The morning call., 1893-12-10

the better but there never should be al
lowed games ID which the fracture OF lin lbs
and even life itself are risked. The mo-
rnent game reaehes muTdeTOus stage it
becomes brutallling instead of building up
cbaracte1s~z<4d should be either suppressed
Y modified. SO long as we eat good food
4 nd plenty OF II We are robust and well,
fsbut: lust as sDOn as we eat too much the
food becomes POISONOUS and we become
dyspep:ic.
. Intercollegiate football seems to have
reached the brutal stage. The press, the
reflector ana molGer of public opinion,
condemns the game as exceeding the limits
of beneficial ~Eecreatio The records of
the big games of Thanksgiving day this
year abound in casualties. Some OF the
injuries will probably be permanent, and
the unfortunatss instead of being built up
for the competition among the worlds
producers Will be handicapped all through
life. Nothing is gained by such game.
Just as much pluck, endurance and muscle
could be exercised with the element of
dangerous roDghness eliminated, and from
, q spectators point OF view the game would
not suffer. for the most dangerous parts of
The game are the SiOWeSt and least inter-
esting to watch.
> There are five distinct games of scienti-
nc football: Rugby. played in England.
Canada and other parts of VictOrla's en-
pre; Australia, an adaptation of Rugby.
played in Australia and New Zealand
tured by ne Eastern universities. played
in the United States; Gaelic; played in
some parts of Ireland; and San Francisco
and Association, played in Scotland, grad
aallS superseding Rugby in England and
the colonies. and now we'll established as
p popular game IN the States of Washing
Ion, Colorado, Oregon and California.
The first three of these games are nf the
pick.it-up-and-run" school. and the last
two are more nearly pure football. although
the Gaelics use the hands good deal. and
may even run few steps holding the ball.
Rugby and intercollegiate were at one
time almost the same game, and are
played by the English and American uni
yersiti respectively. The Rugby game
Z Las been modified ia England. and many
dangerous tactics. sucn as running with
the head down, tackllng below the knees
or by the neck, continuing the game when
men are down in the scrmnage. ETC.. have
been. suppressed, and while the game has
improved scientifically and has not lost
rapidIty it is decidedly less dangerous a
pastime than 1t was few years ago. The
intercollegiate game was adapted from
the Rugby as safer game, but has devel-
-eped into mere com petition of weight
and brute strength. and although some
magnificent .maneuvering can be managed
e under intercollegiate rules the element of
brute force so preponderates that skill,
agility and rapidity of action are almost
2 impossible, one side being simply borne
and butted back inch by inch.
The forwards" have little or nothing to
do with the ball aid are simply so many
goats. who run ahead OF the football
player and butt off those who would tackle
him, or in turn take the tumbles them
selves.
Much hard work, many bard knocks
. and no fun or football or glory is the aliot-
ment Of the intercollegiate 'rusher" The
backs have all the brilliant acts, and
aided by. interference" do some pretty
work. 1t is this very Interference, how
ever. that is one OF the chief sources of
accident in the game, aud looked at from
any; standpoint is very unfair way Of
playing. Indeed, in all other games of
1ootDal interference is ruled out as Illegal
.aDd penalties are inflicted for even acci-
dentai interference. But the main obiec-
: u0h 70 the intercollegiate rnles is the mass
play ana the rules which allow one side
TO retain possession of the ball so long.
When nDe man tackles his opponent with
tne Dall ano the runner is then backed up
by MS team, who push him on with the man
who has tackled him, something Is bound
Ito give.
There ought to be some rule prohibiting
such'a method of gaining few wards at
such risks. Not only would the came he
'bFlghter and better from the plavers'
point OF view IL the ball were passed hack
DE the runner to one Of his comrades as
soon as he felt himself ''colIarsd"-pro-
Vi1lhg The taekler had not hold of the ball
IN shch manner as to prevent such action.
In whlcn' rase u would be well to scrim-
mage the ball in free competition-who
should In turn make for the open: but the
spectators would see faster game. devoid
of slow foot gains and the everlasting
grovsling of the men on top of each other.
an exhibition which is not all interestine
especially on a muddy field.
In fact. apart from the interest caused
by the communal notices ia the papers as
to the diet, training, casualties OF the