Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12
GOSSIP OF MANY CRIDIRON!
Coaches Writing Candidates to Hurry
to Early Practice.
MICHIGAN MEETS MINNESOTA
Upsets Calculations Of the DOpesters
by Arranging n Game with a
Team in the Big Nine for
This Fall.

NEW YORK, Sept. LIT is just about
this time Of the year that promising un-
d~ergraduate material and veteran players
of varsity foot ball elevens are receiving
letters from the team managers requesting
them to report for early practice. The
month of September is always the scene of
most pronounced activity among the
coaches who direct the affairs of our col
lege gridiron combinations. The most
promising material must nave as thorough
a trial as possible before the candidates
turn out in large numbers, and when it is
usually the case that the physical condi-
ton OF many veterans demand all the
work possible before the regular autumn
campaign on the chalk-barred field.
While the pigskin viii not be sent sailing
away from the kickoff by the big uni
versity players for a week or so, never
theless other teams will be in the field
before that time. The Carlisle Indians, as
is always their won't, trot out on the lime
lined turf in less than two weeks. Other
smaller combinations will line up for ac-
tual play about that time; so 1t may readily
be seen why foot ball coaches are among
the busiest personages in the world these
days. The days of secret preseason prac-
tice are a thing of the past. However,
groups of players of different colleges have
been together for the last few weeks, at
seashore resorts. letting out the kinks in
their arms by forward and other types
Of passing. AS a matter Of fact, the early
season feel" of the pigskin does much to-
ward bringing the men up to their game in
short order.
While many players nave to be worked
very hard in the earlier weeks Of training
to reduce the embonpoint garnered in an
easy summers existence, others of the
moleskin band will be exempted from
considerable of the early season hard
ships. for manual work during the sum-
mer months has kept them In condition.
Harvesting in the wheat fields, various
kinds OF engineering work and l~ifeguard
duty are among the favorite forms of sum-
mer employment for foot ball men whose
hearts and souls are tied up in the king of
autumn sports. Up at New Haven thirty
foot balls we're given TO sons of Eli Yale
so that they could work out during the
vacation weeks.
No Round Robin scheme.
Although there is no intercollegiate asso-
citation with a round robin scheme, the
chances for a determination OF the inter
collegiate championship are much better
this year than last. Last year the honor
of being first lay between Harvard and
Pennsylvania. but as they did not play
each other and met but one common OPP
ponent, the Indians. in preliminary games,
the issue had to be ought out verbally.
Had Cornell played Harvard last fall. as
II will do this year, there would undoubt-
eddy have been something tangible with
which to settle the controversy. This year
Harvard plays Yale, and Cor
nell; Yale meets Princeton and Harvard,
Princeton plays Dartmouth. and Pennsyl-
vania meets Cornell. This schedule surely
ought TO leave some team with the cham
pionship proved.
In the middle west the old confederate
combination. the big Nine" has not been
fully restored and will not be until the
University OF Michigan returns to the fold.