Omaha daily bee., 1899-09-24
COLLEGE ATHLETICS WARM UP
Foot Ball Players swarm the Grid
irons-Harvard Has Advantage of
the Best start.

The work of preparation for the foot ball
season Of 1899 has already begun in earnest
at all Of the big universities and the untold
numbers OF people who are devotees of this
deservedly popular sport are talking of moth
Ing else now-the makeup of the teams how
they will compare with the elevens of the
last few years and the ultimate winners OF
the championships.
AS usual, the veterans OF foot balloon and
the candidates for positions on the different
teams reported on the gridirons a week or
more previous to the time of the opening Of
the colleges and the last week has been an
active one. None of the teams are yet fully
organized nor has anything other than pre-
liminary practice, designed to show the stun
in the aspirants for team positions, been
done. The prospects, however, for an un-
usually interesting season are particularly
bright, with the relative merits of the sew
eral big teams yet an open question. With
all of them one thing is noticeable-none are
entering the season of 1899 buoyed up by
false hopes and the prestige of former vic
tories, to end the season with irretrievable
defeat, but each, with an unusual degree of
uncertitude and with a consciousness that
victory comes not by past laurels or achieve
ments, but only in effort and perseverance.
With this end in view the coaches are put
ting their men through diligent practice
more of a preliminary nature than anything
else, to Timber up the men after their sum-
mar's vacation, consisting of falling on the
ball, passing 1t and some running about the
gridiron.
Harvard begins the year with a distinct
advantage and a brilliant opportunity 10 pro-
tect its we'll earned laurels for the reason
that Head Goach Pep Dibb1a starts ont With
a better nucleus of old players than any Of
the other universities. Among them are Hal
lowell for right end; Eaton, last years sub
right tackle, who played in the Yale game;
Captain Burden for right guard, Burnett for
center, which position he played for a time
in the Pennsylvania and Yale games; Doal
for left guard, DAILY for quarterback, War
ren for right half and Reid for fullback.
Harvard covered herself with glory good and
strong last year and realizes that good, hard
work will be necessary to protect the position
gained. She has adopted a system of playing
foot ball which has proven successful with
all teams that have tried it. 1t is nothing
more than good, straightforward teamwork,
pushed through with dash and energy. It
used to be with Harvard. as well as many
other teams. to score at the beginning and
thus upset the opponents. To do this she
liiuol oI1I al W dhiIl Iuc ODppSluR line,
no matter in what part of the field the hall
is down. The system now is to engage in
plenty OF kicking and awaiting the oppor-
tunity to score.
Yale does not start off with very prom
Using prospects. Athletic Adviser Walter
Camp says: IT do not remember a season
when there was so much to be done by
a Yale eleven before It rounded into win
ming form as the present. Nothing will
ever win for us this year except the hard
est effort applied in just the right way"
They have a way at Yale, however, of pull
Ing themselves together, and with green ma
terial they can turn out a surprisingly good
eleven. And then Yale depends on good,
straightforward. old-fashioned three-men-
back foot ball with no frills or variations,
depending wholly upon good team work, and
this Is the system that will win for them.
Speaking Of this matter Doucette, Harvard's
old-time center, pays the following compli-
ment to Yale: For years Yale has had
q well-defned method of playing a game.
They do not kill off their men by attempt
ing to make touchdowns from the middle of
the field by means of linebucking, but, in
stead, they play a kicking game until they
get the ball within striking distance, and
then they go at 1t hammer and tongs
fashion. and they usually get there, too"
Princeton fares we'll so far as prospects
are concerned, and begins the season with
a team which is expected to be heard from.
The very personality of Captain Edwards
is such that he ought to lead a winning
team. He possesses a magnetic influence,
full OF wit and good humor, and is deserv-
eddy popular. Princeton will not depart
this year from her old prestige of straight
away ball. The time of experimental pro-
cesses in her history, with various sys-
TENS of play, has proved detrimental in the
extreme, trick plays adorned with fancy
maneuvers have proven almost worthless
in the larger games, and the immense
amount of time wasted in learning them
has proven a distinct disadvantage in the
sacrifice of perfected team work. Captain