Norwich bulletin., 1917-11-02
FOOTBALL MORE POPLAR
 THAN EVER THIS YEAR
Wfth Mary of Star Plays in Service . More Mediore Men on Squads.

Mr~n football is being played this mammon than ever before in the history sf the game. so far as the number o1 eaaa engaged in the great fall sport ts concerned- With teams galore in Ru the army cantonments and where ovar soldiers are stationed. football ts more popular than ever The sport Is enjoying a boom which should last for ali time.
 Many who have never known the thrills of he game will be educated to it before the snow flies. and when the soldiers return to civil life the sport should have a greater hold tha ever upon the interest Of Americans
 When Yale, Harvard and Princeton took the drasio action of abolishing football along with other major sports, presumably at the time for the duras- ton of the war, there were many who believed that decision of the leading football colleges would result in the sport receiving hard blow Just the contrary has proved to be the case
 The recommendations of the college meeting held last summer that sports be continued in the colleges and universities of the country for bene- fit of the many instead of the few have been responsible for more students playing an active part in gridiron af- rairs. as well as a similar increase in other lines of athletic activiy- Where before the war specialization n ath- letics was the thing, generalization is BOW the order.
 It was the common thing before so- called war measures were taken by many of the colleges in reference to athletics for only the picked few to ITO out for the football and other teams. Now this is changed With the passing of high-priced coaches, expensive training tables and other adjuncts which ran into big business figures in many institutes, the average student, the young man not endowed with any special athletic talents is coming into ais own
 This trend is noticeable in the make up of the football squads at practically every institution of higher learning in The country this fall It is true that most of the star and veteran players have joined the colors and their pass snE has given the mediocre athlete a chance to improve his health by syste- matic athletic training, and better still active competition
 With such a sane change working out well so far it is very much of question of the high-priced coach, the expensive training table and the reti- aues of advisers trainers and the like eTfll ever again play a part in Ameri- t.zn college athletics. Certainly they will not fill the important roles they held before the war. The colleges will find they can get along very we'll without them it is likely.
 Perhaps he average football team tzis season is not up to the standard of other years. But the game is just as enjoyable from the spectators standpoint Really where the best football material in the country is now Is in the army camps. In them former college stars abound. and they will show football followers some of the pest contests of the season
 Material is Developing
 If Yale Harvard and Princeton re- sume varsity football another year they should have teams of more than ordi- nary ability. The freshmen at these institutions are receiving more and better coaching than has been their tot in the past and the squads will shows its benefits another year. There Is plenty of likely football material at each of the4e inStitutonsi.
 But whether they resume or not foot ball is going on and on to bigger and better things The soldiers are going to see to that Football. next to base ball is he most popular sport in the csntonments and other army camps. Taking it all in all the game is very much on the upgrade of popularity.
 World series dopesters have turned over their adding machines to foot hall champion pickers.