1 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: The following episode is going to be of uh. You know, 2 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 1: so it's going to be about something ridiculous, but it's 3 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 1: also going to be a peek into US culture for 4 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:40,519 Speaker 1: a lot of our fellow ridiculous historians listening outside of 5 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: the United States. We are today talking about football, American football, 6 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: American football, and there's going to necessarily be some roughness 7 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: in this episode. Necessary roughness. No, what was necessary rough 8 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: It was just a raunchy like nineties American football comedy. 9 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 1: I believe who are you? Oh? I'm Noel uh and 10 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: I am an aficionado of raunchy nineties football based comedies. Yes, yes, yes, 11 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: that's how we met. I did my undergrad in that. 12 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: Actually all facts. I am ben and this is ridiculous history. 13 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:18,960 Speaker 1: But it would not be ridiculous history without our super producer, 14 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: Casey Pegrop. I just want to acknowledge that American football 15 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: also a great band. YEP kind of h what is 16 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: what would you call him? It's a little emo, kind 17 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 1: of emo, but way more on the tolerable side as 18 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 1: far as I'm concerned. No, they're good. They're kind of jangly, 19 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 1: they don't like, they don't wind scream, and it's kind 20 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:39,680 Speaker 1: of a little more low key, and the guitars are 21 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 1: kind of jangly and our peggio e kind of I 22 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:45,399 Speaker 1: dig it. And they have reunited after many years dormant. 23 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: They have a third album coming out. I will say 24 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: this though, for some reason, the name American Football, it's 25 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 1: just very bland sounding. It sounds like they'd be a 26 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: very bland kind of vanilla band. And they mean it's 27 00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 1: approachable emo. That's what I would call it. Casey on 28 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: the case. Well, today's story actually has a pretty cool 29 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 1: Atlanta connection, which is where we find ourselves right now. 30 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 1: Back in eight seven, there was a fullback um at 31 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: the University of Georgia named Richard von Gammon, and he 32 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:23,839 Speaker 1: was playing um with his team against the Virginia team, 33 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: which is a college team. And in those days, it 34 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 1: was quite common for players to be brutally injured, and 35 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: this was no exception. He was rushed and dogpiled on 36 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: and was at the bottom of this heap of humanity 37 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 1: and he started he received this this hit and then 38 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:49,920 Speaker 1: began to vomit blood and he they realized that he 39 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:56,919 Speaker 1: was dying on this football field. They eventually realized what happened. 40 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:02,079 Speaker 1: The team doctor pop the guy with a syringeful of morphine. 41 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 1: And then notice the blood was coming from Richard von 42 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:09,920 Speaker 1: Gammon's head. Von Gammon, you see, had suffered a skull 43 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:14,080 Speaker 1: fracture and a concussion. He was placed in a horse 44 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 1: drawn carriage headed for Grady Hospital and he died in 45 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 1: the hospital overnight. Yeah, and that scene that we're describing, 46 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: a medic basically coming out and stabbing a football player 47 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 1: with a syringeful of morphine sounds more like something akin 48 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 1: to what you see on a Vietnam battlefield or you 49 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: know what I mean. This is this is a college 50 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 1: sport for fun, right right, he was not wearing headgear. Today, 51 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: football is still hazardous. According to CDC estimates here in 52 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: the US, one point six to three point eight million 53 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: sports and recreation related concussions occur each year in the US. 54 00:03:56,640 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 1: Of all contact sports, athletes sustained concussion each year, brain 55 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 1: injuries caused more deaths than any other sport injury, and 56 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 1: in American football, brain injuries count forget this, sixty five 57 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: to nine five of all fatalities. And this is with 58 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: all the equipment that people have today. Back in these 59 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:21,240 Speaker 1: days that we're talking about, they didn't have helmets. They 60 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 1: barely had any padding. Um. A little later, there's a 61 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:27,920 Speaker 1: movie called leather Heads that started a guy played Jim 62 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 1: in the Office and George Clooney, where you can see 63 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:33,679 Speaker 1: the relatively minor changes that were made in football by 64 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:36,840 Speaker 1: nine and there were some pretty small helmets, a little 65 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:40,240 Speaker 1: bit more shoulder padding. But in these days, when this event, 66 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:42,839 Speaker 1: this death of this young man, really polarized the nation 67 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:46,279 Speaker 1: against the sport, very little protective measures were put in 68 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 1: place for these, uh, these young men that were out there. 