The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-02
EllO7 ATTACKS FOOTBALL.
,,vs IT INJURIES IRRATIONAL
ACADEMIC LIFE"
,rd,s President Says the Danger or
tnlnry Is only n Minor E'ii--ObJeclion
If, Cnicny In the Moral Tone Espe-
o,aily in rrlckcry Used In the Game.

~ the Board u Overseers. VIII be Is
by the university publication office
,,,,.-,ow morning Tho report is the long
esf oyer i,-Hed =,
p,s-lIon, Eliot touches on number OF
,,. ,l.a, are Of unusual and general in
20, The most striking is his assault
footl1U. and among the others are
.,a,o,pcn, on the proposed alliance with
~. ,L,s.,cbuso,ts Institute Of Technology,
49,. e,oncial condition of the university
a,l the occupation of the fathers OF stu
sar,s who entered Harvard and the Law
rorre Scientific School last fall
Tho attack on football covers four pages
Of the report. It says
The game Of football has become seri-
orsly INJURIOUS TO the rational academic
l,rs In American schools and colleges and
:, &c time that the public, especially the
,ircaled public. should understand and
,,to earnest consideration OF the objections
to this game.
some Of the lesser objections to tho
,.,cs ora TIA extreme publicity, the large
,,o,or,ion Of injuries among the players.
tho ABSORPTION of the undergraduate mind
I, the sub iect for two months, and the dis
rroportionnte eXaltation OF the footoall
taro IN the college world The crude and
yociferou- criticism, blame and praise
xhicb fall 10 the lot of the football player
can b., Of no possible advantage to any
Young man at the opening Of his active life;
an The contrary, they keep before him an
,rtrlstworthy and unwholesome standard
n publc approval or disapproval.
The RISKS of football are exaggerated
and unreasonable In well managed
college where men physically unfit for foot
bal are prevented from playing the game
the nsk Of death on the football field within
four years is not so great as the risk OF riding
horseback driving an automobile. or boat
ncand Yachting. If these sports are followed
Tor years The distraction from proper
collegiate pursuits Of multitudes OF under
Graduates during the football season has
become a familiar phenomenon, but 1t Is,
nevertheless, a mortifying one. The foot
hall hero IS useful in a society OF young
men. # lie illustrates generous strength and
a clean life but his merit Of body and mind
are not Of the most promising sort for future
service out in the world.
The state Of mutual distrust and hosui-
iv between colleges, which all too frequently
football creates. Is another evil The pre-
cautions taken against trickery, ike the
armor aud padding against hurts snow
what the game has come to be. The carry
ing into elaborate and highly artificial
practice the enfeebling theory that no team
can do its best without the presence OF hosts
n applaudlng friends is still another Of the
lesser evils Of football.
None Of these things, however, enter into
the main objection to the game, Tor the nam
Il. l,...r aff,uf a
'As DEVELOPED in this country, II has
become game in which the actions Of
Individual players can often he entirely
concealed not only from the mass of sDecta-
tors on the benches but from the nearer
Observers on the side lines, or even the
umpire. who gets as near as possible 10
The comhatants. The game II played
under established and recognized rules,
hii the uniform enforcement Of these rules
Is lmpo,sihle and violations of the rules
arc IN many respects highly profitable
toward victory Thus. coaching from the
side lines oTside play, holding and disabling
opponents ny kneeing and kicking and by
heavy blows on the head, particularly
about the eyes nose and jaw, are unques-
tinuablv profitable toward victory; and
no means have been found Of preventing
those violations Of rules by both players
and coaches.
some players to be sure. are never
GllAiIN OI ItFila NJ hltN IOl HiAl ull-
necessary roughness in play, bur there II
wide latitude in the construction Of I'M
necnssary roughness. To strike "A player
with Clenched fists Is unnecessary rough
ness to give him a blow equally severe
with the base Of the open hand IL not I'M
necessary roughuesS. Even IN perfectly
visible cases of violation of rules the game
officials often fail 20 punish the offenders,
particularly il an offender on one side can
10 Offset by an offender on the other and
both are allowed to remain in the game.
The common justification offered for
these hateful conditions is that football
j. fight and that is strategy and ethics
are those Of war. One may, therefore,
resort in football to every ruse. stratagem
and deceit which would be justiiable in
actual fighting II a man. 10y repeated
blows about the head, and particularly on
mo Jaw. has been visihly daZed, he il the
Mar 90 attack at the next onset. If in the
a-' encounter a player has been obviously
.~ned IN leg or arm or shoulder the brunt
Of the attack should fall on him. To sur
puse amhuscade and deceive the enemy.
and invariably to overwhelm a smaller
force iya greater one. are expected methods
81 War. But there IL no justification for
s1cn methods m a manly game Of sport
between friends
The genera public which witnesses with
deuglt these cOmhats can seldom see or
understand these concealed and subtle
evils of the game All parties welcome
me chance 10 see a strenuous combat
as inc!r ancestors have for unnumbered
generations The respectable people who
attend football games -col!egians, gradu-
aie~ and others do not prefer to witness
injuries violations Of the rues quarrels
ana penalties On the contrary. they al
ways prefer 10 see skilful vigorous play
Ing uninterrupted by such repulsive in
q0entS The average college player had
much rather play fair than foul.
WHAT then are the sources Of the grave
e'l- 100 this epOrty They are % the i'm
moderate desire to win intercollegiate
game p the frequent collision in masses
Nmch make foul play invisible; 90 the
prom NJ violating the rules. 90 the mis-
.eaalhg assimilation Of the game to war as
'egarq- li~ strategy and ethics
Vh the question whether or not football
lc,efle- DO rs a matter Of fact, contribute
70 'NH growth and reputation OF n college
w university there are evidently two
;INloh- But If a college or university
= primarily a place for training men for
.mo'anle generous and efficient service
~ tne community at large. there ought not
w %" more than one opinion on the question
'.hef game played under the actual con-
b..''n' OF football to-day and with the bar
nl'l' ',hlc- OF warfare can be a useful
W., 'n me raining OF young men for
'" @Iflcr Civilization has long been
" Possession Of higher ethics than those
var and experience has abundantly
Pto'el that the highest efficiency for
h f''' and the finest sort Of courage in
. nv 'lduaI men may be accompanied by,
a..N lAae'1 spring from. unyaiying gem
rI'>liY. yHrtIgua-e and yoaJ ,r;I1