The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-19

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The result of last Sundays football
game in Butte between the rival elev-
ems under the eaptaincies of Percy
Benson and Jim Hooper may have
been disappointing to one of the teams
and entirely satisfactory to the other.
That the game ended in a tie is sat
isfactory to those in this community
who care for football The game went
to show that there is material In Mon
tana for at least one real good, IT,
vincible football team, and the hope
of the people who like to see football,
about it, is that the talked-of tour of
an all-Montana team will become
reality. The games played hereto
fore have demonstrated the fact that
there is any reasonable number of
first class football players in Montana.
and that carefully selected club from
all the teams, with some preliminary
practice, will be a hard aggregation to
beat by the team of any city in the
West that the all-Montana team may
meet. providing, of course the trip is
made. That the football cranks of
Montana will back up an all-Montana
team both morally and financially
there is no doubt, and it is the hope of
many that the swing around the circle
will be made
Judging from the present tendency
of things there will be little difference
between the system pursued in train
Ing an up-to-date football player and
a goth century prizefighter.
The ill luck which continues to perch
upon the banner of the team of Penn
sylvania university. due largely to the
persistence of the coaches in devoting
all the teams time and skill to guard
back play, is further enhanced by the
unfortunate fact that many of her best
players are not heavy enough for the
scrimmages called mass plays which
make up the best part of the modern
football game.
In addition to the training necessary
for fitting the men to stand any
amount of punishment which the game
may involve the Yale coaches now
have special training tables for their
elevens and scientific feeding has be-
come regular part of the gridiron
curriculum What a few seasons of
this training, with the new develop
ments which will in all probability be
added from time to time, will make
out of college athlete 1t is difficult to
foretell, but it will doubtless be a kind
Of two-legged buffalo, rhinOcerr us, tur-
tie and muscular prodigy combined,
which will find anything in the shape
of old fashioned football tame and
!nnocuoucs diversion.
1t has been distinctly noticeable in
recent games that the attempt to in
troduce new styles of trick play have
had no material influence on the out
come of the game, rush. push and
tumble being the principal features
which have gone to make up the
heavy score.
OF course. the ability to play football
has been necessary ingredient of
success, and there is no tendency on
the part Of the big teams to degrade
the game by means of unfair play, but
at the same time the hospital CORPS is
almost as much a necessity of var
sity gridiron as it is of a South Afri-
can camp.
In consequence it is quite common to
read descriptions such as the follow
ing after any great football event:
1.-THE team returned home in a thor
oughly demoralized condition. A num-
Der OF the men were battered, bruised
and bandaged and some We're limping."
In the near future a pension fund
may possibly be started for veterans
of the gridiron SO that those dsa bled
permanently may be provided for in
a fitting manner.
The keenness of competition is prac-
tically revolutionizing methods in all
directions and bruised feelings are be-
coming as common as bruised limbs,
owing to the prompt changes which
are made in the personnel of the team
whenever change is warranted by a
newcomer developing superior play.
Regulations were never made or lost
as quickly before on the gridiron as
they are to-day. and as in the case of
individuals. so 1t is with teams
Old coaches are now talking of the
proba bility that the days of big tours
or big fives are likely soon to be
thing of ancient history, as good
training is now becoming SO general
with college and university teams that
before long there will be dozens of
elevens possessing records which will
entitle them to hold front rank in the
football field. The teams of some OF
the younger universities are entering
the arena with such conspicuous vim
that 1t can only be matter of time
when their play will become as fin
ished as that of any of the big four,
and then a wholesale breaking down of
old tradition is likely to ensue. This is
not likely to occur during the present
season, because expert football play