The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-03
Every Team Tried to Pick Out Squards That
 Looked Easy
 SHOULD MEET AGAIN
Alumni of Both Institutions Are Tired of Petty Politics and Squabbles That Have Been
 Carried On
By HIGH M. ROBERTS

By HUGH w. ROBERTS The tamest southern football season in many years came to a conclusion Thurs day. Vanderbilt was stronger than any other aggregation-much stronger. The ranking of the sother teams is simply matter of opinion.
 Georgia should probably be ranked sec ond, although it did fail to defeat Au- burn Thursday. Mississippi lost an op- portunity for high rank by losing to the Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical college, which was defeated by Auburn and held to a draw by Alabama.
 Auburn, when individuals are considered, had a team as good as that of Wander bile. But for a list. long and horrible, of injuries, Auburn would have won its every game played against teams of the Southern intercollegiate Athletic assocla- tion
 Georgia Tech was weaker than usual but rallied enough to tie Alabama and hold Auburn to a negative victory. Alabama showed marvellous improvement over it's form of the season of 1910. Its team was one of the best drilled in the south, and
 
 ability, no other team in Dixie, with the exception of Vanderbilt, could have won from it. As it was. however. Alabama defeated only Tulane and Howard in the Southern association, lost to Georgia and Sewanee and got no better than a tie against Georgia Tech and Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical The latter team, Mississippi Agricultural and Me chanical, showed marked improvement, too, and deserves to rank among the best in Dixie.
 South Partially Bored
 In Birmingham, at least, the season was without especial interest. Either on ac- count of the often revised football code or on account of very ordinary schedules of games, interest Jagged notceaby. There is no doubt, too, but that the continued | failure of Auburn and Alabama to meet on the gridron has cost much local en- 1 thusiasm. It is hoped this evil will be remedied before the conclusion of another season.
 The so called big games of the year brought a few surprises, but they were not contests of the highest order. Wander | bilt had walkover against Sewanee. | Auburn and Georgia played to stand still, but this was due more to the weak ness of Auburn on account of injured men rather than to any exceptional prow- ess on the part of Georgia. Mississippi lost to the Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical college but the thrill which the surprise might have caused was ob- liberated in the ennui which ragged and listless game produced Louisiana State and Tulane, the big teams of Louisiana, have their annual clash next Thursday
 So the season throughout the south has ,t Anr1l oTh too few southern games, although there might have been a good excuse for Van derbilt's effort to find opponents worthy of it's steel. Auburn made mistake in twice going across the country to Texas, | in which games there was no interest Of the vital variety. Alabama made mis- take in nominating Davidson, little col lege Nin North Carolina, in which no one in Alabama is interested, as it's op moment in what shoud have been it's star game of the season-the Thanksgiving game.
 Tame Season Explained
 There is no doubt but that all over the south interest in football waned. There are several reasons for this. The first IS due to the new football code, especially in that the requisite of ten yard gain in three downs, makes bunting factor Of too great importance. In watching ball
  benches have little cause for an exhibi- ton of enthusiasm. Kicking should be resorted to only in moments of emergency. During the season just closed the average football game devolved itself into a punt ing contest.
 Another cause for the lack of interest was the fact that the schedules were not arranged with a view of furnishing entertainment. The average college pre- JuIo fn of teams over which it was practically certain it could score victories. For in stancce Alabama played the Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical institute which in previous years was an easy propositions; Tulane, which has never ranked with leaders in the south; Howard, which has always been weak; Marion, which has no rank, and Davidson, gem orally weak. not member of the associa- ton. and not of that importance which furnaces a good reason for playing bare acquaintances.
 The State Teams
 There is hardly a doubt but that certain impoftant changes will be made in the rules this fall It is about time the old maids begin repairing some of the dam age they made several years ago At any rate. such change as will result. in re- ducing the number Of punts per game, 1 may be expected.
 l This will materially aid in keeping foot ball alive The colleges must do the re- | mainder Real schedules should be ar- ranged, and more attention should be ] given to the entertainment of the spec 1 tators than in gathering in the shehels 1 Give the people what they want and the l gate receipts will take care of themselves l The three Southern intercollegiate Ath- 1 Ietfc association teams of the state are l fin good hands, we believe. Longwell is 1 the best man who ever had anything to l do with Howard. Donahue has repeated l ly made winning teams for Auburn l Graves had an excellently coached team | last season, and his men knew something 1 of the inside and rudime2tary tactics of | the sport, which could not be said for the men who drove their heads against walls i during the unfortunate regime of Graves i predecessor. It is understood that Ala | bafna will retain Graves another season, | and we believe that the intention is a | wise one. By all means, the management | of the team should be put into the hands of the Tuscaloosa alumni. for in recent | years student managers have shown a touching unfamiliarity with the big and Attle factors which enter into the success of a football team or any other enterprise depending on the favors of the public.
 Alabama Auburn Game
 There should be an Alabama Auburn 1 game next season. The alumni of the two institutions demand that game The i alumni, as a matter of fact, have grown beyond the swaddlng clothes of college life. and are no longer interested in "whc Is fo blame" or "whether or not Bill Jones belongs to the Blta Pie fraternity