The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-04
Brutality Cry
Not Heard.
AFTERMATH.
News and Gossip for Every
Lover of the Game.

OF the foot ball season of '9S remain.
The games have all been played. Har-
ward is champion in the east and Mi
chigan in the west, the all-American
team has been picked by the critics,
and nothing is now left for the enthu-
siasts to do but to sum up the situation
and remember the lessons they have
learned from watching the big elevens
meet in their death struggles. Perhaps
the chief point brought out by the sea-
son is the high standing of the teams
in the west, as compared with those
of the east. Not only are the teams of
the two sections nearly upon a parity,
but there promises to be a time when
intersectional contests between big
eastern and western elevens will be
common. Chicago's trip to PhiladeI-
phia opened the way, and next year
Penn will play in Chicago. 1t will be
the first time in the history of college
athletics that q big team will be seen
in the west.
The old familiar cry of brutality in
foot ball, raised so many times in for
mer. seasons by good people, has been
heard but little during the season just
closed. And this in spite of the fact
that more foot ball has been played
and that there have been more i'm
pOrtant matches than in any former
year. 1t is also true by the way that
the percentage of injury has been far
smaller than in previous seasons. The
Yale Harvard game was the only one
of the big college matches in which
men We're badly injured. Ely and
Dudley getting the brunt of the breaks
and bruises.
The only real cutlery this season has
been made in consequence Of the
Thanksgiving day game at Franklin
field, and then it was caused more from
weather conditions than from the game
itself The splendid endurance of the
competing players in the binding
storm and upon a field of icy slush,
showed many of the same virtues of
courage and discipline that We have
recognized and admired in our soldiers.
Nevertheless it was but natural that
the question should arise whether it
was 1ustitiable to permit so much I'M
necessary suffering, and whether these
youths were not endangering health if
not life, for the cruel amusement of the
crowd The conditions We're wholly
/ exceptional, and the Pennsylvania au-
thOrities do not hesitate to say that
they would object to another game
under similar conditions. The fact
the men not only played the game
Through but came out of it without
harm is the strongest testimony to the
value of foot ball as means Of
strengthening the constitution of the
/ individual player.
CT
Der of excellent goals from the field
but over them all that made by O'Dea
of the University of Wisconsin, in the
Thanksgiving day game, must take pre-
cedence. From the 60-yard line he
kicked a goal, placing it most ac-
curately between the goal posts of the
! opposition. 1t was a drop kick and the
ball struck the ground ten yards back
of the goal posts, recording a distance
| kick of 210 feet. No one has ever ap-
preached that kick The best previous
record was l72 feet s inches made by
/ HardSraVe of Australia, IS years ago
! The American record was held by J. e
( Duffy of Michigan University, and
stood at 1853 feet ~ inches, made May
/ p, '86, O'Dea has done almost as well in
practice as he did the Thanksgiving day
game and stoutly af1irms that with the
right sort of footing he can kick a goal
| from the 70yard line. If any such prac-
/ tice becomes common the game Of foot
| ball will be revolutionized.
! Pennsylvania will lose but three Of
| her regular men, Carnett, Hedges and
| FolWell and there is possibility that
| FolWel may return. Little Jack"
| Hedges has played on the varsity for
! four years and consequently will not
! be candidate. Carnett graduates from
| the medical school next spring and will
! at once begin the practice of his pro-
! fession. Mike Murphy says that on next
| years team he win have five kickers
! to assist Hare. Of these candidates.
Hodge is the most likely for full back.
lie punts from so to 20 yards and is also
a good drop kicker On account of album
/ dance of back field material in sight.
! Outland may be found in '99 at tackle
Out west they have begun their an
nual Wrangle regarding foot ball rules.
eligibility of players, the question of
| resembling the college rule prohibiting
! colleges from playing athletic clubs,
etc 1t will undoubtedly take the repre-
| SentatiVes of the big Seven" all
winter to settle the points of difference,
| Ihese gentlemen have already decided
10 deter action on western rules" I'M
I'll later, when meeting will be held
either to formulate new rules or to
| again make recommendations TO the
eastern committee.
Billy Barnard who has been coach
| lngNorthwestern University so success
| Iully this pass season, will go to Column
! Dla University next year to take charge
| of the foot ball interests there. The
| students at IlVanStOWn were all desif'-
| Gus Of having him for coach another
| year, and the foot ball men presented
a signed petition to the athletic board
! OF the university, asking that it retain
| him, if possible. Barnard, however.
mas been rather anxious to come east.
ana now that the opportunity is offered
| purposes to accept Dr. HOLSTER. who
IS at present the universities athletic
| trainer, will undoubtedly be made head
| coacn, which means another change in
| the style of Northwestern play from
| That of Princeton to Pennsylvania Hol-
lister is rated by many throughout the
west as second only to A. A. Stagg as
| a handler of green and light material.
| with ability to put it into championship
form. The only thing to be said against
HOLSTER, is that he is far better as
an instructor of teams than indivi-
duals, but with the host of alumni ma
| terial which he could work into the
| coaching department, the individuals
would be taken care of.
BY the way. the Northwestern play
ers made a rather interesting choice
in their election Of a foot ball captain
for next season. Going out from the
ranks of the men who played on the
| 20 team, they selected Joe Hunter, a
good foot ball player ana mighty popu-
! lar; nevertheless he is not at the pres
ent time q member of the university.
nor has he played on the team, for the