The San Francisco call., 1908-10-25
Intercollegiate Football
Almost a Farce
Schools i'm the Academic Afh-
Iefic League Are Advised to
Adopt Rugby Game
By Herbert Hauser

II
of the Academic athletic league this
the exception of one or two schools it
has been almost impossible for the
coaches to get enough men to turn out
to make an eleven, and the elevens
that have turned out have PLAYED a |
very poor article of football, so inferior /
that if any of these teams could rub /
UP against their school team of four or
five years ago 1t would be a shame to |
count the points that would be scored !
against them. l have seen many games !
this season and have been disappointed !
in every one of them. From all reports 1
it certainly looks like it on paper. with T
three backs weighing close to 200 i
pounds. l doubt very much if intercol-
legiate football will be played by the |
Academic league schools next season.
Rugby football has come to stay in |
both Stanford and California. l have |
investigated the feeling in both col
leges and the authorities assure me
that there is ne prospect for any |
change, and such being the case it is
foolishness for the preparatory schools
to do anything but turn to Rugby.
Palo Alto, San Jose and Santa Clara
are playing Rugby, and as most of their +,
graduates go to Stanford each year
that college will have an advantage
next year with its freshman team. The
coaches and managers of both colleges ,
believe that they have to spend too
much time educating their freshmen in
the rudiments of the game and there
fore they intend to take action in the
matter in the near future. 1t will be
easier for the school teams to get good
Rugby coaches than Intercollegiate, as
there are many men who have played
in England and the colonies that are
willing to devote their spare time
coaching the boys without charging
anything for their services.
At Wednesday nights meeting of the
Pacific athletic association it was de-
cided to appoint a committee of five TO
take up the matter of having a phys
ical director appointed in the public
schools to look after the training of all
students. This a move IN the right
direction 1t is movement that is
making rapid progress over the coun-
try, and the committee that President
Peixotto has appointed is one that will
command attention. j. q Mcdowell, |
assistant registrar of Stanford uni
of the committee, and will prove an ef-
ficient leader. He will be assisted by
Prof. Edmund O'Neil of the University
of California; Prof. A. A. Macurda, the
Academic league delegate and formerly
prominent in local educational circles;
Charles Fickert, an attorney, and well
known as a famous Stanford univer-
sity football player, and Herbert
Hauser, secretary of the association. !
The committee will meet at an early
date and plan campaign of education.
In the southern part of the state |
physical culture is, being taught in
nearly all the schools, Los Angeles
high and polytechnic schools being the |
leaders. 1t is part of their course.
Every student must take part in some
branch of athletics. As a freshman he
is given indoor work, and after the
first year of this work in the remain
ing years the particular branch de-
sired by the student is elective. It
can be basket ball, tennis, football,
baseball or track. We should follow
along the same lines.
Some time ago 1 criticised Berkeley
high school for its withdrawal from
the Academic athletic league, and
have in no way changed my view of
the matter. Berkeley is certainly on
the down grade in athletics, notwith-
standing the fact that its football team
is strong one one that probably can
defeat most, in fact nearly all, of the
Academic league teams, yet the game
of football that the college town boys
are playing is not up 70 the clean
quality displayed by the same team
last year. l had the pleasure of see
ing all the Lick-Berkeley games last
season and enjoyed them, as they were
cleanly fought and played, but teams
that have played against them this
year have different story to tell.
They all agree that the Berkeley team
is a fast, snappy team, but a number
of the members play a game that is
questionable and not according to
clean amateur rules, Captain Inceu be-
ing named as the chief offender. / do
not hear this from any one source, but
from many, and the sources are all re-
liable and came to me unsolicited. The
game with Belmont a week ago yes
terday gave both Belmont players and
faculty poor impression of the
Berkeley players. In fact Billy Reid
has stated that on that account he
would not allow his team to play a
return game. Brace up, Berkeley, and
remember your past record was al
ways a clean one Rejoin the Academic
league send it a good delegate and
let him fight for his rights at the
meetings if you have any cause to
complain.
The rowing carnival that was to take
place at Naples this. month has been
postponed until Thanksgiving day. The
Los Angeles athletic club has several
crews in active training. This section
will be represented by crews from the
Dolphin and Alameda boat clubs and
possibly the Ariels.
The eastern football situation has not
improved much in the past week and
from all can learn at the present time
it looks as if Harvard would prove sur
prisingly strong, contrary to the early
predictions. Yale is diSheartened from
the numerous injuries to prominent
players. Burch was so disgusted at be-
ing injured so many times that he sent
in his resignation as captain, but the
team refused to accept it. Princeton
also is playing in hard luck. Pennsyl-
vania had an easier time with Brown
than it expected. In the middle west
Chicago seems to have the strongest
team, while Michigan, which held the
supremacy for so many years, is very
much on the down grade.
Frank Hamilton. the Chicago athletic
club sprinter who has twice won the
national championship for the 100 yard
dash has been branded a professional
by the central association of the ANA
teur athletic union for running for
money under an assumed name at Sioux
City, Ia.
The annual meeting of the Amateur
athletic union will be held at the Astor
house in New York November 16 The
Pacific association will be represented
by President Sidney S. Peixotto. who
will leave November s. President
James f. Sullivan undoubtedly will be
elected to a second term as president.
The officials of the Pacific association
are pleased with the showing their or
ganization will make, as it ranks next
to the Metropolitan association in mem
bership and number of amateur ath-
letes registered
At the recent Canadian amateur ath-