The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-12-26
SHOULD CHANGE
HAMMER THROW
William F Quinn of Harvard
Declares Present Rules Will
Kill Event.
6. a. Noight

ward field event squad
WHAT is TO is done with the ,,m-
m*i throw: This question has !,.e,l
recurring Frequently during ,h. lns.
lev years. and now demands in. rcd.
attention.
The basis uf The whole difficulty is
that the even: has out.ruyn ~. sur
foNndings. Many wears aan when they
used Il rigid wooden handle wish :,
sixteen pound ball atl lr:lrl II s,rn,,:.
man weighing 100 pounds roul,, mo-,
throw it more taam 100 feet, fu.. nc
did noi know how To rse more ihpn
one tilrn.
AS the sport, came 20 be studied
and developed scientifically ;hc nam
mer throW"r acquired NOR, and NOR.
skill. \ flexible wire handle wa= sub.
stitutcd for the c1umsy wooden ure
ana nov in our in'"rrnllegiair meet
ings We lind IA number "f men throw
ing over $50 fec, and sunnr of thcm
approaching IL" feet.
ttcIds Too Small for Event.
Inc result has henn that the event
cannot he conducted safely on the
ordinary athletic field encirrled 10y. a
quarter mile track. At Pc~nnsylvauia
this is still done. but a, tho other co.,
leE"s it has hcen found nereSsarv to
ISOLATE the event. remove it 10 som.
back lot or other ~"nnvcnientt,. 3dia-
cent territory.
AS conditions exist now. it really ia
not a part Of the athletic program
So tar as tn" spectator is concerned.
and 7 believe this isola ton d"trarts
somewhat from the interest i'm thu.
event from the point of view of the.
competitor. Jt is too Interesting an
event for the spectator and too Nall,-
alic an event for the athlete to lie
lost entirely.
roro.& A.. -.
shot and hammer. scarcely afford xut.
ticient opportunity for tho heavy ma!.
to exploit himself.
Probably many who attend trarN
athletic contests regularly never have
seen a hammer throw competition.
Wha, then is to DO done in bring tn.
hammer throw back into it's own an!
give it ,iusticeo
solution IF the Problem.
To mo the simplest and most efter-
tive solution of the problem is as fol
lows: Increase the weight of tn" bal!
to twenty-one pounds and shorten til.
handle to three feet. Let all the oth"r
conditions and rules remain prcciseiN
the same as they are today. Thus
no college man could learn enough.
about hammer throwing in four years
y college hammer thrower never is
seen at his hest because the sport is
SO difficult technically that he canno;
master all its details in -four years ,e
he does ANYTHING else. Under the
above condition the event would hc
conducted ON college fields with per-
feet safety to spectators. officials. and
other competitors.
The fundamental principle OF the
hammer throw would remain absolu~
tely unchanged. it would require an
develop the salnc alacrity. strength.
and equipoisc as now. and would
greatly enhance the interest in tn"
contest. All the advantages of tn.
sport would remain. with the two oh
~iectionahle features ~removed--its isn-
lation from the rest Of the program
and the element Of danger which nov.
accompanies it.
Time to Revise Rules.
1t is already high time that this
revision he adopted. There is no bet
ter time to set about doing it .Aan
now. If it is not settled Immediately
one OF two things Will happen: either
interest will gradually lag until it dies
a natural death. or ON one will be-
fatally injured for not exercising due
care. and the event will he abolished.
We cannot afford to let either h"~oca
when such an easy and efficient rem
edy is at hand.