The Minneapolis journal., 1902-06-14
BADGERS ARE FAST
Wisconsin Crews Good Chance to
Win at Poughkeepsie.
IS A FAvoRITE IN THE EAST
Critics Admit That the Westerners
Will Give Any Boat
Hard Tussle.

Four crews. Columbia, Pennsylvania,
Cornell and Wisconsin, may be considered
factors in the great varsity four-mile
boat race at Poughkeepsie this year, and
great fear IS expressed among the three
eastern institutions named in regard to
the badges. .E. n Isas
Critics In this line of college sports
seem to be unanimous in the opinion that
this 1s the best chance Wisconsin ever had
to win the big event save in 1899, when a
floating berry crate threw the Badger
Shell out Of its course, and permitted
Pennsylvania to win the race.
In Poughkeepsie excitement is at fever
heat, and there can be no question, judg
Ing from the reports from that city, that
Wisconsin is the popular favorites for the
varsity event. Newsboys are sporting
the red caps with white on the front, and
even some Vassar girls have caught the
fever and are wearing Wisconsin pins to
show where their interest lies.
It must be admitted that all the eastern
crews named look very strong. Pennsyl-
vania has fye of her last years Henley
crew in the boat again, and the Quakers
have had plenty Of new material from
which to choose. Their greatest diff
Guilty will be to replace Gardiner at
stroke. Gardner was possibly the best
1t is hard to develop man to fill this i'm
portant position in one season.
Columbia has PLETHORA of good tim
ber this year, and Haplan thinks his men
are pretty sure to win. II is generally
admitted that the crew is; the fastest that
has ever. represented Z Columbia at
Poughkeepsie, and the boat that can give
her margin looks good to win the race.
| Hanlan admits that be fears the Wiscon-
sin crew most. He is aware Of the fact
| that the badgers are veterans, and the
| well-known fighting spirit Of Wisconsin
athletes is dreaded by all the eastern
coaches. III. --.. i rUt; c
Cornell Men Are Veterans.
Cornell has not only the greatest num-
Der OF old men in the boat,-and most of
| them are better than they were last year
but 1t has also Coffin, the stroke of last
years freshman crew. The. ,1thacans will
60 to Poughkeepsie ,brinnfull Of confidence
IN their crew, and many sef them are so
| cock-sure that they may forget to buy a
| return ticket until after the race.
Still, all the easterners,E picking their
own crews for first, place Wisconsin sec
| ond. Laying aside bias, therefore, 1t
| seems that the westerners have an excel
lent fighting chance. Casper Whitney,
the great authority on amateur and col
! lege sports, considers the badgers pros
poets for success better than ever be-
fore. Mr.. Whitney says in the current
number Of Outing:
Wisconsin will enter the Poughkeepsie re.
| gatta this month with better prospects 10,
| success than this sportsmanly university has
! had since first it sent crew east. Indeed
at the university the feeling is that If they
cannot win the regatta this year they will
never be able to win it.
That is misleading sentiment, and hope
| In ire eton
couraging one, but the fact does remain
| that Wisconsin has the best chance of win
ming it ever has had. All but one of las,
years eight are in the boat, and the mer
have been particularly favored In getting te
work earlier than usual, so that the 100:
crew ought to row faster than did the one
| of last year.
On the other hand, it looks as If all the
| other crews will be slower than they were
last year, save Pennsylvania though the
Pennsylvania varsity of 1902 may not prove
SO speedy as the Henley crew, yet it will
surely row faster than the eight which rep.
1 resented Pennsylvania at Poughkeepsie las
| year. -.
1t is sincerely to be hoped that Wis
consin can accomplish the feat Of win
ming both the freshman and varsity races
and the chances are good, as the fresh
man race is considered practically cinct
for the badgers. Indeed, money will be
| bet at 3 to l IL necessary, by friends oil
| the badgers upon the 1905 crew.
] The whole history of athletic meetings
between Eastern and middle western col
leges has been tale of 'ifs" and might.
have -beens.'' In football, in track ath-
letics, in rowing, and until this year in
baseball, it has been the same. Time
and again western teams which looked
certain to defeat one of the big four
of the east have lost by some fuke, some
accident, or possibly by the failure of the
men to show their best form at the right
/ time.
IN 1899, Chicago. it seemed, ought tc
| swamp Pennsylvania at football. yet the
4 score resulted In a tie because Captain
Kennedy of the Maroons showed poo1
| judgment in handling his team at criti-
cal moments. In the same year Michigan
looked tc have the Quakers beaten, anG
did lead by score of 10 to 5 In the frs,
hall. only tG lose the game Ia the sec.
ond.
History Of Badger Crews.
! Three yearE ago. as mentioned above
the Wisconsin crew lost its chances 9,
accident. Last year the badgers were
expected tc win easily. They had rowei
q close second to Pennsylvania the veal
before. and were showing even better
form in 1901 The flower OF the Quaker
oarsmen were In England ahd no etheI
boat looked to have the speed of Wiscon.
sin. Yet the crew only finished third
tits q great strain upon the finances Of
the Hniversfty's athletics. to send crew
to Poughkeepste each year, and every
true sportsman In the west must pul]
for the success OF the badgers a
Illinois In baseball Is ono exception tt
: tho rule iust commented upon. The taar