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Show sii sii is FAST MOVING TOWARD MI Thousands of Strangers Attending Games for First Time. BY tlTEII CAMP Special Corn poud.-ut t The Stand- 1 ard-Examincr. (Copyright, 1922, by Tho Standard-Examiner Standard-Examiner ) NEW YORK, Dec. 9. American intercollegiate football has more supporters sup-porters today than at any time in Its history, both as a spectacle and as an ndjunct to the formation of character In American youth This Is an especially espe-cially opportune time to take up the values of the gridiron game and It Is not at all surprising that business men, editors and leaders of public thought who are students of social economics are putting themselves on record as staunch supporters of the great sport. Apart from its value to the players It has a distinct appeal to the nation, from the viewpoint of our own physical phy-sical fitness, for not one but several surgeons have called attention to the fact that even those on the bleachers, through the excitement, secure a real v;.ln In the quickened pulse beat and the stimulus of the game. It is one of the games which whllo infinite in Its technique, when analyzed as It is by the expert critic and coach, has a cardinal principle for its base, which makes it appeal even to the uninitiated GAME SUITS YOUTHS It takes but llttlo experience to the stranger to the game to possess himself him-self of the meaning of it, and the purposes pur-poses of the two teams. It Is a game that has been worked out well to especially suit the youth of our nation. na-tion. It probably gives an opportunity for greater variety of athletic, as well as mental qualifications than comes from any of tho other varieties ot the gamo of foot ball It requires tho qualifications of not only the runner, but the wrestler, the active man p well as the powerful man. the man of considerable weight and the wiry typo Llcyond all else is the mental side, which Is so exacting that the stupid boy Is quickened In every mental process- Its quality through the cheering cheer-ing and partisanship of developing spirit Is also quite remarkable. The types of spectators aro so varied that one Is Impressed with the fact that its appeal is not to one class in society, but to all. It is estimate! that one of the large universities took in gate receipts a half million dollars this year. It is estimated that on on Saturday afternoon alone a half dozen games drew over a quarter of a million mil-lion spectators. It Is not a supposition but a fact that at all these contests there wero not nearly enough seating accommodations accommo-dations to take car - of the demand f those who wished to see the contests. It has grown to be a giant with a, giant's strength, but It could not have grown tho way that It has without certain stern virtues which It typifies in the nation. It must be guided and turned to good account. I'AVs rOR SPORT. As a matter of fact, football today Is the central power plant of the ath- letlc station In most universities, so far as finances are concerned. It not only pays Its own way, but it pays the j wa of track athletics, rowing, minor 1 sports and general upkeep Baseball 1 In many universities does not better than break even, and in several Is operated at a loss, and so arc track j athletics. It Is Impossible practically to get anywhere near enough gate receipts from sports of this kind to pay - v n a small portion of their cost. The j same is true of basketball and modt 1 of the minor sports. The building of stadiums Is In many ways a business proposition for the athletic department depart-ment of tho university because it Is only by the gate receipts from foot- 1 ball that the general athletic plant I may be financed and supported. no |