The Topeka state journal., 1908-02-08

TO PLAY SEVEN GAMES
Wolverines Handicapped With
out Training Table.
Says It's Like Hobbling and
BlindfoIding the Men.

University of Michigan, passed
through Pittsburg on his annual trip
to his home at Morgantown, West
Virginia, and gave out statement on
football. He believes that the modifl-
cation of the football rules by the
intercollegiate committee at it's ses-
sion in New York last week was a
step in the right direction. He created
somewhat of a sensation by attacking
University of Michigan's more recent
ideas on athletics. and deplored the
fact that his team would be greatly
weakened thereby when it again
meets University of Pennsylvania. He
paid a glowing tribute to the Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania football prowess,
declaring it to be the gamest team he
ever saw. He believes. however, that
the new rules will help his team some
what when he again meets Pennsyl-
vania- In part Coach Yost said:
II am glad that the rules COM
mittee decided to let the forward pass
remain. I am very much in favor of
1t. I see great possibilities in it and
in the onside Kick. Last year we
to work against Pennsylvania, but we
got a chance to use only one of them.
AS all know. it resulted in a touch
down. which was not allowed by
Referee Murphy. That Murphy was
wrong is shown in the moving pic
lures of the game. In the East they
objected to the long forward pass.
claiming that it was all a matter Of
chance, and the penalties for it's fall
ure were not severe enough. I con-
tend, however that the penalty is a
Very severe one AMI that the play is
good one
Coach Yost spoke somewhat. bitterly
n ma finfc Of fho
western football conference. He be-
lieves that football might as well be
abolished entirely as to conf1ne a
team to five games in one season.
Michigan has withdrawn from the
western conference, but Yost evident
from the frying pan into the fire so
far as athletics is concerned.
Regarding Michigan, he said: 1T
presume the Michigan faculty will al
low US to play seven games, but not
more than that. and seven is not
enough. Michigan's restrictions are
great handicap to US. The one-year
residence rule was first adopted at
Michigan, cutting the athletic life of
the student three years. Under the
conference rules this permitted a man
to play i'll but 15 games during his
four years in college, even If he was
fortunate enough to get into every
cidedly discouraging, and 1t practi-
cally robbed us of our athletically In
elined recruits Young men of foot
ball ability would not enter Mfchi-
gan because of the restrictions and
we got very little material In 1905,
and practically none in 1906 and 1907.
80 it was we had handicaps
against US last fall in the game with
old Penn There was the Penn
team with men who had the adwan-
tage of a training table and who had
taken part in ten or twelve games
during the season. They understood
team work and all that was required
of them. On the other hand we had
to use fullback who was playing his
first game. Our right half and our
quarter were In their third game OF
the season. So you can see how we
We're handicapped by the western
conference rules. This Is not right
It Is like hobbling your men, then
blindfolding them and saying, run
you sinner run.
II have always argued that II foot
ball is to be sanctioned at all, give the
| lads a chance. Give them a training
| table and other advantages, and lei
them play as many games as are on
| the schedule. The idea OF limiting 9
| team TO five or seven games as the
west and Michigan are doing is pre-
posterous. 1t would be all right II al
| colleges were SO restricted. which IL
| not the case
Leggatt to Look After Giants.
| New York, Feb. S.-John Leggatt