The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-27
FOOTBALL IN UNIVERSITY LIFE
Professor Goodspeed, of the Chicago
 Faculty, Favors It.


 "The great value of the modern col- lege game os football in the life and activity of any university Is something SO very evident that 1t cannot be ques- toned" writes Dey; I;,x Dr. Tnomas dS ma;c,wo W. unde: recent date, in The Chicago Re cord Herald. From a close observation of the game and the activities of our own students" he continues. "I know that the game is vaiuable at our univer- sity. and I am convinced that interest in football is of value to all Of the univer- sities. The very fact that 60 many sem student bodies of the universities man ifest their interest counts for something. Of course. like most of the good things in the world, football is abused at times, but the general statement remains true that football is of great value to university life. and the modern univer- sitv life would not be nearly as profit able as it Is without football.
 There are several important reasons for this and 1t Is difficult to tell which is the most important. I will name them
 "First-Foottall is a great ard noble game which requires and develops strength Some of the qualifications de. | manded of nisn who goes to the uni versity expecting to play football are: | Coura ge self-contt al. mental alertness. unyielding determination to do ones best under every discouragement-a our men did year ago-the ability to work with | one comSnenced, and the observation or most rigid rules of physical training and the most rigid rules of fair play. l ''1'he fame of football not only demands | those qualifications of manhood. but also develops them to a high degree. And there is no one except sn eneminate weakling who will not say that every | one of the qualifications is highly to be desired for every young man in America. They arc the same characteristics which
 made the now President, Theodore I kh4 ideal strenuous fife. The football grid | iron Is not the only place where these characteristics are developed, but 1t cer- tainlv is the. place where they are most men and developed Tn them.
 "Sccond-Footbell Is thus physical sid mental and moral discipline and ought to be of signal benefit to the men who are players. But they are not the only ones to derive great benefits. In a lesser degree it is an intellectual and moral discipline to the students hs, Who lock ,Sk games with interest-the rooters as they are called It teaches them, through Nv. ing pictures. the value and necessity Of all the thif gs mentioned, the value and
 necessity of these things in the larger struggles of life.
 Tt is just this influence which has transformed the college. student from the
 pnny, stoop-shouldered, fragile, pallid, feeble youth of former generation into
 the ideal of manly courage and physical
 vigor of the present day. It teaches a
 man and a student to lose and lose and lose end still be a self-controlled gem
 tleman, and at the same time it teaches
 him to work and work and work until
 he finally achieves the end in view.
 '"Third-Football is a great unifer of
 university life. This I consider as one
 of it's prime valnes in the life of an in-
 stitution which. by it's nature is com
 plex in its organization and contains
 many groups of persons with different
 interests. Football possesses all of tho qualities that attract and awaken the
 enthusiasm of wide-awake young per sons. While spectacular, it Is yet real. A football game is an exhibition of courage and skill. of endurance, resource
 and team work, and thus calls together
 all the college world as nothing else
 theme of discussion. kindles enthusiasm gives to the university world a subject
 of general thought and sympathy. The value of season of uphill team worR
 in bringing the members of a university student body close together was admir- } ably illustrated at our university last , fall.
 ! "Fourth-Among the benefits. not thu least is the fact that football provides
 an outlet for the physical vigor and an imal spirits of college men. By doing
 this, football actually prevents a grea deal of mischief.
 'Dr. Chalmers was once talking to g stage driver. As they came to a certain place, the driver hit the off horse, whicf
  g touch with his whip. Dr. Chalmer:
 asked for the reason.
 ' Y always do that when we pass thi: | place. the driver answered, so as to at 2 tract his attention. If l don't, he in I variably sees that object there and shie! a at t. I give him something else tt a think about.
 '"The college man, unless he has some
 thing else to think about is sure to ge
 into mschief. There mas to be an over
 flow. For this there Is nothing like ath l-444 fal llNY bal .lANl , college man does not have the tempta 4 tions of the college man of forty year
 ago. as a result of football interest
 '"The great objection raised agains n football Is on the score of injuries to th a men There Is no game, exercise or em q pluyment in which mon engage wner' ' they are not subject to accident. To d. f work under these conditions Is a lessor | of life Besides this 1t is a fact that a Q the university we have had a smalle q number of really serious accidents il , football than in baseball. which Is usu n | ally regarded as harmless"
 l