Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-22
HARVARD REPORT
IS PESSIMISTIC
Fans Do Not Favor New Style of
Gridir0n Game, and In
tereSt WeakenS


mistic. This must not be construed to
mean that Harvard is not supremely
confident Of ending a victorious sea-
son by the defeat of Yale. Indeed, the
Johnnies have had considerable secret
practice operations, presumably to de-
Velop trick plays for the confounding
of opponents in late games. 1t is this
new football that vexes Cambridge.
The members of the squad say moth
ing, but the undergraduate body is
outspoken in it's disapproval.
Following are parts of a discussion
heard in a Harvard undergraduate
club the other day.
Despite the distinct openness of the
new game, and Harvard has played it
consistently and well, the Crimson's
overwhelming victories over Bates and
,Bowdoin have proved most uninterest-
ing to vast majority of the specta-
tors, loyal Harvard supporters as they
are. The sight of hundreds leaving
the stadium after the second period in
a Harvard game was well nigh un-
heard Of, and yet the last two games
have seen this phenomenon.
OPEN PLAY A DELUsION
'It was doubtless expected by the
rule makers that the increased open
ness Of the game, enabling the spec
tator to see clearly every play, would
add increased interest to the game;
but apparently the attempt has proved
a boomerang. After all, football has
been popular in the past mainly be-
cause it has been a game of eleven
men cooperating into a fighting ma
chine, despite the obvious fact that the
Coys, the Fishes and the Eckersalls
have always been highly popular with
the onlookers. Individuals cannot al
ways star; and then the crowd watched
the team as a team. Perhaps there
was nothing more thrilling in the old
football as last years game must now
be designated, than the sight of five
men pulling a man through a hole
in the line with three tacklers clinging
to his legs.
"Then the man who could keep his
feet in such a position was Of i'm
mense value. In open field running,
likewise, long runs were made even
more startling by the work of an in
terferer, who with arm locked with
that of the man with the ball would
haul his fellow through a
string OF unsuccessful tacklers. All
this is gone, and the game has suf-
fered a decrease in interest as a result.
If the individual fails he is downed,
and all the team work in the world
can avail him nothing. Harvard has
ference for the runner, and long runs,
while not spectacular, are still fire.
quent and interesting.
RUNS NOT SPECTACULAR
"a long run can hardly be called
spectacular under the new rules, be-
cause of the adjustment of the flying
tackle. Possibly the prettiest thing
in all football was the low, long, ac-
curate leap, arms outstretched, fin
gers and hands ready to drag down the
flying figure ahead. The committee
maybe has rightly abolished the flying
tackle, but by so doing has materially
decreased interest in the game. In
the Bowdoin game the Harvard line
men blocked a try for a field goal,
and Leslie, the Crimson fullback, tore
through, picked up the ball on the
bound and ran on. A Bowdoin man
was ten yards behind him. A flying
tackle only could save a touchdown,
and Leslie by merely ordinary sprint
ing made a touchdown. 1t was per-
fectly evident to all that he could not
be stopped except by a flying tackle.
Maybe this Bowdoin man was over
jealous in his regard for the new rules,
as others would take the penalty.
There seems little doubt that the
four-period device employed to give
the players more rest has sorely
the game to drag. Just when
interest Is being heightened in the
progress of the game, when the team
is perhaps hitting its proper stride,
the whistle blows. Both spectators
and players become cold.
Harvard men are not averse to
expressing disapprovai of the new
rules, and some of the 1908 champion
ship team, notably Jack Cutler, the
quarterback, and Hoar, guard say it
Is a new game entirely. Cutler was
the Bates Harvard game,
when suddenly Corbett made fifteen
yards on the famous skin tackle play
with which Yer Wiebe routed the Yale
Iinemen in 1908. Now, that's footballn
Cutler sang out, and no one near him
disagreed. Head Coach Houghton,
who defied all precedent by appearing
on the field in q straw hat, seemed also
slightly puzzled by the new rules, and
On one occasion after the game had
dragged on interminablby he lost track
Of the period and had to be set right
'If the adherents of the winning side
ind the game dull and tiresome, what
,an be expected of the state of feeling
IF those who favor the losers? Foot
ball may be less dangerous, but it is
far less interesting"
DO NOT LESSEN INJURIES
So far no fatalities have attended the
playing of college football, but the new
rules, have failed to really minimize
The number of more or less serious ac-
cidents to players. Quite few have
been reported at Pennsylvania and
other camps, and Saturdays games
added to the list, Yale contributing
four of her players. John Field, half
back, had his right shoulder dislocat-
ed and will probably be out of the
game for the season; D. M. Bomeisler,
end, wrenched a knee and Capt Fred
Daily and Quarterback H. N. Merritt
we're cut and bruised.
Other casualties to players were re-
corded after Saturdays struggles on
the gridirons Arthur Wright of Oak
field, N. Y, end Of the Wesleyan team,
received serious If not fatal injuries
during game at Middletown, and
the more or less serious injury to five
other college players, 1t is reported.
His condition is reported critical.
In the Trinity-W Worcester Polytechnic
game at Hartford, Fullback Hudson
If the former team was taken to a
hospital with a broken ankle.
When the rule makers met to revise
he playing code the majority of them
1T least were not in favor of making
any radical changes. They claimed,
Ind now IT seems that they We're COR
rect in their belief, that the rules
veer not at fault for the large num-
Der of accidents of last season. Lack
If proper training and supervision of
players were blamed for the injuries, |
md that 1t was more a matter coinci-
lent than anything else that several
fatalities occurred in one year.
Pennsylvania went on record as not |
leing in favor of changing the rulQs, |