The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-22
EAST VERSUS WEST
Question of Supremacy in Football
Raised Again This Year-In-
ter-section Contests.
West Claims Equality With the
East-Point Partially Ad-
mitted by Best Critics.

The perennial question of the COMPARE
tive strength of the western and eastern
teams undoubtedly will be raised again
after the season of 1902 ends with the
game between Minnesota and Michigan.
Thanksgiving Day. For several years, IN
fact, ever since the Michigan giants went
down to Harvard In 1895 and held the
crimson eleven to a score Of to 0, 1T
has been conceded Ay the most impartial
writers that the strongest eastern teams
are little if any better than the best of the
middle west Caspar Whitney. at the
close of the season of 1901, admitted this
in so many words. CHASING Michigan and
Wisconsin next to Harvard and Yale and
above Princeton. Nevertheless, SO long
as the best eastern teams maintain a
clean record against the west. the east
will always assert its superiority, and the
west While claiming equality, will do so
in a half-hearted fashion.
In only three years have games Of con-
sequence been played between western
and eastern teams. In 1895 was the first.
In 1898, Chicago gave Pennsylvania a
pretty bad scare, but the red and blue
won out. In 1899 Michigan, Chicago and
Wisconsin each played one of the eastern
big four Wisconsin,. with a team
which in point of offense was below the
standard. was defeated by Yale only to o.,
and that one touchdown Yale got by a
huke run toward the close Of the second
half. Michigan gave Pennsylvania an
awful scare, the score standing 10 to S in
favor Of the Westerners at the close Of the
first half, but in the second period Pennsy
managed to score a touchdown and kick
goal, giving the game to the fasteners.
Chicago in the same year had more license
to win from the quakers than ever a west
ern eleven had to defeat one Of the eastern
teams Certainly the maroons had no
license to lose, yet they were only able to
tie the score by a field goal, the final
result being to 5.
/ No Victories for the West.
! This outcome was partly due to poor
Judgment ON the part Of Chicago's cap
tain. Kennedy. but nevertheless it dis
counted largely Chicago's victories over
Cornell and Brown in the same year. The
fact remains that, although several times
they have come very close to turning
the trick, western teams have never beaten
one Of the big four.
Since 1899 no games of Importance have
been played between representatives OF
the two sections of the country. Michi-
gan did defeat Carlisle a year ago % to O.
just seven points less than Harvard scored
against the Indians. But the west has
yet to prove it's equality.
90 Opinions Of Authorities.
Sanford and Hinkey. both old Yale men
say that any average Eli team could defeat
the present Michigan eleven by big
score. Stage of Chicago, also a Yalensiari
says Michigan would beat any average
eastern team by big score, and would de-
feat the championship Harvard team Of
1898. 1T is mighty hard" says Stage
''to see any imperfection in the Michigan
offense.''
George Woodruff. the old Pennsylvania
coach, says Michigan is only slightly il
at all, inferior to the Yale champions OF
1900, or the Harvard champions Of 1901
c. A. Carver, a former Yale man, said af-
ter seeing Michigan play Chicago last Sat
urday:
1T was a good game. and I believe
Michigan could probably defeat any east
ern team this year, with the exception Of
Yale. I do not say that because I am q
Yale man, for I believe this years Mich
igan team could beat the New Haven ag.
gregation Of last year, but Yale is the
strongest team in the east this season,
think
That shows what experts think Of the
west as compared to the east. Stage, II
will be noted, is the only man who thinks