The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-03-05
As VIEWED az A NOVICE.
Isotbsll Discussed From the Standpoint
Of One Not an Enthusiast.

| Heotball Discussed From the Standpoint
L Of One Not IN EnthusiAst.
Modern football Is In one respect like
baseball, IN that II affords abundant facil-
titles to kick on the umpire, but otherwise
1t isn't like anything else on earth. The
young men who participate In the game
| are selected with great care, nobody being
eligible who cannot Withstand the kick Of
| a mule between the eyes or In the pit Of
the stomach. Other requirements are q
luxuriant growth OF hair. any color, and
muscular tissue sufficient TO meet a freight
train on the down grade and knock 1t of
the track. The football Is an oval, leather
inclosed chunk Of atanosphere, the posses
sion Of which seems to be q subject Of
continual contention. difE
Two corpulent youths called the center
rushes, take the ball between them, each
being In a STOPPING posture, heads togeth-
or and legs very wide apart. The teams
bunch up in the rear Of their respective
rushes one of whom, at q given signal
from his captain, snaps the ball back be-
tween his legs A secret code Of signals,
called of by the captain, conveys the in
formation not only when the ball Is to be
snapped, but also which player Is to take
1t and attempt to get around or break
through the line of the opposition. The
trouble begins I'm the center of the field,
between the goals, which are $50 feet
apart. The referee sounds his whistle, the
captain whose team has the ball calls of
his jargon of numbers, and riot Is forth
with inaugurated
The unfortunate youth who has been
selected to carry the ball makes break at
the line of the enemy and is at once
bounced upon by the other 81 men and
the referee, all Of whom fall down on him
and kill or cripple him II possible. Then
the referee, who is provided with a cane
for self defense, pokes around among the
wriggling arms and legs, ascertains who
has the ball and announces in a fine tenor
voice so many yards lost or gained The
fellow who is on the bottom of the pile is
brought around with artificial respiration
the teams line up, and the good work goes
on. A broken leg or fractured skull en-
titles player to withdraw in favor of
substitute. Occasionally dispute arises
over some technical point, whereupon the
partisans of the respective sides flock
around the disputants and howl for a rope
TO lynch the referee 1t Is entirely imma-
terial which way he decides. There is al
ways throughout the game manifest dis
position to kill him, and every man hand
Is against him. The life of football
referee is not happy one. 1t Is consider
ed great joke to accidentally fall on him
and shove No. 9 hob nailed shoe down
his throat
There are a great many fine points about
football. One of them is to pick out for
slaughter the best player of the opposition
The methods of doing this are varied and
unique The point Of an elbow applied
to the pit of a mans stomach when he is
at full speed has been found to
be- very effective. But it is useless to emu
merate further. The foregoing hint is |
sufficient. A touch down is made when |
one side succeeds in carrying the ball be-
hind its goal This counts four points. Aft
Or the touch down the ball is carried out q |
certain distance into the field, and the roy
al arch kicker of the team attempts to |
send it over the goal bar. If he succeeds, |
two additional points are secured. Paris |
(Ills.) Beacon.