The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-08
Hollis on football.

| Hollis on Football.
Prof. IRA N. HOLLIS, chairman OF the
Harvard Athletic Committee, has emitted
an article on football; and has raised
thereby a terrible little tempest among
the tea cups Of Cambridge and New
Haven. We cannot agree with his oon-
clusion, which Ia that there should be
no more football kicked between Yale
and Harvard; but there is much good
sense and unfortunate truth in some OF
his remarks, albeit most or much OF his
censure OF intercollegiate football bites
as sharply some other intercollegiate
sports. Besides, some Of these criti-
cisms, IL they are we'll founded, call for a
reform in the methods, or change. OF the
rules. Of football, and not for the pro-
hibition OF it.
The question Of the relative danger OF
open plays and Of mass plays should
be decided by the experts. There
Ia a growing prejudice against mass
plays; and an uneasy feeling among
parents and guardians that the game
is too rich in accidents. Doubtless the
wisdom Of our sociologists and Legis-
latures will ultimately provide State
Bureaus Of Football Accident Statistics
Many hasty and crazy congratulations
on the subject are made from time to
time. Prof. HoLLIss figures are not
alarming. He tells us that in the last
three years Is per cent. Of the whole list
of football men appearing on the
field have been laid of from time
to time I" to recover from injuries. but
nobody has been permanently or ia
tally hurt" Parents and guardians have
ample jurisdiction in the matter, and
athletic committees are not called upon
to brood over II. II you don't want
your son to play football. make him stop.
You have the power Of the purse and can
cut of the rascal's supplies II he IL
contumacious. But intercollegiate foot
ball needn't be banned, because you
are afraid that your DICK or HAlRY will
break his precious bones. We notice
that skill in football IL hereditary; and
old players are proud to have their boys
initiate the renown Of their sirss.
There y force IN Prof. HoLlls's asasr-
ton that the season constitutes one
long period Of drudsery, under con-
stanty increasing nervous strain and
excitement The American oollegians
take most OF their sports too seriously,
too professionally. They set VOC much
value on the mere fact Of winning. They
weep like hysterical idiots when they lose.
They are overtraiped. Their nerves are
overracked. They continually pass the
line that divides or should divide the
professional and the amateur, business
and sport An indictment Of college foot
ball will apply a. well to other intsrool-
legiate athletic games; and - for nerv-
Gus strain, that Of the fercest football
must be slack compared with that OF the
college eights during the race. those
crowded minutes OF prodigious heart
pumping and nerve-squandering. Let
us try to teach our boys to be amateurs.
We are more to blame than they. II We
who look on are excited, what shall be
the excitement OF those who are butch
erinG themselves to make our holiday
The public il q maniac on sports. Tho
convulsive contagion OF crowds has its
effect, and bad on, On the athletes.
According to Prof. HOLLIS, Of recent
years the game has been dull and unin-
teresting to those who are not experts.
IL strikes us that IL football Ia dull. the
rs 900 or $1,000 persons who 60 to 80 q
game OF IL must be billiards. Ths in
terest in II has never bean ksener; In, In
fact, altogether too keen for It's BEST in
terests. We don't know whether Prof
HOLLIS speaks from the confessions Of
the Harvard players or ~ IN expert
mental psychologist whsn be says that
. the players themselves no longer get
any fun olt OF tbs game. Thsy make
too much Of business out of IL: but II
they don't get fun - we'll - glory out
Of IL, they must have bssa horn old
What Prof Hollis nays of intsrool-
legiate boorlshneas, mean tricks In ths
field and tbs dishohorsbLs and degrading
habit of drumming . for athletes Ne
st do~n mournfuliy. oonf.ssing but
unable to AVOID
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