Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-06
NOT FIT FOR COLLEGES
PRESIDENT ELIOT OF HARVARD
DEMURs TO FOOT BALL.
Some Important Recommendations In
His Annual Report - Calls Game
Fierce and Undesirable.

BOSTON, March 6.-President c. F. Eliot
of Harvard University in his annual report
which will be presented to the board OF
overseers this week, maintains that foot
ball, despite new rules, remains an unde-
sirable game for gentlemen to play or null
titudes of people to witness. President Eliot
declared that foot ball is properly de-
scribed by the adjective fierce" and that
no game in which there is recklessness in
causing or receiving bodily injury Is fit for
college use. Basket ball and hockey are
placed in the same class with foot ball, and
President Eliot advises that intercollegiate
contests in any one sport be limited to two
games, all other games to be between teams
made up at Harvard He also decres the
excess of cheering which characterize
solutely unnatural
The report says: 1.-THE game Of foot ball
was somewhat improved by the new rules
extorted last year from it's creators and
managers by the pressure Of public opin-
ion. Under the new rules the game is 1--we
lier, and therefore more interesting to
watch. 1t gives opportunities to several
: kinds of natural athlete; and 1t affords few
er opportunities for foul play and brutal
ity, whether deliberate and planned or
sudden and accidental, than the game I'M
der the former rules afforded.
Public opinion also has compelled the
employment Of better kind of official, al
though in respect to the number Of officials
the new rules were violated at most of the
principal games by consent of the coaches
and captains. The injuries indicated on
the Harvard players were Of the same char
acter as were suffered under the former
rules, but they were much fewer in num-
Der. The spirit of the game, however, re-
mains the same.
Properly Described Fierce.
ct is properly described by the adjective
1ierce'-a term which is commonly applied
to the game by its advocates. 1t therefore
remains an undesirable game for gentlemen
to play or for multitudes of spectators to
watch.
mo game is fit for college uses in which
men are SO knocked and crushed into in
sensibility or immobility that it is a cues.
ton whether by the application of water
and stimulants they can be brought to and
enabled to go on playing. No game is fit
for college uses in which recklessness in
causing OF suffering serious bodily injuries
promotes efficiency and SO Is taught and
held up for admiration.
Extreme recklessness remains a grave
objection to the game OF foot ball, and it
also makes basket ball and hockey as de-
veloped in recent years undesirable games"
President Eliot says:
'"rhe gross exaggeration of all competi-
tive sports is now working incalculable
harm to schools, colleges and universities.
The first steps should be to limit closely
the number OF intercollegiate contests In
each sport. Two such contests in each
sport would be ample to maintain SUM-
Client interest In all the sports.
Test Value OF Any Sport.
1.-THE preparation for these two contests
should be procured solely through domestic
competitions, the number and variety Of
these home competitions being much in
creased. From the educational point of
View the value OF any sport IL to be tested
chiefly by the number Of persons who habit
ualiy take active part In 1t for pleasure
during the education period and enjoy Y
in after life Tried by this test foot ball
Is the least valuable OF all college sports
Presidert Eliot refers to the great waste
OF money in connection with intercollegiate
games, and says:
1.-THE fact that 1t Is not the uniyersitys