The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-10-04
. SPICY SPORTING CHATS. :
BY ToN1MY CLARK.

By TOMMY CLARK.
This years variety Of football rules
has been accused Of being everything
from a return to the old eat 'em alive
mass play rules to being a slight modi-
fication, which will have little effect
on the style Of play. Actually sur
vey Of the new football laws leads to
the belief that the game that will de-
velop under them will be a close cousin
to that played In 1909-an invitation
to the tackles to stand up and be
killed
Last years rules favored the defense
to such an extent that scoring was
almost impossible and fuky in the ex-
treme, 1t appears that in their effort
to strengthen the offense the rule max
ers have gone to the other boundary
and that scoring this year is likely to
be enormous and that any defense de-
veloped will be helpless against
heavy, fairly fast back field, working
to gain ten yards in four downs.
The mass play died when pulling
and pushing man through the line
was abolished. But the tackle now
will have to stand the shock Of his
opposing forward and then of heavy
man bent on making two or three
yards. He will not in all probability
get much help from the secondary de-
fense To weaken the defensive back
line unduly will be simply an invita-
ton to the offense to work the now
unrestricted forward pass 10 Its hearts
content.
Jack johnson is going back. Any one
who remembers Jack IN the day when
he was glad to fight for $50 and some
times less recalls that they had to set
day watch on the lunch counter In the
booze emporiums In many cities when
Jack was in the vicinity. he could
clean up IN ten minutes the entire lay
out intended for the day. Now, in the
hour Of his ease and wealth, list to this
paltry lunch that he struggles to dis
pose Of daily:
Three spring chickens, cooked in diff
ferent styles; a salad two or three ears
of corn, fried sweet potato fritters, a
big dish of French peas, an entire loaf
of hot bread, ice cream and cake.
Evidently Jacks stomach Is going
back on him.
Mike Murphy says that Billy Kramer,
the American cross country champion,
will never run again, and as Murphy
never misses the mark when 1t comes
to telling the extent Of an injury II
seems that Kramer's days as an athlete
are over. 1t now appears that the ten
don Of Achilles of his left leg Is Sc
verely injured
According TO the veteran trainer
Kramer received his injury by running
on the deck Of the Finland without the
proper massage after his exercise, The
training facilities were such that some
of the athletes had to go without the
necessary amount of attention, and
Kramer was one Of those who unfor-
tunately had to suffer as a result of this
lack Of accommodation.
Murphy cites the fact that all the
races In which Kramer tried to enter
at the Olympics he proved that he
could not do himself justice, for after
stiffened upon him to such an extent
that he could hardly move a muscle
after he had used his leg for n little
time.
Garry Fitzgerald, Kramer's trainer,
says that he thinks rest and care may
bring II around all right, but Murphy
shook his head sadly and said: ave
felt 'em that way before, and ] never
saw one yet that came around fit to
work on. No, sir, his racing days are
over. Now see If amt right"
Baseball players are frequently crit
icised for taking long chances on the
bases, when, in fact, the percentage is
in their favor Let a player try to
take an extra base on a play, and If he
Is nailed he Is blamed for having been
too daring and yet It took a perfect
throw and perfect handling Of the ball
to make the play possible.
A ball team which does not take lib
critics on the bases hasn't a chance to
be winner II every man who reaches
the sacks would wait until he was bat
ted around the circuit very few runs
would be scored, and the game would
deteriorate into an uninteresting exhi-
bition OF which the public would soon
tire. Furthermore, there are more ball
games won because Of daring base run
ming than are lost by 1t, for the very
good reason that any time a ball has
to be thrown, caught and the runner
touched the percentage u IN favor Of