Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-10-16
CAMBRIDGE FEELS GLOOMY
Harvard Not Sure of Beating Yale
Foot Ball Squad This Fall.
TWO VICTORIES FAIL TO CHEER
Rules Compelling Open Play ana
Making -Four Periods Make
Game Dull and Interest
e. Lacking.

BOSTON. Mas, Oct 15.-The tenor OF
Cambridge football reports is pessimlstc
This must not be construed to mean that
Harvard is not supremely confident of
ending victorious season by the defeat
OF Yale. Indeed. the Johnnies have had
considerable secret practice operations,
presumably TO develop trick plays for the
oonfounding of opponents in later games
1t is this new football that vexes Cam
bridge. The members of the squad say
nothing but the undergraduate body is
outspoken In Its disapproval. Following
are parts Of a discussion heard in q Har-
yard undergraduate club the. other day:
Despite the distinct openness OF the new
game, and Harvard has played Il con-
sistently and we'll. the Crimson's over
whelming victories over Bates and Bow
doin have proved most unlnteresting to a
vast majority of the spectators, loyal
Harvard supporters as they are. The sight
Of hundreds leaving the stadium after the
second period in & Harvard game was
well-nigh unheard of, and yet the last two
games have seen this phenomenon
1T was doubtless expected by the rule
makers that the increased openness OF the
game, enabling the spectator to see clearly
every play, would add increased interest
TO the game; but apparently the attempt
has proved boomerang. After all, foot
ball has been popular In the past mainly
because II has been 4 game OF eleven men
cooperating into a fighting machine, de-
spite the obvious fact that the Coys, the
Fishes and the Eckersalls have always
been highly popular with the onlookers
Individuals cannot always star; and then
the crowd watched the team as q team
Perhaps there was nothing more thrilling
In the old football, as last years game
must now be designated, than the sight
OF five men pulling a man through a hole
in the line with three tacklers clinging to
his legs.
Then the man who could keep his feet
In such a position was OF immense value
In open field running, likewise, long runs
were made even more startling by the
work Of an interferer, who, with arm
locked with that OF the man with the ball
would practically haul his fellow through
a string OF unsuccessful tacklers. All this
is gone, and the game has suffered de-
crease In interest as a result. II the in
dividual falls he is downed and all the
team work in the world can avail him
nothing. Harvard has effected a wonder
full system OF interference for the runner
and long runs, while not spectacular. are
stun frequent and Interesting.
Long Run Not Spectacular.
"a long run can hardly be called spec
tacular under the new rules because OF
the adjustment OF the flying tackle
Possibly the prettiest thing in all football
was the low, long, accurate leap. arms
outstretched fingers and hands ready 70
drag down the flying figure ahead The
committee maybe. has rightly abolished
the flying tackle. but by so doing has
materially decreased interest In the game.
In the Bowdoin game the Harvard line
men blocked a try for a field goal and
Leslie the Crimson fullback. tore through.
picked up the ball on the bound. and ran
on. A Bowdoin man was ten yards be-
hind him. flying tackle only could
save touchdown, and Leslie. by merely
ordinary sprinting, made a touchdown. It
was perfectly evident to ali that he could
not be stopped except by a flying tackle.
Mayhap this BOwdOin man was over
Eealous in his regard for the new rules.
as others would take the penalty
There seems little doubt that the four
period device employed to give the play
ers more rest has sorely caused the game
20 draE Just when interest IL being
heightened In the progress OF the game.
when the team Is perhaps hitting its
proper stride the whistle blows Both
spectators and players become cold
Harvard men are not syorse TO express
/ ing disapproval Of the new rules and some
Of the 1903 championship team, notably
Jack Cutler. the duarterback and Woar.
guard, say It Is a new game entirely. Cut
Ter was watching the Bates Harvard
game when suddenly Corbstt made fif-
! teen yards on the famous skin tackle play
With which Yer Wiebe routed the Yale
/ linemen IN 1875. Now. that's footbaHr
Cutler SANG out ana no one near him
disagreed Head Coach Haughton who
dened all precedent BY appearing on the
field IN straw hat. sesmed also slightly
puEEied by the new rules and on one oc-
easion after the game had dragged on In
tsrminsbly he Lost track OF the period and
bad 70 be set right"