Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-12-03
FOOTBALL ACCIDENTS ARE due :
7OCARELESSNESS SAYS 'MATTY'
BY CHRIsTY MATHEwsoN.


A few days after the close of the
football season statistics will be print
ed showing the number Of boys killed
in the game this fan. and a cry will
go up for the rule, makers to change
the play 10 lessen the danger No
game is worth while which is going
to kill a boy or young man unneces-
sarily, but | believe these in charge
Of football in the various schools and
colleges are more to blame for acct
dents than football itself under the
present rules.
Ii the close observer will trace back
NEST serious accidents to their
sources il win be discovered that, in a
majority of cases. either the victim
lacked proper condition or his oppO-
nents had broken the rules for rough
ness. Football CT today is not rough
game, in my estimation. and it is not
any mere dangerous than baseball
Figures will prove this fact, believe,
and McGraw is the frequent authority
for the statement that figures do not
lie, especially about players batting
ability. | think the records will show
/
! baseball every year than in football.
in the old days many football
coaches encouraged roughness, and a
certain star would be selected, before
the contest started, to be put out OF
play as soon as possible. This sort
Of an attack used to get a great deaI
Of publicity in the newspapers, but
the smaller schools would adopt the
/ same tactics with the resultant black
eye for football The newspaper
were inclined to make heroes Of the
players who used these tactics, ant
they became popular throughout the
country.
But the attitude of the various foot
ball coaches, has changed now, ant
seldom is a star put out of the game
and practically never is this done pur
posely in contests played by the larg
er college teams. II is considered bat
sportsmanship.
Failed to "Get the Big Fellow"
| When played football at Bucknell
however, which was back in 1899, tn
practice was a common one. At tina
time l had more or less ability as
| drop kicker, and the larger college
disliked to be scored upon by tn
smaller ones, such as Bucknell, Il
the early season games. All the BIZ
4 ones were trying for clean states. w
were dressing for contest with
large college one day and the part
ton between our quarters and thos
OF our opponents was so thin that
served practically as soundin
board.
Get the big fellow as soon as 70
can, / heard the big college coac
telling his players. Don't let hir
. last long enough to get shot at tn
goal posts.
But was In pretty fair shape an
being forewarned was naturally for,
armed. In fact, / stopped two or tire
/ or the thugs so that they went to tn
side lines and lasted through tn
game myself.
The new rules against piling on
, player after he Is tackled have elm
! mated much of the opportunity to pu
/ men cut and the general sentiment {
the public and the bigger schools
|. against It. Hughitt, the Michiga
I quarter back, went through the Hal
4 ward game with broken bone whfc
: was just mending from fracture. 1
the old days the weak member woul
have been the target for every OF
, ponent each time this star hit tn
ground. ~ .<-