The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-25

OF a team of eleven men. He sees the instan-
taneous way in which one side adopts new
tactics to Offset some particularly effective
method OF the opponents in advancing the ball.
He sees well-planned purpose in what may
appear as an indiscriminate scramble to
get through the line or past few men. He
sees the little guard that must bear the brunt
of impetuous plunges and protect the man
with the ball while he essays to get clear of
the mass for run down the field.
The defensive work, the interference OF those
that cause an opening for the runner the tao
tics and the successive selection Of plays by
each captain are all taken account OF by the
enthusiast, who has for weeks watched the de-
velopments OF the teams play and acquired
more than brotherly interest in each defender
of the college colors.
To the general lover of football with less in
tense partisanship the game is the ideal exhi-
bition of two opposing groups OF physically
perfected young manhood exerting their ut
most knowledge and skill in spectacular
struggle for the glory and athletic supremacy
OF the alma mater in legitimate match of
generalship and ability.
To the ordinary spectator 1t Is display of
what appears to be a perilous onslaught and
impact of human beings melted, not by mer-
cenary motives, but by rivalry in which he
sees the excitement and daring that makes a
circus ring attractive to the Masses that cause
any contact of strength and skill to be inviting
to mankind. He will look on, maybe, with
disapproval, but he will not stop looking.
There is something contagious about grid
iron field during the progress of big college
match that draws every one into the irrepres-
sible demonstration of wild enthusiasm. They
know that there is no deceptive scheme with
pure amateur sport and that the varsities are
fighting only for glory, and they are uncon-
sciously drawn into the thrilling waves of
depression and elation that pass over the sup
porters of each team.
To the outsider W no has formed his opinions
from what the timid and IMMERSED spectator
has told him of the play, or who, more often,
has acquired his adverse prejudice from dis
torted articles in the public press and from
appalling illustrations of the imaginary dead
and dying that add life 10 story heightened
and prepared for sensational effects-to such
one Football is cruel, brutal, dangerous to life
and limb and fraught with all the evils of the
old-time gladiGtorial contest or the Spanish
bull-fght.
runner is thrown to the ground and
one or more persons hurl upon him. Men
come together with q rush and there is a
sudden hard contact. 1t looks rough, it
would be almost fatal to the fearful or timid OBJ
server but to the men trained through care
full progressive season of practice there is
very little danger. The best trained men and
the best players are seldom hurt. 1t is the
novice, who disregards his physical unfitness
and early rushes into hard play, that is oftenest
| hurt.
After all, the men that have had good
course of football are benefited. They are
made self-reliant in moments of danger. They
are schooled to self-control by the exactions of
/ ft,o int INV hn rr1Inc Off bo
| game that punish the physical res eminent of
even the most aggravating insult from an op-
ponent. And there is something very manly
| about se!f-control when the individual has the
| physical strength and courage to resent i'm posi-
ton. 1t is manly sport.
Football will not be understood by the
masses on account of the science and
! strategy that is necessary in a contest. 1t is
the object OF the open game to make the
plays more evident to the spectator, and
that is one reason why big human wedges and
many of the mass plays were abolished. Mass
plays are good for short gains, and very few
men are ever hurt in them, dangerous as
they look; but the spectator does not see the
! inside workings of such jumble of men.
i End runs will always be appreciated, as the
| spectator needs no one to tell him what the
man with the ball is trying to do. The kick
ing game will keep to a great extent, al
| though it has a tendency to make too much
depend upon the ability OF one man in the
| team. The spectators desire to know what is
| the purpose o. each move win naturally
cause legislation toward a style of play that
will tend to open, spectacular effects
The time OF play used to be divided into
halves of forty-five minutes EACH with an
intermission of ten minutes. This season
! the halves have been reduced to thirty-fve
minutes. They ought really 20 be twenty
five or thirty minutes. The long-contlnued
! intense strain and exertion are too much to
demand of the players. Occasionally a man
plays as well at the end of game as he did at
the beginning, but such cases are rare, and
the usual game lags during the last ten or fiji
| teen minutes because of the general exhaus-
! ton of both teams.
The present system for different points
scored is not in proportion to the effort i'm
piled in securing them. touchdown, the re-
suit OF the persistent and concerted
I effort OF eleven men, should count five
instead of four. A goal kick, executed by
one man without any opposition, should
count only one and not two, for it does
not represent half of the effort of the touchdown
and makes too much depend upon the part OF
one player. A drop kick, that seldom
executed but desperate try at field
! goal, should count four instead oil
| five. 1t is beautiful exhibition, but its
very uncertainty should not receive greater
credit than touchdown. The safety made by
downing the opponent with the ball behind
! his own goal might well continue to count two
points.
The collegiate game is still young and unde