The Pleasantville press., 1912-11-06

f&f3Xf k4HCI lCn . dAAQoA 4
bill for football
suits, etc., would run far above the
million dollar mark"
Let us go over the Quitting piece
meal of three grades of players-the
one who is buying as economically az
he can, the one who spending moder-
ately, and the one who is buying the
best. Exclude altogether from calcu-
lation those finicky players whose
numbers are by no means small who
have suits, shoes, and guards made
to order. have known players whose
trousers have cost them $15, shoee
$40, and so on.
The first item in football players
outfit is his trousers. A pair Of these
made of white drill and padded can
be bought for IS cents. But it will be
an exceptional player who will buy
them. The usual kind are those that
cost $3.50. If made of moleskin the
price is increased to 81 and s..
The vest is not SO much used as for
merly, particularly by college teams.
This is not big item, however, run
ming from the cheapest, at 40 cents, up
to a specially reinforced one that
costs $1.50.
The jerseys, which are necessary to
all football players, range in price
from $1.50 to So. The sweater,
though seldom worn on the gridiron,
\ but drawn on the moment the over
heated player leaves the field, is re-
garded as being as necessary as the
jersey. Sweaters vary in price from
$3.50 to $4 and Sc.
While some players use ordinary
stout shoes, the great majority get spe-
cial football shoes, which range in
cost from 81 to $3.50. Stockings cost
from go cents to $1.75 per pair.
These items complete the actual
football suit, but there are number
of guards that are considered almost
an integral part of the outfit. There
is scarcely gridiron player that does
not protect his shoulders and elbows
with these heavy leather covered pads
of felt. A pair of shoulder guards
costs so cents, 81, or $3.50; a pair OF
elbow pads so cents or 81.
Head guards and shin guards also
are. worn by many players to pro
tect those exposed anatomical sec
tions. Head guards vary from $1-50
to SO and $5; shin guards from 40
cents to $150 and 50.
Then there are ankle braces which
cost so cents pair and nose masks
$3.50 each. Add these items up and
you will be surprised what a football
outfit COSTS Figuring on the lowest
priced basis and allowing nothing for
shoes, nose masks, or ankle braces,
you get total Of $8.75. But the play
ers who do not have special shoes and
whose trousers have not cost more
than IS cents or their sweaters more
than $3.50 form small, almost neg
ligibIe number.
The player who purchases the me
dunn priced articles and who provides
himself with all those enumerated.
with the exception of the nose mask,
will find that it subtracts $21.75 from
his pocketbook; while the man who
buys the highest priced articles that
are regularly catalogued will pay
$37.25.
A conservative estimate of the aver.
age price paid throughout the United
States by high school and private
academy boys and by college men
would be about SIS.
Football has been taken up by the
navy with great enthusiasm. and there
is great rivalry among the crews OF
the various ships as to which one can
turn out the best team.
The army sometime ago unofacially
followed the lead of the navy. At tho
various army posts throughout the
country there are about 1000 play
ers.
The totals may be summarized a
follows:
College players ........H 11
High school and academy players 40 00l
Town and athletic club players...... 500
Army and navy players .............. l7O
Total players .......................62.2 81. ~
Now. II the average cost Of each
football outfit is SIS. it makes tota
cost of $936,30O.
Allowing the usual male preponder
ance shown by the census. we have
y about 100000 primary and grammaI
school boys. Remembering the dis
trict schools Of the backwoods, wher'
none of the pupils play football, and
the private school, where majority
Of the scholars play the game, we maj
say that there are among these young
sters about 185,000. or per cent. ou
OF the 9,000,0 900.
There are sporting goods firms wht
make business OF catering to the XII
trade. A number OF these firms ad
!vertise prices Of these 10000 suits
the total bill which the United Statel
pays for its football is brought up t
the tidy sum Of $l.2s6,30O.
,(Copyright. 1912, by Universal Press Syn
dicate.)