CHEERING ON THE RACK.

The Harvard Bulletin publishes this week two communications and an editorial upon organized cheering, to the effect that cheering intended to rattle or otherwise impede the players of the opposing team is unsportsmanlike and should be stopped. We cannot too heartily agree. Throughout the football season the CRIMSON urged upon the undergraduates the value of cheering as an inspiration to the team, but we said at the outset that there were certain risks connected with it. On November 13 in an editorial we said, "There is a danger ... that the cheer leaders will be induced to give cheers that will drown our own or our opponents' signals. This of course is not to be tolerated." In the Yale game the cheering was abundant and enthusiastic. That in itself was an improvement over the condition in years past when our stands have given but half-hearted support to the team. Yet the playing by both sides was frequently held up by the cheering, and it was true that, owing to cheers from the opposing stands, the quarterback of the team which was for the moment playing on the offensive could make his signals understood only by going to each member of his eleven and shouting in his ear. It can hardly be justly said that the cheers were directly intended to impede the adversary's team--the cheering of Harvard men by the Yale stands and vice-versa evidenced that the feeling between the rival supporters was too good. The cheers were aimed solely to encourage the cheerers' own team. But whatever the motive there remained the undoubtedly undesired effect.

We believe firmly in the value of organized cheering to the players. Captain Fisher himself emphasized this very point. In as far as our stands were able to give this support heartily and thoroughly this year our cheering was an improvement on all that has gone before. But success from this point of view is only a part of the real measure of success of cheering. At present we are able to cheer so as to inspire our own men. Henceforward let all our efforts be directed to see that our cheers are not obstructing our opponents. This might make our cheers less frequent but should in no way make them less enthusiastic or inspiring. If this is in reality the most sportsmanlike way of dealing with the question of cheering it should not be difficult for the leaders on both sides to meet before the large intercollegiate contests and agree not to cheer at certain specified times. It would not then take long for a body of cheering etiquette to grow up that would put an end to most of the complaints that now arise so frequently.