Impressions of Northern Athletes and Athletics

Vagaries of Mismanagement. In the first place I have always noted that disagreement existed in a more or less degree in these Games Committees whose conduct was inimical to the cause they ostensibly professed to uphold. Several members endeavoured volubly to make their presence known, so that conflicting orders and promiscuous babble was very general. Few of these men appreciated that a prating tongue is usually associated with a brainless head. Certain committees have a culpable habit of announcing the events without giving due notice to the competitors, who are thus seldom ready to appear, while the impatient members pay repeated visits to the athletes’ tent, shouting something like: “Hurry up, now. Hurry up. Ya’ know we canna’ be keeping the people waiting. Quick! Ya’ should be oot long ago – the whole lot o’ ya’,” &c. I, therefore, say: Give due notice to the competitors, and should anybody fail to appear, do not stand within the ring shouting his name into the ear of the spectator. Rather put the wheels in motion, and if a competitor arrives late, let him forfeit the number of trials which each of the other competitors have already taken. Proper Programmes Games Committees should also arrange their programmes methodically. The absurdity of heading the list with leaping contests is shown in the fact that in a well-contested high leaping match the performer takes about a dozen jumps and runs more than a quarter of a mile – so with strength and energy dissipating, how can he compete successfully with fresh rivals in, say, hammer-throwing and shot-putting – feats which may be immediately contested? I shall have something to say in future about the proper arrangement of programmes. Setting the Stance This is another most important point, but in spite of this I have seen obstinate members set it deplorable places and in positions against the unanimous dissention of the competitors. Therefore, let the arranging of stances, jumping-stands, &c., be the athletes’ prerogative, because they know better and invariably agree among themselves. Determining the Distances covered with missiles should be wholly the duty of an impartial and competent man. The competitor has no business to try to revoke the decision of the judge, although he might reasonably explain any misunderstandings. I recollect on one occasion defeating an opponent by a full inch in shot-putting: but the judge, incompetent and vacillating, protracted his decision with the result that several of the bystanders – upholders of my defeated rival – declared the result as a draw. An argument followed, for by perceptively slackening and tightening the tape they managed to equalise the difference – which the “judge” instantly did – after giving me a