Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-10-29
A WaterviIIe Woman on Football.

Editors of the Kennebec Journal:
l am only a woman, and have no in
ordinate desire to pose as an authority
on football, but if. no one else is will
ing to come forward in the interest of
fair play for the Colby team. am
moved to speak for college which
seems just at present to stand in need
of IL little plain speaking that justice
may be done.
You say in your report of the Colby
Bowdoin game, played on Saturday.
that the victory for Colby was won
wholly by Watkinss star playing and
that in all other respects Bowdoin out
classed and Outplayed her opponents.
If these were not the exact words
used, they express the meaning which
your report was meant to convey.
If this statement in regard to Bow
dOin's superior playing is true, how
does it happen that the one score she
was able to secure in the last part Of
the last half of a long game was made
possible to her only by the fact that
Colby was penalZed for holding and
the ball given to BOwdOin?
BowdOin, you say. had the stronger
team made greater gains, played bet
ter football than Colby, yet she was
prevented from scoring by her hard
luck" and by Watkins's phenomenal
playing. BOwdoin's hard luck" ac-
cording even to the very partial ac-
counts of the game. consisted partly in
fumblinS at critical moments.
Whether such awkwardness is called
hard luck or poor football depends
somewhat on the particular team
WHICH happens to suffer from it. It
was also hard luck for Bowdoin when
her fullback attempted to punt and
was tackled by Mitchell before he
could kick the ball. The decided gain
which, on Mitchell's part. resulted to
Colby from this presence of mind (and
body, showed that the men who know
how to act in an emergency are the
men who win football games.
Undoubtedly Watkins did a good
deal of star playing, but if he was
successful in making two touchdowns
by phenomenal runs, does this not re-
fleet a little on BOwdoin's strong and
skilful team?
Why did Finn select that particular
moment to tumble the ball? Where
were Bowdoin's tackles while Watkins
was getting clear of the field? Where
were BOwdoin's sprinters when he was
making that % yard run?
One must suppose it to have been a
part of the so-callcd hard luck that
lost the game for Bowdoin that she
happened to be star-gazing while
Colby's star player twice carried the
ball triumph;,ntly over the line.
Star playing is perfectly legitimate
and star-players are the sort that
make winning teams, but leaving Wat
kins's two touchdowns out altogether.
had not Colby a third score won by
that line b,Icking which Bowdoin
seems to consider the only genuine
method? And since Keene kicked the
goal and Philoon did not it is not true
that even without Watkins's phenome-
nal runs Colby had the game?
When Il team that can Outclass and
outplay its opponent gets worsted by
Il score of 16 to ). and comes very near
not being able to score at all. there is
only one conclusion to be drawn.
Coach OConnor will have to deliver
another curtain lecture. The team
that can play and won't play, should
be made to play. ta aA1
This is the first time. We are told.
that Colby has ever been able to defeat
Bowdoin on the latter's grounds. Is
one to suppose. that the reason Bow
doin refuses to play any Maine college
team outside her own grounds is be-
cause she feels it necessary to cling to
that coign OF vantage?
Bowdoin has in the past held so en-
viablc reputation for athletic skill
that she has a right to be ashamed of
victories won on paper. Like other
colleges. she is entitled to what she
wins and no more. If she wants the
championship let her win it in fair
night, and let her remember also that
y IS the manful part to accept a fair
defeat fairly.
AS for Watkins. Colby's star
player, all honor to him as a good
schoiar. good athlete. and man
VINO desires to be gentleman on the