The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-23
! R|;U)MORS ||; ARE THICK
Rooters Begin to Discuss. Football
Outlook for Season. .
WORK TO BEGIN SEPTEMBER
Preliminary Training of the Goph-
ers Will Start Within the
.....-. r'...
Next Few Weeks. =

With the opening of the football season
more than month away, public interest
in this grand sport is already beginning
to awaken. The Minnesota team will be-
gin it's preliminary training about the
first Of ofSeptember and letters have already
been sent out to the regulars and substl-
tutes of last years team, as we'll as to
all promising high school players who
are expected to enter the university this
year, requesting the men to hold them
selves in readiness to report for the pre-
liminary work at that time.
| The place for this work has not yet been
selected, but probably it will be either
Grand Marais or Lake Minnetonka. The
latter place may be selected, as being
more accessible. 1t was voted down last
summer on account of the desire for cool
er training quarters, but this objection
will probably not apply this season. DR..
| Williams is expected to arrive in Mime
apolis about Aug. 27, when final arrange
ments upon this point will be made.
The usual crop of rumors in regard to
old men who are coming back and new
/ men who are coming in, is in process of
harvest Generally speaking, a player
cannot be regarded as certain until he ac-
| tually shows up on the field, but 1t may
| be considered pretty certain that five of
| last years regulars will be on hand. Cap
tain Flynn, of course, will play his old
position of left guard. Rogers will return
for left end and Strathern, who finished
the season at right guard, will probably
play center in place of Page. schacht is
pretty certain to return, and will again
play right tackle unless he is crowded out
by LEW man. Thorpe, also, will be
back.
Three Doubtful Men.
In the doubtful class are La Fans,
lKnowlton and Fee There is little like
llihood that La Fans will be back. Knowl-
ton, who is at work in st. Paul, has con-
versed with Manager Luby several times
recently, but so far has not stated his
intentions positively either way. Fee
said at the close of the college year that
he would not play football again, but it
is believed that he can be induced to
change his mind. His parents, 1t is
known, are very desirous that he should
return to the university to complete his
course and veteran, II ne is In college
rarely fails to get out on the gridiron.
The loss of Knowlton and Fee would be
severely felt, because there is none toe
much line material in sight, while Bid
lake, having undergone an operation for
appendicitis, last spring, may not be able
to try for fullback. This would leave Lig-
gett the only available candidate, and
er is not a high-class kicker. Moreover
with Knowlton and Bidlake out, the team
> would be in sore straits if Liggett. should
be disabled. :"
1t is generally believed that Thorpe Il
the logical candidate for right guard: He
I made a good record at this position while
in the preparatory schools, and has all the
physical qualifications, while he is toe
; slow for half back. Allen, Boeckmann
\ Davis, OBrien and possibly Bidlake. ant
Liggett are a remarkably strong lot Of
material from which to draw. team o.
half backs, all being fast men, expert.
enced and aggressive players.
Sig Harris, of course, is the logical mar
for quarter from the present outlook. He
is fast man in giving signals, and uses
good judgment in selecting plays. Right
end will be problem. Marshall, former
ly of the Minneapolis Central high school
may be a candidate, and 1rsfeld made q
good record on the second team last year
This Hypothetical lineup is proba blJ
about as nearly correct as an ante-sea.
son selection can be; that is to say, about
Is per cent of the guesses should be right
It does not take into account, however
two or three men with good records
whose appearance is problematica1, mol
does it consider the big bunch of greer
material that should be developed from
the scrubs and the new students during
the course of the season.
van va1lkenburg May Return.
Van Valkenburg, the star half back OF
the 1900 team, whose probable return tt
the game has been predicted for severa
months, says that he will certainly pla.
if he is decided to be eligible. He wa
or not in college six months of his frs
year (1900-1901) but he attended classe
six months of last year, which under hi
and Manager Luby's understanding of tn
| vii 1y1 h oil icyih M q
good man who may be on hand is Cray
|. the old Central high school tackle, who i
thinking of entering the university, an
who would make a valuable addition t
the squad.
II Attack Upon Flynn. :
In Milwaukee paper of recent date ap
peared a telegraphic item dated Mime
y apolis, which contained a violent and un
q called for attack upon Johnnie Flynn: Ac
e cording to the article mentioned: the. Min
= nesota players recognized that mfstak
" had been made in eleeting Flynn to tn
It captaincy, as he did not have the neces
!. sary personal strength and balance t
x make him a. successful leader. 1t was ais
4 asserted that ex-Captain Knowlton ha
'e stated that Flynn would not be allowed
"A give the signals upon the field. - :.
10 The last part of the item stamps it {
"a the production of a writer altogether u1
| Will 1OOLUdil LII SeuSI dl al
d especially at Minnesota. 1t has rare
!, been the custom for the captain, when
III was lineman, to give the signals. for
le Minnesota team, nor has it been the usa,
- at any other college, that duty bei1
tusually intrusted to the quarterback, al
this without thought of questioning tt
- ability Of the captain. Page; admitted
be the best captain Minnesota ever h,
since 1898, did not give the signals, n
!, did Knowlton, save in one game althou,
~ the latter played at fullback, where
mi ght easily have run the team himself.
Moreover, no one who knows Knowlt
- would believe him guilty of such a brea
f. of good taste as the remark imputed
o. t him would imply, especially since he a.
Flynn have always been hand and glove.
Outlook In the West.
1t is probable that the western char
pionship this year, will not be SO -mu
a problem of competitive scores as 1T h
been In the past. Chicago, Minnesota, w
consin and Michigan, which bid fair to
~ the strongest teams in the west, all pl
s. two or more of the other three, and
"A most Of these games will come in n
s. vcmber when the teams have approach
I, their best form. the Championship may
x decided this year in a clean cut and de-
sive manner. It is probable also tt
these four teams, which, with the exec
tion Of Iowa.(in 1900, have been: the: OF
prominent factors in the championsl
contest for the last five years. will
u un,o1x mo- hon hofn