The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-06
Am / Right !?

Am / Right
THE showing made-or rather the
i showing not made-by the Minneso-
ia, track team at Chicago last Sat-
urday again arouses the question whether
the board of control would not better drop
the farce altogether, rather than continue
to spend money upon so hopeless a losing
proposition.
The board must either drop the whole
thing or take measures to make the track
team winning proposition, or confess
itself inadequate to the responsibilities
imposed upon it by the students when the
board was elected.
I have always been, and am still, Of the
opinion that the University of Minnesota
| can produce as good a track team as any
institution in the west. More than that,
I believe that when Minnesota fails to run
one, two. three, any year, in any branch
of athletics, it is the fault of the manage
ment, coaches or trainers During the last
three years DR.. Cooke has made a better
record in the three branches of intercol-
iAN9AcDSS
balls gymnastics and strength contests
than has been made by any other university
in any three branches Of sport. The Min
nesota football team, moreover, has never
been among the also rams, except during
a few years when the coaches were admit
tedly Incompetent. ii
* - INNEsoTA'S material is the best In
|EIV the world. No5wessern university
except Michigan has "a, larger field
of students from which to draw No
university has = - larger territory
naturally tributary to 1t. With
repeated success in football and every
other branch of university sport, why
should the track team be always com
plete failure, and usually a positive dis
grace to the institution?
One reason that may be assigned Is the
Indifference Of the board of control That
body appears to have the idea that sue
cess in football covers every other failure.
7 believe, however. that lack of COM
petent track trainer is largely RESPONSE
BILE. This year the. university did not win
single point at Chicago. Even little
Beloit got four. Last year the university
got nine points, eight of them won by
Bockman. Summing up, then, the uni
versity has made nine points in two years,
eight of these nine were made by man
who was a crack hurdler before the pres
ent coach took charge of the team.
T HE question Is growing more and
more prominent in the minds Of
those deeply interested in the sue
cess Of Minnesota, whether Dr.. Williams
is the proper man to have charge Of the
university athletic teams. This year was
his third with the track team. Elminat-
ing Bockman, who as stated before, was
a finished product before he came under
the control of DIR. Williams, the present
coach has in the last two years produced
but one man who could win a point at
Chicago. That man was Tebbetts who
took third in the quarter mile dash a year,
ago.
This record certainly indicates that the
present coach is not the best man that
could be picked to develop a track team.
DR.. Williams is a most estimable man per-
sonally, and perhaps understands the
theory of track athletics and football as
well as any man in the west. But the
results indicate that he is not as success
full in imparting his knowledge to others
as he Is in mastering the points Of the
game himself. The record of the track
team. apart from that Of the football
eleven, certainly shows that Dr. Williams
does not appear to have the hold upon his
men which he should. Rumors Of dis.
sension in both departments have been
heard frequently during the last year.
Certainly, with thirty-five men training
for the track team, at least one point win
ner might have been developed. Dr. Will
liams was authorized to take fifteen men
to the conference meet. If none of. those
men was entitled to win a point, 1t would
have been better to let them remain at
home. But the question Is raised whether
a fully competent coach could not have
produced at least one point winner out OF
3, 800 students.
oMP' 3 that the coach has not
devoted enough time to the track
team are becoming common, and talk
of this nature is inimical to best results.
There have even been suggestions made
by men who have felt the disgrace Of the
showing at Chicago most keenIy, that the
men sIie down in all branches Of athlet-
les, in order to call attention more forcibIy
to the need Of radical action. Such pro-
posals will hardly be approved by any Of
the university athletes. for 1t is hardly
credible that any Minnesota man, to graf.
ify personal spite, will SO far forget his
loyalty to his alma mater. Nevertheless
the fact that such q, thing is. even sug-
gested makes 1t apparent that the men are
not with DR.. Williams, and no coach can
be successful who has not the full confi-
idence and support OF his men. Thor. n