The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-11-30
STANDING OF THE POLO CLUBS.
CONSUMMATION TO BE WISHED.
Formation of Athletic League by Brown,
Dartmouth, Cornell and Wesleyan.

IL is greatly hoped by the friends OF
athletics at Brown that the proposed
athletic league betwe a number of col
le yes say Brown, Dartmouth. Cornell
and Wesleyan can bs consummated
for a mum ber Of years and in football as
we'll as baseball, has proved herself IA
worthy rival of any college.
But there is never a championship game
or series of games that cause the interest
to centre OH one objective point.
10 this fact is undoubtedly due the
great lack of college spirit that now OBJ
tains among the student body. Athletics
do not get the strong backing from the
students, the moral support that is neces-
sarv TO make men play great games.
There is none Of that intense enthusiasm.
not the kind that bubbles over with a lot
OF noise, but the strong, quiet kind that
makes college heroes of those who do battle
for the name of good old Brown
There is too much Of the spirit Of "why
didn't you do more, f" and "if you don't
win you are no good" To illustrate, IL
the football team goes away TO play, let
us say, one Of the Big Four, and one of
the men makes a couple Of brilliant runs
OF 80 yards each, he will get from the col
lege, instead of the appreciation he de-
serves, the acknowledgment that IL was
good work coupled with why didn't
you do tetterg" IL any man on Har-
ward or Princeton team should make
such runs. against Yale say, he would
become at once college hero. Or again.
Ia such BASEBALL team as the one
Brown had In 1895. which ended UP as
the national collegiate champions. Dur
ing the season when they had been win
ming game after game perhaps the time
would come when they would drop some
particularly hard games. Instead of get
ting sympathy and appreciation they
would be told Trey were no good.
1t Is only just that man should get
due appreciation OF his efforts and sue
cosses.
The college will never have an athletic
history until the memory OF her great
athletes, and she has bad such, lives in
the minds of present and future classes.
Such league as Is proposed would,
without doubt. DO CT the greatest benefit
To Brown.
1t would give definite incentive.
would arouse the interest that attaches TO
championship games. IJ would give the
players n greater determination to win at
every hazard. This Is the spirit that wins
championships. For instance, in football
IL is not avoirdupois, nor vet intricate
and complicated formations and plays
that wins championship games, but it Is
the dogged spirit that knows no such
words rs fail or defeat.
Practically, the only thing in oon.
nection with Brown athletics at the pres
ept time that can be termed grand
event" Is the class dav baseball game
Here college spirit and loyalty raises to
the occasion, but Ii probably springs
from the effects of class day on the stu
dent body almost entirely.
The tremendous CD support the foot
ball team gets from the college is plainly
indicated in the amount of cheering ut
the games. That Brown defeated the In
dians at New York this year was probably
largely due To the rousinS send of they
got from the bows. 1t was noted at the
time as unprecedented. It put spiSjt into
the team. The Indians started out liN-
winners and rs the struggle went on and
II began tn look dark for Brown Hap
good called out 60 the hoys, "Remem-
Der what the boys said To Us whom we
left Providence +" lie was PLAYING the
game OF his life and his words fired the
teom and thoy Won.
such things should be the standard con-
stantly followed. This proposed league
would prevent the teams meetiug any
outside Of the leagus that they wished To
arrange games with.
Ii would raise the game Co higher
ethical basis and this l. most important Of
ali While the rivalry would be close
"A base act would meet with the ssyerost
condemnation from every college and
team In the league They would oil be
niemb bers Of the same union and would
strive 10 keep it above anv reprOach
Dartmouth has clearly outgrown her
relations with Amherst. ana Williams.
Cornell is independent and already seek
ing rotations with Brown. IL would be
hard TO find IL moro gentlsmanly fellows