Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-11-21
THE SPORTING NEWS. 
THE GRlDlRON.
WHICH TEAM
 IS CHAMPION
A Race Between Yale And Pennsylvania-Resume of All Games Played This Season.

Season.
 With the season almost over talk of the championship" at football is gen eral. Of course there is really no such thing as a championship in football since the schedules are not arranged for winners to play winners, nor does each team play every other. so that system of percentages can be arranged. The championship is matter or per sonal opinion and judgment of experts who have seen the teams play. Be cause eastern sharps rarely see vest ern elevens and vice versa. two cham pionships, the eastern and the western, are generally accorded by popular con sent.
 This season i'll the east has been un- usually complicated in the matter of scores. Three of the jelevens which are always candidates for first honors were beaten early in the season, Yale by West Point, Princeton by Annapo- lis, and Harvard by Pennsylvania. The latter is the only one of the old time Big Four that has not been beat en-
 By general consent the defeats of Yale and Princeton are wiped off the slate by the more consistent playing of the beaten teams both in the games in which they were defeated and in the rest of the season. Harvard'ss defeat by Pennsylvania was more fragrant than the others The Crimson was out played. but she did not play as well as she has since. Conceding every thing doubtful to both Princeton and Harvard in their defeats, it avails them nothing in figuring on the cham pionship, since they have both been beaten soundiy by Yale when both were in their top form.
 Yale and Pennsylvania are, then, the two candidates for the kingship of the football world. Penn may lose her pre- tense by being beaten by Cornell next Saturday, but the chances are against it. Unless the Philadelphia players overwhelm Cornell and display mag nificent. skill in every department of the game greater than they have hith- erto, the palm of the best will gener- ally be conceded to Yale. Her defense has proved impregnable, and her of fense, although not brilliant, sure and steady. She has had in her champion- ship games no weak spots and q few unusually solid places. From tackle to tackle her line has had no equal in the football world. Coach Yost of Michigan said after Saturdays game that the Ellis line and defense were the best in the country.
 # Princeton will generally be consid- cred the second best among the east ern colleges. Her offense was most as strong as Yale's, while her defense was as strong as Harvard's. Her eleven was 100 per cent faster and more ob- serving than Harvard's. Her bunting and handling of punts was better than Yale's. Against any but Yale's de fense Princeton would have won the day a week ago Saturday.
 A nose behind comes Pennsylvania and some of the judges will probably consider her stronger than Princeton. They will say that Penn has not been beaten at all, while Princeton has bit ten the dust twice, and for positive ev- idence will point at the Harvard and Columbia victories. But it will be an swered that both of these teams were weak, at least at the time Pennsyl- vania played them.
 Harvard follows Pennsylvania a close head behind. The Crimson does not deserve a better place because of her cratic season, After Pennsyl-' vania had outplayed her, Dartmouth did the same thing, although the score was 0 to o. Harvard had the material, especially in the matter of bulk, but her eleven was merely so many fat men, rather than a team.
 It's hard question to decide which of Dartmouth and West Point to give the next two places to. The former for two years in succession and the Sol- diers for many seasons have had teams of consistent ability second only to the great eleyens. Columbia and Cornell because of their inconsistency must follow the smaller colleges, while at the same time Amherst. defeated only by Dartmouth, and the victor over Co., Iimbia, runs right with them in the race. Tenth place belongs to Annap- olis, unless the Sailors by a good ex- hibition against the Soldiers should earn better place. They have been playing well, but they have been de- feated by a second rate eleven.
 The scores of the Yale, Harvard, Princeton and Pennsylvania teams for this season are:
 Harvard. Yale
 24-Williams ....0 22-WesIeyan 0 1T-Bowfoin .... o 42-Trinity. 0 23-Maine .... 0 23-Holy Cross 0 11-Bates ..0 24-Penn State c 4-West Point. 0 6-Spgfd s.. 0 12-Cariisle .. 17-Syracuse. 9 n DAx.~m w4rxgn |