Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-11-13
MERRILL PLAYS
RAPIDS To TIE
Neither Team Scores, Poor Of
ficiais, who did not Know
Come. Crippled Team and In
reference by Spectators,
Reason Rapids Did Not Win.

A wishbone where the backbone
ought t. have been in the referee
and umpire, and the interference of
the spectators were the reasons
Grand Rapids superb football aggre-
CATION was not returned victors last
Saturday afternoon in a game play
ed at Merrill.
Grand Rapids made a touchdown,
but the crowd rushed to the referee
and he being theatened by the
crowd, refused to give Grand Rau-
ids the score.
Almost every one who saw the
game, if he is honest, will admit
that the officials favored the Merrill
team to a marked degree. The Rap
ids team was handicapped by having
three crippled men in the back field
and in having some of thebest play
ers Knocked out at- the start of the
game, but even with theseobstaclse
to overcome, the Rapids team, on a
neutral field, with honest officials
who know the game, can score at
least fifty points against the Mer
rin team.
We said in Thursdays issue that
the men from the Rapids would not
get a fair deal at Merrill, for such
is the glorious reputation of that
city. Merrill has not won a game
this season as all the games were
played outside that city,
Almost every player on the Rapids
team was suffering from bruises re-
cefved in the La Crosse game and
the weather was so cold that they
could not warm up. 1t is a well
known fact among football menthat
when a man gets warmed up, he
does not feel the bruises. There were
instances during the game where the
men stood about for as much as five
minutes at a time while the officials
yaggled about the rules. The umpire
and referee certainly had no right
to act as officials as they did not
seem to know much about the game
Merrill kicked off and the Rapids
team advanced the ball to within
II wards of Merrin's goal when Smith
was hurt and the officials gave the
ball to Merrill when is should have
remained in the Rapids possession.
| The Rapids team came near to the
Merrill goal line on several occa-
sions. but the interference of the
crowd that swarmed on the field
prevented going over for touchdowps.
The Rapids team and officials Were
| pleased with their treatment at
Merrill, so far as the high school
Ipeople and team We're concerned.
But it is a fact that the officials
we're poor and that the crowd rushed
on the field in spite of the efforts
of the Merrill high school officials.
After the game the Rapids team
was rendered a banquet which was
attended by nearly every member o
1.-The team and officials.
The handling of the crowd at Mer
rfll was in marked contrast to th'
handling and roofing of the crowt
in this city. The rules requir'
that there be five yards OF clea
space between the end of the fell
and the crowd. In Grand Rapid
this is roped off and no oneis al
lowed inside the lines.
p The Grand Rapids officials sa
that there was a big improvement
in the treatment of the Rapid
I team by the Merrill high school pee
o pie over what they experienced 81
1 years ago. From what information
e obtainable. we are led TO belieV
Il that there were several intoKica
= ed young men roofing for Merri
r and it was probably the example Sc
by these drunks that encouraged tn
e rest of the spectators to crowd o
r. the field.
IS There will be no games this con
r ing Saturday as the team is in,
: much battered up condition and r.
e quires time to get in shape.
may be that there will be no MOI
is games this season. 1t all depend
= upon how cold it gets, for if th
ground becomes frozen, it is nt
likely that the officials Will allo
the men to play.