The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-02-17

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places false emphasis upon many
things connected with the spectacle
when we consider the fact that those
who are responsible for college con-
ditions have given passive consent to
conditions as they exist today.
When the coach is paid more for
a few hours work each day during a
three months season than most pro-
fessors are paid for q full years work
there can be but mo conclusion as
to the relative valuation which the
institution places upon their work.
The whole department of physical
training goes undermined and in
adequately equipped while a little ar
my of helpers is maintained to pro-
duce a championship football team.
The whole system of preparation
is as thoroughly professional as 1t is
possible for anything to be-coaches.
assistant coaches. voluntary alumni,
helpers. trainers. rubbers. scouts.
training table and football armor. all
contribute to place a false emphasis
upon the importance--not of the sport
but the spectacle of football.
Schedules are based more largely
than upon considerations Of natural
competitors. more upon what will pro-
duce an Intangible championship than
considerations of true sport.
We must have more cash, to get
more helpers. to develop a bigger
drawing card" SO that We can get
more cash to do the same thing over
again. sd infinitum.
The expense of transporting the
team to play games away from home
has grown zach year and has an in.
evitable tendency to place artificial and
disproportionate importance upon the
game of football. A spirit of extrava-
gance is fostered among the e on
the team and in the student body.
False standards r set up-stnadards
antagonistic to the spirit Of true de-
college.
A Magnificent Spectacle
Football has become a huge spec
tacle. A magnificent spectacle. we
grant you-but. nevertheless only a
spectacle.
The men who compose the team are
chosen men who need less than. the
average student, the athletic training
that theoretically, comc from engag-
ing in football contests.
Moreover. the training which these
mon receive is. from the standpoint Of
physical training alone. of doubtful
value n at times even dangerous. Its
whole end and aim is to train men
not to physical excellence, but to win
a particular game to meet a particu-
lar attack. to overcome a particular
A n to the very existence Of a
proper college spirit.
And. of tremendously serious import
what of its injury to all true sport
In the way Of repression? No one who
keeps his eyes open can doubt that this
is a. fact. Football as a spectacle has
bacome so truly the whole thing in
college athletic life that 1t has dis
couraged other forms of athletics bet
ter suited to the needs of tho aver
student.
Its grasptng of every athletic facili-
ty that can be made to contribute to
the success Of the machines bad
policy and discourages other forms
of sport.
Football-the game itself--is a
grand sport. no better to be found. II
Is entirely too good to he destroyed as
It is being destroyed by being made
simply q. spectacle, Football might be
a mighty force for good in college life
but football gone wrong degenerates
into q spectacle and is far from being
a blessing: n of Its chief sins is the
fact hat as a. spectacle it has killed
or It Is killing football as a. sport.
We yield to none in love of the
sport and admiration # it's possibili :
M Wv u lS Id6CII1dlION
even as {. spectacie-but We feel that
institutions are paying too dearly for
thrills. Thrills are good in their place
-life without them would be fiat and
insipid-but a steady diet OF thrills
is neither wholesome, nor in the end,
satisfying.
intercollegiate football has become
a great spectacle-but is it the func-
tfon Of educational institutions to fur
nish s~pectacles?
Intercollegiate football is to be judg-
ed by the same standards as any 9th.
er college activity-does it contribute
to the welfare Of the institution Is
II in harmony with the Of the
institution?
1t is. at least. open to question
whether intercollegiate football, since
does contribute to the real welfare
of the institution.
1t may be objected that what has
been said sounds we'll: 1t is an ideal to
admire: but that It will not work out
in practice-that 1t is impossible to
make any pronounced changes in the
| present conditions-that we must en-.
duce the evils of present conditions
since we cannot change them.
COlumhia's Course
Columbia changed conditions which
had become intolerable by a%bolishing
intercollegiate football-therc have
been no intercollegiate football games
at Columbia for Il number of years.
We have it. on the testimony of DR..
Rudolph Tombo. that as a result more
students are taking part in football
than ever before and there has been
a marked improvement in the spirit
Of the student body.
But it is not necessary to go so far
as to abolish intercollegiate football.
What is desired is to get rid of foot
ball as a mere spectacle and to re-
tain 1t as a sport. There are some
things in intercollegiate football that
are worth preserving-fine things that
are not %antagonistic to the highest
ideals Of true sport. These things
are worth preserving and We believe
that they can be saved and the things
out of harmony with such ideals elm
mated.
If we encourage intra -rnutual foot