The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-12-15
Suggests What Reforms CouIc
Be Inaugurated.
What Is Called Brutality Grea''
Iy Exaggerated.
What Should Be Done to "Dir-
ty" Players.

Oliler weekly SIlli heepS III III
fore front relative to foot ball, and thi
week, following the Edward S. Jordan
expose of Minnesota, David Starr Jor
dan, president of Leland Stanford
writes upon the evils of foot ball.
President Jordan, who is one of thu
foremost educators in the land, gives
his views in an impartial manner ant
states that he is not in favor of abol
ishing foot ball in any sense, but h
would like to see the game purified ant
rid of the evils which it now possesses
His comments upon officials should have
weight throughout the country, while
his remarks concerning the individuals
who play foot ball should be needed and
followed by all lovers of the game.
President Jordan says:
"While men are sometimes killed at
foot ball and sometimes MANNED for life
such things do not often happen outside
of the raw beginnings of the unframed
secondary schools. For these schools,
as matters are, foot ball is not well
adapted.
what is called the brutality of foot
ball is greatly exaggerated in current
newspaper criticisms. The number o.
serious accidents is scarcely greater pro
portionally than is caused by horseback
riding, rowing, yachting, swimming
hunting and other forms of manly eXer
else. from which danger cannot be Who'll
ly excluded.
There has been much discussion of
the possibility of improving the game
of foot ball by making it more interest.
ing by making it less dangerous, and by
excluding the possibility of muckerism.
As to the first and second of these mat
tiers the writer has no final opinion. The
distinguished athlete professors, in
whose hands the forming of the game
still lies, seem to be far fran any agree
Hiehl aiming tHchioolNoo'
The president of the coast university
is in favor of eliminating the much.
mooted mass plays and has the follow
ing to say concerning them:
Beyond a doubt the elimination
of mass plays and the encouragement
of the runs, punting and rushing through
the scattered field would make the game
more interesting to the spectators. The
same interest would also be heightened
by distinctive color or dress on the
two sides, with a big letter on the back
of each man to distinguish guard, tackle
quarterback and the rest of the arma-
ment one from another.
ut is very doubtful whether more
open game would be less dangerous
Most serious accidents occur in the tack.
ling of swift runner in the midst OF
his interference, the very play which is
most interesting to the spectators.
"As matters are, the game is toe
beefy. There is too great reward plac-
ed on mere muscular force and too much
stress on the ability to hammer weak
place in the line until at last the veal
man gives way. To ram at a playel
until he is insensible puts a premium
on surplus of Drawn and minimum
of brains"
In an interesting manner, President
Jordan treats the remedies:
'The remedies for actual brutality OIL
dirty foot BALI are mainly two: The
direct penalty, and the elimination
through scholarship and other academic
tests of the dirty men who make
games dirty The direct remedy is il
the hands of the umpire. This remed.
is never sure, for the umpire does moi
see everything and sometimes does not
try to do so.
"Theer are umpires who will thinl
twice before ruling out member of a
powerful team, on whose goodwill flu
ture chances for umpiring may depend
Moreover, the penalty is not severe
enough. Dirty play in foot ball stands
in the same category as cheating al
cards. 1t shows the offender to be 9
cad, mucker, thief, who has no rights
in the presence of gentlemen.
"To be convicted of dirty foot ball
should bar the person in question from
all future intercollegiate games. That
the innocent might not suffer from the
umpire's bad judgment on the moment,
there should be some sort of court of
final appeal"
The evils, of professionalism receive
due attention by the writer, in the fol-
lowing:
SIT is recognized fact that many
members of our most successful foot
ball teams, in fact, most of the men
chosen by our experts for an 'All-Ameri-
can lineup, are professional or semi