New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-05
COMMENT ON SPORTS
College Football a Poorer Game,
but a Better Sport.
WHAT THE SEASON SHOWS
Suggestions Made to Garry on
the Good Work to It's
Completion.

Football is a poorer game, hut a better
erorr- This expression. paradoNical as it
may sound. is my opinion of football under
the revised code. which as been on trial
row for a full season. Football is a poorer
game, under the rules that now apply. be-
cause too much depends upon haphazard
chances; because clever, consistent work.
particularly IN the offence. does not get
ats fair reward: because its tactical beau
ties have been nlarred through the failure
An most cases TO carry out sequence of
tpisys Football is a better sport under
che rules that now apply. because the game
Is less eNhsusting, and consequently more
siiurine 10 those who would play for the
sove Of play: because under the fear OF
i~trinsent penalties it has been pursed of
much unnecessary roughness and unfair
,sctics: because il is safer. saner and more
attractive to players and onlookers.
! Considered as a whole. the new code has
lraade for good and the chief aim of the
rules committee. which worked SO long
snd hard 30 bring about safer and saner
game. has been accomplished. at least SO
liar can he judged. There have been
Nonle accidents; # could not be otherwise
IN such a strenuous sport, but on the
pnrds Of the season injuries have been
ssTlinimized. Some doubling Thomases will
mot be convinced and contend that the
sran,e is quite as rough OF old. explain
sing away the fewer accidents by saying
rhat it turned out TO be a lucky season.
FThe weight Of evidence, however, is
ptrongly against those who never miss
opportunity to shout reform with ghoulish
ielee, when reform means tearing down and
tslot building up Football has been on pro-
tl1ation and will continue to be, doubt,
for another year, but those who cried out
for its abolition year ago have been
issilenced for a time. satisfied that much has
c1een done 10 bring about a more healthy
..ondition-
! Whereas the members of the rules COM
b1littec worked with the single purpose
hast year 10 save the sport and whereas
b hey cid their work we'll, all things con-
eidered. tho fact remains that many di-
iverEent views had to he reconciled so
That some of them worked at cross pur-
poses. Under the circumstances, II is sur
S,rjsins that the game turned out so well
sas il did under set of rules that was so
radically changed. / do not believe in
Sronstant tinkering with the rules Of any
~port. but in this particular case an ex-
tCeption must be made, as in G sense a
s7ew game is teing built up. For that
reason I believe that there is much work
no be done this winter in smoothing off
F,he rough edges, and In making such
rhanses which, while not obvious in
THEORY. have been shown in practice to
$iemand attention. The game can be i'm
proved. in my opinion. without in the
least increasing the chances for injury
iand without taking one backward step
that viii bring about a return of close
formation plays. which. rightly or not,
have been held responsible for many in
1uries in the past
II has been my pleasure to see all the
important games this season. and l can
say without reservation that the forward
pass over the line of scrmnage is loose,
haphazard and unsound play. for the rea-
son that it SO often ects as boomerang
and opens the way for much ground 10
le lost by its use as can be gained
More important still. perhaps. is the
rrzins need for some modification of the
rules which will provide a reasonable re
ward for good work accomplished by more
nearly equalizing the attack with the de-
fence. With The prohibition against push
sns and pulling the man with the ball the
defence. at least inside the 25-yard line, be-
comes entirely 100 strong to be broken
down by the usual safe methods of attack.
Not but dozen 1Oulpdll COdCIltS nave
said 10 me within the last two or three
weeks that under the new rules one team
must be fully 20 or 80 per cent stronger than
another 10 score by straight rushing, and
this statement has been borne out TO
large extent in the majority of games
plsyed. Under the circumstances, II seems
30 me that something must he done be-
fore another season rolls around 10 bring
about a more equitable adjustment 10 more
clearly show the relative merits of the two
teams The Harvard-W West Point game may
. he recalled as a striking illustration of the
ability Of a much weaker team TO hold "A
stronger adversary at bay Harvard gained
80 yards by rushing 10 only 4 for the
: Army and Yet the score was TO q. not
q fair measure Of the relative ability Of the
1.-TWO teams An eleven that could gain
fairly consistently against a weaker foe
from the centre Of the field to, say. the
J i5-vard line found Ii next TO impossible TO
20 any further, for the reason that as the
opposing goal line was approached the de-
fence of the defending team became more
concentrated and consequently more effec-
rive This meant that all payment for
: something accomplished by keen strategy
and effective work in carrying IT out was
left 70 a hazard-a more or less wild and