The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-18
HOW THE bR|TONS
VIEW OUR PASTIMES
Tight Little Islanders Think We
Are Rude, Very Rude,
at Play.

"Let me see,' said Yankee friend
to Briton, "you open your cricket
matches and all your other games with
prayer, don It youa'
mot exactly,' was the reply, "nor
do we end them all with a batch of
cases for the hospital.'
This about accurately represents the
light in which each regards the other
under this particular head. The .stoid
Britisher, while impressed with many
things on his arrival in the domain Of
Brother Jonathan, remains ever some
what of skeptic on the question Of the
"strenuous ife' led there. He refuses
to believe that half the "hustling' is
anything more than "bluf. - When
told to compare the pressure Of traffic,
gay at dead Man Corner" (King
William street,, London, and at Brook
Ign bridge, during the 'rush hours, W
and for ever after "hide his diminished
head,n he replies with, exasperating
imperturbability: "This is not legiti-
mate traffic-it's mere congestion;
spread yourselves out more.''
But when he sees the American sat
play''-ah, then, he unreservedly con-
cedes that person to be the most strenu-
Gus living thing above the ground. No
"bluff" now! In the language OF the
country, it is case Of ''delivering the
goods from the word go'-smiling
Friends of a moment before become, to
the "greenhorn g" eyes, at any rate,
transformed into very demons OF furi-
GUS energy as they thrust and parry,
punch and guard, kick and trip, Crap
pie and 60 down.
The most popular games with our
American cousins are baseball and root
:. ball, and what English visitor who has
been present at one or the other Will
ever forget the experienced 1t would
be safe to say that there is only one
other form of "sport" that could 50
try his nerves, and that, the national
pastimes of the "dons;' there is blood
split in the bullrings Of Spain; there is
blood split also on the American foot
ball "campus ''-only in the first in
stance, it is bull s blood.
The American variety OF football II
"Rugby' gone mad; the contestants
enter the field padded and armored cap
a-pie, presenting spectacle calculated
one would think to disenchant the fall
"rooters'' (applauders) in the CRANE
stand. But no, the girls are quite tn
most enthusiastic supporters OF tn
game, and seem totally Indifferent tt
the unlovely get-up Of the players. Ono
in plav the ball is rarely seen again
it is lost among the squirming, kicking
bowling ogres. To the uninltlated tn
only variant provided is the carrying
out of one or more Of the players wit
Injuries that as often as not count tn
victims out Of football forever. 1t !
reserved for very few among the IN
iured in American football to come on
of a tight place SO happily as did youn
Roosevelt on a recent occasion; whe
he entered the game he had crooke
nose when he came out someone ha
Strengthened it for him!
Ayoirdupois and "devil' do nc
eonnt for 50 much in baseball; neverth'
less. the position of umpire is said t
be one of the shortest roads from tn
Gland of the free' to the "lit
bevond.'' Certainly, from the r
marks he must overhear Us II
tended to overhear), he is NJ
likely to get "stuck on himself.
Every mans hand on the ground, spe
tator and player alike, is against har
generally, Of course, in metaphor1c'
sense only. Almost necessarily bloc
,eurdling yells from one section or oth
Of the ground, are evoked by his dec
siors.
-"Umpire, you re rotten.' 'soh, "
thug 'sGee whiz, do you hear tt
dogs decision9' eco home, you gu
and throw stones at yourself. "Ho
me back, or I'll kill the skunk.'
These are the mild terms Of endea
:ment with which he is encouraged
perform his difficult duties, Missed frc
the grand stand with as much vene
as from the "bleachers' (cheap sea
in the open). It is quite comm
thing to hear some "fan" (presu
ably contraction for fanatic hes
ing loud-mouthed contumely on t
> 1uckless umpire, while, in asides to sol
- friend, he admits the justice of the
fcial's decision. Tell your Amerfc
friend that this is "unsportsmanlike
and he simply does not comprehe
your meaning.
Americans at baseball game SCI
30 be there for one object only-to {
y their own side win. They have GO
use'' for anything short of victory.
were idle to remind them that their +
lows stput up splendid game, but vi
-talassed.' The spectators appear
different to the form - Of the visit
team; they are not really so, howev
- but their chief concern is the ''forn
of their own men. If not too excited
chagrined by the display of the no
team, they will give generous recog
tion to good play by the visitors; he1
the strange result-teams playing /
ter when away from home. The ner
tension is too racking on the no
ground, thanks to the presence of
1nereiless critics known as their g s
porters.'
No form Of sport in the great w