The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-11-07
war FOOTBALL
A SUCCESS In
MIDDLE WEST
Attendance is Smaller, But
Expenses Have Also
Been Cut
EXPECT SEASON
TO SHOW PROFIT
Teams Will Have Balances
TO Carry Winter Sports,
Belief
fRx Associated Press.n

4
is proving a success in the middle
/ west in spite of the fact that attend
ance at most, of the games has been
below normal, and that practically all
teams have gone into action minus
the aid of stellar players who have
answered calls to the colors or taken
places in new industrial organiza-
tions, or our relief activities.
| The spectators have made up in en-
thusiasm what they, have lacked in
numbers. and less lavish expenditure
OF athletic funds at. the several
| schools probably will result in bal
ances at the end of the season sum-
cient to sustain winter and spring
sports at the close of their usual
levels. U.s. 4.-
Preseason predictions that the
quality of football would suffer be-
green" players who would make the
varsity teams, have not been entirely
borne out On the contrary, the loss
of stars" has resulted in improved
team play at several schools, the 9TH
err members Of the elevens showing
less of a "let-George-do-it" spirit and
getting into more plays with their
full individual powers. ..--.-.-.-...
. Coaches and experts who have notv
ed this tendency ascribe it to two
factors. One is the feeling of some
players that they have a better chance
now to become stars" themselves.
The other is the realization on the
part of most of the men that with the
team weakened by the loss of sure
ground gamers or dependable for
wards, each man must help make up
No change In Rules.
The fact that the rules committee
has sene fit to allow the game to stand
practically unchanged for several-sea-
sons accounts in considerable measure
for the enthusiasm of the depleted
crowds of rooters, according to off,
cials of the sport. They point out
ing system have become familiar to
the spectators and that players OF a
few seasons back can get many OF
their own time thrills as they watch
the teams struggling through forma-
tions and under exact conditions that
confronted them The sport seems, in
fact, to have built up a new following
Of fans, a following which was sup
erseded some years back. -...
Students Stay at Home.
The greatest lack of the present
season has been the presence of the
hordes OF students who hitherto have
accompanied their teams when the
schedules called for contests on dis
of the railroads, caused by war condi-
tions, is directly responsible for this.
Bound by their pledges to the govern
ment not to waste fuel or unnecessary
~ impair rolling stock, the, roads
have refused the usual rooters" rates
and have discouraged all excursions
calling for the use of special trains.
School faculties also have frowned
upon, such mass movements and the
students themselves, faced as many
hours or extra drill periods, have |
shown less inclination to undertake |
The most immediate effect of this
= has
been to make the task of elevens Wis
iting more difficult. An overwhelming |
hostile crowd discourages even the |
pluckiest team at times, and before |
the season is ended there probably /
Will be many a first down registered |
by inches which would not have been /
made were the rooters' sections even /
ly balanced. "
College Town Dealers Hit.
The merchants in the smaller col /
lege towns also are feeling the effects /
Of the embargo on excursions. Res
taurant keepers are hit hardest in /
towns like Madison and Champaign, /
where the extra dollars CLEANED dur
ball season have formed no inconsid-
cradle part of the yearly revenues OF i
such establishments. 1t has been esti-
mated that the average expense of /
each travelling rooter last season was
close to SIS for each fame; more than
with local merchants by the visitors
who sometimes numbered thousands.
Betting Is Decreased.
Betting on the games-one of the 4
evils" of intercollegiate
decreased also because
Of this the "stay-at-home" policy of /
faculties and railroads. College men
have been noted for their Willingness
to back their teams even when defeat
was almost certain, but they did it
usually under the goad ofThaving rolls
Of home money" thrust before. their
eyes as they alighted from trains and
were recorded-at least in this sec
Reports on 1917 football conditions
as received by the Associated Press
from various members of the.
Big Ten, follow:
Ohio-Wart has caused a slight fall
ing or in attendance at football
games at Ohio State university, but IT
has not diminished in the slightest
the spirit of the rooters
The attendance at the 1rst two
games was about the same as at the
irst two games last year, but the
spectators at the second two games
were fewer-and this in addition to
The fact that Ohio State has a cham
team this year, and did not
nave one last year. The falling on In
attendance, however, has not been
great, the university athletic otncials
Iiiinois-FootbaI is thriving as a
sport at the University OF
Illinois, Attendance at games so far
his year has been smaller than in
previous years, due to the decrease in
and the adjustment of
he popular season admission books,
1ut student interest in the team is as
xeen as 1t has been in the past years.
Refusals Of railroads to run special
rains or give special rates to Illinois
vA4gN FNfa IN q a II
game at Chicago Nov. 3
viii no doubt act as a. slight damper
IN the enthusiasm OF those who had
planned 10 accompany the team as
Northwestern - The Northwestern
sleven has had only one home game
.hue far the annual practice tilt with
lake Forest-but student interest in
he fortunes OF the team is as intense
is usual and when the purple finally
lppears on its own field the attend
lnce is expected to be up to the stand
wisconsin Students at the Univer-
Iity OF wisconsin have not shown the
manifest In former years. Crowds at
he 6rst two games this season were
small and rooters have not turned out
% cheer their team IN practice.
whether this condition Is wholly
iue to the war is a question Enlist
nents and the draft cut attendance
ess than 20 per cent 30 there is still
large enough student body to give !
he team good backing IL they would. j
The team itself has laborsd under J
he handicap Of scarcity in material.
Barely two full teams have appeared
or practice on several occasions.
Chicago-There has been only B
Eight falling of ia student attend {
lnce az the games on Stage field but
he general public has more than ball
snced this by turning out in unex-
seeted numbers. The earlv showing