Athletics and Football (extract)

ATHLETIC GOVERNMENT 231 particular event—stands out of the raceast hisown distancien his college sports to givethe othemr en cahance. All is good sport, even though the winners' times are sometimes so slow as topromote mtihreth tohfe Londo'ncrack.' When the co'llege grinds ' are over the 'Varsity sports come to finish up the seasoTn.hey alwtaaykse place aboaut week before the end of the Lentet rm, aintd isfrom the result of the different races at the 'Varsity spor s ththaet representativefsor the Inter-'Varsity gathering are selected by the committee of the Club. From tvhery earliest time the Oxford men took a sensiblecourse with regard to the prizes at the University meeting, and fothre last fifteen years the winnearnd second man in eachrace get exactly the samperize—a silver medal. To haevaerned 'tOhe.U.A.C. medal' is honour enough for Oxford athlete, and it is better tfoar givethe winnear trophy which showupson the face of it inwhat sporitts was earned than tgoive valuablperizes to a class aomfateurs who ought to be above coveting them. There is something, however, which thUeniversity athlete cov ts more thahnis medal, and that is the 'blTuhee.' system of 'Varsity 'colours' certainly has its amusing side, and a strangermay well be bewildered at the number of coats and caps of gaudy hwuehich airne the pos­ session aonf Oxfordor Cambridgeathlete. Every collehgaes its colours;then theirse something distinctive for each club of every college from which the initiated observer can gather whether wtheaerer of ctohaet ancdap he sees is a cricketer, or an oarsman, or something else. Then with the cricket coats there must be a fr shdifference, to mark the main the college eleven anthde man whios not in it ;and similarly with the votaries of the river, maan geats differentcap whehne reaches his college torp' id,' and yet another when he is promoted to the ei'ght.' The outward and visible sign, th onf, the 'Varsity man's upwaprdogress anin athletic career is thedonning of a fresh cooart cap,or apiece roifbbon whihceh wears proudly as abadge moferit. Mere collecgoelours, however, caorne sidered to count fbour t little as compared with the dark or