New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-11-23
ON COLLEGE GRID|RONS
Cornell Team, or Better, Some OF
the Players, HarShIy Scored.
WHAT AN ALUMNUS SAYS
Overconfidence Blamed for the
Defeat at Hands of the
Chicago Eleven.

OF the players on the eleven in the game
with Chicago last Saturday, when the
team from Ithaca was beaten by a score
OF s to o. An aumuus. who lives in this
city, unburdens his mind in letter TO the
Sporting Editor as follows:
1t was not pleasing to those Cornell men
who travelled 10 Chicago to see their eleven
beaten when everything pointed TO VIC
tory, but il was numliaung TO watch tne
attitude of some Of the players. ChlcaBo
Is 10 be congratulated for so nicely admlh-
istering defeat TO opponents whose very
pose on the grdron was an insult
Cornell had every requisite win WhlcH 10
beat Chicago by large score but the most
essential one-determination. Determina-
ton was 9bsOg ty IaG S5 IN T mshg game
was thought TO be sailed away 1or the
Ithacans. and after that. when defeat had
come, IL was case OF what ala IL matter
Graudstand playing feature that has
always been so uoticably absent from Cor
nell teams I'm the past was the most salient
feature last Saturday. series of cOntinu-
Gus smiles 10 the grandstand when the
plays should have brought forth tears and
disgraCcful levity and carelessness marked
the attitude Of some of the players.
Seldom has Cornell coach surveyed
better football material than did Dan Reed
az the beginning OF the present season
and in the opening game with Allegheny
the results justified the confidence Three
successive Victories did not beittle the
prospect Of the encounter with Penn
state. bat that defeat spurred the men on
until Williams almost conquered the enor-
nous amount Of cVerconfdence which Cor
nell carried on the held that day. Inc
team however. recovered in time to shut
out Michigan. but during the week fol-
loving this accomplishment some of the
players became so ridCulOuSlN overconii-
dent so unfoUndedly cOncetted and headY.
that Chicago's winning was the natural
result.
MANY of Cornel's men should be pro-
tectcd. however. from the criticism which
few attract to 1.-THE team. Eyrlch, whose
second play of the game Had it been
possible for him TO remain, II Is possible
that his efforts might have reversed the
result, but when IL becomes necessary LOT
tiTee-quarters Of the men TO do the Work
Of football team. injuries naturally re-
suit Jess Whytc is now out of the game
FOR the year. and Eyrich will not be on
the field for several DAYS Captain Munk
O'ROurke and Mum were always alive 10
the situation. and O'COnncT and X. B.
Whyte did their best to play all four posi-
lions on the backheld, a hopeless task
when command was vested i'm another.
Varying degrees of seif-coniidence and
con .cit pbscSscl the rest of the regulars
and even after leaving Chicagos training
quarters no thought Of the enormlty OF
their offences or disgrace of defeat seemed
20 impress the worst Offenders Wmie the
rest Of the team appeared 10 be on the
verge Of collapse.
Dan Reed. who has struggled over the
men for more than two months, deserves
nor can one question his ability lie has
a huge task before him 10 weed out the
team and 70 train the men who replace
those who may be disposed Of. This he
can do. however. and the alumni who piued
him last Saturday will rejoice with him
on Thanksgiving Day.
It seems unfortunate that Cornell should
be suffering from overconfdence with the
Pennsylvania game at hand and that any
Of the players should i've open 10 such a
bitter indictment. further Indication Of
the feeling is cleaned from an editorial
In The Cornell Daily Sun" which says
under the caption desperate Measures
Cure Desperate Cases:
If confidence is half the battle, what is
CverContdence? In Cornells case il was
the loss Of a game which by all natural
bases Of comparison should have been
decisive victory From the time Michigan
came to Ithaca TO be defeated, the uni
Norsity and the team had been so perme-
ated with "A belief in CCTnclIS inVulnerahll-
ity that interest i'm the Chicago game had
become a question of total score The
coaches scented trouble and reminded the
players that n might he as well to meet
Chicago before chalking up the final he-
preS lut 10 no avail An oyorcop .fdent
team. encouraged 10 believe itself all-pOw-
erful by overConhdent undergraduates, be-
came demoralized when opposed by uneX-
TeCttd strength
Despite the lesson Of saturday. II IS Just
possible that some benghted patriot will
49,, c,l b 0,r'r' lo" " i"I p ~
and Cornell scores against Michigan. As
cure for such diseases that Chicago wat
wi ,hd m 'Sn1,a ~ US IhCG ne
had 10 fan eventually should lose it's CON
Sei{ eeIoIe tse MAJ game. Tor II CoTneI
the team would have deemed the season
finished.
II will take $1,000 20 repair tho damage
done 10 Tale Field by last Saturdays foot
han game AS the eridirop win lavo 70 no
-esodded To avoid trouble in the future
q corps OF men will boein work ON a now
university ,ridiron on the land roccntiv
r.Yrosaeed oprosite vale t,ield This viii
Ie roeodd,d and usod for future rractice
10 ,to ,,,,i,..,.si,,. s,,,ad so that tho roc,Iar
-, -..,. ~ d., Co... oo,,o,, ..,a o.
-. g.. ~. 81 - ~. - "a 20
INC
.,
-No we" -, -
40 $50 'o' '--0
anu US 80 49, - -.
thIee l',o1S'i.u ''Ny's ','u
drop.kickers Tor the season with eight