Cheerleading Can Be Rough Business
Screen 2 of 2

In this situation, we were helpless, and before I could do anything to avoid the oncoming rush, I was pushed out to where the players were fighting, knocked down unceremoniously, and them trampled underfoot by the mob.

Lying on my back, everything was now above me. All I could see was feet and legs--all kinds and sizes of them, with cleated shoes on many of the feet. I was stepped on, kicked, cursed for being in the way, and occasionally rolled over by both players and spectators, as they surged back and forth. Once I felt a sharp blow from the metal yard marker against my shins. But somehow I never lost consciousness, even though it might have been better for me if I had.

I can relate no more details of this bizarre experience-- for two reasons: in this melee, it was almost impossible for me looking from the ground up to see what was actually happening above; and perhaps even more important, more than fifty years have gone by since this incident took place, a fact that has somewhat dimmed my memory.

I do remember that the police, aided by cooler heads among the spectators, finally restored order and that someone carried me to the sidelines to nurse my wounds, which though not serious were extremely painful.

Soon after all the fighting, the game was called off and declared to be a tie. The reasons given were not the usual ones such as because of rain, snow, or darkness. The reason was left to the local newspaper to explain in its next-day edition: "because of uncontrolled roughness and savagery:"

Cheerleading can indeed be rough business.

Chester C. Travelstead
Christmas, 1981

[Vol. 7 CONTENTS]
[TRAVELSTEAD'S VIGNETTES HOME PAGE]
[DAVID'S HOME PAGE]
- 30 -