The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-11-30
VERY FINE SEASON
FOR WEAKER TEAMS
Open Style Football Gives Light
Men Chance
PASSING OF BIG FIVE
Coy of Yale Seasons Great star-6il
Ropers Failure at Princeton
Means New Coach at
Nassau.
BY MANHATTAN.


New York. November 29.-There is one
fact which stands out in the football
season of 1908 so that it cannot be mis-
taken. 1t is that the strength of a
team cannot be gagged by past perform
hnces, and each game must stand by
itself. Another is that the day of suprem-
aey for the Big Five has passed.
The new formations, the development of
the forward pass, the efficiency of trick
plays and the ascendancy of quickness
of mind and body over brute strength
and weight have revolutionized the game
that any team has a look-in. That
the revolution is a popular one is evil
denced by the record-breaking crowds at
the big games.
heard one rather novel explanation of
the marked increase in strength from the
coach sof one of the smaller colleges re-
Gently. He said: IF the halves were
made longer we would have a better
chance against the bigger colleges. You
zee In our squad we have only three or
four substitutes. Our men are trained
from the start to play through the game.
With the big universities when they have
plenty of material and plenty of substi-
tutes, the men are trained to play for
only part of a game. AS result when
there is long gruelling contest our boys
are better able to stand it than the other
fellows and the longer the game the bet
ter our chances
| do not vouch for the reasoning. but
this point is novel one at all events.
Coy of Yale is the biggest pippin in
the football world this season. That the
Eli fullback won the game from Prince
ton is beyond question. He has earned
a place fairly in the football hall of
fame.
If Cornell didn't succeed in killing the
Chicago eleven in their recent game it
may have been successful in knocking out
the game itself in that city. At a meet
ing of the city stepfathers of the town
the following resolution was introduced
by Alderman Herman Kruger:
BE it resolved That the corporation
counsel be and is hereby directed to pre-
pare and submit TO this council at its
next meeting an ordinance prohibiting the
playing of football in the city of Chi
cago"
Now, Alderman Kruger would make a
great center for any team in the country
He weighs S47 pounds. All of this he took
to the game last Saturday, and the way
in which the young college gentlemen
pummelled each other almost caused him
TO burst into tears. So much was he
overcome that he went right home and
sat down in his doubly reinforced arm
chair and ground out the ordinance print
ed above.
Bill Roper has reached the end of his
rope as football coach at Princeton. So
l hear Ropers inability to turn out a
winning eleven for Old Nassau has stirred
up the pride of several prominent mem
bers of the alumni, who assert that
Princeton must have a team to conquer
its old enemy, Yale, at any cost. Roper
has done valiant service for Princeton
and he will step out from the position he
served SO faithfully with the good will
of students and graduates
With Roper's resignation in sight the
question of the hour is: "Who will be
his SUCCESSOR There are two names
mentioned for the 1ob-Stagg the famous
old Yale pitcher. now coach of the Chi
cago university. and Hurry-Up Bill Yost
of Michigan. Stage is the favorite for the
job and is expected to land the plum.
Yost has many admirers here. but his
failure to turn out winner at Ann Arbor
is against him in some quarters. 1t is
admitted, however, Yost would have had
better luck in his efforts to mold an
eleven which could beat Pennsylvania
had he the material TO use. There has al
ways been a scarcity of gridiron talent
a. Ann Arbor, and for this reason Yost
has always been up against a stiff prob
lem. Here where there are always plenty
of ambitious players, it is figured that
Host would be at his best.
1t is not generally known that Frank
Mount Pleasant. the great Indian sprint
or, broad jumper and football player, was
given birth by an Irish mother, but such
is the case. According to the Celtic Park
crowd, it is easy to see how Mount Pleas
ant can run the 40 in so seconds, jump
more than % feet in the long jump, and
play one of the greatest games at quar-
ter seen on the gridiron today. In add
tion to his strenuous accomplishments on
track and field Mount Pleasant is a tip