The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-11-14
PROPER PROTECTION
IN FOOT BALL GAME
Remedy for Football Does Not
Lie in Abolition of Mass
Plays.
EAGER COACHES ARE
BLAMED FOR DEATHS
Carelessness Causes Injured
Players to Pass UnnOticed,
With Fatal Results.
rrihnne Special Sporting Service.

Tribune Special sporting ocrNl'c-
NEW YORK. Nov. 13.-The remedy |
for football docs not lie in the aboli- |
ton Of mass plays as they are now eX-
nor does suitable protection for
Young athletes neccssitate the aboli |
tion Of the game itself. There is moth
ing seriously the matter with the game
as it is played today, bnt there IS
some thing seriously the matter with the
chances eager coaches permit their
players TO take.
4 capable official, with medical
training and with authority to remove
from the game man who is physical
" and mentally unfit to play longer
should be on the field during every
contest 4 constant. close range oh.
servatiou of the men should be his
only duty, He should be the safety
valve for the ambitious and gritty
Young fellows who would rather fall
helpless in their tracks than give up
voluntarily.
The coaches who have the interests
Of the players at heart arc TOO far
away 10 Judge always Of their condi-
ton, and the Judges of the play are
too busy with their manifold duties to
see the signs OF collapse in a player.
as a medical man, with nothing else
TO do. would be able 10 see them.
Football Is Not Ping Pong.
Football is strenuous game, and
those who play IT arc likely 10 be hurt
from time TO time. But there are
many WAYS TO get hurt in every out
door sport. There is no necessity for
those who want TO see football abol-
ished TO harp on the danger question
Admitting that the game is not one
for men who cannot stand hard knocks.
we are still of the opinion that in a
game between two welltrained elcvens,
with every player capable of clear
thinking, there is no reason why any
body should be killed
There is no reason why a well-con-
ditioued, clear minded football player
should be fatally in jured in the most
fiercely contested game that is cleanly
played-aud the college game today is
clean, notwithstanding tho insinuatious
Of people who do not know what they
are talking about. a football player
who has competent instructors knows
how to fall when tackled, and how 70
go into a scrimmage both on offcnse
and defense. To suppose that every
scrimmage is rough and tumble fight
is ridiculous. There is plenty of
come together before the danger point
is reached, and in the majority of
cases the men know Just how TO receive
the shock
But the situation is entirely different
when man has a bcfuddled brain. and
II rs no credit TO the sport To say that
players often 90 through a gamo or a
part of ii in such a doubtful mental
condition after a hard knock on the
hnn n ,,h l. q l. Il
might have prevented-that later, when
their brain has cleared up again. they
can remember only small part OF
what transpired. While the contest was
on they had only an idea that thcy
were out on tho field to oppose with all
their strength in some way the men who
did not wear the same colored Jerseys
that they wore.
Injured Players.
A man in such condition or even
one not so bad cannot he expected
to take care of himself, especially on
defense He has lost the fine balance
ot mind and body that is a natural pro
lection against injury. Tho opposing
players do not size him up AS n medical
man would. They only see that the road
to touchdown leads through his posi-
tion, and they direct steady attack
on hlm.-the point Of least resistance
lnat s inc way they got Byrnc. Tho
right side of the Army line aud sue
cesstully withstood the Crimson attack
The Harvard general tested the line at
other points. and finally Byrnc s posi-
ton looked best for target. Already
weak, the Army mau could not stand
IT. That the Harvard players knew
Byrne was not capable Of taking care
of himself is not To be considered for
u, moment. They did know, however
that he was weakening. Once again. wc
say, the need of u medical man close
to struggling teams becomes apparent
There can be no reason why the ad
dltlou of such a man to the staff o1
officials should in any way interfere
with the work Of his associates A
feeling ought to be able to do great
work in such position. To those who
pay to see football games he certainly
would be welcome addition