69 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:52,760 Speaker 1: I am delighted because we knew a lot about each other. 70 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:55,480 Speaker 1: This is news to me, folks. I am delighted. Noel, 71 00:04:55,600 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: by your by your fascination with these these like turn 72 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:06,600 Speaker 1: of the twentie century football films, you know, nineties to 73 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:10,720 Speaker 1: early two thousand's, is at your wheelhouse? Did my dissertation 74 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 1: on varsity blues? You know, looking back, it all makes 75 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 1: sense in retrospect, and that's something that we see today. 76 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: You know, if you've ever watched a US football game, 77 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 1: you can see the tremendous amount of damage these folks 78 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:28,720 Speaker 1: are dealing out to one another. And then you can 79 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 1: look back at pictures of footballers of yesteryear and see 80 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 1: that they were doing the same thing with much less protection. 81 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 1: This has been an ongoing debate in this country. Was 82 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: football a proper pastime, people are asking in the wake 83 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:51,800 Speaker 1: of Von Gammon's death, or was it as violent and 84 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:57,799 Speaker 1: deadly as quote the gladiatorial combat of ancient Rome Ivy League. 85 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 1: University presidents argued about this, along with reformist muckraking journalists 86 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 1: and politicians. As we learn through a great Smithsonian article 87 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 1: called score one for Roosevelt, President Theodore Roosevelt himself intervened 88 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:18,159 Speaker 1: because you see, in addition to being president, he was 89 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:20,920 Speaker 1: a huge football fan and had been from the start. 90 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 1: And he even schooled his young son who comes into 91 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 1: play in this um and saying that the very thing 92 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 1: that makes us love football is the very thing that 93 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: makes it so utterly brutal and dangerous. At the time, 94 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 1: they I'm not a football okay, man. Now I'm showing 95 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 1: him to be my hand a little bit. I am 96 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 1: not an expert on the sport itself, just more its 97 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:46,360 Speaker 1: portrayal in cinema. But they didn't even have the forward 98 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 1: pass you had. It was all about the rush. It 99 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 1: was all about having an individual holding the ball rushing 100 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 1: it physically not throw throwing the ball and having it intercepted, 101 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 1: you had to actually physically hold it, and that would 102 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 1: open you up to much more um potential to be 103 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 1: hit or dog piled on. And that is how the 104 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:07,040 Speaker 1: game was played in those days. And this put Roosevelt 105 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: in an interesting position because he loved the game ever 106 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 1: since he was a kid. He publicly presented himself as 107 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:19,120 Speaker 1: a fan. But there was a little bit of what 108 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 1: pr folks would call optics to play here, because this 109 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: bravado in his public presentation of himself was meant to 110 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:31,560 Speaker 1: distract from his severe asthma, his terrible eyes, sight, and 111 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:34,120 Speaker 1: the other physical challenges he had growing up as a 112 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: sickly child. He was too slender and frail to play 113 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 1: varsity football himself, but that did not diminish his love 114 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 1: for the sport. Roosevelt called American football the greatest exercise 115 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: of fine moral qualities such as resolution, courage, endurance, and 116 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: capacity to hold one zone and stand up under punishment. 117 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 1: He also wrote that in life, as in a football game, 118 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 1: the principle should be don't foul and don't but hit 119 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 1: the line hard. Furthermore, he said, I will disinherit ady 120 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:08,680 Speaker 1: son who does not play college sports. Yeah, and this 121 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 1: comes into play in just a little bit. But he 122 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:12,400 Speaker 1: also was quoted as saying in a public address in 123 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 1: nineteen o three that he didn't feel any sympathy for 124 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: people who got battered, even a great deal, as long 125 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 1: as it was not fatal um. And the thing is, 126 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 1: these injuries that were happening, they didn't always result in deaths, 127 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: but they were gruesome and they had long lasting UH ramifications, 128 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:34,320 Speaker 1: even if it wasn't clear right away. It was this 129 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 1: death in clear view of everyone basically that really changed 130 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:43,000 Speaker 1: the conversation. But we are talking about punctured lungs from 131 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: ribs that are broken, we are talking about head injuries. 