The Cost of Football

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jan 27, 1909

The Cost of Football

If young Christian men and women were to manifest the same enthusiasm in their religious life that is manifested by many of them in the games of football, or baseball, they would be accounted insane. The football season is not ended yet by any means, and the present Rugby game is supposed to be far less brutal than the old Association football; and yet up to November 15, the gridiron warfare between the colleges, high schools, and athletic clubs, has resulted in ten dead and 290 wounded. Two of the players died from spinal injuries, one from paralysis, caused in an open tackle, one from a broken neck, two from concussion of the brain, two from internal injuries, caused by strains and kicks in vital parts, and one player fell dead of heart disease. Collar-bones, cracked wrists and jaws, broken feet and legs, shattered shoulders, torn ligaments and dislocated joints, have been characteristic of fields both East and West. It certainly is an expensive kind of sport, in which it would seem that more common sense and less misdirected energy could be wisely used.