The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-11-05
WHY FOOTBALL, ANYWAY?

Moved by the dreadful tragedy that
was enacted on the gridiron at West
Point on Saturday. The Minneapolis
Journal makes some mental observa-
ton that should in part, at least, meet
with the approval of the public. The
Journal is quick to recognize that the
fatal accident "will, no doubt, raise
a storm of protest against football,
and answering protest against sup
pressing the game on account of an
accident. The latter protestants will
be right, as far as their argument
that accidents happen in all games is
concerned. General Bell says, and says
truly, that accidents and sometimes
fatal ones happen in teaching cadets
how to ride, swim, row and do other
things that the soldier must learn.
'But the answer to this will be that
these are things that must be learned.
1t is a question whether football fails
in the same category. 1t does not
teach the cadet anything that he will
actually use in his army life. It's main
purpose is to develop him physically,
to train his muscles and mind to alert
ness and to develop his nerve and cour-
age. If another and less dangerous
way can be found to do these things,
the reason for football diminishes.
''But it is doubtful whether there
can be found anywhere a pure eXer-
else that will take the place of a con-
test. Football produces conditions of
competition that cannot be reproduced
in mere exercise. 1t is a species of
war, with it's attacks and its defense,
its strategy and it's tactics, and, above
all, it's reward for courage and STAN
ina
If football can be accounted most
pure sport, then there is some hope for
the manly art of self defense gaining
prestige with the people, we think. An
other thing-and we are from Missouri
is football necessary to the growth
and influence of the American schools
and colleges? Does the game add to
the intellectual attachments of the
young men and women of those edu-
cational institutions where the game
seems to be made most prominent, and
where presidents and faculties appear to
lend an overdose of encouragement to
the exhibitions on the gridiron.
The Free Press contends that too
much attention is devoted to football
by our college heads and members of
the faculties; and a great deal of the stuff
that appears in our daily press rela
tive to the contests-before and after
is sickening to degree. This news
paper would suggest safe and sane
story of the game as well as refor-
nation of the game itself. Do not
let us make it appear that football
is at all essential to the welfare and
upbuilding of our schools and colleges.
Really, the minds of too many of our
young people seem to be going daft
over football.
Here is paragraph from The Jour
NAILS editorial that appeals to The
Free Press, and it ought to appeal to
those who have to do with the man
agement of the elevens: 'Another
cause of trouble on the football field
is the weakness of those in authority
in not taking men out of the game
when they are hurt. The player usual
ly makes strong plea to be allowed
to go on, and too often it is permitted.
If it is true that Cadet Byrne had
already been hurt in the Saturday
game, the authorities were lamentably
lacking in Judgment in permitting an
injured man to 60 on" We sometimes
think that there must be something
wrong with that mans thinking APP
paratus who will continue in the game
after he has suffered an injury.