Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1920-11-30

ne killed NE, auulll& put ] forgive
him dad" Following the funeral the
balance of the football schedule tor
, the Yankton team was cancel ed
A Sou,h DIko a reG der of this pap !.
sent to this office the newspaper ac-
count of the lads death and with it
an analysis of football. This reader
is man that knows athletics. has
been a great athlete himself and pos
sesses courage of the very finest kind.
He condemns football, however, as
game that is not sportsman game.
He condemns it because it enables sew.
eral men to attack one, because "a
man that is picked to 'be GOT by an
opposing team does not have a sports
mans chance. This opinion so fully
corresponds with the belief of the Post
that though knowing that the pubic
want the game and that the boys will
insist on playing it, yet in the interest
of the vital truth we repeat again
our opposition to high school football.
The season is over on Grays Har-
Dor and this criticism will not lessen
the gate receipts and it will do no
harm and may do some good if W:
! consider this subject in the light OF
next year and other years to come.
Advocates of football tell us that the
game develops quick thinking, cour-
age. initiative and willingness to stand
punishment, making young man
more manly and adding to his proper
masculine attributes.
Agreeing that every proposition is
true. yet the chance for physical harm
that will weaken the vitality of the
young player over a period of life
time, Is so great. and there are other
athletic sports that will develop same
commendable qualities without the
certai football risk. that football will
not stand the test when fairly meas
ured by them.
This fact is being recognized in the
schools and universities of America
where divers fed athletics are now
being taught-boxing, wrestling, gym.
nastics, track and other exercises that
will develop athletes. These sports
give all boys chance to participate
while football selects a dozen of the
best to send into the mob scrimmage
OF football, with the certainty of bro
ken collar bones, ribs cracked. knee
caps slipped and other injuries not
visible at the time but which show
their bad effects later.
The primitive idea of battle and
slaughter is engrained in us all and
We enjoy the football onslaught, the
swift end runs or the charging center
which goes down in a heap. 1t is
exciting to watch. and the boys in thu
line feel the thrill which comes from
the thunder of the crowd-it is all ex-
citing for the moment but the after
math, the twisted bodies, the unseen
hurts, the MANNED from the strugge!
Should the boys be given up to this
destruction that the bowling mob Oh
We do not believe so.
! There is no other sport known
among civilized men that allows such
chance for unsportsmanlike tactics.
In the great game between Oregon and
the eastern universities played a year
ago in California, three of the eastern
men deliberately "downed" Steers, ia
nous Oregon center, and rendered
him unconscious. He was the main
stay Of the Oregon team and the east
ern RS could win only by getting"
him. The great crowd which saw the
play "booed" the fasteners but their
disapproval Id not prevent the game
| going to the East and did not relieve
Steers of his delirum.
This article is written with the full
consciousness that the mob demands
the slaughter. and that the more pny
steal types demand the game, but
strong bodies are necessary. success
fully to fight life's struggle which
comes to each man. and the fight OF
the future years can not be better
made II undeveloped bodies of high
school boys are broken before they
enter upon lies struggle.
II grown men VIII Use bodies have
been seasoned and become fully de-
veloped. the men of the colleges and
universities. or towns and cites, de-
sire to play the game, we have no
word of opposition. Our contention Is
against football in our high schools
where boys whose bodies are develop
ing are thrown into the mob struggle
an bent. twisted and broken.--Grays
Harbor Post.