Albuquerque morning journal., 1913-12-22
ALBUQUERQUE MORNING JOURNAL MONDAY DECEMBER a. 1918

IL able 90 recognize a single player
on the grldiron. one sees only "a
struggling mass OF players and is
obliged 10 wait until the next day to
learn who made the important ana
scoring plays. And even then one
cannot be too certain 81 the accuracy
of newspaper accounts, because with
few exceptions, the leading universi-
ties have made very little prepara-
ton To- insure the newspaper men
getting accurate Information, All OF
this could be done away with Instant
~ hy a simple system OF numbering
players. II Is done In practically
every sport which the colleges main
tain. 80 one would think of holding
Ia track and field meet without pro-
viding some methods of idenutyinr
the athletes. For the last few years
II has been done In basketball, and
the reform has worked splendldly. Il
the numbering system becomes po-
.pular in the west, western teams VIII
be compelled TO adopt It.. II, indeed
the football rules committee does
not make Il obligatory The Dart
mouth team, IN It's game with the
Carlisle Indians. demonstrated that {
could be operated effectively. This
experiment also proved that the sys-
tenn of numbers dld not operate TO
the disadvantage Of either team. All
objections 10 Il are based upon the
hldebound policy Of conservatism
pursued $40 long I'm the east
With unanimity that is remark
able virtually all the captains Of the
eastern university baseball teams
have expressed their opposition 10
coaching from the bench I'm intercol-
leglate baseball These opinions they
express in answer TO a query on the
subject by the Yale Daily News, the
undergraduate publication of the
blue. III the captains could have their
way the professional coaches would
be barred from the bench during in
tcrcollcgiate games. only the cap-
tain or some member of the team
would be allowed to direct the play
This view OF college baseball ethics
II put into operation would change
was suggested because a good many
college men thought the university
game was developing along profess
sional lines The agreement on this
question is surprising. Ten years ago
8. was the custom OF the different
colleges to attempt 60 rattle opposing
pitchers by keeping up an incessant
yelling for the purpose Of disconcert-
ing him. The practice was started in
a thoughtlcss manner. but the more
clear headed colleges have come 10
the conclusion that It is not only poor
baseball, but unsportsmanlike and
unfair Harvard university deserves
credit for starting the movement 10
suppress IT, Today it is seldom heard
and any attempt in the stands TO
take such an advantage OF a friendly
opponent is quickly suppressed by the
cheer leaders.
The idea of eliminating profes-
sional coaches from the benches is a
development of the same idea, and If
It could be adopted by general agree
ment it would be long step forward
i'm the elevation of the ethics of In
tercollegiate athletics in general Tho
!.sfe! .--.,,.y- cf -ut''rg such an excellent
idea into practice is the absence OF
an intercollegiate baseball associa-
ton. Two or three universities can
not do it without the assistance of al
their important rivals. Any univer-
sity which would take the Initiative
in organizing such an organization
and adopting such a code Of baseball
ethics would deserve the thanks OF
the entire intercollegiate world.
If such n rule were adopted foi
college baseball it would not be Ions
before similar rule would be
adopted for football The manner In
which professional coaches coach
football teams from the side lines ID
little short of a disgrace. II is done on
every big college gridiron, east ol
west It is an infraotion Of the rule
and the rule makers do nothing,