Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-29
NOTHING NEW IN
FOOT BALL THIS YEAR
Teams Chung More Closely
Than Ever to Straight
Game.
By Edward r. Bushnell.

"
season of 1903 which closed yesterday
with tho Arnly-Navy game has been the
most unproductive since the new rules
were introduced Hardly any of the teams
which had promised TO spring sensations
this wear made good If possible the
leaders. who might reasonably be expect
cd to furnish something novel. chung more
closely than ever 10 straight foot ball.
The IJarvard-Yale and Yale-PrinCeton
games were particularly barren OF new
foot ball and consequently great dis
appointn1ent to the reform element Even
the Carlisle Indians. whose playing is
USUALLY synonym for versatility. mad
nothing new 10 offer
In fact. this season saw the defense
make greater progress than the onehse'
Evidently the stories emanating from
various training camps about the ne"
plays to be sprung this year caused other
teams to bolster up their defense rathei
than prepare new plays to meet those @!
-ba1- nnnonents The only exception 10
this statement among the big eastern
teams was Princeton. whose delense "de
hardly worthy the name and dlspropof-
tfonateIv weak compared to lis oHehse'
Harvard's Victory Popular.
That Harvards victory over Yale, al
though by a narrow score OF 10 " was
we'll received throughout the intercolle-
siate world cannot be disputed. Even
Yale men. with record of SIX straisht
victories. have no reason to complain over
this turn of affairs. An occasional oe-
feat of this kind decreases no ones re-
spect for the wonderful foot ball machine
which annually grinds out winning eleV
ems at New Haven. On the otner mana
the Crimson victory has hrmiy estho-
Iished a system al Cambridge which was
tottering on it's feet. 1t had more 1oes
within than without and this victory VIII
convince the opponents OF Harvard a.h-
letics that the new graduate comni'.ee'
which was placed in charge OF the Trim
SONS athletics last winter. has put loot
ball as we'll as other sports on Sehsipie
as we'll a a winning basis.
There is a disposition in some quarters
to set Percy Haughton, the new Harvard
coach on a pedestal high above Reid and
some of his co-laborers on account OF
this Harvard victory. Too much cfedlt
Of course cannot necessarily be given TO
Haughton but his victory was not per-
sonal one II the entire facts were known
the credit would be given equally TO the
new graduate committee. the team ana 20
Haughton. For the first time IN sooo
many years there was practlcaly no IN
reference from outside sources with the
coaching staff at Cambridge. For TINS
the new athletic committee was RESPONSE
bile. It's members declared long IN al,
vance of the season that outsiders should
keep hands off. And they saw 10 IL that
this law was enforced.
This Harvard eleven had more Of the
fighting spirit than any harvard team
since the famous 1901 combination which
swept everything before 1t. When Yale
encountered this team of fighters the ELS
found themselves face to face with team
that could hold them at any pace There
SIS no doubt that the success achieved by
Haughton. DAILY and Graves will result
I'm these three men being placed at the
helm once more. The most effective way
to silence criticism is to turn out win
ming team. Consequently We may expect
only a mild protest. at the best, from
President Eliot and his aids when they
make their annual attack on foot ball and
other forms of athletics at Harvard this
winter.
Chicago Is Western Champion.
Chicago University is entitled to the
western foot ball championship. The
Maroons went through the season with
out the loss of single game. They
were tied once. It is true, but that was
by Cornell. an eastern team. and does
not count in the final ranking. Stages
eleven defeated Minnesota by the over
>whelming score of go and in the final
game of the year beat Wisconsin 1910.
Chicago also won handily enough from
her other western opponents.
Eastern. as well as western men. are
watching with great interest future de-
velopments in western foot ball. The one
question uppermost in every ones mind
Is the future course OF the University OF
Michigan. No doubt a great deal of
pressure Is and will be brought to bear
on Michigan to return to the western
conference fold. Michigan's ways have
not been cast In pleasant places since her
withdrawal from the conference. She
has lost all three of her annual foot ball
games with Pennsylvania and this year
was overwhelmed by Syracuse in addition.
On the track Michigan maintained her
supremacy in relay cling, but scored
only six points in the intercollegiate meet.
The other western colleges realize the
value of Michigan member OF their
group and their representatives are max
Ing the most of these things to induce the
Wolverines to return to the fold.
Michigan, however, has too much pride
to return under present conditions, for il
would seem like the return of the prodigal
son. As far as foot ball is concerned,
Michigan's foot ball diet in the east has
consisted of nothing but husks. Coach
Yost naturally wants to turn out a win
ming team, one that will soundly trounce
Pennsylvania, before Michigan accepts
any overture to return TO her first al
lance. Michigan is badly wanted 10 fill
out the western Big Four OF Chicago
. Minnesota and Wisconsin Her ultimate
decision will not be reached for some
weeks