New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-16
MASS PLAYS AND THE OPEN GAME.

The Yale-Harvard game on Saturday may
rroperly be cited to prove the possibility Of play
ing football in a clean and manly way. The
competition WINS intense, but not single player
on either team was betrayed by tho heat and
excitement Of tho struggle into any dlshonorabIe
act. and the only penalty imposed 10y the UNI
pre was for an inadvertence. Courtesy on the
part OF the contestants and good feeling among
the enger part,sans characterized tho game from
FIRST to last, and we have not noticed one dis
managing or unfr,endy remark In all the com
ments which have since been made upon u IN
Cambridge and New Haven. The temptation TO
unfair and unmannerly conduct which close
physlcal contact under the conditions OF inter
collegiate rivalry produces was completely over
come. and the game from this point OF view
will 90 down In football history as an example
well worthy OF admiration and emulation
A disposi,on IL observable IN some quarters
10 use Saturdays game also as nm argument 10
prove that there are no features or modern root
ball which need 70 be mod'aed-rhat IL IL not an
excessively rough and dangerous sport bu'
such conclusion cannot be legitlmately drawn.
II was notably open gnmo. with IN unusua!
amount Of puntlng and comparatively few mass
PLAYS. All the reporters and coaches dwell upon
that feature, and describe the game ms espe-
cally enjoyable on that account to tho great
majority OF spectators. Largely IN consequence
OF tho style OF play. AS may fairly be assumed.
the Yale team played the game through with
out q change. and though several Harvard men
were retired not one OF them sustained an In
Jury serious enough TO keep him out OF the
match with Pennsylvania next Saturday. The
first meeting, therefore, of Harvard and Yale
on the football field since the deplorablo per
formance which caused bitter quarrel tends
TO confirm rather than refute the belief OF many
competent judges that mass plays are danger
GUS and ought 10. be abandoned.
AS we have recently said II IL not the few
fatalities, but the many injuries which consti-
tutc the soundest objection to the modern style
OF play The list OF recent casualties is numer-
lcally appalling and though too much impor-
lance has been careessly or insincerely attrib-
uted to the length OF the catalogue, inasmuch
rs In n large percentage OF cases the hurts re-
counted are trivial and incapable OF producing
lasting effects, the sum OF serious injuries en-
| failing more or less interruption OF studies in
| addition TO the pain and the cost OF cure Is I'M
| warrantably large. Moreover. 1t Is fact not
to be ignored that an injury from which quick
ana complete recovery seems 70 nave pceh maze
may have reInotcr consequences which cannot
be fOrescen or perhaps accurately traced back
to their source If the notifications which are
advocated by many expert football players OF
| former years, and by not few who are now
members Of college teams, would make the
game safer only by destroying It's interest FOR
contestants and spectators, there would be more
reason in attempting to prove that Its advan
tages as means OF physical development and
moral discipline outweigh It's faults But there
appears to be little need OF discussing that ques
ton, SO long rs multitude Of good judges In
s!st that the open game is moro enjoyable and
not less sklful than the game OF mass PLAYS.