deep root there.
The return game between these teams,
with proposed matches for the Athletic
Club with Tacoma and Portland eevens,
are already a widely discussed topic of
conversation. That Seattle has an album
dance OF material to uphold her standard
on the football field there can be no deny
ing A: the State University there are
any number of ambitious youngsters, with
plenty of strength. activity and stout
wind as a foundation to work. In the
ranks of the new athletic club and else
where among ex-college men are plenty of
old players, who, while most OF them are
badly out of condition. with the experi-
ence of hard fought battles OF the past and
alittie judicious training. can soon make
themselves formidable opponents. The
stubborn fight of Saturday bears testimony
that there is no lack of pluck and deter
mination.
1t is generally believed that the day of
tremendous football scores by strong
teams against weak ones is past, and il
il also quite improbable that the present
season will witness any record breaking in
this direction. The reason for this will be
found in the new rule adopted by the In
tercollegiats Football Association. In 10
this year the rule was that after failure
To kick goal from touchdown the side
whose goal had been attacked could only
bring the bali out to its twenty-6ve-yard
line. and play was resumed there. This,
II course, gave the team hard pressed but
little relief. As the contest was still carried
on In dangerous proximity 70 its goal.
This year, however, on failure to kick goal
the bail goes To the middle Of the field. as
al the beginning of the game. As the op-
posing team must line up ten yards from
the center line. this not only relieves the
hard pressed defenders, but gives them the
advantage Of that ten yards
Yachting Notes.
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