The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-05
Am I Right /?
LTHo the Englishmen have beaten us

have a peg to support our national
pride. since Reliance has finally taken the
deciding race from Shamrock III. The
only unpleasant feature about the affair
is the fact that we have discouraged Tom
my Upton, so that he will refuse to come
over and play in our front yard again.
His biennial visits will be sadly missed
by the New York four hundred, and there
will be no more opportunities for tuft-
hunters to collect souvenir spoons from
the Erins silver service "
Interest in the races Jagged so much
after the first trials showed the manifest
superiority Of the defender, that the final
contest aroused only a mild ripple of ex-
citem emit. It has been many years since
a challenger had so decisive a beating.
Even Columbia did not put it over the
first Shamrock so badly.
| The successive victories of the Ameri-
can yachts are only an indication of the
natural adaptability and progressiveness
of the nation. The American is quick
to seen and borrow good things from 9TH
ers; he is also quick to. remedy a defect
himself or to perceive q chance for i'm
provement. The Englishnnan is slow and
conservative. He will make no changes
until they are forced upon him, altho what
he learns he learns we'll. ... .... ..
! British yachtsmen have criticized the
American defenders because they have
been freak boats; racing machines almost
useless for long cruises. The justice of
the criticism cannot be denied; it has
| been admitted in fact by the adoption of
new rules Of measureme nt which will COM
pei return to the old bull-bodied type of
! boat Still the defenders were built with
| a specific purpose-that of retaining the
cup. They have been built on lines which
enabled them to get the most speed with
the smallest penalty of time allowance; in
short, they have been boats which would
best serve their purpose .E#.n
The Reliance has been the highest type
Of freak yacht. Under the new rules she
| will be nearly useless, but who doubts
that a genius like Herreshoff will be able
to adopt his designs to the new conditions,
and turn out defenders Of the old Ameri-
can type which will be just as successful
as the freak racers were under the old
rules Of measurement?
| ~AsPER WHITNEY in the September
/ number of the Outing, fulfls his
! promise to pay his respects to
! Michigan university for intentional or UNI
intentional violations Of the spirit of the
college eligibility code. He says four of
| last years Michigan football team were
played in violation of the spirit of the law,
and that one-PMmer-was technically in
eligible as well, having played professional
l baseball and football. The governing
body in Michigan athletics is scored for
either dishonesty or incompetence in al
lowing these men to play. Mr. Whitney
adds that Michigan's ethics has allowed
the greed for victory to get the better of
her
This last charge is probably true. 1t
is probably just as true Of nearly all the
other western universities. The pity is
not that Michigan or any other institu-
ton should violate either the letter or the
spirit Of the code, but that set of hard
and fast rules should be necessary to Keer
colleges from open and fragrant trans
SreSSlOnS.
For some time there has been a grow
ing sentiment among western football men
3 that the present code OF rules was wrong
4 both in theory and in practice. 1t is
recognized that the code is ineffective
and that only the honor Of the athletic
authorities can keep the sport clean under
present conditions This honor, judging
from the mutual recriminations we hear
every season is a minus quantity. Each
!, college says in effect to it's neighbor what
the Quaker said to his wife: "Al the
world is queer except thee and me, anc
sometimes think thee is a little queer
If a mutual police system is needed tt
keep college athletics clean, why not have
system that is effective?
5 Thor.