The Washington times., 1905-09-24
Rapid Development
OF Gridir0n Sports
football, as 1t Is Played Today Is Based Upon
the Ancient English Game of Rugby.
The Seasons Outlook
By JOHN FOSTER.

About the time that organized base
oall became a powerful factor in Amer
ican sports, American football crept in.
Not SO many are apt TO rattle off foot
ball statistics as are able to tell stories
Of all the baseball players of prominence
and yet when the statement is made
that the game of football has developed
with more ra.pidity than any sport in the
United States, growing from a weak
ling to lusty young giant in an incred-
IDLY short period of time. il is stating
common truth which IS well known to
every sporting authority and cheerfully
granted by every dealer in sporting
goods in the United States
In 1916 the National League of base
ball clubs was organized. We had
plenty of baseball before then, but this
new organization helped vastly to put
baseball on the substantial footing which
II enjoys at present.
1t established a regular circuit for a
systematic championship race and was
just the incentive which was needed to
build w a wholesome SPORT on a mod
ern latter-day basis. Now for the con-
necticn between baseball and football
from a time comparison only
How many are there who know that
y
American football was inspired? How
few there are who would think, so far
~ time is concerned. that the rise of
baseball and football IN a measure is
synonymous? And the reason for II all
is the fact that football was a little
backward at the start and has only
leaped TO its popularity within the last
score of years, while baseball swung
into general favor from the date Of the
inception OF a well constituted organiza-
ton.
Before going further IL is but fair to
say that the game which is played in
the United States is fully entitled to its
christening of American football Its
primary rules and most of its methods
are based on the ancient Rugby game
of English conservatism. and naturally
has been developed along the line which
appealed most to the sport-ioving Ameri-
cans of the United States. judging by
the various emergencies and experiences
which they encountered in their earlies.
door entertainment.
The first football which was PLAYED in
the country was a queer mixture 1t
was diluted English Association game
with SO little real meat to IL that no
excite much enthusiasm If there was
anything in the original sport which
wasn't Overwhelmingly attractive to
Americans, it seemed as if II had been
included in what college men were try
ing TO play, and the few good points.
which would have added TO the attract
iveness of the exercise. were carelessly
eliminated when an effort was made to
put rules together.
Nobody cared such great deal for
football then. except the Eastern coll
lese men. although it is but fair 10 say
that q crude kicking game was always
enjoyed by the boys when the autumn
months came along. and probably al
ways will be. After the collegians had
gone along for two or three years they
decided that it was wasted effort to try
TO make something out of the little
which they had at hand, and before the
season of 1876 began Yale and Harvard
decided to adopt the English Rugby
rules just as they stood. They played
with them that season with alterations,
and that was really the start of football
as we know it today. but it took ten
years OF struggle TO bring IL up TO the
point where IL suddenly began to grow
like Jacks beanstalk.
The football which is played now in
the United States is not Rugby. Far
from IL. Notifications have been made
more in consonance with American ideas
Of an outdoor pastime. and little by lit
tie a running game has been developed,
which is strictly american. and rad-
cally opposed 10 the English theory.
which is strongly in favor Of the kick
ing game.
The missionaries OF football through
out the United States have been the col
lege men. Westerners who went East
TO study at Harvard and Yale. al
Princeton and at other universities
who have picked up football one after
the other. returned home filed with tho
longing TO see football elevens estab-
Hshed I'm the cities in which they re
sided.
AS the West became more thicklS
settled, and colleges sprang up here and
there throughout the country, there wa.
desire on the part OF the students t
emulate the East in the matter of par
supation in football. and the result wal
the gradual introduction of the gan'
into the larger educational institutions
ard from those to the smaller. Easter
coaches did most OF the teaching Nov
there is scarcely a preparatory schoo
throughout the United States. and bare
~ high school. which does not posses
it's football eleven. The school interes
in the pastime is simply wonderful. ant
IL is likely that the public interest /
fully as great
Speaking OF college men as mission
aries in behalf of the sport brings &
mind one very important trip to tn
West which probably did as much Z
arouse football enthusiasm Throughout
Ohio. and incidentally in borderin
States, and to assist the efforts OF thos
who were trying TO do something for tn
game in the West, any event whic
ever happened when the sport was frs
beginning TO spread beyond the Allie
gheny mountains and invade new terri
tory.
First Eastern Invasion.
Ardent longing for a real footba