Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1902-01-18

L
- western gridiron situation, is
going to be a greater feature of foot
ball success than at any other time in
the history of the varsity elevens.
Strategy matches strategy in the vari-
Gus coaching departments so closely
that in the mere matter Of tactics no
team can be expected to have an ad-
vantage. Besides the progress of
training methods in the west Of late
has made the most wonderful strides.
1t viii not be many seasons before the
west can claim a system of training
and handling the gridiron warriors
every bit as finished as that in existence
in the Big Four.
So apparent was the effect OF train
ers' work in some Of the colleges soon
after the season opened this fall. that
at Illinois the Illini went into the
game with Chicago with every man on
the eleven eft as the proverbial fiddle"
"a rather remarkable physical condi-
ton for a team with the high fighting
spirit that always obtains at Cham
paien. Wisconsin, bending every eff
fort for the Minnesota game, had few
er eripples for the trainer than ever be-
fore. Northwestern stood as a hard
luck" eleven in the matter of hospital
list before the big contest with Mich
igan, rather than as the victim of the
lack of physical conditioner.
Illinois, after several years of ex-
perimenting came TO the eastern idea
this year, and engaged II. b. Conibear,
formerly the successful trainer of the
Maroons, and placed the football ma
terial of the varsity completely in his
charge. Conibear, with a reputation
that has attracted the attention of for
eigners abroad-he prepared the Chi
cago athletes so well for the Olympian
games in Paris that the foreigners
marveled at their fine condition-has
accepted the responsibility and pre-
dicted for his athletes a grand season
OF victories If they maintain their high
physical condition.
Michigan long ago discovered the alb
solute necessity for the discipline of
On experienced trainer, and was for
tunate in getting Keene Fitzpatrick
who, next to "Yale Mike" Murphy, is
. without doubt the best conditioner of
athletes in the country. Fitzpatrick
eft Michigan and while with Yale had
phenomenal success in his plan of
handling athletes. IL is said of men
like Fitzpatrick, Conibear, Murphy, Nc
Masters and Robinson that they are
the "mothers of their elevens." More
Than the mere handlers of bruised and
crippled athletes, they are the absolute
keepers of their charges. The public,
with its well-known penchant for hero
worship, often admits that So and So
playing solely on his courage, won the
game for his eleven and then coll
tapsed. But the general public is
scarcely aware of what a debt that
lighting gridiron athlete owed his ply
.cal conditioner. No mother ever
showed any deeper solicitude for her
child than does the expert physical
conditioner Of a big university for his
athletes. Every bit of food, every hour
of sleep, practice, Longing, amuse-
ment;.etc. is prescribed for the foot
ball player, be he giant or midget quar-
terbacl, with the solicitude of a pa
rent. This is more especially true of
the Big Four in the east than of the
western teams of the Big Nine confer
ence.
Wisconsin, with her glorious record
in football, especially while under the
direction of Foxy" Phil King, the