Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-10
PART II.
By John B. Foster.


By John B. Foster.
So long as there is foot ball in the
United States-and, judging by the present
temper of our young men and old. that
period will be as indefinite as the possible
life of base ball-it is assured that great
portion of the general public interest will
be attached to the contests among the
larger eastern universities. for 1t Is among
them that the American game had its
earlier development.
1t is only within the last decade that
foot ball obtained it's strong hold on the
west. Twenty years ago 1t was practically
unknown, except as the western men re-
turned from the eastern universities and
tried to explain it to their companions and
friends.
In view of the surroundings in the east,
which add greatly to the popularity of the
sport, the large cities with their hundreds
of alumni adjacent to the universities.
most of them men who are as enthusiastic
over the contests twenty years after grad
uation they were when they attended
college, and the masses of population who
are ever eager to be attached to something
which exacts large public attention, 1t is
not surprising that the excitement which
rises out of contest between Yale and
Harvard, or between Yale and Princeton,
or between Pennsylvania and Harvard,
when these universities meet on the grid
iron, should spread beyond the mountains.
More than that is the university senti-
ment which is built up through the west
and middle west and in the south by
graduates. 1t is astonishing how many
partisans Yale. Princeton. Harvard and
Pennsylvania have among young men
who have never attended any one of these
universities, and never will.
Widespread Interest in Big Matches
For all these reasons it might better be
expected than otherwise that from the
Atlantic ocean to the Pacific on the day
on which big foot ball game is played
In the east there is tremendous amount
of interest as to the outcome. Another
factor which assists in disseminating the
foot ball microbe during the fall season
is the annual contest between Annapolis
and West Point. Our national govern
ment schools are composed of students
from every state in the Union, and there
is not a state in the Union but has its
army post. or its naval station, wherein
there is somebody who keeps closely in
touch with foot ball.
AS the teams of the universities stand
before they take the field for 1909, Yale is
Ellis lost some good players by gradua-
ton. One Of them was Biddle. who was
center last fall, and another, Brides, who
was one of the handiest and most valu-
able of all the men who played in the
line for any university.
On the other hand, Yale has retained
enough of the squad Of 1908. with addi-
tons of strength from the freshman class.
to make a most formidable showing when
the team Is ready for the first real test of
the season.
Yale's ambition in 1909 is to wipe out
the stigma of defeat by Harvard in 1908.
IL
margin, merely a goal from the field. the
only score which was made in the game,
but there has been an idea ever since
that memorable contest at New Haven
that the full strength and the highest
power of Yales possibilities were not
utilized to the best advantage in that
contest.
So the Ellis are eager to do better this
year.
Coy, the Young Giant, at Fullback.
At fullback they will have one of the
best men who have ever played in Yale
uniform and the youngest captain who
has led Yale eleven against the other
universities. His name is Coy, a name
which carries with 1t power and resource
and courage and grit, and all of those
are qualities which are demanded when
they play on Yale Field.
He was tried at end last year. He did
nv PioJ oo pooiAys yet ~ "oo apparent
that fullback Is his natural position. He
slips into the game behind the line with
much more readiness than he does when
playing on the line.
Both Philbin and Murphy, who were in
the backfield for Yale last year, will
come out again for the eleven. Both
men are capable and both are in excel
lent condition. Both made good records
and both are eager to shine on the foot
ball eleven before they are retired by the
stern three-year law.
Field will be back for the team this
year. and it is not impossible that he will
be seen in the backfield in one of the
more important games. He played well
for Yale last season, and should do better
this year. Daily, who got a chance in the
backfed In 1908, will try again, and
from the freshman squad comes Messen-
ger, who is said to be just such a player
as the Ellis desire behind the line Of at
tack.
Where Yale was weak in 19OS-undoubt-
eddy weak-was at quarterback. Through
out all the season the team never had a
man behind the center Of whom 1t was
absolutely confident. 1t is true that Corey
braced up the eleven amazingly In one
game when II seemed about to lose its
grip on the contest. but Corey was not a
perfect quarter. He could drive the
team, something which Yale needed; but
foot ball was rather hard work for a
young man who had trouble in keeping
his weight down.