The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-26
GOPHERS HOLD
LEAD IN WEST
Honors Granted, but with a Gen
eral Tendency to
IT, bubble. 49, F.
BY O'LouqhIin.

the good die young, they say, and the Chi
cage newspaper writer's, in passing Minnesota
the western championship, die hard King Foot
ball ended his reign Saturday and abdicated in
favor of the lesser SPORTS but the aftermath is
on In all of its interesting detail.
western football has its peculiarities. In
years gone by it was something of habit to
figure the standing Of teams, not by the clean
slate, but by the number Of points against op-
ponents. This idea gained prominence in the
days Of the Yost ascendancy ut Michigan, when
the powerful wolverine teams, gathered from
the four points of the compass, smashed over
the weak Ohio teams for tremendous scores.
The Ann Arbor scribes made much Of it, much
sandwich money, in relating the terrors of the
Yost yammerers and their tOpheayy scores. Min
nesota not having a game with Michigan, and
being classed out Of the running account of
geographic isolation took Il notion to do a
little Of this sort Of thing, and in 1904 piled
up grand total of 724 points against oppon-
ents, with only ~ points against them. These
Minnesota Michigan scores really showed moth
ing save inferiority Of the weak teams encoun-
tered. The big scores only served to furnish rag
mas icating material for the rival followers Of
the teams.
In the east the coaches went upon the plan
I that victory was all that was required, and
no attention was paid to the size of scores 1t
was and is Still figured that the best team
wins the game, no matter what the score may
happen to be.
Teams Equalized.
new rules. The ten-yard experiment, fostered
and fathered by Walter Camp, has had a year
Of trial. 1t has made for low scores and scores
upon fukes. 1t has equalized the strength of
teams to an amazing degree. Minnesota went
thru the season with a victory over every west
team and a defeat by Carlisle. Minnesota
and Chicago had the only real football schedules
in the west this year, and in the test Of
strength between these teams Minnesota won a
Clean clear-cut victory thru a difficult field
goal kicked by Marshall. MarshalIs perform
ances before that day and in subsequent games,
in kicking goals from the field, demonstrated
that it not fuke. Chicagos two points in
the game Of Nov. 10 were fuke, a mistake
of the gopher quarterback. Chicago's sporting
writer's hardly showing sportsmanlike spirit
in keeping up their running fire of small talk,
meaningless explanations of how the maroons
might have dry field
Naturally, not seeing any of Minnesota's new
football of which there plentiful store,
they give the maroons credit for having YER
satility superior to Minnesota, which was hardly
the case. 1t will be remembered, too that
Chicagos press was in way hestant about
awarding Chicago the western championship last
season when victory thru meager two
points, not gained by maroon power or speed,
but thru the mistake of Clarke in attempting to
run out a punt from his own goal. Chicago's
victory over Michigan last year was much more
of scratch than Minnesota's victory over
Chicago this season.