Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1922-01-20
FOOTBALL IS OYERRATED
SAYS HAYWARD HEAD

Public interest in football has tended
to give excessive Importance to college
athletic contests President A Lawrence
Lowell of Harvard University haid in
his annual ra1ort to the oyerseers made
public recently.
He said the question was one that af-
fected all American colleges and that 'it
would be well for faculties. adrninistra-
tors and governing bodies to consider
afresh the pro9er place Of puGolic inter
collegiate athletic contests in the scheme
If education.
No Deliberate Plan
THE present policy in college foot
ball has Tot been the result of a DELHI
crate plan haid President Lowell, land
is not based upon any principle recog-
nlzed as IMPERATIVE by faculties. alum
nj and spectators, The pubic interest
in the sport, as q s-ectacle has become
general over the country, and has in
creased markedly since the war. 1t has
tended to give excessive Importance to
college athletic contests.
That intercollegiate matches have a
distinct value in stimulating sports. which
are the best form of physical exercise
i'll youth, few pe0~~2 would be lec,ined
to deny, but the single boat race between
Oxford ana Cambridge on the Thames
and the cricket match between those I'M
| iversities. supplemented in each case ty a
series of intramural contests, has been
| enough to stimulate unflagging interest
interest in those SORTS among the stu
dents.
Judging from the effect Of the race
| at New London, one may ask whether
| or not the same plan would be suffi-
cient in football The necessity of main
| tanning for this purpose a public spec
| taole attended by thousands of spectators
, every Saturday throughout the autumn
| is certainly not clear, and whether ii
out to be r-adntained for any other OBJ
ject is matter worth confederation ~
Rough, Strenuous Sport
'The public interest, which was for
merry concentrated on the Yale game in
a, greater degree than it is now, has ex-
tended to those with other colleges, and
! this year the attendance at the whole
series has been larger than ever before
Although the severity of the injuries suf.
fered and especially the dangers to life
have been materially diminished by the
changes in the rules made a dozen year:
ago, football remains rough and strenu
Gus sport in which injuries are often re
ceived that impair the efficiency of tn,
tCayers for a couple OF weeks or more.
In order, therefore, to keep them il
good condition for the two principa
ganeh With Princeton and Yale at tn,
close of the season it has been the I1abi
to keep out of the games with other CO.
jeges some or in many cases all of tn
members of the first eleven. playing il
fact a second team. This has been
source of ccanplainl. To arrange a mattel
with another college and then not pu
on the field orr regular team. but a,
eleven composed of substitutes. has beal
criticized as Unsportsmanly, and yet wha
else can be done if to play in these game
lis almost certain TO cripple sorle mem
bers of our team before it mas reache-
its maturity of training?
Policy Criticized
Criticism has been directed also t
our refusal to play games off our ow
field except with Princeton and Yalt
Such a policy has been alleged to be ex
elusive if not arrogant. Based upon TIL
same feeling is ffe demand that Har
ward ought to play with more team
from either parts of the country.
IF, like the professional baseball lea
cues the object of the college footba
teams is to carry on a contest for ma
tlonal championship it is not ute cgea
, how these demands can be proved inres
! sonafle. But the faculty, assuming ths
education is the prime object of the CO
lege is Of opinion that the 1nemberh {
the team, their substitutes, manager
J ETC., cannot be absent from Cambridg
more than they are row without detr
: ment to their studies"