Newark post., 1922-01-25
On the Sport Field
Growing Interest in
Collegiate Sports
All American Colleges Urged
to Consider Proper Place
of Public Contests

NJ NSAA~ ~OAAkCSkS
Public interest in football has tend
ed to give excessive Importance to
college athletic contests, President A.
Lawrence Lowell, of Harvard Univer-
sity said in his annual report to the
overseers, made public last week. He
said the question was one that affect
ed all American colleges and that "it
would be well for faculties, admins
traitors and governing bodies to con-
slider afresh the proper place of
public Intercollegiate athletic contests |
in the scheme of education"
"The present policy in college foot
ball has not been the result of de-
liberate plan," said President Lowell,
"and is not based upon any principle
recognized as imperative. The public
interest in the sport as spectacle,
has become general over the country,
and has increased markedly since the
Importance to college athletic con-
tests.
"That intercollegiate matches have
a distinct value in stimulating sports,
which are the best form of physical
exercises in youth, few people would
be inclined to deny; but the single
boat race between Oxford and Cam
bridge on the Thames, and the crick-
ct match between these universities,
:. supplemented in each case by series
6 of intramural contests, has been
, enough to stimulate unf1agging in
:, terest in those sports among the STU
dents. Judging from the effect of the
race at New London, on may ask
:, whether or not the same plan would
, be sufficient in football. The main
: tanning for this public spectacle at
tended by thousands of spectators
every summer, should be matter
:, worth consideration.
". "The public interest which was
in formerly concentrated on the Yale
game in greater degree than it i:
rs now, has extended to those with othel
colleges and this year the attendance
at the whole series has been largel
than ever before. Although the Sc
verify of the injuries suffered and es
nc pecially the danger to life, have bee1
~ materially diminished by the change
ST in the rules made dozen years age
ch football remains a rough and strenu
ID Gus sport in which injuries are otte
KS received that impair the efficiency Q
ei the players for couple OF weeks Q
more.
:" "In order, therefore, to keep thel
% % in good condition for the two pril
~ cipal games with Princeton and va
a. at the close of the season it has bee
-, 70 the habit to keep out Of the game
with other colleges some, or IN mar
. cases all, of the members OF the nr
m m eleven, playing in fact second teal
wv This has been source OF complain
To arrange a match with another &C
lege and then not put on the heio o.
g. regular team, but an eleven compos'
~ of substitutes, has been criticized
A.n M unsportsmanly, and yet what else CT
Nv be done if to play in these games
~" almost certain to cripple some mel
hers of our team before it has reach
w. it's maturity of training!
,;,h "Criticism has been directed also
~ opr refusal to play games off our on
,ees field except with Princeton and IA
,oth Such a policy has been alleged to
exclusive if not arrogant. Based up
,or+ the same feeling is the demand u
,oro Harvard ought to play with III,
,un- teams from other parts OF
country. :,
old "If, like the professional oaseo eo
of leagues, the object OF the c0llese .t ~
and h.u teams is to carry on cont
e Of for national championship 1T is
lion. ou;te clear how these demands can
wed proved unreasonable. But the 1acu
cam pssumine that education is the pr
Inject of the college, is of the op,n
th.t the members of the team' u Il
substitutes, managers, &c. cahho, y,
ahsent from Cambridge more u u
'ne thev are now without detrimeh'