Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-05

J. c. Martin, 1894 stiles street. this city,
has written to this office to decide lit
tie discussion he had recently relative to
the severity on the athlete of rowing,
boxing, cross-country running, football
and sprinting. The sports according to
their degree of power required are ranked
In the following order: IN Football (9
Rowing. (3) Sprinting. O Cross-coun-
try running. (5) Boxing.
Here are the reasons for the ranking:
From every viewpoint OF physical tor
ture, endurance, skill, speed, etc, old
King Football must get the palm as the
most gruelng of all pastimes. Persons
who sit idly in the stands and witness the
play probably do not realize the terrific
strain the players undergo. There is not
a human faculty that is not brought into
activity when game is at its height.
Every muscle, every organ OF the body,
is taxed. There Is more real physical
action crammed into the four football
periods than in the average laborer's
days work
1t is bit more difficult to place the
second sport Rowing. It is believed,
should be rated second. In four-mile
race, such as is rowed by the COLLEGES,
the men suffer agonies OF physical effort.
and the wornout condition of many OF
the crews at the end is an indication OF
the strained powers of endurance. Then
again. the oarsman has all OF hts efforts
confined. so to speak. He must sit In a
narrow shell in a somewhat cramped con-
dition, which does not permit of muscular
relaxation at any time. In football there
is a moment or two in all the periods
when this man or that gets a breathing
spell, when he may relax for an instant.
Not so the oarsman. n competition Is
severe In rowing, each and every member
OF the crew pays the penalty of near-eX-
haustion The rowing effort must be con-
centrated or the boat goes to pieces. No.
2 oar may feel weak to the fainting point
when only half the distance is covered.
He hasn't a chance to recuperate until the
end of the race, and any one knows what
such a condition entails. 1t means the
suffering athlete must endure all sorts
of mental anguish and without a yelp, for
re is a true sportsman and must not give
Up until nature forces him, and then
only at the very finish, when collapse
usually takes place.
Sprinting is to be ranked third. The
term sprinting, IL must be understood, IN
cludes the shorter distance dashes up ia
the quarter mile, and for sake of def
mite argument the maximum sprint dis
tance is cited to point out its trying quail
tiles. Ask any experienced track and
field man which event is the hardest or
the athletic program, and he will in nearly
every case vote the quarter"
Here's the reason: In a well-matchec
field of runners in the "I40 IL is a case
of '1ickety-split' all the way. and there
is not a chance for even the slightest
let-up. II is not a run. mind you, as the
men Of this day are trained TO teal
through the distance at express-trair
speed. When a man turns the distanc'
80 seconds and under some idea of th'
tremendous effort required is understood
lied" Meredith. double winner at tn,
Franklin Field Intercollegiate, turned tn,
quarter In 4S seconds fiat. To do thii
Meredith used every ounce OF nil
strength and when a man runs to th'
tape about "all In" It must, indeed b.
a terrific test. The quarter-mile runne
| hasn't a chance in the world to rest, anC
he finishes only at the expenditure o
every ounce Of the muscular and nervous
energy. The all-around faculties ar