The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-24


ate FiEEt-Men in Prime Condition.
NEW HAVEN, Nov. 23.-Never before
| in the annals of Yale football has the in
| terest here compared with that which
centres on tomorrows game. The tradi-
tional rivalry of the old universities, the
records through the season of the two
| unbeaten teams, their varying styles of
play and Emergencies of physique, the
equation of the betting, and the profound
stress of academic feeling in all its moods
! and lenses in regard to the result, all
| have Joined to make tomorrow's contest
at Yale field one which by contrast causes
former big matche to seem tame.
Added to the foregoing reasons for
acute interest has been the fact that this
year the Yale University team haE been
a singularly picturesque one. AS far back
as in the early spring practice, and again
in the first tentative work, a few days be-
fore the Yale autumn term opened, il be-
came clear that Yale had the choice of
two policies. She could follow ner cid
routine of choosing diversified team, or
of creating homogeneous one. She
could elect natural speed. or she could
elect natural weight, and try to graft
upon it pace and the football unities Of
motion. In defiance of her old canons of
the gridiron. and partly. also, as result
of her wealth in big men, she chose the
beef" alternative, only modified slightly
at the last by the use of Fincke; and the
outcome, just before the climacteric game
tomorrow, shows that she has probably
chosen wisely.
The welding into form of this big human
mass through the long weeks of training
and side matches has been a most in
teresting process. At first the results
seemed dubious. The warm weather wilted
the men, the huge line was unresponsive,
the scores against such teams as Am
herst and Bates spelled nothing. and it
was a slow and dispiriting task for the
coaches in their effort to infuse pace and
ginger into the eleven. There were
individual as well as general drawbacks,
also. such as the falling away of Sharpe,
after his star work at the opening. and
the clumsy slowness Of the ends-both,
strangely enough, ending with a quick re-
vivai of Sharpe's play and reversion,
after the trial Of fourteen men, to
Coy and Gould, the original ends. In the
midseason came the Columbia game as a
rude awakening and stimulus, followed by
cold weather, the knitting together of
the team, and Princeton's Waterloo.
The sequel of 1t all is a team which, by
the consensus of expert opinion here, is
absolutely il not relatively the strongest
that Yale has ever put upon the field.
Other Yale teams have been quicker and
more versatile, but no team has shown
such high product of mass into speed
Interference was more skillful in the
do nf IA TIT u:vIr ia
tiohable whether 1t was more effective
than the fair interference now re-en-
forced by weight. Other teams have done
better punting and less fumbling; but as
more than an Offset, no Yale team has
ever compared with the present one in
the effective mass work on the line which
in modern football counts for so much,
crushing the spirit out of adversaries at
the same time that it advances the ball
toward the goal.
One question is yet to be answered:
The mental and emotional factor In col
lege teams, strongly marked in baseball
somewhat less SO in football. is 6. familiar
thing to those who have watched college
players in contrast with the SOLID pro-
fessionals. The trait tends, in general, to
intensity success as we'll as failure, to
nerve as well as to unnerve. That there
is nervous factor in the big Yale team
partly, perhaps, reflected from Captain |
Brown, has been inferred repeatedly by |
those who have watched the play at Yale |
Field. 1t suggests the query whether or |
not, If Yale falls behind in the earlier |
play tomorrow, she will brace or relax. |
So far as it goes, the Columbia game gives |
Yale to that question an encouraging re- |
ply.
The day before the great match finds |
the eleven in the best of physical condi-
ton and spirits, and the coaches in a |
mood which can perhaps be described as
midway between elate hope and strong |
confidence. The final practice yesterday,
while mainly of the exhibition order,
was marked by two more field goals by |
Sharpe, and the impression deepens that
he will have place for the whole or part |
of the game. The final decision. as be-
tween Fincke and Wear at quarter, still |
appears to be waiting.
There is an abundant feeling of conf
ience among the supporters of the GRIM
son. The Harvard men are ready to en-
courage and support their team to the
to victory or defeat. The
true development of the crimson team is
really unknown except to the favored few
Harvard will go on the field tomorrow to
some extent an unknown quantity-un-
known, that is, to those who have not seen
and followed the secret practice. This
arises from the fact that the Pennsylvania |
game three weeks ago was practically |
darvard's last appearance as the real
Harvard team. At that time the eleven
showed remarkable strength, and its ag
sressiveness was the remarkable feature.
Then came the slump" which has been
he talk of the football world for two
weeks. but that it had lasting effect is
hardly credited. In fact, it can be safely
'aid that Harvard had not reached its |
highest development in the Pennsylvania
Jane and VIII show to even better advan-
age tomorrow. The men had a rest and |
rave since been gradually trained I'D to
ne all-lmportant game of the season, if
lot OF the century. 1t has been said of
he team that all the line men except
lawrence have lost that aggressiyeness
which won from Pennsylvania. 1t will not
10, however. for Yale men to count too
much on this. The team acquired the ag-
very quickly for the first big
;ame and will probably have it again to-
morrow. If so, the offence will give the |
'est developed team in the country a
World of trouble, and will be measured
My by the length of time the PLAYERS can
tand the strain.
Harvard followers are looking to Can :
ain DAILY IS the keynote of the situation {
lore perhaps depends on him individually
han any other two men on both eIeyens :
he fact is he infuses life and spirit | S
n his team that is characteristic of linn |
ELF and his cleverness as a field general |
nd steady. reliable player gives the men {
confidence which means much in a game |
this kind. Harvard's success does not |
ecessarily depend upon Days ability to | [
ist through the game, but his presence | 4
n the team Will do much toward bring | Y
ig victory-if victory it should be- =