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THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
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THE SPIRIT OF FOOTBALL
. By GEORGE D.AYERS
Why do I favor tho game of foot
ball? I do not know that, these rea
sons will appeal to everybody, .but aa
thoy vlo to me, perhaps they may to
others.
To say that football Is a healthy ex
ercise Is rathor indefinite. Such a
statement does not indicate vory clear
ly one's position.
It is said that football-develops tho
muscleB. Tho truth of this Btatemont
la granted, but it does not carry ono
very far. It is seriously to be ques
tioned whether tho development of
much muscle and great physical
strength are so much to bo desired
after all. So far aB thoy depend upon
purely physical characteristics, good
health and long life are much more
the resulj; of keeping flexible all the
muscles of the body that ought to bo
flexible, and preserving free from'stiff
ness nil the joints of the body that
ought to' be so preserved, than the
consequences of great size and
strength of muscle. Indeed, an undue
proportion of muscle is often a Tiln
dranco to long life and to g5od health
while that life lasts. So far aB foot
ball contributes to such flexibility of
muscle, it is good, but that statement
hgain does not mean very much; for
an equal and perhaps greater flexibil
ity can .be accomplished in other ways
with far less effort and with much
less expenditure of time.
Perhaps a game requiring the stren
uous action of football is necessary
for Bome young men, because other
wise a certain amount of physical en
ergy that must be expended some how
might find expression In less desirable
forms. That there 1b a basis of truth
in this reason must be admitted. Nev
ertheless, It may well bo doubted
whether its application is so universal
ae Is sometimes thought,
the argument contains
At any rate,
a possible
though not necessary inference that
in not complimentary to the members
of the football squad, and. since many
of them are my personal friends, I
C. D. P.ERRIN.
Position, sub center; weight 176;
age, 20; year on squad, 2; home,
Lincoln. '
would rather not rely very much upon
this position. .
Furthermore, such an argument is
valid only so far as It favors the gamo
for those alone who must have it, or
somo equally strenuous Bport, or else
run tho risk of harming themselves or
others by tho wrongful expenditure of
physical energy. -
The summation of afl these reasons
adds to their forco, but after all still
bettor reasons exist.
While it Is true that football does
accomplish somo beneficial results
claimed for it by those who favor it
puroly as a physical exorcise, it Is in
addition a distinct mental and moral
force of much Importance. That posi
tion may seem radical, and undoubt
edly it is in the true sense of the
word, since it goes to the root of the
whole question.
In tho first place, our courses
of study do not dovelop all the men
tal powers. Different studies bring
out and strengthen in dlfferent"""do
grees the powers of observation, in
tuition, recollection, reasoning, accur
ate clear and fordblo oxpres8lon the
imagination and aesthetic sense, the
ppwer of concentration and that valu
able power to enter into sympathy
with the life and thought of other
people, nations and times. But what
of all these courses brings out Into
active expression that most useful
mental quality of quick, nay, Immedi
ate, perception of tho proper relation
of men to action that enables them to
deal with affairs? What Is It that
develops good judgment, good horso
sense, and that further great quality
0T decision that enables 'successful
men to follow judgment with Immedi
ate action?
I take it that these most useful and
J. M. PATTON.
Position, sub left end; welghtjM98;
age, 25; year on squad, 1;
Dahlnda .Illinois.
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JU.IIW,
Important qualities In human nature
Imd far greater opportunity for de
velopment In college sports, especially
In those calling for "team work," than
they do in tho class room, the labora
tory, the library or the study.
Again, while one may question
whether the strenuous .character of
football Is necessary forthe purpose
merely of acquiring the' amount of
muscle required for the preservation
of good health, there is another point
of view where It may be advocated
as a necessary incident in the develop
ment of most important qualities both
of the mental and the moral make-up,
and that is in the imagination and tho
will as necessary factors in any man's
success.
