The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-28
fsneolal 10 rhe TLmes.pispatch.l


ITHACA. n Y. Janury 27,-Despite
tho fact that Harvard, Columbia and
possibly Yale will take no part in foot
hall next year, Cornell is as enthusl-
astic as ever Captain Costello believes
Cornell will be able to produce cham
pionship team. with the three above
mentioned colleges out OF the race. In
an interview this week. Captain Cos
teilo said Il believe the interest in
foot ball is as great as ever. l think
some reforms in play should be made,
but do not think the game should be
thrown out altogether by any college.
In the first place a good deal lies with
the officials. They do not always en-
force a strictly clean game. They are
prone to shut one eye, as 1t were. 1t
often happens. though. that the umpires
cannot see all the underhand work
in fact. slugging and that sort of
thing is most carefully concealed by
the offenders. For this reason the lines
man should have almost equal power
with the umpire or. better yet, there
should be more than one umpire.
"speaking of slugGiug, the whole
team ought TO he penaliZed when one
of its members offends In this respect.
When sIugger is taken out OF the
game. under present conditions, instead
of being disgraced, ne often walks off
the field hero. Thus taken from the
game. as sort of a martyr to the cause.
he gains the sympathy Of the crowd and
sometimes Of his men. Teams have
gone so far as to instruct certain
man TO slug But let the whole eleven
be heavily penaiized, and you can bet
that the sentiments OF the team and of
the partisans in the grand stand would
turn pretty strongly against the Of
fender
what do you think of the ten yard
gain instead of the five?" Costello was
asked,
answer. but If such rule was adopted
the defense would have TO be modified
to meet it. A ten yard gain under pres
emit conditions OF tackling and defense
would be a hard proposition. Games
between fairly matched teams would
probably be indecisive and unlnterest
ing, the ball being forfeited on downs
too often. d. II
Nor would The. tc',-yard rule in itself
make the game an entirely open one.
Flying mass plays. well executed, Will
point of safety, however, the entirely
open game would not be so desirable,
In spite of the popular belief to the
contrary.
Mass plays look more terrible and
dangerous, but In reality they are not.
Take man of no pounds going down
the field at tremendous speed possibly
only In open play, and when that man
is stopped suddenly, sometimes unex-
pectedly, by another player coming the
other way at full speed, the impact of
those bodies Is liable to make trouble.
Should the runner be half stopped or
tackled wide, he may strike the ground
hard enough to break bones Look at
Penn; she played an open game last
year, yet her injuries We're numerous
and serious"
Would it be possible to make the
tackling higher, as some one suggested ?'
THAT would be unwise.' said Cos,
FOR a man is bound to slip down when
he tackles high, and the enforcement
of this rule would bring about many
endless discussions. In adopting any.
new rules we fall into one great danger,
that of making the game too intricate.
The rules are complex enough now; hut
II they make any more restrictions and
bylaws it viii take college education