The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-12-03
KEOUGH RA Oh
TALES OF THE GRIDIRON
BY FRED LoWENTHAL.

There is a grave doubt whether foot
ball. as il is played today. will be a
part OF the college curriculum five years
from now. The weight of the average
man attending the universities and col
leges in this country is considerably
under pounds. while the average
weight of many football teams exceeds
$50 pounds 10 man, and there are few
under I10. Therefore il readily can be
seen that. physically. the football play
ers is not typical of the colege.
The game is fundamentally wrong
and cannot last in It's present form. Ia
addition l believe that the American
college football * an acquired sport
though not the less Interesting for all
that, while the kicking game ia nat
ural. In proof Of this : cite ali incl
Gent which occurred in 1880 IN q cdlg c
between Illinois Wesleyan university
and the University Of Illinois. \ We~-
leyan player fumbied the bali. which
rolled toward The Illinois right Cnd
The latter easily could have dropped
on the ball-and he had been coached
70 fail on it-but instead kicked tine
leather. In less tine than IL takes ID
tell, both teams were engaged in "a
good old fashioned kicking game with
out respect for goal or sid lines. Need
less 10 sag the Rug0-- same never was
finished.
In the game referred 10 above the
center rushes Of both teams wore rub
Der so.ed tennis slippers. In thos- days
the middle man did not snap back the
ball with his hands. but with his foot.
Hence shoes with rubber bottoms were
absolutely necessary.
Later in the season Of the same wear.
/ believe, the two teams met again, and
Illinois won by a score OF 20 to o. Illl-
nOis in turn was beaten 60 10 o by Pur-
due. Michigan wallope- Purdue about
80 10 0, Cornell showed under Michi-
gan by a score of about 30 10 0. while
Harvard beat Cornell. if I remember
rightly. - 10 0.
Now. here is food on which the dope
ster grows fat. What would have been
the score if Harvard had met Wes-
leyan?
To show of how much value cOmpaT-
auve scores are; Do you remember the
Lake Forest-ChicagO game in 1886? The
marOOns just managed to mold the boys
from the suburban college to a tie, In
reality il was Il lucky tie for Chicago
A few days later Michigan lambasted
the life out of Lake Forest. Seventy
points the Wolverines garnered, while
their opponents scored nothing. And
when Chicago and Michigan met in the
Coliseum on Thanksgiving day Herself
berger's field goal and Cavanaugh's
blocked punt hung up : to Chicago $
credit, while the best Michigan could
get through the defense Of the Midway
men was g.
There is a story going the rounds on
Vrsra
in the university who wanted 10 play
football. However. he was Of such
slight build that HUH thought il ad-
Visable he should first do the required
amount OF freshman physical training
The little fellow objected; said that he
had done all the stipulated physical
culture when he attended college in
Japan.
I've done the work already" said
the Jap.
yes, but I've no way Of telling" an
swered HUI. Now. if you had d credit
slip"
I have a credit slip" Clipped in the
oriental.
"AII right: bring It around then, aud
I'll look it over" replied the good ma
tured director
The next morning two bright almond
eyes greeted Hun. See, here il is,
AIr. Huff" he said. the while unrolIiug
what looked ike a big laundry ticket
three sizes too big,
It's WHAT" asked Hun.
Don't YOU sec it says here that 7
took physical culture for two years."
Where does it say that?" from
Huff with corrugated brow.
There" replied the Jap. indicating a
bunch of characters that looked like Il
Clump of Weepin~ Willows.
20 yes" said the director with his
profoundest look. OF course--of
coursei / didn't notice il before"
And without any further pa-iance he
wrote underneath:
After carefully reading the above.