The San Francisco call., 1908-11-29

under greater difficulties than Harvaru,
many OF the players early In the season
were kept out of the game on aceouns
of studies and injuries, wnile f1iaaoaau osa,,
practically played the entire season
with the same team
The Young Mems Christian assocla,,
tion relay race to San Jose was mover
contest, but was marred by a protest,
the justice of which l am not prepared
to discuss until l hear further parucu-
lars 1t seems to me that the I. N. y.
a. men always make the same nllslah5 "a ma
In arranging their athletic events, ana
that is that they are entirely too ctan-
nish. What Thursdays race lackeu
was competent officials. Strlchler ana
King both thought they could run OH
the race with inexperienced oWclals.
There are dozens of lovers OF gooo,
clean sport that would only nave beeh
too anxious to help out the two asSocl-
ations In officiating q their race, put
none of these gentlemen was called on,
and / think the race suffered on that
account. In the first place, no one
thought of gun for q starter SO
nearby policeman kindly loaned his re-
yolver, which Starter Mccoy aimed at
Justice, on top of the city hall dome
and fired. In several cases men We're
misplaced, and at Redwood City, the
race had to be delayed a half houf
While the autos hunted for the missing
San Francisco relay who had been
placed at the finish instead of start OF
his relay. OF course, this was tnelr
first attempt at such. aarge aHalr;
the difficulties, but the race mas enueu
in a dispute and considerable dissatis-
faction between the officials
If there had been a referee for tine
contest and there surely should have
been one, he could not have done any
thing other than award the race to San
Jose, for the fundamental principle or
a relay race is that the first team to
deliver the message in the hands of the
mayor OF San Jose or any other reci-
pient should be entitled To the glory of
winning the race and trophy. Unless
the officials had some prearranged
agreement. they had no right to stop
the race at Redwood City and delay the
San Jose man until the local man could
be found.
The Academic League football situa-
ton is still in abeyance. awaiting Prin-
Cipal MerrilPS decision, which l hear
will be announced tomorrow. The rules
of the league say that ties should be
played off | believe that 1t would be
have this rule apply only to preliminary
games, for the reason that team goes
through the season getting more or less
battered up. it plays the final game,
which is generally the hardest and if
this results in tie they are again
compelled to play the tie off, which
brings it will along to the end of
the year, making it too long a season
of training for high school boys. 1t
would be much better for all concerned
to let final ties stand, give each eleven
gold footballs and credit each school
with half point in the trophy contest.
one school TO hold the cup for the first
six months and the other for the last.
The matter of organizing a public
school athletic league in Alameda county
has been postponed until the return of
President Sidney s. Peixotto of the
Pacific athletic association, who has
been east attending the annual meeting
of the Amateur Athletic union. There
is no doubt but that the across the bay
schools will make as good a showing
II not better, than the local ones. for
the schools over on the other side have
better training facilities than those on
this side, as all the schools have large
yards.
Chairman Harry Edwards of the new
amateur baseball commission, appointed
by the Pacific athletic association, has
called a meeting of the commission for
next Tuesday night, when the matter
some definite conclusion reached Ed
wards is certainly the proper man for
this work. for he has had years of ex-
perience not alone as a player. but as
an athletic manager, and il there is any
chance for the restoration of clean
amateur baseball he will surely solve
the problem.
The board Of managers of the Aca-
demic Athletic league will meet at the
Oakland polytechnic school next Tues
udy HiSHl TO transact the regular Dusl-
ness and hear the result of yesterdays
meeting of the San Joaquin valley
schools that was held in Stockton.
President Cloud and number of prom
inent athletic officials attended the
conference.
There is one fault / have to find in
the Academic league board of managers
and tnat is that the different delegates
do not take as much active interest in
the meetings as they should. When
the matter of the league amendments
came up at the meeting last week there
were but very few that participated in
the discussion at all. Furthermore
some of the largest and most vitally
interested schools in the league either
We're not represented or sent proxies,
WHO nave no Vote 1t is these very
schools that are the first to kick when
anything goes wrong. and nine out of
delegate.