The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-11-29
RIGHT AND WRONG FOOTBALL.


The exhibition of football as given al
Punahou yesterday did more to bring
the game into disrepute than score OF
! gridiron accidents. The sport at the
best has enemies on every hand, and
4 the weak points as displayed in the un-
| necessary Wrangling and smuggling of
yesterday serve the more to concentrate
upon it the fire of its foes. 1t is a con-
test where brute strength plays a large
part and the element of danger in it is
what makes 1t so attractive not only
to the players, but to those who look
on. If at the outset in Honolulu it
is the brutality rather than the skill
which is to be emphasized it would be
far better to stick to tennis or some
less strenuous form of amusement.
The tendency of late years among the
eastern colleges has been to so amend
and abridge the rules, as to do away
as much as possible with the brutal
features of the game, by adding heavy
penalties for smuggling and other in
fractions of rules. To avoid violations,
which in the excitement of a game,
seems almost impossible, the eastern
coaches are depending more upon kick
ing prowess and trick plays, than the
old form of mass rushes. In yester-
days game there were very few plays
in which at least one of these rules was
not violated: holding an opponent who
has not the ball." unlawful use of
hands or arms" tripping an opponent
or tackling him below the knees" When
1t Is remembered that any one of these
violations is punishable by the loss of
the ball or of ten yards to the offending
SIDE 1t can be readily seen why the old
mass play is not so much favored as
formerly. Perhaps in Honolulu acct
dents are rarer than abuse from critics
who fail to see the slightest good in
the game. Football is a manly sport.
and when cleanly played 1t has no peer,
either as amusement for the spectators
or as fun for its participants. There is
a fascinating interest in match with
it's combat at close quarters, which
cannot be found in baseball, or tennis.
Climatic conditions are against the
rough, snappy play which the crisp
autumn weather of the Eastern States
permits, and for that reason It would
seem that there could be little cause for
smuggling" But the tendency Is rather
to q fierce, gingery attack and long
rest between scrimmages rather than
the fast but continued onslaught which
climatic conditions seem to warrant. A
stricter Interpretation of the rule re-
garding unnecessary delays would per-
haps result in less brutal attacks. as the
players would. of necessity. be COMPEL
ed to husband their strength for the
steady play. and not put IT all in one
scrimmage, depending upon the long
rest between downs for recuperation.
Upon the referee depends in large
measure the success of the game. AS
4. III Cot
edge of the game there should be no
Que stloning of his decisions except upon
rare occasions. Necessarily It Is a diff
ficult task, and absolute correctness Is
almost impossible and he must rely in
a measure upon the testimony of UNI
pire and linesmen. These with the aid
Of the respective captains should be
sufficient to settle any dispute which
may arise, without the assistance of the
remaining players and the spectators.
Rather than to have any wrangling on
the field, it would appear to be policy
for the teams in the league to choose
a games committee. to which there
might be an appeal from the decision
Of the referee, at the conclusion Of
game. While 1t may be interesting 1t
is Hardly pleasant to witness a football
contest which Is more war OF words
than of skill.
The attendance at the games has been
steadily on the increase. and for the
past few weeks when a small admission
fee was charged the crowd was more
than double the number at the open
contests. Evidently the public appre-
ciates that which It has to pay for.
In The interest then of the sport II
should be free from all wrangling and
disputes on the field and from any I'M
due use Of brute force.