132 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:51,199 Speaker 1: We are talking about rented spines, broken legs, all kinds 133 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 1: of stuff because of the lack of safeguards in this sport, right. 134 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,280 Speaker 1: And we also have to consider that at this point 135 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 1: in time, a lot of people were not aware of 136 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 1: the long term damage posed by concussions, you know what 137 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:12,720 Speaker 1: I mean. They wouldn't notice something wrong necessarily until several 138 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 1: years had passed. Historians will tell us that by the 139 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 1: time Roosevelt entered the White House as president in nineteen 140 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 1: o one, the gridiron had turned into a killing field 141 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:35,440 Speaker 1: because of these harsh rules. One Princeton player explained to 142 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 1: the journalist Henry Beach need him that we're coached to 143 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:42,440 Speaker 1: pick out the most dangerous man on the opposing side 144 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:45,200 Speaker 1: and put him out in the first five minutes of 145 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 1: the game. In nineteen o five, the Chicago Tribune reported 146 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:52,839 Speaker 1: that nineteen people died playing college, high school, and sand 147 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:58,320 Speaker 1: lot or amateur football that year, and Roosevelt was getting unsettled. 148 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:01,320 Speaker 1: He didn't like this. He's pres resident, so the press 149 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 1: is always going to be, you know, at least partially adversarial, right, 150 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:10,960 Speaker 1: And being a shrewd politician, he saw trouble on the horizon, 151 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 1: and he didn't like these journalists talking bad, talking smack 152 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 1: about football. He was determined to save football somehow. He 153 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 1: also knew on the on the side of the Ivory 154 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 1: Towers that several officials at Harvard and other universities were 155 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: determined to abolish the game altogether, at least bannit from 156 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:36,959 Speaker 1: their campuses. Roosevelt referred to this as the Baby Act 157 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:39,720 Speaker 1: in that period that Ben you were just describing. In 158 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:42,720 Speaker 1: in the nineteen o five football season, the Chicago Tribune 159 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 1: coined a pretty excellent expression for it. They called it 160 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 1: the death Harvest. Yeah. Yeah, So we see Roosevelt at 161 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 1: a crossroads, right, the colleges want to end the game, 162 00:10:55,080 --> 00:11:00,079 Speaker 1: the journalists are describing the horrors of physical injury in 163 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:07,880 Speaker 1: lurid detail. Maybe now we reintroduce his son, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. 164 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 1: It was in that year of the Death Harvest that 165 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:15,960 Speaker 1: Ted Roosevelt, as Theodore Roosevelt Jr. Was known, Was playing 166 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:21,040 Speaker 1: for his alma mater of Harvard against Yale, and that 167 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:24,719 Speaker 1: was when he got an illegal hit that left him 168 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:28,400 Speaker 1: with a broken nose and a pretty bloodied face, and 169 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:32,560 Speaker 1: some conjecture that they this was done to him on 170 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:35,680 Speaker 1: purpose because no one else had been seriously injured in 171 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:39,839 Speaker 1: in that game and in that But here's the thing. 172 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:43,320 Speaker 1: In that same afternoon, another football player by the name 173 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:46,480 Speaker 1: of Harold Moore, who played for Union College, he died 174 00:11:46,679 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 1: of a cerebral hemorrhage when he was kicked in the 175 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:55,319 Speaker 1: head while attempting to tackle an n y U player. Um. 176 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:58,280 Speaker 1: And this was all during that year, and it was 177 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:01,840 Speaker 1: kind of an eye open thing for President Roosevelt because 178 00:12:02,679 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 1: he wasn't he certainly didn't want to give his son 179 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:08,199 Speaker 1: special treatment. But I think he it opened his eyes 180 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 1: to how there needed to be some kind of change 181 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 1: that wouldn't rob the sport of what made it good, 182 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 1: but also would have some protections for these young men 183 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:20,680 Speaker 1: who were in Ivy League schools and had bright careers 184 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:22,760 Speaker 1: ahead of them outside of the sport. You know, they 185 00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:24,200 