Su y, November 11, 1956 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page N. ms SundpyNoi~ember1 ,1956 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page N~n A iy JAMEIS DYGERT 'ACH week during the fall, the New Yorker magazine, ordi- narily much too sophisticated for such things, disregards its repu- tation and devotes a column or two to a review of football. Although condescending only to consider games played by Eastern colleges, the elite in just about ev- erything except football, the mag- szine is, evidently to the smallest possible extent, yielding to the public's fancies. The public likes, nay, is capti- vated by football. It buys up tonsf of newsprint every Sunday to read every word about it, which means five or more complete pages in most big city editions. The pub- lie hi. aleomde profit.tle th ublication of several magazinesj containin nothing but footalL All the excitement, contrary to onference reulations, is'not a seasonal activity. Players practice the year around, newspapers spec- ulate 365 days a year, magazines dig up scandals about paid collee heroes on a continuous basis, and one can find a taker on a Rose Bowl wager at any time. It's easily posible to go on for pages listing evidence to ie cf- felt that Americans are ra over football. No one quetirrs this. The phenomenon is ak n for - rcted and nevrr seems to it quireace Sxplainatise. SOONER or latei omene will want an explanation. Not of how to de-emphasize it how to emphasize it properly, or even whether to emphasie it at all The qurestion will be an academic one, the answer to which may also anser all the others The question is this Why are Americans giga over football? Football is big business. One could argue with persuasion 5 tat clever' publicists haye promoted it to one of the richest industries n a rich country But, instead of answering the question, this ob- servation merely amplifies it. What is there about Americans that has made promotion of this specific sport so giganticly suc- cessful? Perhaps it is that football is an American sport, a reflection and expression of the peculiar American character, by which is meant the habitual ways of think- ing a doing that distinguish America from its contemporaries and from its predecessor civili- zations. LTHOUGH Banes involving the foot and a ball have been played throughout history, the American kind of football is com- pletely new. Its novel aspects are the moving of the ball toward the opponent's goal by carrying it and the conscious, premedi- tated use of brute force through body contact tin earlier modes of football, bodily contact was more 'ncidental than essential). Only recently have other nations beun GRIDIRON GODS nerica's Favorite Sport Receives A New Analysis But, even if this is true, it e spass. csaptured the public's imagi-I These things add up to the con- , coaches began to spend long hour not the answer. Why should Ami- nation. Publicity was also impor- cilusion that the football hero is to outsmart instead of to over- ericans choose football as a re- tant. When Walter Camp began a symbol of masculinity in Ameri- power their opponents. flection and expression of theirg ecan culture. Otto Graham, star quarterback character instead of somethingseletand backbone of the professional c1e v ax on its way to tire bi' tose. tgse? b rsTodyits a y begeaier ATHLI'ES have always been Cleveland Browns for many years A. thing to be rememberedIs Today. its as easy, maybe easier, --considered more masculine and many times called the best that American footbal began as and almost as remunerative to be- than the average man. And foot- qiuarterback that ever donned a a contest only of brute force. come famous fr ing able to ball fits the very vague but very helmet, retired from football say- There was no such thing as the imove with agility and a football strong masculinity goal quite nice- ing, "What wears you out at quar- forward pass or the split-T. The at the same time as for starring ly because of its emphasis on terback isn't the physical strain. ball was iven to a huge, power- in the cinema physical strength, It was this, no Its the mental pressure that goes ful young man who ran straight Small boys are trained to an doubt, which initially spurred foot- with being the key man." forward with it until stopped by affinity for the pigskin so that ball toward its overpowering im- Of course . Graham's job de- one or more equally huge and by the time they exchange crushi- portance in American life, where pended on his ability to win. Yet, powerful young men If his teams ing handshakes with the college it affects emotionally men who 'his remark reflects the preaure failed to make a first down on two coach, they can handle them- have never touched a football, generated by somethings pre- tries, it punted on third down. selves snd a football with the As the sport captured the pub- sumed importance. In contrast, football is today adroitness of a black-jack dealer. lie's imagination, its importance 1 1 k OT ON Y ha t he gaime be much more complex and mental. College stars iave been known to began to snowball and gather mu- N However, no matter how close replace cowboys as heroes for soame mentum within itseslf. It was in- conre menial in the tactical it is approaching to smrnething of the smaller male set evitable that there come the so and strategic sense. but also in like chess, it has not lot its bre Becomin a football hero is thescalled "win complex," which in the psychological sense. How tality. goal of almost every small boy turn added to the momentum. often the explanation for a teams Irilly. 50'hloss is that it wast "ip" for tie these days. And the, number of Football can hardly be big and PROBABY ths bste xplanation grown men who never reveal their only for fun simultaneously, name, I Graham ilso sarid a year after for lre change is that human secret desire to have been a "rid- Of course, as winnin became riri "lsi s s ymprat inenuity got into the eme. In- iron idol would be very srpris- more important, the game became retiring. 'Desire is so importa nocations, such as the forwardd ingly hih. more mental, as players and ,n a contact sport ike football it decides more games than tactics and strategy do. Your best is better when you really get y'our- 4 aself up for a game It's no secret that winning is :mportant in football, and that etting the right player. from hsr h school is import a t to wini- nig As a result footbll's force as a rvursybl of masvulnity i 'n pnforced by it rea-found force as nrs"mbol also of suncess, in the " t traditional American sense. In addition to its primary reliance en physicalstrength. the creative ngenuity practiced by the strae- ists of the game both on and -x off the field of play, is remark- tibly similar to the creative practi- tal genius that has made this country a giant in the production of physical commodities. And the desire to win is no less similar to the spirit of competition in the EMBLEMS AND SYMBOLS-Two youngsters equipped with appropriate pennants picture the in- American economy. creasing attraction of football glory as a goal to the younger set. The pennants will later adorn a W HOSE SOUL is so dim that he bedroom wall. has never imagined himself as threading his way through eleven M.vytified opponents. stiffrining one here and fentmr another out of position then and streaking marvelously toward the goaltlie amidst the tremendous roa'ing -nd cheein" of a 100,000 thrilnd In summa r mlu su ss ed ies that it ws athe bauic in.curiry rAmeriean meann itn mad pos- ible the glor sllt i football, hat this is hay the pubicse a fiIrst captivated and that the so- ncalled over-emphasirs oen wining came later as a u iteral adjunct. ' awer all the questions of the day ivich pet-i to the fu- rtu e of college fooball, it will first be necessary to plce the ame in g its pmoper perspective,. hich means to take mino account the needs its satisies as nell as the ends, mf any its ncrves. America must someday become rational WAITING-A captivated crowd tenses while the quarterback (No. 12), the key player in a football i about football, and reserve its offense who decides strategy with split-second decisions and gets the brunt of responsibility and Ares- emotions for something a bit mor.