"THIS BEATS CROQUET," SAID MARK TWAIN AT FOOTBALL GAME.

Editor's note -- Oct. 2, 2010  "That Yale [Crimson Tide] team could lick a Spanish army [Florida Gators]!"

RT @TwainToday Still haven't found any quotes by Twain on Football.. >>> #RollTide!!

7:37 PM Oct 2nd via webEditor's note -- quotes by Twain on FootballRT @helefant  @TwainToday http://www.twainquotes.com/Football.html

Well, say, this beats croquet. There's more go about it!

- quoted in "Mark Twain at Football Game," New York World, Sunday November 18, 1900

THE New York WORLD, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1900, p. 3.

"THIS BEATS CROQUET," SAID MARK TWAIN AT FOOTBALL GAME.

Sees Yale [RollTide] Whip Princeton [Florida], but "Roots" Vigorously for the Tigers [Gators].

Editor's note -- Repeat chorus, 

and not formatting the way Editor wants Google Blogger to do it.   

Mark Twain, as the guest of Laurence Hutton, the writer, was an interested spectator of the Yale-Princeton football game. Mr. Clemens left Friday afternoon for Princeton and ws driven immediately to Mr. Hutton's residence. He held an informal reception there during Friday evening.

Just before 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon Mr. Clemens, Mr. Hutton and several Princeton professors were driven to the football field. Some Princetonians in the crowd recognized Mark Twain and he was the recipient of several long-drawn out "Sis-boom-ahs" as he climbed up the seats on the east stand. This was the stand where the Princeton singing societies were congregated. They were gathered near the northern end of the stand, and the mighty volume of sound they put forth seemed to delight Mr. Clemens, who smiled at their enthusiasm.
Mr. Clemens wore a huge yellow chrysanthemum I the left lapel of his long black overcoat. This tribute to the college was appreciated by the students near by, who throughout the game gave an occasional "tiger" for "Mark Twain."
Mr. Clemens appeared deeply interested in the contest. It was the first college football game he had ever witnessed. He asked many questions of his friend Mr. Hutton and of others near by concerning the plays and the players. He quickly mastered the main principles of the game and easily detected the superiority of the team from New Haven.

When the gigantic Perry Hale and the huge and gritty Gordon Brown, the captain of the blues, or the almost equally stalwart Stillman slammed into the Tigers, bowling them over on all sides, Mr. Clemens made such remarks as:
"I should think they'd break every bone they ever had!"
"Those Yale [RollTide] men must be made of granite, like the rocks of Connecticut [Alabama] !"
"Those young Elis are too beefy and brawny for the Tigers." "Well, say, this beats croquet. There's more go about it!"
"That Yale [RollTide] team could lick a Spanish army!"
"The country is safe when its young men show such pluck and determination as are here in evidence to-day."Editor's note - Tuesday 
ArkansasSports360.com's SEC Power Poll: Week 6       10/5/2010 at 10:19am

The Southeastern Conference is running out of teams to challenge Alabama for supremacy. Used to, you could count on Florida being up there, but the Gators have joined the rest of the pack.

~~~