Speaker 1: didn't want to I didn't want them to have like 186 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:27,439 Speaker 1: brain injuries and be so seriously injured that they couldn't 187 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:29,960 Speaker 1: pursue their dreams. I mean, I think, what do you 188 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:32,480 Speaker 1: think made it click for him Ben? Because he certainly 189 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:35,280 Speaker 1: didn't seem someone that would pamper his son. He wanted 190 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 1: him to, you know, be in this rough environment and 191 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:39,679 Speaker 1: kind of learn and you know, stand on his own 192 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:43,320 Speaker 1: two feet. There are multiple factors. We know that he 193 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 1: was very very close to his children, but he also 194 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 1: expected a lot out of them. We know that he 195 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 1: wrote to his son and said that the very things 196 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 1: that make it a good game make it a rough game, 197 00:12:57,080 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 1: referring to football and even and he seemed a little divided. 198 00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:05,040 Speaker 1: He definitely wanted his children to play, but he was 199 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:09,000 Speaker 1: also as any father would be, concerned. And then you know, 200 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:11,920 Speaker 1: you have the media angle and then you have the 201 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:19,360 Speaker 1: inarguable fact that children are dying. They're dying preventable deaths, 202 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:24,200 Speaker 1: and they're dying as a result of participating in this sport. 203 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:29,040 Speaker 1: On October nine, Roosevelt convenes a football summit at the 204 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:32,239 Speaker 1: White House. A lot of people are there, athletic directors, 205 00:13:32,559 --> 00:13:35,920 Speaker 1: ivy league coaches, Secretary of State at LEI, who root 206 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:41,559 Speaker 1: and Roosevelt says football is on trial because I believe 207 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:44,240 Speaker 1: in the game. I want to do all I can 208 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:46,560 Speaker 1: to save it. And so I have called you all 209 00:13:46,640 --> 00:13:49,200 Speaker 1: down here to see whether you won't all agree to 210 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:52,520 Speaker 1: abide by both the letter and spirit of the rules, 211 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:55,240 Speaker 1: for that will help. And Ben, if I'm not mistaken, 212 00:13:55,320 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 1: this summit, or this intercollegiate collective a conference, I guess 213 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:03,920 Speaker 1: would ultimately become what is now today known as the 214 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 1: n C Double A. Yeah, the National Collegiate Athletic Association. 215 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:12,440 Speaker 1: This happens. So it makes this speech on nineteen o five, 216 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:16,080 Speaker 1: same years the death Harvest. The next year, March nineteen 217 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:21,000 Speaker 1: o six, sixty two institutions become members of the n 218 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 1: C Double A. And this included a codified set of 219 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:28,560 Speaker 1: rules of engagement, much like any kind of international agreement 220 00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 1: between nations on what constitutes fair war tactics. I mean, 221 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 1: this was very much along those lines. They changed some 222 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:38,040 Speaker 1: of the rules. Remember earlier was talking about how they 223 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 1: didn't allow the forward pass. You had to run with 224 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:43,080 Speaker 1: the ball. Now they allowed the forward pass, which would 225 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:47,560 Speaker 1: cut down on the opportunities for um runners to be tackled. 226 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:50,560 Speaker 1: And not to mention, they changed some more specific things. 227 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:52,600 Speaker 1: Then you might have a better grasps with this than me, 228 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 1: but I'm gonna do my best to explain it. They 229 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:59,320 Speaker 1: changed they had a neutral zone between offense and defense, 230 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:02,480 Speaker 1: and they actually so a neutral zone would be a 231 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: zone where you are less likely to get hit? Is 232 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 1: that right? So in American football, and I had to 233 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 1: look this up. In American football, the neutral zone is 234 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:17,160 Speaker 1: the length of the football from one tip to the 235 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:20,120 Speaker 1: other when it's spotted placed on a certain spot on 236 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 1: the field prior to the snap of the ball during 237 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 1: a scrimmaged down. Okay, so there's that again. I feel 238 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:31,440 Speaker 1: like you just got wish. I got wish. We got 239 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:33,640 Speaker 1: wish big time. So legalize the forward past that one. 240 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 1: I understand neutral zone And then they also um doubled 241 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:40,040 Speaker 1: the This is from a history dot Com article about 242 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 1: how Teddy Roosevelt say football. They doubled the first down 243 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 1: distance to ten yards, so I guess you didn't have 244 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:52,040 Speaker 1: to rush quite as far. Oh, you know what, in 245 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:55,440 Speaker 1: the amount of time. That makes sense. Also, I was 246 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:58,400 Speaker 1: getting two in the weeds with that neutral zone definition. 