The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-12-21
SEES MUCH HARM
in ATHLETICS
NOTE OF'sWARNING FROM CHAIR
MAN OF PA. COMMITTEE.
DR.. Edgar f. Smith Says College
Sports Take Attention of Students
From More Serious Affairs-sug-
gestion for Elimination of Evil OF
Procuring Athletes.

Philadelphia, Dec. 21.-The college
football game is now coming in for a
world of censure. DR.. Edgar r.
Smith, vice president OF the University
Of Pennsylvania and chairman OF the
faculty committee on athletics, is out
with the following statement:
After many years Of close associ-
alton with intercollegiate athletics I
feel that to-day the excessive enthusi-
asm worked up over athletics. during
the football season In particular, is
positively harmful to the proper con-
duct Of the studies. I find that most
men, whether athletes or not do not
get down to serious work until after
the season is over, and that many Of
the faculty are affected in the same
way. There is too much publicity
given to- the boys, and they often fail
to realize the true meaning of their
stay in college.
'Then, I believe that many men
have their lives ruined by athletics.
Take members of the football teams;
they graduate, but many Of them take
UP coaching for several years because
they can make far more money coach
ing than in any other line. Thus their
minds are taken away from the real
object Of life, and after five, or per-
haps ten years they find that they are
no longer able to coach, and they are
untitled for their professions
"One Of the most lamentable cases
that call to mind is that Of George
Woodruff. He was a man of excep-
tional intellect, yet where is he to-
day? Useless as q football coach and
out Of joint with all other work. Very
few men actually go into professional
athletics, but by spending the best
years of their lives as coaches many
valuable boys are nearly lost.
IT do not know a remedy for ex-
listing affairs. There is a great good in
intercollegiate sport, and, quite aside
from the sporting features, it keeps
many men occupied who might devote
themselves to worse pleasures. The
desire to win is SO great that men
scour the country for star players,
and in this way the element of sport
is dWarfed, for the average man,
knowing that men are being procured
or sought after for every place on the
football team, is apt not to try for the
team, and thus exercise is not so gem
eral as 1t should be-. but is confined
to a few exceptionally strong men,
Zone rule that have had in mind
for some time would, think, help out
Of athletes goes, and that is, to forbid
any man from representing a uniVer-
slty who has ever before represented
degree-granting institution. should
like to see this rule put in force here
at Pennsylvania, and believe that it
would benefit our athletics in the end.
The athletic tramp is a danger to
pure athletics, and would be glad to
see him eliminated"
Coach A. A. Stage of the University
of. Chicago, leaves tonight for Chlor-
lde, N. M, in search Of health and
vigor.s s..
Stage does not go on this long trip
of his own free will. Only on the adj
vice of his physician, ? the urging of
his family and-t persuasion Of many
friends at the university have in
duced the director Of Midway athlet-
les to go away.
In speaking Of the probable foot
ball schedule for the maroons for
next season, Coach Stage said that but
TWO games were certainly scheduled
SO far-Wisconsin on Thanksgiving
Day, and Michigan, at Ann Arbor, on
Nov. l3. Northwestern will, of course
! be played as usual. Stage says he viii
be glad to go to Evanston to play if
the Northwestern people want the
game played there. 9.
| Stage has received letters from Dr.
| Williams Of Minnesota and from Ne
braska, Kansas and West Point re.
garding games for next year, but has
not yet been. able to do anything to.
ward completing final arrangements
He cannot say anything definite now
about his final schedule
In an interesting but one-sidef