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I am much in earnest on this point,
for 1 think that too ofton it is neglect
ed, In wholo or in part, in tho analysis
of successful attainment; and I wish
that the spaco allotted to thta articlo
nllowed a more oxtensivo dovolopmont
of this sido of tho question. To stato
tho proposition brlofly, let it bo said
that no man over began to tdo any
thing consciously without imagining an
some sort of an ideal that thing which
he proposed to do, nndiTBdcond, that
no man over accomplished what ho
started to do 'unless ho kopt by forco
of his will tho Imago of tho doslrod
ideal in his mind; It Is not enough
thatWe keep on fighting. Tho light
must continue with success over in
the mind's eye if success Is to como.
Tho wordB attributed to Napoloon'a
votorans at Waterloo, "Tho Old Guard
dies, but never BUrrendors," hnvo ofton
been quoted as an examplo of high
courage, self-devotion and determined
Will, and so thoy are. But tho Imago
was not merely that of "no surrender,"
but also ht death. A football team
that kept the same class of Imagos in
its mind would probably Bhow groat
A. H. MILLER.
Position, sub right tackle; weight,
179; age, 27; year on squad, 3; home,
Kennard.
pluck and perseverance, but it prob
ably also would bo defeated. If It is
going to win It must always keep bo
fore. It 'tho plcturo of victory, and It
must with the utmost determination,
even In tho face of tho worst luck,
keep the picture there most strongly
from, the beginning to the end of tho
game. This strenuous exercise of tho
imagination and tho will ,powor, call
ing generally for most strenuous exer
tion, often "snatches victory from tho
jaws of defeat." Ho who will not give
up, no matter what the odds against
him, and persists in keeping In his
mind the determination to cqnquor,
often winB in ways too mysterious to
be explained on tho ground of tho
mere expenditure of musclo and the
application of avoirdupois. I like, in
other words, to regard the muscles of
our athletes not as so, much hardened
"beef," aa the objoctlvigatlon ,of
imagination, will and endeavor to
compare tho creation of man with
tlftit of a world, Its a kind of "word
made flesh." He who dovelopes those
qualities in our sports learns to win
in the battle of life against all kinds
of odds.
(Continued on Pago 7.)
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"THE SCRUBS"
By H. M. PECK, Aut. Coach
ToHho froahman team of tho Uni
versity of Nebraska, during tho prcB
ont season,hns boon aflBlgnod the
dlfllcult task of furnishing opposition
for tho 'Varsity and to them had
been applied that rathor approbrlous,
time-worn and may I not say timo
honorod appollatlon of "Scrubs"
honco tho tltlo of this articlo.
Tho bCBt' of us at times aro wOht
J5u
H. M. PECK.
Assistant Coach.
to think of tho "Scrub" ns nn Inde
terminate, Mindcscrlbablo mans of un-
breakable bones and unpuncturablo
flosh, to bo used as a "shifting
silhouotto," to test tho ponotratlng
ability of tho 'Varsity's "big callbro."
I am hero to entor, n protest against
any such Idea being nssoclatod with
tho Nebraska "Scruba" of 1007.
Thoso of you who havo had tho
opportunity to witness this body of
faithful mon In tholr daily practlco
havo long since had your minds dls
abusod of such an orroncous Idea.
And thoso of you who mny havo tho
pleasure of witnessing tho 'Varsity of
1908 in action will bo forcibly re
minded of tho worth of thq 1907
"Scrub" whon you -witness him trans
formed Into a "regular."
Fow roalleo tho Important plnco tho
"Scrub" holds in collogo football.
Woro it not for the "Scrub" thore'
would bo no 'Varsity,
Thoro Is no flnor exhibition of col
lego spirit anywhoro than J'b displayed
by tho "Scrubif." Day after day, weok
after week, during tho entire season,
ho donr- his football togs, regardless
of studies or social pleasures, and
presents rhlmsolf at practlco each
afternoon that tho coaches may use
him in somo way in tholr mechanism
for perfecting tho 'Varsity. Ho Is
battered and buffeted around, jerked
here and thoro, used in onoposltlon
and another, scdldod and criticised,
but never commended In fact, vtreated
more like a bale of hay than a piece
of humanity and after all, for what?
In order that Nebraska may have a
winning football 'team. And what re
ward does 'this faithful "Scrub' get?
Although, tho coaches and 'Varsity
realize his worth, tho average student
and prbfessorJIs unaware of his very
(Contlmued on Pago, 7.)
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