A Critique of Early Football Fans

The Philadelphia Athletics of the 1902 National Football League—Public domain image

 

 

Rooting Manners

“The rooting,” declares a sporting authority, critically reviewing a recent game of football, “was noticeably ragged and poorly led.”

What would be thought, in days of old when knights were bold, of the chivalry of a fighting man who took his retainers with him to the tourney, and had them posted about with fish-horns and megaphones, for the express purpose of disconcerting his opponent? Odsbods! not much.

Spontaneous bad manners have something to condone them, especially in a generation whose besetting sin is pose. A lot can be forgiven youthful ebullience, too. But deliberate, studied boorishness — does it pay?— From ‘Puck,’ in the Los Angeles Herald, 1930

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