The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-10-29
OLD STARS WERE NOT GIANTS
Great Cry for Football Mammoths Is
of Very Recent Origin.

Was there ever such a craze for
giants in football as is exhibited this
year? When was there ever a time
when the large hulking Individual was
in such vast demand? From every
college where the gay game of punt
and biff is Lracticed comes only one
item of daily correspondence. with alb
of the colleges and men: "Bulkey, who
weighs 229 pounds and is 6 feet 4.
Joined the training squad today. Ryan
and Hippeau, neither of them I'M
der $50 pounds. will arrive tomorrow"
Such is the unVarying report from
every school. and all over the land
the giants are tocking to the varsity
elevens.
A party of Cnicagoans who went to
Houghton. Mich, last Saturday We're
shown one of the sights of the town
an intelligent young man feet inches
| tall. weighing 332 pounds, and so
powerful that he can do the work of
three horses. Dollars to dOughnuts that
this young man will be overwhelmed
by offers from different universities.
For is not this mastOdOn, the ne plus
ultra. the acme of perfectlOn, the beau
ideal the grand panjandrum, of what
the coaches and trainers most desire?
If this sort of thing keeps on a year
or so will see football transformed
into "a game of colossi, a titanic strife.
where the biggest men on earth in
dulge in tempetuous, awe-inspiring
battle And yet when all is said and
done. and when all the giants are in
their fighting toys, how will the game
be benefited? Will it be faster? De-
cidedly not Will it be prettier? A
merry jest, Will it bring out the col
lege spirit as of yore? No: for the
thinly yelled lodges by which the
giants are obtained will tend to make
of mercenaries. not as a fine array of
college youths. beloved by every
other student typifying the glory and
the pluck of every school
And what good are the giants after
all. Look at a miX-up between the
rush lines. When it is all over, who's
the fellow who is down and out, who's
delaying the game for many minutes
till he is again fit to play? Nearly al
ways the giant. And who's the fellow
who is up and around, lively as a cat,
cheering his men to redoubled efforts?
The little man.
There have been great giants in the
history of the game Greatest giant OF
endure forever. But think of the small
Ter men-some of them what would be
counted big men in ordinary life, but
not human elephants-who have won
deathless glory on the chalk-lined
field-just count them over!
Were any of the POes gigantic?
Was Lamar, whose matchless runs
shall never be forgotten, giant?
Ames was a big man, but no shot
tower. Award, Donnelly, LettOn,
Crawford, Stickney, Stage, Phil King,
Osgood, Hinkey, and a hundred more
were these men of the sky-scraping
breed? Once in a while some giant
like Neutrality-suspicious. such work that
his name endures, but for every giant
who gets renown ten smaller men have
made good. Which would you rather
have-an eleven of the giants now
being dug up all over the nation, or
team such as the Princeton eleven that
was led by Ames and Donnelly?
1t is the day Of the giant, and he is
making the most Of it. How long will
it be before the real athlete, irrespec-
tive of his size, returns to his own?