The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-12-31
ADDITIONAL SPORT
Take Matters Differently.

like Of which has not been seen on
the field that season
Take Matters Differently.
Even scrubs take their trIumphs and
their disappointments differently.
There are not few who are proud to
have been on the second team in the
year that the first eleven swept all
before it. They have no varsity letter,
but the discriminating know that they
were better players than some Of the
varsity men of other years. There are
other scrubs who bemoan the fact that
they were not i'm college when the
general average of the players was
low and they would have been almost
certain to make the first team.
Be it said, however, for the honor
of the second team that instances Of
the latter type are rare. A scrub
player learns the lesson of self-sacri-
flee. 1t is his but to be walked over
daily by the varsity, while most of the
instruction and encouragement are
lavished on said varsity
AS a rule, however, there comes at
least one week in the season when the
scrubs are pampered and petted and
made much Of. The varsity is in the
throes Of a slump" is tagging, dis
pirited and sullen. 1t is then that
the scrub team suddenly finds that 1t
is being taught to play the game Just
as if it were to take the field as the
first choice against the foe. There
is a coach for almost every man, there
are words of encourag cement, much
valuable instruction, and a new esprit
de corps.
Often Beat the Varsity.
Under the new inspiration the sec
ond team sweeps the tagging varsity
off it's feet, humiliates the first STRING
Of players to the uttermost, while the
coaches cheer the scrub and jeer the
varsity. At least once a season it is
very good to be a scrub, for at least
once a season the scrub defeats and
humiliates the team that has proven
perhaps a terror to all it's outside ri
walls. Nothing has such salutary eff
feet on the varsity as the eating Of
humble pie once in a while.
In late years the scrub is getting
more consideration than in the old
days Yet the men play principally fol
the love of the game and in order to
make the going as hard as possible for
the varsity Sheer loyalty and the
thrill of battle keep them at it year
after year They learn football from
the ground up. They see the big
games from the sidelines and, know
ing the signals, have a peculiar advan-
tage over any other spectator. With q
knowledge of the signals one may
criticise the handling of the big team
in the big game-nay more readily
understand the strategy of coach and
quarterback.
Make Good Players.
1t is this opportunity to analyze the
big games, coupled with the chance tc
ger practically as good coaching as the
varsity, that makes excellent coaches
out of many scrub players. Some OF
these scrubs have gone back to college
and turned out freshmen teams that
have been able TO fight the varsity tc
a standstill, and so have astonished the
very coaches who taught them. There
have been instances of this at nearly
every big institution in the east. Some
times the services of these former
scrubs have been eagerly sought by the
veteran varsity coaches, and many a
man without a field reputation has
proved to be no mean tsrategist.
1t is really these former scrub mer
who keep up the high average of in
terest in the game. They are turned
out yearly at the rate of five or more
to every varsity player. The varsity
man may lose interest in the game in
after ears, but the scrub practically
never.
The scrubs, in word, all unhonore6
and unsung as they are, are the back
bone of the game in the colleges and
out of them. They play the game and
they watch it for the games sake.