The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-02-11
PRINCETON ATHLETICS.
Resignation of Jack McMasters-out
look for the Year.

look for the Year.
The resignation of Jack McMasters,
Princeton's football and baseball train
er, has aroused general discussion
in athletic circles. McMasters has
been engaged in the capacity of train
er at Princeton for the last seven years
and in that time has done his part in
the development of five championship
teams. The reasons for his resignation
date back to the Yale-Princeton foot
ball match last fall, and in connection
with the matter G.. c. Cuyler said yes
terday:
Il was quite as surprised as anybody
to read of McMasters resignation this
morning, although / felt that it would
eventually come. The facts are these:
After the defeat of Princeton by Yale
last fall everybody began looking
around for somebody to blame. 1t is
human nature, and occurs all through
life. At first the coachers came in for
their share, and then the apparent poor
condition of the men was pointed out,
and a strong sentiment was aroused
against McMasters, not only among
the graduates, but also among the I'M
dergraduates. Many letters were re-
ceived by the management, and the
feeling grew so strong that it was gem
orally believed that his usefulness at
Princeton was at an end. He undoubt-
edly felt that matters were not alto
gether smooth, and did, in my opinion,
the manly thing by sending in his res
ignation. 1t illustrates fully the tickle
ness of so-called popularity; last year
he succeeded and was one of the lions
of the day; this year he failed and the
consequences are seen.
I'm justice to McMasters, several lit
tie points should perhaps be consider
ed. In the first place, there was gen
eral feeling of over-confidence among
the players, and no doubt much of the
blame should be placed on the eleven
! itself; a team is easy or hard to train
| in proportion to the enthusiasm it
| shows for the work. The Princetons
| last fall appointed DR.. Church medical
| adviser of the team, a position that
| Hartwell has held SO successfully at
| Yale, and the result was slight divi-
sion of authority that is disastrous at
all times. Everything depends on a
good captain and his power to hold the
men together; If he is advised by diff
ferent men on much the same questions
| there is bound to be trouble. In one
sense, perhaps, it is quite as well that
McMasters has resigned, as some of
| the undergraduates have claimed for
some time that he was not strictly up
to the times. 1t has been said that he
trained all men alike, making no al
lowance for different constitutions and
the result would tend to prevent some
good material from training at all.
He continued by saying that it was
| impossible to say as yet what steps
would be taken towards filing his
| place. Walter Christie, who has charge
| of the track team, would undoubtedly
be considered, as he had shown great
ability in handling men, but there were
also a number of other good men who
could be had. Mr.. Cuyler said further
that the election of Kelly as captain of
| the football team, in place of Baird,
| who was forced to resign, had been
we'll received by the undergraduates.
Kelly was very popular in athletic cir
Giles, and seemed to have the rare pow
err of infusing some of his own life and
spirit into his men. Many people had
remarked on the effect his playing had
on the Princeton team in the Yale
game, it being, in point of fact, the
only time that Princeton was able to
show anything like true form. Mr..
Cuyler concluded by saying that the
prospects for championship baseball
team at Princeton were not particular
ly bright at present. A number OF
places had to be filled, and the materi-
al was raw and undeveloped. 1t would
be good news to all Princeton admirers
to know that Bradley had consented to
take charge of the team from the list of
May, while Jayne would coach the
pitching department.