Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 81.djvu/345

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SMOKING AND FOOTBALL MEN
339

and only 16.6 per cent, of the non-smokers obtained places on the varsity teams. It is clear from the above that the concluding sentence means nothing unless the number of smokers and of non-smokers contesting is given.

The conclusion that smokers stand but little chance with nonsmokers in obtaining places on football squads is not only shown by the total of the six institutions, but is similarly shown in each of the six. It should be observed here that the introduction of data from a single institution departing radically from the general trend of all others would influence very largely the average of the total. In such a case the average would be wholly unreliable. But in the case at hand where not only the total of the six institutions point in a given direction, but also each of the six, the average very closely approximates the truth.

The following table shows the inferiority of the smokers in each of the six institutions reporting:

Institution A. Number Competing
for Places
Number
Successful
Per Cent.
Succesful
Smokers 11 2 18.2
Non-smokers 19 11 57.9
Institution B.
Smokers 10 4 40
Non-smokers 25 17 68
Institution C.
Smokers 28 7 25
Non-smokers 17 14 82
Institution D.
Smokers 28 11 39.3
Non-smokers 15 10 66.6
Institution E.
Smokers 10 7 70
Non-smokers 15 12 80
Institution F.[1]
Smokers 6 0 0
Non-smokers 26 15 57.7

The following table gives the names of the institutions reporting and the number of smokers and non-smokers in each. Very incomplete data were submitted by three other institutions, two of which appended notes to the effect that the information was not wholly reliable. In the third institution the football squad contained no smokers. It may be well to state that the University of Utah is not included in any of the computations, as the team contained no smokers and, further, none of the men who tried for positions were smokers.

  1. It will be noted that no smokers obtained places on this team. In consequence of this the data from this institution are not used elsewhere in this investigation.