The San Francisco call., 1906-08-26
ootbal In Its Variety
on Coast C,ridirons
Matches Arranged
Include Four
Styles.
BY "Pete" +" Smith.

The football season is upon us again.
and what a strange condition we fnd
things in as regards football on the
Pacific Coast. There will be football
Tor all classes and nationalitfes. The
most fastidious should be satisfied this
season Since the action taken bv the
Academic Athletic League on the foot
ball question last Friday night at their
regular annual meeting it will leave us
with four distinct styles of football. all
going at once.
The University of California and
Stanford will have their game Of Eng
liSh Rugby. as forced upon them by the
faculty Ever since the men of the
two universities were told by their
presidents and professors at the close
OF last season that they could have
their choice Of playing Rugby or no
football the students and ath-
letes OF the various high schools have.
Ieen in a ouandary as to how they
stood on the football proposition. They
have done considerable speculating as
70 whether or not their principals and
professors would take the same stand
as the universities and not give the
students a chance to express their
opinions on the matter.
Be il said to the credit of the high
school officials that they allowed the
sthletes and students not only voice
IN the matter. but practically allowed
them TO settle the question themselves
Several of the high school professors
v no represent their respective schools
IN the Academic League were of the
opinion personally that Rugby would
be a better game for the high schools
TO play; but. as the voting of fourteen
for intercollegiate against two for Rug
by shows. the professors did not vote
personally on the matter but as repre-
sentatives Of the scholars and as the
scholars wished to have them vote.
This will give the lovers Of the old
intercollegiate football game an op-
l'ortunity to witness that style OF d
game.
Then we have the association football
for those who like it and the Gaelic
football for the lads from Ireland.
The high schools of san Francisco are
placed in a peculiar position. Most of
them are able and anxious to put a team
in the field this year. but the question
Of grounds viii hold them back for
some time They can no doubt find a
lot large enough TO practice in, but they
have no grounds, at least on this side
OF the bay, on which to play off their
preliminary and semi final games. How
ever. this problem viii probably be
solved long before the series Of games
begin
It does not look at present as IL the
san Francisco schools will have many
teams entered in the league contests
this year. The only schools certain of
putting teams in the field are Califor-
MIA School OF Mechanical Arts and VIII
naerding School Of Mechanical Arts
Polytechnic High School may possibly
be represented. but the chances are that
Mission and Lowell viii not have a
team. It is a certainty that Cogswel
will not play. In all probability Hitch
cooks Military Academy Of San Rafael
will take part n the league contests
this season for the first time. Hereto
fore its team has not been large enough
TO try conclusions with the heavy and
we'll trained teams from San Francisco
and the Oakland side Of the bay This
wear. however. they expect to have a
heavier team than has ever represented
the school, and they figure that they
stand a good chance against any of
their opponents.
old football field has presented about
the same appearance recently as IL did
sr wears past at the opening of the sea-
son. There has not been quite the en-
.thusiasra among the spectators or the
number Of players on the field that has
marked the beginning OF the 1ootpall
season at Berkeley.
At the old game the ball was always
started rolling with at least 100 appli-
cants for positions on the various
teams and a great crowd OF spectators
to. give the college yells and. jolly the
boys along
This year they have as yet TO get
ont seventy-five players and the spec
fators are not plentiful.
However, they may warm up to the
new game later on. Nearly all the old
players Of last years squad who are
At. college are out on the field, but
fbey do not enter into the game with
the same spirit as they did in the in
'tercollegiate game. They seem to be
. IN under protest and because they have
TO do something In athletics at this
time Of the year. AS Rugby is the
only thing doing, they tolerate it. They
nav get this feeling out Of their sys-
TENS as the new game grows on them,
md for the sake OF the college we
hone il does develop.
= At present If somebody started an
intercollegiate game in one corner of
the practice field, am afraid the
Rueby representatives would be few
in number The players at present are
wearing the suits Of last year and
will continue TO do so for while,