Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-29

over another Is also likely to enter into his
decisions. But just now anybody who tries
to name the best players for the eleven po-
sltions is hampered by the miasma of mass
play that has so persistently lowered over
the season that came to an end on Satur-
day with the Army-Navy match at Phila-
delphia. The mass play style of game is
hostile to individuality. Under it each of
the several players chosen to constitute the
battering ram, which Is depended upon to
smash its way to victory. is only one Of
set of cogs in the machine. Such a game
develops few stars. Consequently the diff
Guilty of naming the best players is in
creased by the fact that few of the wearers
of foot ball uniforms loom above their fell
lows Of the gridron. The direction which
the game has taken i'm the season just ended
is sufficiently indicated by the fact that
the names of such men as Bloomer, Hogan,
Kinney, Roraback. Piekarski Cooney and
Stannard are the ones that first recur to
the memory as the seasons matches are
mentally reviewed. Every one of these
players is distinguished alone for strength
and beef and effectiveness in headlong.
brute strength rushes. 1t is, in fact, the
most monotonous season, so far as its
method of play is concerned that the game
has ever known. But we are not particu-
larly concerned with this at present. The
evils of this development are great and
have been discussed at length.
Four quarter backs seem to be in line for
Rockwell of Yale Stevenson of Pennsylva-
MIA. Starr of Harvard and Carey of West
Point. OF these Rockwell is a seasoned vet
eran. having held down that position for
Yale for three years. This season his game
was an improvement over last years. He
has run his team with excellent judgment,
though this has been no great strain on his
intellect, since all he had to do was to find
the weak places in opposing lines and ham,
mer away at them. He has passed accu-
rately and well, and still has the invaluable
quality of infusing fire and dash into his
men. His weakest point has been the one
in which his closest rival has been strong
namely, in the catching and running back
of punts. The Yale quarter back handles
kicks reliably, on the whole but he has
shown no great ability in getting them back
through broken field, as De Saulles used
to do so brilliantly. On the other hand he
follows the ball like a hound on a deer
scent. He gets into every play with all his
pounds. Stevenson of Pennsylvania seems,
however, to be entitled to the selection over
the Yale man. He runs his team with just
good Judgment and with even more snap
and dash. He gets into plays with equal
inevitableness, but where he wins over
Rockwell is in his play in the back field.
He is dead sure catch, runs like a grey
hound, and in twisting and lodging dashes
with caught punt he has no equal on the
gridiron this season. He seems to me the
best quarter back of the year.
In many cases the choice is toss-up a
thing to be decided only by ones own per-
sonal likings of play, and not by any rule
of thumb, but the all-America team that
seems the strongest, with team of second
choices for their positions, would be COM
posed, summing up, as follows: