The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-15
Z, ~. 81 81 ,r-.s i
Boosts,
and .
Boots
By the Dutch Uncle.
George F. Downer, writing Of western

George F. DOWner, writing of western
football in the current issue of the
Northwestern Sportsman, pays his com
pliments to the eastern men writing
upon western football. Downer can
see light on a hilltop, These chaps
write very learnedly about eastern
football, as they get around to see the
teams, or are supposed to. When they
start out to write Of western teams
they make themselves the laughing
stock Of the country west Of Buffalo.
Strangely enough,R eastern magazines
Of high standing print the writings Of
these men with all display of belief
in their authenticity and authority: It
took an account Of stock.
These eastern writers are naturally
hampered by the belief that any Of
the minor colleges Of the east could
walk thru any Of the larger western
teams and not encounter much resist
ance. They seem to think that the
western players are small, underdevel-
oped, poorly coached and know little Of
football. Despite the fact that the
who made their football beginnings in
the west, the belief in eastern su-
premacy still hold good. When these
writer's dip into western football they
present a mass of glittering generali-
ties. Their stories resemble bob
tailed pug dog.-no beginning and lit
tie ending: Michigan, Minnesota, Wis
consln and Chicago are spoken Of with
faraway, Moses. sort of style that
would apply equally well to Zanzibar
out of the game are still spoken Of as
leaders: Other breaks, equally raw, are
made day by day.
Western writer's, save some of Chi
cago's efficient horse reporters, are
chary of writing much about eastern
football. When news Of the eastern
situation is wanted. the western news.
papers chit the wire,' pay the bill
men who know what they are writing
about. When the east wants western
football it is the common practice for
the journals and magazines to call upon
their "experts" for a diagnosis of the
western situation. The eastern critic
WIG don't know anything about it
| followers OF the game swallow this stuff
in whole. It "goes" east Of Buffalo,
put when the periodicals get out west
| the. avowedly funny papers are laid
aside and the screaming humor of the
| seriously intended sheets rules supreme,
| The men in the east who know western
| football are few, but their writings are
right. There are one or two in New
York, one at least in Boston (Town-
send), and that about sums up the sit
uatlon. Still, these experts who have
never got out of the baked-beans belt
write learnedly of western football
pick all-western teams and disport
themselves gleefully. Some day some
one will put an alarm clock under the
pillow of the eastern publishers and the
| broncho of retribution will buck some
of these chaps to death.
There is no use in denying that the
opponents to football have received {
wonderful help by the recent action Of
President Roosevelt. The president, tho
does not really stand where he will BIZ
in all kinds Of healthy games and is {
patron of the rough sports There are
: many friends of football who believe
that the game should be opened up
Then there is an element who woull
stop the game altogether If it had the
power. The stand Of the president was
with the friends Of the game, not will
the cranks who would stop it. The enc
mics Of the game will seize I4 upon th.
newing their battle. Thetwo forces SHOULD
be separated and altho the line is THU
between them it should be\sharpl,
drawn.
The enemies Of football are danger
/ Gus because they are generally brainy
men--men whose bile has kept pace will
their brain development. The fellow
who would stop the game altogether ar,
as a class men who never gained pro
fciency in any sort Of athletics, VIII,
have isolated themselves from all saw,
the acquisition of knowledge or money
and while men Of wide learning or grea
/. tolerance. They are ably assisted by :
class Of 8 grouches who are ever OF
the outlook for something at which t,
hurl the bricks of their spleen. Thel
! there is the clique Of notoriety-seeker