The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-03-27
GEORGETOWN HAS SHOW
TO WIN THE BOAT RACE
Former Blue and Gray OarSman Sees Great Pos
sibiIitieS in the Squad Now Under the
WatchfuI Eye of Coach Dempsey
Nv NELSON ". SHEPARD,

The direct answer to such a question
remains to be seen. and until the crew
has had its final test il is best to keep
quiet. but there IS every reason to be
lieve, truthfully, that the Blue and Gray
eight IS going 10 give each crew on the
Hudson the race of its life for first place,
II there is any man in the country to-
day who can whip a crew into shape IN
the face Of encouragement, that man is
pat Dempsey. coach of the Blue and
Gray squad, the only man 10 get first
class results at the Hilltop.
AZ no time since the organization Of a
crew in the history of Georgetown Uni
versity has the working material been
so promising as it is this spring. They
have weight, they have. discipline, and
the majority have had experience of
some sort which viii stand them in good
stead during the hard grin Of a seasons
training.
It is more than possible this year. with
material combining weight as well as
skill, that Georgetown is going to be the
dark horse when the big six line up for
the four mile dash on the Hudson. and il
remains 70 be seen whether the varsity
viii fulfil the expectations of its coach
and enthusiasts along the water front
II IS not going too far 10 say that
Georgetown viii win this year II every
man does his duty and follows the in
structions Of Coach Dempsey, without
swerving an instant from them. The
Blue and Gray landed second position at
PoughlIeepsie in 1903 and third in 1905 out
70
years. and why can they not do one bet
ter this year?
Coach Dempsey interviewed.
II is up to the men. The writer inter-
viewed Mr.. Dempsey. the veteran oars
man. and he declared that he was salts
fed with the conditions existing this
year. and although he is lying low and
saying but little. he is working doggedly
every day. smoothing of the rough edges
and showing each candidate the weak
points.
The Poushkeepsie prospects, no de-
clared, never looked so bright as they do
to-day. even better than IN 1903 and 1852
II is too early in the season to tell just
what sort Of work the two Fights now on
the river are doing. but it IS sufficient in
itself 10 say that thera has been a
marked Improvement since the shells
touched the water.
It takes longer than one may think to
get of the rough edges OF a new crew
1t may look comparatively easy from a
spectators point OF view, but 10 master
the real art of rowing is perhaps the
most difficult proposition in athletics. It
is easy enough TO take poor player out
during a match game of football or base
BAN, but when a single man goes TO
pieces after the first stroke Of the start
he can lose the race for the best crew in
The country.
It's Up to the Men.
Il is not an easy matter to make COM
parsons, but Il Is entirely safe to say
that if every man does as he is taught
this year there need be no comparison
drawn between the crew that viii repre-
sent Georgetown in June and the last
that rowed at Poughkeepsie.
From the present outlook the eight
picked this spring could. If pitted against
the other, win with plenty of open water
between
The last Poughkecpsie boat contained
some beefy material. but there the mat
ter ended. The trouble lay with the crew
as a whole; they did not know how to
row, in the first place. With few ezcep-
tions they wasted a whole lot OF energy
which otherwise might have been put to
better use. There was lack Of strict dis
olpline unison in working, and worse,
the tendency TO forget the stroke. In
stead of rowing as one man. they. came
near rowing as several, and the result
was shown. But notwithstanding. there
were some good men among them.
What Mr. Dempsey is striving for
above all things this year is a crew that
VIII row as one man. an eight that when
once it Is taught a stroke knows onlr
how to row that one stroke. and can row
it until it drops without changing
II he can make such an eight Of the
Georgetown material he viii have the
best possible chances for winning no
matter If the varsity Is picked from the
llghtest men of the squad.
Old stroke Retained.
Coach Dempsey is stil retaining his
old stroke a stroke which he has taught
some Of the best crews that ever dipped
a blade and which is particularly fitted
for the Georgetown material.
Tho Dempsey stroke" Is it Is univer-
sally known. consists Of IL quick. power
fm catch" using the whole back and
legs IN the drive, and shooting the hands
out quickly before coming up slowly on
the slides
1t is difficult to catch on TO a new
stroke at first. The squad Is practically.
every man OF them. stranger to It,
most Of them having been taught by
Murray Russell and Vail, and one of the
hardest things a coach has to fight
against is the inoessant tendency. Of a
man TO 90 back. without knowing Il
himself, 10 the very stroke he should
forget.
This is one Of the big things Mr. Demp-
sey is lighting for right now. 10 make
each man forget that ne ever rowed any
stroke other than that being taught him
now.
At present the crews are catching on
TO the new idea in a way that is surpris-
ing even the coach. because. first of all.
they have realized what they are up
against and know that Coach Dempsey
viii never give them a moments rest
until he gains that end,
To keep at them every minute they are
on the water TO explain every weak
point is what Dempsey is doing.
Rowing Well Together.
The crews are rowing well together for
so early in the season. They are getting
snap and swing TO their stroke special
attention being paid TO tie uniform
stroke Of the whole eight Without this.
aa NJ naL..r-aa- 1. 49, L.. IL.