Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 273, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 November 1912 — CRACK KICKERS BIG ASSETS [ARTICLE]

CRACK KICKERS BIG ASSETS

Teams With Star Booters Have Decided Advantage In Football, but Are Hard to Find. When estimating the strength of a baseball team many fans are apt to be influenced by the supposed strength of the pitching staff. Many a crack team is strong in all departments except in the box and as a result is not able to noße out inferior teams which hhve a star corps of twirlers. In football the man who takes the place of the baseball pitcher might he said to be the kicker. It is doubtful if the pitcher in baseball is quite as important to his team as is a sensational kicker In football. In football, as the game Is now played, the kicker is a most important factor. More kicking is done in one game nowadays than was done in a dozen games ten years ago. In the old days practically all the scoring was done via the touchdown route. Now, field goals are just about as frequent as the touchdown and are possible when the touchdown is out of the question. The present playing code, allows the backfleld to help the defensive play of the line when close to their own goal, while the team on the offense has no more latitude than when in the middle of the field. In fact, one offensive play, the onside lick, is eliminated after the ball is advanced to their opponents’ twenty-yard line. Therefore, many a team is able to carry the ball up to a certain point at which the defense seems to brace and it becomes a great deal more difficult to gain. Then the kicker is called into play. With either a drop or place kick is a score possible. Just as the drop and place kicker is important, so is the punter. When the goal is in danger it is up to the punter to kick the ball out of danger, and the result of his efforts in many cases may decide some close-fought contest. Formerly the punter was taught to kick for distance only. Now he must not only get the distance but must be able to place his kicks. That the kicks should be placed by the punter is most esential, as it is of great assistance in helping his teammates in recovering the ball. A good punter has been known to make the team on the strength of his kicking alone, and several times in the history of the game has a man, able to send the ball over for a field goal been carried all season, and sent in to decide a championship game by his drop or place kicking. When these facts are common property it does not seem strange that star kicker should be so scarce. At the present time real sensational booters can be numbered on the fingers of the hand. This is not because of the fact that the coaches do not try to develop kickers, for such is not the case. Many are prone to believe that kickers are born, not made, apd while a fair kicker" may be developed, the stars are generally men who show ability right from the start.