Imperial Valley press., 1935-12-09
TODAYS
Sports Parade
BY HENRY McLEMORE

HAMILTON, Ont, Dec. 9. UP
A quarter of a century ago Ameri-
can football leaders, wishing to make
the game more of sport and less
of q one-hour riot in which uni
formed combatantS committed as
sault and battery with gay abandon,
imported a pair Of crack Canadian
teams to demonstrate how football
was played in the dominion.
From this demonstration, which
was watched by Walter Camp and
AlOnZO Stagg among others, the
Americans gained several pointers
which enabled them TO soften"
their game to a point where it was
possible for a team TO make
first down, and even touch
down, without more than three
or four players suffering COM
pound fractures and an odd con-
cussion or two.
Having watched the Winnipeg
TobanS defeat the Hamilton Tigers
18 to IL in the final for the domin-
ion football championship here Sat
urday, l believe it's time for Amer
lea to import another brace of Can
adian teams for a demonstration
this time for the purpose of improv-
ing the American game for the spec
tator. There's no two ways about it
Canadian football is a much more
vivid spectacle than our game. I
hadn't watched more than a quar-
ter of Saturdays battle for the
Gray cup before realizing that,
The chief difference between the
two types of football is that the
Canadian variety places a much
higher premium on individual eff
fort. This is especially true of the
backfield men. The very fact that
Canadian football rules forbid
running interference makes the
ball carriers develop initiative,
not to mention all manner OF cum
ming with which to clude tack
lers. With no big brHising block
to clear his path, your Canadian
ball-carrier must either have the
speed of ring-tailed gazelle and
the wipe of a trapped fox or be-
come recOnciied to spending his
Saturday afternoons on the seat
of his pants back of the line of
scrimmage. No matter how much
or how often American coaches
and critics advise spectators to
stop watching the bail-carrier and
glue their eyes on the oiOckers
and the linemen, the map Juggling
the leather will always be the No.
l actor in football game. Amer:-
can spectators, 1 believe. would
like to see more razzle-d dazzle run
ming and less highly specialized
line play.
I think Americans would like the
Canadian rule of punts, too. Up here
opposing players must not approach
within five yards of a safety man
until the ball has settled in his
arms. This makes for run-back of
some sort on every kick, and it's
something to see when a twisting,
lodging back attempts to elude a
horseshoe of tacklers who have
gathered about him as the ball de-
scendS.
The Canadians have, of necessity
developed the lateral pass to a fine
point. Unlike the crude American
laterals, which, as Coach Fritz Girls
Ter of Princeton said, Usually are
good for a touchdown for somebody
the team that throws 'em or the
team that intercepts them," the
Canadian extensions" constitute
a red-hot scoring threat as we'll as
a stirring sight. With blocking bar
red, the backs who are not carrying
the ball on a play steam along be-
hind the ball-carrier after the man.
ner of a convoy, waiting for a lat
eral And they get plenty of them
Up here they still believe the
foot has something to do with
football, and the kicking is much
superior to our American punting.
Not only do the boys get distance,
but they can hit handkerchief
at so yards.