The Detroit times., 1911-11-30
PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS
BEST means OF KEEPING
. sFOOTBALL DEATHS DOWN
Reform In Football Has Helped
But Proper Tests For Play
ers Necessary.
THIRTEEN DIED THIS YEAR.
Universities Do Not Suffer;
High Schools and Athletic
Clubs Lost Many.
Rx RALPH h YoNKER.

BY RALPH l., YONkER.
There are some few thousand moth
4 ers OF college aud high school BOYS
IN this country Who are thankful that
this rs Thanksgiving day because IL
is the end of the football season
While il Is customary TO snow bE
6cuTes what q small proportion OF
football players are ever killed now
the number compares with that OF
those killed in train wrecks, and nov"
mild football is when compared with
what sherman thoUSht smellcQ OF
SULPHUR. nevertheless the zriulron
garhe still has stigma OF being the
most dangerous game indWacd iH by
high school and college students.
From the standpoint OF the mothers
OF the country. il Is hard to see what
good the game is But without aig1,
ing that point with a mother who
fears for her sons safety WMcn
arguing is as useless as IT. IS dglrHll.
il is enough 70 prove has thC Same
is one OF the greatest .pcrts OF me
country TO point TO It's immense popa-
larity.
Granted that the game is here 20
stas and 10 increase iD It's Influence,
and that il is the mos, dangerous col
lese sport, what further can be done.
10 minimize its danger
Two years ago when there were a
(. great many deaths as result Of the
game. there was Ca}i For the HUo.-
islfsng OF the mass PLAYS Ta.cn
seemed 10 cause SO many iatal.aes.
II has been this demand for saler
game that has made modern football
so much OF q passing and kickns
game.
The danger has been reduced with
ont q doubt. But as the danger ot
the game was reduced, So was us
value as a sport
There is "a notable Or and for q
return to the old style playing, and
81 Is the opinion Of many that re-
turn to the old-fashiohed me{hods ot
gaining ground by short bucks into
The line rather than the heand-mlss
forward pass and end run system.
would improve the game. Those oi
THE view point ont the danger OF
oren field tackles, and OF receiving
forward passes and punts With the
hody limp and man ready TO podnce
on the receiver as soon as he has the
ball. and claim that Jhe new stole IS
more dangerous than the Old.
In any case il will be weli 10 watch
carefully for an opportunity 10 ele-
yate the caste OF football by taking
such steps as are possible 10 decrease
the number of deaths and injuries.
In this connection the figures fur.
enished this year by Chicago paper
furnish the basis of an interesting
study
Thirteen lives were given 70 the
game from the end OF the season in
1910 10 date. or these. four died as
result of injuries received from the
season OF 1910, 20 that only nine
deaths can be marked up for this sea-
son thus tar
In 1910, there We're Il, and rhe year
before 90
OF the 13 who died this year only
two were college PLAYERS one died
as result OF an iniury 10 his spine,
and the other through a. deiiuum
which might have resulted entirely
from football and might not have
Thus there We're sly rimcs as many
killed as college men Furthermore
not university man lost his life
The reason for this is easy 10 sec.
Ir the larger institutions a thorough
medical examination is one of the
first requirements Of would.be PLAYERS
II the trainer SAYS that a man is not
fit candidate there Is nothing moro
doing. AS a result only PLAYERS Of
good physical stamina get on uni
lefsity squads
or course the university PLAYERS
suffer broken legs and gouCcd ewes
and bruises but thCga is never unit
versity man whose heart goes back or
him. or VINO Is allowed 10 play a min.
ute after he IS too weak to protect
himself
Right there is the example tina,
small colleges and high schools
should follow very. very closely. The
colleges do make some attempt 10 DO
so, and only fellows in E0od physical
shape are allowed to play q s a gen.
tral rule, but there is room for i'm
provement
In high schools there is wOaful
weakness in the supervision of play.
ers, due mostly 10 lack of good male.
rial for the team. Ia the smaller hi II
schools of the country Il i safe q
say there is litrlc attention paid "a
the candidates g9Esical condition eX
cept 10 sec thai their wind is right
and any boy who Is willing 90 don q
suit can get n chance at the tegms
The thing for the lovers OF football
who are actually e1zaged In ho sport
10 do, then, is 20 see that every boy
Who ATTEMPTS 20 play the game has
an exaplnation made by a compeJch'
physician 20 see tast be- is able tr
stand the gruellina that he is sure
10 get