New-York tribune., 1907-12-09

like the sword of Damocles, ever hanging over
the head OF an opposing eleven and forcing II
to spread out its defence, and thus "eaheh H.
than would be necessary other"lse' "'
far as could Judge Yale. more than any otns
eleven, realized this value and MADE the HUE. va
it. In that remarkable second half against
Princeton the forward pass was USED just oi'eh
enough TO keep the Tigers on the anxious sea'
and prevent them from concentrating ,eiF oe
fence to stop end and piunges into the me
For the indiscriminate use OF the 1or"dro pass
an sdeouate defence has been found. which Gil
the teams will learn in due course, ana iof .iiiS
reason if none other, the time VIII come "iei
the real value of the play, which certainty aous
variety TO the attack. viii be fully appreciated
Let the weak and inferior teams use the pia!
without method as a forlorn hope until the
stronger and more versatile eieVens nave Iao
more time to prove its value, OUTSIDE oA me-
ground gaining. greater than has peeh posSiuie
in one short season under the present ruie'
Rome was not built in day Ii may De pos.
sible TO improve the rules, and some al ieas'
should be clarified at the next meetlne Oh 'he
football rules committee, but they are "oiioei
fully good as they and reflect great cieoi'
o,, those who so carefully and conscieht1ouslS
revised them, that l for one wouid iihe "
see them stand for another year at least.
Among the letters received this week ahent
NV. comment week ago was the following:
In reading your Monday comment on the
Foennsylyania- Cornell game on Thanksgiving
pav il seemed 10 me that you cast renectioi
On Bill Edwards for his failure to punish un-
necessary roughness on the part of PenhsFl'aiiis
PLAYERS. l cannot agree with this, as my I'm
rression after the game that Edwards had
umpired ii with a spirit OF FAIRNESS sel0oih
shown by officials. The Pennsylvania men
PLAYED rough football. of the type too often seen
in the old days but there was. so far as couio
see, nothing that transgressed the actual letter
OF the rules no matter how much their spirit
was violated"
ANY reflection on Bill Edwards was furthest
from nv thoughts | felt compelled TO write
as did partly to justify his uniformly good ana
conscientious work in the face Of some adverse
criticism / did say that "if anything he erred
on the side of lenency.' in referring TO what
appeared to be too much unnecessary roughneSs
on the part of the Pennsylvania players. lhis
may have conveyed the impression that ne WAS
called n disQualify one or more OF the men,
which, by the way, / do not think he would
have been justified in doing, although some OF
the Quakers approached dangerously close TO
breaking Rule "a.
1t seems a pity that there should be any fric-
tion among the athletes and those interested
in the American Olympic team for next year.
over the selection of Matt Halpin as the team
manager. The American committee, made up
as II is of men who have worked increasingly
for all that Is good and sportsmanlike In anna
teur sport, is well qualified to appoint manager
and of protest and Qufbbl1nE Is likely
to make il recede from its position since the
appointment was made only after careful con-
sideration of the needs OF the team and the quail
ifications Of the man for the important and
delicate position In the opinion of those best
qualified to Judge, Halpin proved himself compe-
tent in handling the team at Athens last year,
and il would be hard to find better man 10 take
I'D that work again next year, when II is even
more important that mistakes should initiate
against the American athlete putting his best
foot forward
It begins to look like civil war in the American
League of Baseball Clubs. At the annual meet
| ing in Chicago this week Charles A Conliskey.
of the Chicago Americans, supported, II is said,
| by the Boston. Cleveland and Washington clubs.
viii make a fight against the reelection OF Ban
Johnson as president Of the league. johnson
has done a great deal for baseball In general
| and the American League in particular, and will
undoubtedly have the hearty support of the New
York Philadelphia, St Louis and Detroit clubs.
Frank Farrell, president of the New York club.
does not think the feud Will amount TO anything,
and il will be the better for the sport II he IS
right. Johnson has been aggressive leader
| and has done much to keep the game clean and
free from disorderly conduct by the players The
| American League could I'll afford to lose him.
| So far as can be Judged the annual meeting Of
the National League in this city will be a love
| feast. HERBERT
| CnCCTD or THE TTTRE