The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-11-09
W the DOPE
~7EIIS is to give man his due.
Should we be backward in
praise of a real athlete-a
By vEDDER GARD

@7TIIS is to give man his due.
Should we be backward in
praise of q real athlete-a
man distinguished for his clean
living and sportsmanship-just be-
cause he happens to be of darker
hue.
Most everyone interested in
sports around this city knows Jack
Hannibal. AT. present he is play
ing IL guard on the J. j. C.s. Jack
is colored, but If ever there was
white" man, the husky gridder
is that.
He is always in training. 1t
seems easy at all times for Jack
to be a gentleman. The lineman
plays the game hard, but there
is no cleaner player at Washing
Be- ton Park.
Several weeks ago an excited OPP
ponent slugged Hannibal, but the
colored player did not strike back.
The opponent shrieked, THAT fell
low hit me first" We would bet
100 to 1 that Hannibal die not slug
first. We know because we were
right there.
And If we had not seen it, we
still would have bet the same way.
That's what we think of Jack Han
nibal.
The Negro athlete is getting to
be q veteran now, but he still re-
tains the condition of youth be-
cause he takes care of himself.
In his prime he was a good boxer
and still mixes in the ring game
to some extent. He used to train
Jack Dillon. When the old A. B.
Cs. played at Northwestern Park,
Hannibal was an outflelder and a
good one. He could smack the
ball and chase flies with the best
Of them.
He also played basketball at
the Colored Y. NJ. c. A.
Jack came here when a boy
from Campbellsville, Ky, and
has won host of friends. Every
one who knows him has a good
word for Jack.
This Is to give a man his due.
80
TN1EVERAL persons have asked
81 about a play that came up
L1 in the Wabash-Butler foot
ball game last Saturday. They
cannot understand why Wabash
was not given a safety when Red
Fromuth touched a punt down the
field and it rolled over the Butler
goal line, where Red was sur
rounded by Scarlet players.
The play was ruled a touch
back by ,Officials-and very prop
erly so. The BAN was put into
play in Buffers possession on its
own 20-yald line, just as though
lit had not been touched.
The delicate distinction is that
Fromuth did not furnish the i'm
petus to the pigskin which sent it
over the goal line. The Wabash
kicker actually kicked the ball
over. Red simply touched it.
On safety the rules state that
the impetus must be furnished
by the defending team. If Fro
muth had attempted to catch the
ball near the goal line and then
iuggled it across the goal 1t
would have been a safety.
-1HE press and the grid fans
like to- "pan" the grid Of
- fcials for blowing their
whistles. What are those men out
there for? Is it not to give both
teams an equal chance? If a
team is off-side, should not the
head linesman toot his horn?
Wabash was off side many
times in the Butler game yet the
spectators seemed to take 1t as
a personal affront that an Of
fetal did his duty.
OF course, the Scarlet would
not have cared If the whistle had
not blown. But if it had not they
would have had an unfair adj
vantage.
Sport fans are loud in their de-
mand for square DEAL, yet,
seemingly they do not want
those who are on the field for
that very purpose to use their
authority in making a game a
fair test of strength.
NV HEN Coach Rockne Of Notre
WI Dame says his team will
~ have a hard time winning,
we believe him. Last year Knute
announced that the Army probably
would win. Those who did not be-
lieve him were sorry they did not
take his word.
The coach of the Irish" is out
with the same kind Of statement
concerning next Saturdays fray.
Rockne is quite a psychologist and
uses it to advantage with his
teams. All this talk about being
"disgraced" if the squad does not
improve so per cent may be for
his players ears.
Yet there must be some grain of
truth in that for the loyal team
supporters. Watch your step,
Notre Dame rooters.