By Dr. Gary Scott Smith
September 6, 2011
“For many men and some women, fall weekends and football are synonymous. Both the National Football League and major colleges attract huge audiences to stadiums and television sets to watch games, and football fantasy leagues abound. The NFL owners’ lockout and potential cancellation of the NFL season caused widespread consternation. And yet, a much greater ‘tragedy’ was averted in 1905-1906, when President Theodore Roosevelt helped save college football. Although professional football did not begin until the 1920s, about 50 years after the origin of professional baseball, it might not have existed without Roosevelt’s earlier decisive action.”
In “When Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football” (791 words), chair of the history department at Grove City College and fellow for faith and the presidency with The Center for Vision & Values—Dr. Gary Scott Smith—cites a couple of contemporary contentions by authors and journalists—that football is “morally unacceptable” and “too dangerous for its own good”—but he also explores journalist John J. Miller’s book on the early history of college football, explaining, “these assaults on football pale compared to the battle waged by college presidents, professors, and journalists in the late 19th and early 20th century to outlaw the sport.”
http://www.visionandvalues.org/2011/09/when-teddy-roosevelt-saved-football/Thanks Teddy, now of course my Wife doesn't, being a Saturday and Sunday, Monday evening, and now Thursday Football Widow! She probably hates your guts!!!!
