The San Francisco call., 1896-11-29
THINKING OVER.
THEIR DEFEAT
Berkeley Players Speculat.
ing as to How They
Lost the Game.
Some Blame the Coach, While
the Majority Uphold
His Work.
Hunting for Some One on Whom the
Responsibility Can Be Most
Easily Shifted.

BERKELEY, CAL, Nov. 2s.-Now that
the great annual intercollegiate football
game is over and gone, and the sting of
defeat is gradually dying away, the
players and their friends have begun to
reflect little and to try to find out how
Berkeley really happened to lose the
game.
In the case of every contest where there
is decision the losing side is always sure
to look about for somebody on whom TO
lay the blame. Just so in the present one.
Half dozen or more reasons are ad-
yanced for Berkeley's sad defeat Some
throw the whole blame on Butterworth,
some say that the men did not work hard
enough; others maintain that the team
did not have the full support of the
students, and thus were lacking in spirit,
while still others declare that the material
at-hand was not equal to that at Stanford.
The burden of the blame would nat
urally fall upon the coach, no matter how
competent or ainstaking he might be.
While it is generally conceded that Butter
worth did not give the time and attention
TO the team that he might have done, still
his work with them ihis year seems to
b ave compared favorably with that of last
season. During neither year did he give
the Team the constant attention that they
received at the hands of Gill or Heffelfn-
ger. Last year it was whispered around
that the coach was paying 100 much at
tention to society and to other matters
entirely foreig TO football, but when the
news was spread abroad that Manager
Reinhardt was thinking strongly of secur-
ing some other man this year, a great
howl went up from the football men and
student body.
So strong was the sentiment in Butter
worth's favor that during the cam paign
for managership, when Taylor and Rein
nardt were up. an argument which was
offered against the latter was that he did
not favor 'Butterworth. This one thing is
said TO have lost him many votes. The
impression that the great Yale fullback
had made on the Berkeley team and the
students in general, because of his snapyy
methods of coaching, was sufficient to
favor his certain return, Notwithstanding
his affinity for society and his alienation
from the team.
This favorable attitude toward Butter
worth continued until Berkeley had been
defeated. Then few of his enemies, in
order to make some sort of an excuse for
the walk-vver, turned and cast the blame
on the coach.
Hardly day passed during the practice
season that some one was not heard to
say: 1--WE will win this year if we ever
do"
The reasons for this belief were that
with two such men as Butterworth and
Mott to direct the work of the team, as
against Cross, the single Instructor of the
Palo Alto, men, Berkeley should come out
on top II any good was to come from ex-
perienced coachers. Butierworth was
the high salaried officer he bore the
cognomen of Coach and he received
nearly all the honor for training the men,
and now the blame for losing the day is
laid by some at his door. Several mem
bers of the team who were interviewed to-
day. while admitting that he might have
spent more energy on them, uphold the
coach, and take the burden of the defeat
upon themselves.
Said one OF tie players this afternoon:
I'VE were too light for the Palo Alto men
10 begin with, and then we suffered because
1t was necessary to shift US about in or
der TO make up the best team. We did
not get the practice together that we
should have had for the big game. This
lightness of the players and the shifting
about was no fault of Butterworth's. The
same thing would have happened if we
had had forty of the best coachers in
America at our side. That he did the best
he could with the material on-hnnd l have
not the least doubt. We feared all along
that we conld not hold Stanford's line
and IL proved true. Our backs were far
superior TO theirs III skill, but what could
they do with weak line for support?
''1t may not be generally known, but
Carr, our center. entered the game weigh
ing just 158 rounds, which is a pounds
less than Williams is reported TO have
weighed. Carr did nobly against big
'Heff,' but of course could not hold him
all the time. 1t is a fact that Carr had
only six days actual training at center.
Then again Walthail, our left guard.
though he understood his position, having
played last year, had only weeks prac-
tlce the whole season. 1t was through
these positions that Stanford made the
greater part of her games. From these two
cases alone the fact that We did not have
the material for crack team is proved,
deplore very much that this conversa-
ton about the incom potency of the coach
has arisen, because l think that 1t is an
injustice to the man. / have no personal
feeling in the matter whatever, but want
to see Butterworth given square DEAL"