The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-11-26
TWO VIEWS OF THE GAME OF FOOTBALLS

gwen football of late through young Gam
mons death and the law passed BY the
Georgia legislature brings II more Rcncrally
before the public than ever. but Ia rather
UNPLEASANT light.
this game has fought its way TO the mont
against almost every obstacle. and that II
now stands a. the heading amateur snort Of
this country. Great Britain, Australia ana
canada Is proof that Il can never be moved
from the high pinnacle 1t has attained.
Regarding injuries statistics show thai
more injuries and deaths have occurred n
every other class Of sport than can be laid
to football.
Considering the subject carefully from
the spectators point OF view, We lind pos.
sioly some points where 1t does seem 10
merge on brutality. What are they? That
man there tackles the other man who Is
running and they fail toyetner--on their
shouiders-seemingly on their heads--thcn
number OF men rail on them aud they are
on the bottom There rs rule prohibitlng
THIS, ana ~ says thai any piling up on a
man atter he Is down shall be punishable by
giving him twenty-five YARDS; therefore il
IS the Officials fault and not the players
that they are piled up. Then there is the
revolving wedge, the line bucking, the fore
ing OF the man with the ball through the
center. etc. The revolving wedge rs a uemi-
mass play. true, but look back few years
AMI recall to mind the flying wedge and the
Y wedge that We're In use then and tell us
tnaV me game has not been modified. Is not
being notified each year where the rules
committee can act intelltgently.
The writer played nine years, including
the time when the game was considered
toughest, and never had an accident. Be-
cause he was lucky7 No. Because he was
trained as every one who attempts TO play
football should be trained. Take the an
nual games between the large Eastern coll
leges. where competition Is OF the sharpest
Kind and where the conte,s, Is finally be-
tween two teams for the championship; see
the hard playing that Is done on both sides,
but do you see any one killed. DO you see
any one seriously injured? Ma; you may
see a man lie down as II hurt that his side
may regain their wind, and that's all you
DO see.
1t must be borne in mind THAT the l,ahil-
ity to injury In football increases In proper
tlon 10 the youth of the PLAYER. his mex
pcrience and The lack OF Intelligent precau-
lions, with the abserce OF proper metho 10
Of training. Just as bicycle accldSnts are
IN large proportion confined to persons
who do not know how TO take care OF them
selves so the great majority of injuries IN
football are scarcely accidents, but the nat
ural occurrences among those who have
never prepared for the game by proper
training. No young man is fit to play foot
bsl until he is thoroughly coached. and
knows how to attempt the various move
nents he may be called upon TO perform IN
way which will not be harmful to him.
When properly coached he may, without
the slightest risk, do many things which
would be distinctly dangerous for one who
had not had the benefit Of this instruction
1t is deplorabe fact that there Is wide
spread ignorance on the general subject OF
training not only In the South, but In
some parts OF the North also.
Perhaps the most serious charge brought
against the sport ia that 1t is brutal. and
engenders brutality in Its participants
There is but one way TO put this charge 10
the test, and that Is to examine the char
aciers OF our football players as shown by
their conduct In private life when not On
the football field.
The difficulty OF judging their character
by their football play lies In the fact that
roughness is not brutality although many
critics refuse to recognize a distinction be-
tween them. That football Is q rough
game no one will deny: that II is a brutal
pastime, or that II creates or fosters bru-
tality no one will affirm who will take the
trouble to test the question by such a per-
sonal analysis as we have suggested. As a
class football players are the most gentle
and warm hearted men to be found any
where. a.r
J. b. Mccormack, one OF the best known
writer's on pugilsm, has said that while
! football is rough II Is by no means brutal
and the comparison between 1t and pugi-
lis1n Is not regular In SO far as pugilisis
enter into a fight with the Intention OF
,th uslpt he
case of an injury to football player Il is
| accident pure and simple. He scores the
Georgia legislature and crIicises most Sc
| verely the attempt to Iegalze prize fight
ing. known as glove contests. and prevent
| ing football.
Football Will not down! 1t is the game
Of the masses. Were you ever at game
/ played between Yale and Princeton In New
York City. where 10000 people rose tier
above tier on four sides OF the field; where
women shouted themselves hoarse and
where old gray-hcaded men pounded their
hats in Joy over the advance Of the ball by
the team whose colors they wore? Have
| you ever seen such a vast concourse OF peo-
pie come again and again each successive
year 10 witness any other class Of sportg
Football is the old Greek Pentathlon re-
viyed and combined into one sport-fhe
| running, the jumping, the wrestling. the
boxing and the throwing all united In g
single game.
While football will not down. IL Is agreed
! that some changes must be made In the
rules that will give the public game more
| resembling the English game, in which
there will be more kicking and less run
ming. and the rules committee will doubt
less make these changes within another six
| months
Let II be hoped that the legislature Of
| Georgia will rec the grieyous mistake u
has made In the passing OF this law, law
| that curbs the freedom Of the young and
which leaves behnd 1t the taste OF the
puritanical blue laws OF New EnEland,
which, thanks TO broad mndedness, are a
thing OF the pest.
II the cry is for open play, let II be open
play. There rs room 10 distinguish ones
self or ones institution whether II he opeu
or clese. for It's football any way; then
II this does not satisfy these howlers. put
Md gloves on the players and that may
solve the problem for good and for all.