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To: Theoria

And exactly who is it that the author thinks should assume the authority to ban football?


6 posted on 05/04/2012 4:11:43 PM PDT by Mr. Lucky
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To: Mr. Lucky

“And exactly who is it that the author thinks should assume the authority to ban football?”

Teddy Roosevelt threatened to ban college football by Executive Order in 1906. There had been 18 deaths and 159 severe injuries in 1905. Mass momentum plays like flying wedges and gang tackling were part of the reason for all the carnage.

College presidents got the message and convened a rules committee. A neutral zone along the line of scrimmage was established, with a requirement that 6 men be on the line. The forward pass was introduced. First down was set at 10 yards, the game was to be an hour long with two 30 minute halves. Flying wedges and gang tackling were banned.

So the game was made safer and Teddy Roosevelt didn’t carry out his threat to do away with football.


77 posted on 05/04/2012 9:11:24 PM PDT by Pelham (Marco Rubio, la raza trojan horse.)
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