247 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 1: Let's just think of it as an area where no 248 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:03,680 Speaker 1: members of either team can go other than the person 249 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:06,520 Speaker 1: holding the ball. That makes sense. It makes a little 250 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 1: more sense. We're unwooshing ourselves. And this didn't completely change 251 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:16,480 Speaker 1: the nature of the game, which was by design. They 252 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:18,720 Speaker 1: wanted to keep it rough. They didn't want to like 253 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:20,800 Speaker 1: I mean, it's a little bit of a pejorative very 254 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:23,480 Speaker 1: much as but Roosevelt said. They didn't want to make 255 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 1: the game be played quote onto lady like a basis. 256 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: So it certainly wasn't because yeah, it certainly wasn't becoming 257 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: touch football or flag football or something. But uh, fatalities 258 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:37,680 Speaker 1: declined to eleven per year instead of the nine team 259 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:39,960 Speaker 1: that we saw in that death harvest here, which to 260 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 1: me isn't quite good enough. Still progress, I guess you 261 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:47,880 Speaker 1: could say that Harvard's football coach at the time, William Reid, 262 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 1: said that Roosevelt had helped save the game. A ban 263 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 1: against the sport by colleges and universities would have prevented 264 00:16:57,400 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 1: most likely would have prevented the development of professional football. 265 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 1: And although this this ends the main branch of our tail, 266 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:08,440 Speaker 1: and it is true that if you are a football fan, 267 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:14,199 Speaker 1: you should ardently thank President Theodore Roosevelt. I have to 268 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:18,199 Speaker 1: say there is one thing about football that always trips 269 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:21,200 Speaker 1: me out. More and more recently, it's the Super Bowl 270 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:25,160 Speaker 1: halftime show. Man, Yeah, which is its own bag of badgers. 271 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: It's own ball of wax or weird string or I 272 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:32,679 Speaker 1: should say ball of lip sync abbreviated performances. Totally. We 273 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:35,760 Speaker 1: have the Super Bowl in Atlanta this last game, and uh, 274 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:37,800 Speaker 1: people were talking more about the halftime show than they 275 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:39,639 Speaker 1: were about the game. Apparently it was a bit of 276 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:41,800 Speaker 1: a snooze fest. But it was funny when there were 277 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:44,119 Speaker 1: things that happened as part of the game the telecast. 278 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:46,639 Speaker 1: I could go outside and hear like the Blue Angel 279 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:48,800 Speaker 1: Jets flying overhead. That was funny to be able to 280 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 1: experience those things in real time. Yeah, you know, I 281 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:58,360 Speaker 1: I know that there are amazing Super Bowl halftime performances, 282 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:00,720 Speaker 1: and I know that there are people who just tuned 283 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:03,840 Speaker 1: in to watch that. But I gotta say I the 284 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:06,679 Speaker 1: last one didn't really didn't really move me, you know 285 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:09,520 Speaker 1: what I mean? Who was that Maroon five number in five, 286 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:12,440 Speaker 1: Adam Levine with his Adam Levine and his TACKI tattoos. 287 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 1: I heard the bigger controversy was him showing a nipple 288 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:18,760 Speaker 1: and not getting nipples and not getting in trouble. Which 289 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:22,879 Speaker 1: multiple nipples, yeah, for just the one. Yeah, it's definitely 290 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:26,840 Speaker 1: a bizarre double standard. So let us know what you 291 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:31,640 Speaker 1: think of American football. I'd especially love to hear what 292 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:35,360 Speaker 1: you think if you are not from this country, because 293 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 1: here in the US football is tremendously popular. It's a 294 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:45,720 Speaker 1: billion dollar industry, and for outsiders looking in the rules 295 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 1: of football can seem as inscrutable as the rules of cricket. 296 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:52,840 Speaker 1: Do you know the rules of cricket? Absolutely not? Don't 297 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 1: bad neither do I I know the bats called the 298 00:18:55,600 --> 00:19:01,640 Speaker 1: wicket right now? No? Sorry and no no, it's the 299 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 1: uh the I I don't know the name of the 300 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:07,840 Speaker 1: bat in cricket, but the wicket is one of the 301 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:11,680 Speaker 1: two sets of three stumps at either end of the pitch, know, 302 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:16,040 Speaker 1: like a wicket in croquet. So what's the sticky wicket? Uh, 303 00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:20,480 Speaker 1: sticky wicket? If I'm just speculating, here is a wicket 304 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:25,639 Speaker 1: where it's tough to knock down the horizontal parts the bails. 