Evening star., 1960-11-06
fThe author Is the iDite OF
Charlie Conerly. NetD York
Giants Quarterback
By PERIAN CONERLY

Giants quarterback
BY PERIAN CONERLY
North American Newspaper Alliance
NEW YORK. Nov. 5.-Foot-
ball is probably the most COM
plicated Of all sports - and
therefore the most difficult toi
understand. The average FAM
obviously Is endowed with
sufficient knowledge Of the
game to enable him to exact
an enormous amount Of pleasure
from 1t. But it is almost i'm
possible for him to comprehend
all its complexities unless he
actually has played the sport
II only on the neighborhood
Sandlots.
I said almost" There are
exceptions, but am definitely
not one Of them! I have lived
with pro football for 70 years,
but invariably get lost when
the third 20" sh-blocks the
'X" on his left and sprints
down the blackboard. And Il
consider myself reasonably
intelligent.
However being so close to-
the game and to the men who
play it. it is only natural that
I am keenly aware of the
unfair judgements sometimes
handed down by the grand
stand officials" who understand
a certain situation only IN part.
(This lack is particularly un-
settling when an unf1attering
comment is directed audibly at
the husband of the Giant wife
sitting in the next seat-even
more so when 1t concerns ones
own husband. But that is
another storyO Players are
human. They make mistakes.
What a dull game 1t would be
II they did not! It is blame
unfairly assessed that leads me
to the soapbox.
Fair Catch Brings Means
Take for example the means
Of disgust that often follow
the fair catch signal given by
a safety man in no apparent
danger of immediate inunda-
ton. why he could have made
10 yards before they got to
him. That kid just doesn't like
to be tackled" the man across
the aisle confides to his wife.
In the first place. there is
not a single, solitary player of
my acquaintance who does
enjoy being tackled. But 4
digress.
There usually are two men
back to field the punt. AS it
approaches they chat, as base
ball outfielders do, about which
one is in the best position to
catch it. A second decision
then is necessary-especially in
the event Of a high punt. It
would be very difficult for the
recipient to keep his eye on
the ball, at the same time
estimating the speed of the
oncoming defenders. The latter
duty is undertaken by the idle"
safety man. It is he who decides
whether his partner will have
time to gain control of the
ball and make yardage, or
whether the opponents are too
close and likely will smear him,
causing a possible tumble.
Appearance Deceives
Also take into consideration
that once the defensive men
see the fair catch signal, they
automatically slow pace to avoid
making contact and incurring a
penalty. Thus it sometimes
appears that the receiver has
more leisure time than he
actually would have had, if his
opponents had not pulled in
the reins.
On certain occasions-notably
when the ball is wet, or freezing
weather results in numb fin
gers-the safety men receive
instructions from the bench to-
fair-catch every punt as a pre-
caution against fumbles.
An angry yowl usually rises
from the stands when a NAM
moth lineman bangs into al
ball carrier already downed or
in the process of being placed
in that position by an adver-
sary. DIRTY player" the gen.
tleman across the way mumbles.
Hes piling on to try to knock
the runner out of the game
I wonder if the number ever
paused to reflect upon the
difficulty a 260-pound man
running full tilt might have
in stopping on a dime-or on a
half dollar, for that matter.
Aisle Sitter Laments
And what of the pass de-
fender who is made to appear
a trifle foolish when the ball
is hauled in for long yardage
just as he races up? "Why do
they keep that guy? He's
asleep at the switch again."
laments the aisle sitter. It is
just possible that the defender
in question had completed his
duties on one side of the field
and, noting that the man re-