St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-11-08
CRIDIRON STORIES
Football Games That Were Won
by a Tongue Lashing.
A TALK THAT BEAT HARVARD.

- Ivy SHSb q ~AGHiG VI OOt6ttDlGs
Writing on football in the American
Magazine, Edward Lyell Fox tells OF
football defeats that were turned into
victories by tongue flashing. He says:
There are instances whereby coach
es have won games all unbeknown to
the public. These are crises that have
been faced in the dressing room be-
tween the halves. with the team
stretched out dirty and bruised. Lash
ed by coaches tongues or stirred by
the appeal personal. an apparently dis
organized and defeated rabble often
becomes q steady but furious fighting
unit.
I'm 1905 Pennsylvania went to their
dressing room after playing a 6 to
first half with Harvard. The tie score
was misleading Harvard had played
the better football. They had ripped
the red and blue line to tatters. And
Harvard would have crushed Pennsyl-
vania if Mike Murphy, the, veteran
trainer, had not jumped upon a table
and talked three minutes to the team.
Murphy, like Antony. was no orator.
"'Do you want lot of bean eaters
up there in Boston to crow over the
hash their team made of your cried
he. They'll turn that city inside out
Your friends I'll be courtin' free lunch
counters for weeks if you let those
dubs get away with this! Myself-it
almost made me cry to see those big
stiffs walk all over you Gle .guIped
noticeably.} Because I know how
good you are. You weren't right that
half. You'll kill 'em now. You've got
to. Think Of the crowd. And say, fell
lows. if there's no mother, father. sis
ter or girl up there watOhin', just
think of me. fellows Think of me.
that takes care of you all. For I've
got the con-" boys
HE coughed, brushed his eyes with
the back Of his hand and faltered on:
Isl won't be with you very much
longer, and l want you to win this
game
HE finished speaking and stole away
without word. There was no cheer
ing; the men were thinking too hard.
The next half Harvard found differ
ent Pennsylvania team, a team whose
emotions were keyed up to such pitch
that their fierce football has never
since been seen on Franklin field. Har-
ward was dazed. swept away and beat
en-because man spoke. -
Another remarkable turning of
game between the halves occurred at
Ithaca in 1905. Cornell led Columbia
by to O when the teams returned to
the dressing rooms. Columbia had not
recovered from a wearing game with
Princeton the week before. Many of
the men were overturned. There was
distinct feeling of the hopelessness
Of it all when the players lay down
upon the floor and benches. Only Bill,
a white bull terrier mascot. showed
signs of Iiveliness. 1t was cold in the
dressing room, and a trainer shook the
ashes in the stove. He used a poker,
the end of which became red hot.
When finally he laid down the metal
rod the red whitened. but the heat, re-
NAMED. Bill. deciding that the poker
was to be played with like a stick.
caught the heated end in his mouth.
Instantly his lips scared and turned
black. Bill only shook the poker hard
er. Two men grabbed him and tried
to force him to open his mouth. But
Bill fought back. and finally they had
his grip. 1t was then that Coach Nor
ley nudged Captain Fisher and point
ed to the dog. Catching the idea. Fish
er sprang to his feet and built up a
speech around Bill. He compared Bills
nerve to the teams and asked the
men If they were not ashamed Of them
selves. His closing sentence was.
Just play for Bill, Bill, BiIlr
when Columbia returned to the field,
Bill, yelping furiously, led the way.
All through the half the team heard
him barking from the side lines. Said
Won Saltza, the big tackle. after the
game. We heard every yelp. and it
simply drove u.s.
ALSO Bills yelping was so good that
Columbia won out, II to g."
Very often, Mr.. Fox declares, the
ability of one man to kick has deter
mined the outcome of the game. He
writes:
I'm 1907 Minnesota and Wisconsin
played II to II. The match has been
ballyhooed the most sensational ever
seem That it ended In a tie was be-
cause Of Capron. He saved Minneso
ia. He kicked three goals from the
field The game began with a bewil-
dering series of rushes, end runs and
triple forward passes. The score leap
ed to Wisconsin IL, Minnesota 5. Here
Capron began to kick. Standing on
the thirty yard line. he drove the ball
between the posts Wisconsin's lead
was reduced to three points. Again.
this time from the forty-fve yard line.
Capron sent the ball sailing true. Min
nesota led 13 to II. The first half
ended, however, with Wisconsin swing
ing back into the lead. A touchdown
came after a succession of end runs
The score was Wisconsin IT, Mime
sofa IL. In the second half the teams