305 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:29,320 Speaker 1: I give up, don't give alright, I won't give up. 306 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 1: I'll send you. I'm gonna send you a great sketch 307 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:35,600 Speaker 1: from Mitchell and Webb, my friends about cricket. I would 308 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:37,440 Speaker 1: really love that ban because I love Michell and Webb, 309 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:40,200 Speaker 1: and I apparently am completely ignorant on on the rules 310 00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:42,439 Speaker 1: of cricket and American football because you know what, Ben, 311 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:44,639 Speaker 1: they don't really talk about the rules in the movies, 312 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:47,119 Speaker 1: the football movies. They just assume that you already know. 313 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:50,080 Speaker 1: And it's mainly about the Oscar moments speeches right to me, 314 00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 1: it's about the Oscar moment. It's about it's about like, 315 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 1: Rudy is a good one. I like Rudy the underdog story. 316 00:19:55,600 --> 00:19:58,119 Speaker 1: I really like for you. I know, I know, I 317 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:01,120 Speaker 1: usually go for the deeper cuts, but um, it's it's 318 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:03,560 Speaker 1: an important one. Remember the Titans, do you remember them? 319 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:07,520 Speaker 1: Remember those Titans? I don't remember those Titans. I know 320 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:09,480 Speaker 1: the name of the film, but I haven't watched it. 321 00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:15,240 Speaker 1: It's a very, very inspiring tale of underdoggedness. I'm more 322 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:20,600 Speaker 1: into weird presidential history and trivia, and I think this 323 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:23,959 Speaker 1: episode qualifies for that. I think this episode is the 324 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:28,280 Speaker 1: beautiful ven diagram betwixt those two disciplines them right right, 325 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:33,160 Speaker 1: I agree with you, knowl and this ends our story today. Yeah, 326 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:37,960 Speaker 1: let us know if American football is popular outside of 327 00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:42,800 Speaker 1: the US, it's probably never gonna be as popular as 328 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:45,359 Speaker 1: soccer or you know what the rest of the world 329 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:49,800 Speaker 1: calls football. Furthermore, let us know what you think of 330 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:54,640 Speaker 1: the concussion controversy. A few years back, we got together 331 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 1: at work and did what I think is is a 332 00:20:57,359 --> 00:21:02,280 Speaker 1: pretty stand up video, a documentary on concussions. Do you 333 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 1: remember that, Casey, I do remember that we went to 334 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:07,360 Speaker 1: or I didn't go, but somebody went to like a 335 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:10,679 Speaker 1: conference or something about it, right, Yeah, Football Hall of 336 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 1: Fame or something like that. Maybe we can post that 337 00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:19,040 Speaker 1: on our Facebook page, Ridiculous Historians. It's it's an excellent 338 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:21,919 Speaker 1: way to learn a little bit more about the current 339 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:27,360 Speaker 1: science combating concussions today. While you are on the internet, 340 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:29,800 Speaker 1: feel free to check us out on Twitter. You can 341 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:34,480 Speaker 1: also find us on Instagram. And you can check out 342 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:40,160 Speaker 1: some more of knowles I'm certain deep dive research into 343 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:44,280 Speaker 1: nineties era football films on his own Instagram. Yep, you 344 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 1: can that is at Embryonic Insider, where you know, you know, 345 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 1: I'll post pictures and video clips of me at various 346 00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 1: nineties pop culture conferences and symposiums, symposiums and talks, and 347 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 1: you know, Ted talks all the different guy talks. And 348 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:05,120 Speaker 1: you can find me at Ben Bolan, where I am 349 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:10,000 Speaker 1: your faithful correspondent providing a visual travelogue of the various 350 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:15,359 Speaker 1: strange countries that I that I get kicked into and 351 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:18,640 Speaker 1: kicked out of. North Korea. I'm looking at you. Here's 352 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:20,639 Speaker 1: looking at you, North Korea. I like that, Ben, I 353 00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:23,440 Speaker 1: really gotta go. Um. Thanks to super producer Casey Pagraham, 354 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:26,680 Speaker 1: as always Alex Williams who composed our theme, research associated 355 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:31,159 Speaker 1: Gabe Loesier, and Ben you, Thanks Noll and Hey, and 356 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:36,800 Speaker 1: thank you too. Thanks to Theodore Roosevelt for introducing us 357 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:40,679 Speaker 1: to the term rough riders, for being president, for making 358 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:44,159 Speaker 1: football a little less lethal and allowing the game to 359 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:46,920 Speaker 1: continue for its millions of fans across the country and 360 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:51,000 Speaker 1: the world. And thanks for listening. I have one last question. 361 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 1: I'm squeezing one last question for everybody. What's the weirdest 362 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:57,960 Speaker 1: sport you know about? Yeah, that's not folks. Talk to 363 00:22:57,960 --> 00:22:58,280 Speaker 1: you soon.