New-York tribune., 1908-10-19

carly return of CAPTAIN Dillon quarter. where
he is so much needed. and McCrohan at fulIoacA' d
quick change for the better can be looked TOT anu
the real work of building up a team can oegh.
In another week It will be possible perhaps 10 get
a better line the probable strength Oh 'he
Tigers for Syracuse will show up the weak poil's'
There is a general feeling at present tna'
ton IS weak this year. In my opinion the team 10
not 1yeak but backward II comparative scores
count for anything Brown is quite as strong as
Harvard this year, and yet Pennsylvania even
without Pauxtis the star end. beat the Providence
team soundly in the first half on Saturday ana
then held it safe with lot Of substitutes IN the
second half This speaks we'll for the Quakers'
and probably caused little uneasiness at Car
Isle and Cornell Draper will be IN the Fennsyl-
vania lineup by Saturday, and this sterling
brilliant player will add material strength 1t is a
pity that Pauxtis has been lost for playing summer
baseball. Ends Of his quality are not easy to hnd.
For an almost wholly green team Harvard Is CON-
ing along fast. The Springfield Training School
team that held Yale score of Is to was fairly
buried Saturday under a score OF - to o. Inc
weakness of Springfield may have emphasized the
strength of Harvard but this question will be set
tied on Saturday at Annapolis.
There appears to be an unfortunate disposition
on the part of college correspondents grossly
to exaggerate bumps bruises and minor injuries
in football games and football practice for the sake
of making a story. 1t does the sport lot Of harm
and gives the idea to the average reader that the
gether too rough and strenuous 1t is not parlor
game and is necessarily rough and strenuous but
not too much for the average man in good cond1-
ton under proper regulation and control A week
ago Saturday story came out Of Schenectady that
Union and Wesleyan had engaged in game that
was little less than a slaughter. or course, the
narrowing details denied later but, unfortu-
nately for football. hundreds who read the story
shook their heads in protest either failed TO see
the denial or were more willing to believe the orig
hall Ia aalro TN
the sin of exaggeration for the some
what excusabe desire for little space There are
quite many accidents in baseball as in football
but for some reason hard to explain. the list Of
casualties is preserved in the latter and forgotten
in the former. I have found from long experience
that men who badly injured day are re-
ported playing again three four days later, so
in 1t is well to accept the hard luck
stories from the various with a grain Of salt
Secret practice has begun much earlier than usual
Yale. Harvard and Cornell this year. which IS
cause for unfavorabe comment. The development
OF trick plays is the excuse for practising behind
closed gates and It would far better If the need
did not arise. AS have said before in this column
secret practice Is abomnaton. and, when carried
to extreme. a crime against the spirit Of true
amateur sport, inasmuch il implies suspicion by
one of another and fosters the win-at-anycost
spirit which has led to sending out spies and taking
any unfair advantage that might aid In securing a
victory. Football is a game in which strategy plays
a leading part. play to be most effective must
be covered UP and directed where least expected.
but the success OF play depends largely on its
execution. and the plays varied enough TO make
their practice in secret unnecessary to a well drilled
team. The coaches cannot be blamed for doing
everything possible to build UP winning eleven. but
It should not be necessary do this at the expense
of the true ethics of the sport.
The Navy football team this week enters into
its real season. Every the varsity Is IN
good condition, and. barring accidents during the
week, will be capable Of playing his best against
Harvard on Saturday The Navy veterans are
saying little but they are counting on defeating
the Crimson, and I willing to predict that the
midshipmen will quite hold their own, and for
these reasons: The team has a veteran line. one
that has practically played together for three
years. At quarterback Harvard has man who
has as yet shown himself capable of driving team
like Lange, the Navy quarter, nor no man as ex-
pert with the forward pass. while in the backheld
Harvard, on paper shows up little stronger than
Annapolis. Douglas OF course. will be sadly
missed but Jones is developing into star at
running back kicks and is also fast end runs.
Richardson will line up at fullback- He Is not a
star by any means. but he seems TO be improving
rapidly both In punting and in smashing the line.
while Clay at the other half gives promise
Dartmouth is counting on beating Princeton when
the two elevens line up at the Polo Grounds on
November 7, in the only big game in this city. 1
will have more to say OF this meeting later, as II
promises to be a good Strange 70 say, Dart
mouth will be the trial horse for both Princeton
and Harvard this year, just week before their
respective games with Yale. Harvard beat Will
Jams this year. while the latter played Dartmouth
TO a scoreless tie on Saturday. This may mean
nothing or it may that the Hanover eleven
| is not quite so strong might be expected IN
view OF it being veteran team, and one that was
| not far behind Yale and Princeton in point OF quail
| tv last year. when IL remember rightly, 1t went
| through the season without defeat.
HERBERT.