Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-10
WOULD CHANGE NAME
OF FOOTBALL GAME

Football is a fraud so far as the
name Of the sport is concerned, ana
it's a Harvard alumnus who makes
the discovery. Because of that. Rich
ard S. Francis, Of Philadelphia, wants
the name of the gridiron pastime to be
changed.
Football leads any one to believe that
there Is some connection between the
foot and the ball. There generally is
when Charlie Brickley or some other OF
the wondrous drop kickers of the age
are doing the trick. but Mr.. Francis,
by delving into the mathematical
phase of the game, has discovered that
on the average the ball is kicked only
once in nearly 20 plays. and that
football as a title for the game is
gross misnomer.
Mr.. Francis wrote a letter to the
Harvard Alumni Bulletin, in which he
protested against the name OF the
game, and offered suggestions for un-
usual reforms. His letter Is in part
as foliows:-
my crusade to reform football is
finished, except for two points. The
first is the name itself. On consider
alton, you will discover that the name
of every other we'll known game either
describes 1t accurately or not at all.
For instance. the terms basketball
rowing. handball and baseball describe
the fundamental part Of the games to
which each is attached.
ION the other hand the word golf
means nothing. Tennis too, means
nothing. Squash is a ridiculous
aon,a--tbn hol ct,es fae
as I can discover. Whist is simply
an exclamation demanding silence and
has no other connection with the game
of the same name. Chess is simply
a more or less vulgar form Of yes
Hockey not only means nothing. un-
less, perchance, II was originally in
dulged in by those who played hooky,
but has no connection with the verb
to hook, to the best Of my knowledge
Thus it is apparent that the names
OF all games except football are hon.
est-least there is no intention to de-
ceive--whereas football parades Itself
under misleading cognomen. I have
complied. by arduous labor statistics
which show that on the average the
ball is kicked only once in 1898 plays.
In other words. the promise of the
application of the boot to the ball is
not fulfilled, which might be called
sharp practice and not in keeping with
the fine sportsmanship otherwise so
much in evidence in the game.
The second point--and I am done.
The weakness Of football is that if
teams be about equally matched. more
touchdowns are scored by luck than by
Id 81
is elsewhere in life. Therefore I sug-
gest that the field of play be extended
back of the goal posts as far as ply
steal conditions will permit; that is.
some ten or twenty yards. and that
the defending side be compelled to de-
Tend that territory, the safety being
done away with.
IF the ball be kicked over what is
now the goal line It shall not be
brought out to the 20-yard line, but
shall be put in play where it is
downed except that there shall always
be room to punt Add to this that a
touchdown shall be scored if the ball
he carried over the opponents 20-yard
line, as now constituted, and there will
. be plenty OF scoring.
"A ball kicked from ten yards behind
the present goal line will hardly go
beyond the 40-yard line. from which
point two first downs will produce a
touchdown. Goals from the field will
become common instead Of occasional
gifts from heaven. AS things are now
kicking is largely defensive and not
offensive. for as soon as the goal line
can be reached by a punt the kick
! loses its effectiveness.