The Detroit times., 1911-11-21
MICHIGAN is THE PIVOT
ABOUT WHICH A WESTERN
GRID EDDY IS WHIRLING
Chicago, Minnesota and Wiscon-
sin All Wanc Michigan For
the Balance of Power.
CONFERENCE NEEDS MAIZE
Pennsy Sends Back Usual Wall
About Poor Officials-Michi-
gan Hints at Dirty Work.
BY RALPH |. YoNkER.

BY RALPH L. YoNkER.
Football is getting to be as bad as
baseball with its wars and rumors oil
wars, its charges and counter charses'
and with even its ticket scandals.
In the west the eddy is the confer
ence revolving about Michigan. Chi
cago is strong and II holds the small
Ter colleges OF the big Eight in
position that adds TO its power. but,
nevertheless IL cannot swing the con-
ference. The past and present prowess
OF the Wolverines and the impossloil-
ity OF awarding a satisfactory cham
pionship title in the west without con-
sidering the Maize and Blue has made
Michigan The pivot about which all
conference disturbances swing
Now that two members OF the
rBigeer Three" in the Big Eight OF
the conference, Chicago and Wiscon-
sin. are peeved at Minnesota because
OF it's idea of eligibility rules, Mime
sofa Is making a grand salaam TO
Michigan and suggests that IL enter
the conference again, so that Michi-
gan. Wisconsin and Minnesota can
form a combination against Chicago
and the smaller schools in the agree
ment and hold the balance of power,
Minnesota takes il for granted that
Wisconsin would come back TO the
gophers rather than go over 10 Stage.
No sooner has Minnesota suggest
ed this arrangement than Chicago
.nears reports" which no doubt
emanate from Chicago itself, that
Michigan is to come back TO the con-
ference fold and join Chicago and
Wisconsin in an effort TO curb the too
donineering eligibility tactics OF Min
nesota.
Chicago takes it for granted that
Wisconsin will join il against Mime
sofa.
And they both take II for granted
that Michigan is willing to come back.
II all looks from the "far east" as
II the whole bunch of these western
schools find that the conference sea
SON is not the success without the
Wolverines that ii was once and that
these overtures do not concern Min
nesota and Wisconsin and the other
western schools nearly so much as
they do Michigan. In other words, II
looks as II this Minnesota controversy
was simply a peg on which to hang
an invitation for Michigan TO return.
II is understood that the student
body at Ann Arbor is not anxious
that Michigan should join the confer.
ence. Sentiment prefers to remem-
Der one, Coach Stagg. and keep out
But football fandom in general in the
west. would like to see a more salts
factory method than mere guess work
OF settling the western championship
question and above all IL would like
10 see a Michigan-Minnesota game.
II remembers the old-time battles.
bitter they may have been but for
that reason close and hard-fought, be-
tween the two u. of Ms, and IL wishes
that instead of the polite exchange OF
courtesies between the Yostmen and
the Nebraskans there was one more
real telling scrap scheduled.
Wouldn't there be difference In
interest right now IL Michigan was to
meet Minnesota next Saturday rather
than Nebraska Don't you swear
softly. as the novelists have il, when
you think what a scrap there might
still be if?
Coach Yost actually has a diffcult
ing up interest in the football squad
itself. OF course. he is not confident
OF winning. or course, Nebraska ex-
poets TO make more than good
showing. OF course, there is a Ne
braska man who has kicks stored up
in both feet, and who spills them on
the run, but Pennsylvania has been
beaten and what do we care about
Nebraska?
The only thing that can keep up
the fellows pep Is the thought OF the
awful disgrace OF defeat
The practice this week is scheduled
TO be mostly light work, consisting OF
signal drill and practice in overhead
football. The team leaves Thursday
for Nebraska.
And now comes the usual kick OF
the losing team from the Pennsy
camp.
The charge is that Referee Pendel-
ton gave the Pennsylvania bunch the
worst OF the deal in calling back the
ball after the onside kick recovered
by Jourdot which he chased across
the goal line.
or course had that touchdown
counted, Pennsy would have won. IL
- only natural Jndt tnere should be
q kick. Losing teams have to take
IL out on luck or the officials.
And In the meantime over at Ann
Arbor they are stirring up feeling
against Pennsy by quoting sport
writer OF Philadelphia paper who
harks back to the time when Schultz
was laid out, and says that Pennsy
wins It's games by laying out players.
II looks as II Ann Arbor sees a
mountainous offense in this molehill
paragraph, for as far as could be seen
from the sidelines Saturday Pennsy
PLAYED a fast and clean game Why
rtir up the slime that has been
buried? Let the dead past be dead
walsh Teaches HoyIik.
IA. Walsh, star slabH4aH- OF the White
Sox. has taken kindly Interest IN.
Hoviik. one OF Comiskey's recruits
and n u ~ possible tn rotnE to make a
Walsh out OF him. Ed II Reaching
Hoviik how TO use the "spit-balr prop
erly. E.E,L
O'Teoie o. HuatinG.
-.