Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1906-03-08

understand that, although much
changed at present, it emanated origi-
nally from the English Rugby We
had our wish granted and were keen
| ly interested spectators at the game
| between the University of Pennsyl
vania and Gettysburg, at Philadelphia,
Oct. 4. Possibly it would not be fair
TO lay too much stress upon what was
to be seen in this gridiron battle, for
| 1t as by no means a championship
game, but we saw enough to get a
general understanding Of American
college football.
The chief criticism to be made
against Rugby football, as played in
America, is the endless succession of
close formation plays. These massed
plays make ii absolutely impossible
for the uninitiated spectator to gain
any intelligent idea OF what is going
on, and even those who are familiar
with the game are frequently unable
10 follow the plays 1t seems anomal-
Gus that the game should be called
football" The word indicates that
the game is played with the feet,
whereas the American players appar-
entity never resort to the use of the
feet unless they have found it i'm
possible to advance the ball by carry
ing and rushing it. 1t could be great
ly improved, in my opinion, If passing
were developed more.
cannot refrain from calling at
tention to the dangers of American
Rugby football. In witnessing the
Pennsylvania game it was our mis-
fortune to see one of the players car
ried off the field with a compound
fracture of the leg, an accident due to
tackling To me it is wonder that
there are not more serious and fatal
accidents in the game. That such is
not the case is due probably to the
specially devised armor which the
players are obliged to wear. do not
see how your American college author.
tiles can permit their students to
subject themselves to the dangers
which your massed plays and double
flying tackles entail. Then ! could
not help noticing what looked to me
like unnecessary roughness. In adj
dition TO what | myself saw | am told
by competent authorities that In i'm
portant games there is a tendency to
concentrate the attack on particular
players who are known to be injured
slightly. or invaluable to the team,
IN, ~ hnY rf
the game. A thing like this could
not occur in any amateur sport in
England. 1t is a cardinal principle
of amateur sport there that the game
is played for sport itself. The public
would not patronze q sport which
permitted this element of brutality.
Any player who INDUCED in such I'M
necessary or deliberate roughness
would be ruled out of the game by the
officials and in all likelihood indeti-
nitely suspended.
From the study | have been able to
make Of Rugby football in America,
fail to see how It can be played with
any degree of pleasure by your
college students. The game is 50
cxhausting and so dangerous that
cannot conceive how it can furnish
any enjoyment for the athletes them
selves. 1t surely Is not a recrea-
ton like association football and kin
bred sports. | am forced to the con
clusion that only the support of the
public, which Is keenly interested in
the intercollegiate rivalry 1t engend.
crs, and which makes heroes of the
players, Is responsible for its perpetu-
alton. If the game were obliged to
stand on its merit alone, If it We're to
be robbed of the intercollegiate
rivalry and deprived Of cheering
public, doubt If ii would survive.
Let me call attention to another
feature Of your college game which
seems to me to be a serious evil In
all OF your large universities weight
alone is made the chief requisite for a
place on your football teams. | un,
derstand that YOU have no place on
your team for a man who weighs less
than $50 pounds, unless it be at quar-
Ter haCk, Wllle the oLHGE luslup6IS vi
the eleven must weigh from l60 to
200 pounds, the more the better, No
matter how fast or brainy candidate
may be his chances for making the
team are slim indeed If he lacks the
requisite weight Thus when you dis,
cuss the chances of one team to de.
feat another you have to tabulate
their respective weights, balance
these against each other and then
draw upon your conclusions.
Now 10 my mind, this is an I'M
mixed evil The prime motive of your
college athletics should be henent 70
the entire student body? But how can
this be accomplished when member
ship on your football team Is limited
Ia an eleven which must average from
l75 to 100 pounds? This deprives
the great majority of your students
from any participation in this sport
Nr,uY ,,ap,narp tniS with association