Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-28
FROM THE CRIDIRON
TryOut Games Have Commenced and Coaches
Are WsndsrAg EvsrywhSr'.
BIG FOUR SETTLES DOWN TO BUSINESS
Work of Licking Material at Hand
Into shape for the Important
Contests Has Now Been
Taken Up in Earnest.

, Though October really marks the COM
mencement of the legitimate foot ball sea-
son, Saturday, September q, may be said
to have started the sport off for the full
distance this year. Yesterday was the day
of the first games the country over. Some
the western colleges that had been in train
ing SO many weeks in advance had already
lined UP against minor opponents on the
Saturday and even a week before
that, but for the big schools in the east
last Saturday was the getaway and from
now on there will be games every week
for all colleges.
These first games can only be regarded
as interesting as showing test lineups.
They cannot be said to indicate much as
regarding the strength OF the team for the
season, nor can the personnel be consid-
cred as any promise Of what 1t may be
later. In several cases the good men,
those almost sure Of their Jobs, have not
yet returned, as they are not anxious to go
through all the old routine of seasoning
and breaking In. Again, at many schools
It is the practice not to compel the old
stars to work SO early, anyway. They may
help a little in coaching a man to suhsti-
tute for them in case of accident, but they
do not get out in the scrimmages nor In the
first minor. games,
With the Big Four colleges things have
been very slow in taking shape, because
OF the complete Kidding in most cases Of
the 1901 teams by graduations and other
causes. OF course, when the old team
comes back very near entire 1t is not hard
to fil In the few inches and have an eleven.
but with about seven places to NIL the work
is necessarily slower.
nht. nrnnoatfton XaIa Harvard princatOn
and Pennsylvania have been against pretty
hard, especially the first three schools.
Now they are beginning to see their way
clear and are resolving first and second and
third elevens from the mass of material
on hand. With sixty men to pick from,
Princeton coaches have found, temporarily
at least, the center, two guards and one
tackle they needed. Just now the Tigers
loudest jubilation is over the fact that the
big Andover guard, Ogden butcher, has
come to Princeton. It was expected that he
would be with Yale, as he was In New
Haven for a couple OF weeks, but the tradi-
tional spirit Of progression from Andover
to Princeton held good and butcher will
play left guard. Dewitt, the former tackle,
will be moved in one place to Dana's unex-
~pectedly vacated place at right guard, and
that means another tackle.
Yale now forecasts a line OF giants and
out Of the large list Of enormous candidates
for the forward positions expects to de-
velop a good row of seven. The back field
is really the troublesome feature with the
Blues, as the detection OF Quarterback De
saulies is still sorely felt. However, an
extra week has frightened the outlook.
Harvard alone fails to talk any more
hopefully as the time passes. Captain
Herman and the coaches assert that they
are we'll satisfied with the showing, but
the rooters and wise guys along the side
lines are anything but sanguine. The Har'
ward trouble is just the opposite OF Yale's
At Cambridge they have a great back helC
left over, but want line men badly.
Meanwhile, Coach Williams has finally
brought his Quaker squad back from
Eaglesmere to Philadelphia and his lonl
siege of illegal" early training has &C
eOmplished wonders. From a dub team IL
fast company last season the Quakers havI
already become q factor much considered.
Seven days have not altered the genera
situation in the middle west. Wisconsin
and Michigan are still touted as the BIZ
things In the Big Nine. Already It is beinl
said that the game between these two Of
November /, to be played in Chicago, vii
determine the championship OF that slliane
OF colleges, The Badgers are sure Of al
the men they have been counting on, an
the line will not be a great difheulty. a
there are but two places ~. The chic
i !. : AT !. i Il I; !.
trouble is ,eks. wher
ye9 ~ and