Evening star., 1911-07-03
ANOTHER UPHEAVAL
IN YALE ATHLETICS
Blue Authorities May Drop
Professional Coaches in
Rowing and Base Ball.

NEW HAVEN, Conn, July 3.-Yale ath-
letics are to be investigated with a thor
oughness which viii probably bring about
as great an overhauling as resulted after
the foot ball season of 1905. Yale has
lost every series in the four major sports
this year, except foot ball, failing to de-
feat Harvard in this. and being beaten
by Brown and West Point. For the first
time the track team was beaten by
Princeton, the base ball nine lost both
the Harvard and Princeton series and the
crew was defeated by every eastern uni
versity which boasts a formidable crew
except Columbia.
Two Of the incidents of the reform will
be the fight two of the professional
coaches, John Kennedy of the crew and
Billy Lush of the base ball nine, must
make for their places. Several different
movements are on foot to dispiace keh- ,
nedy and at least one to supersede Lush.
This is headed by a faction or former
Yale players who wish to see Johnny
Evers of Chicago replace him under con-
tract for several years. One attack on
Lush and Kennedy aims to abolish pro-
fessional coaching altogether and re-
place it with graduates. This is headed
by a faction composed of faculty mem
bers and former players who hoid the-
oretical views on the subject and feel
that this is good time to drop pald
coaches.
A strong attempt to oust Kennedy is
being led by Bob Cook, the former Yale
rowing coach and captain. He doesn
aim to return to Yale, but has scaeme
formulated which will bring Jim Rodgers,
the former Yale oarsman and foot ball
captain, back as head rowing coach, with
power to choose a professional instructor
ii he chooses. Rodgers is in business IN
New York city He rowed in the Yale
L. - in
Another attempt to displace Kennedy Is
headed by Alfred Cowles OF chicago,
captain Of the 's6 crew. Cook came from
Paris to attend his class reunion at faie
this year. He was graduated In 20. He
did not go to Gales Ferry to the Yale
training camp. Mr.. Cowles came east to
attend the reunion of SO. He went to
New London and remained three days
with the oarsmen. Nearly every scuiierr +
of promise in the country, knowing or
Yale's four annual successive rowing oe-
feats, is candidate for Mr.. kennedy's $
place but none Of the movements started
for Mr. Kennedy's place includes the
naming of a professional rowing instruct
or to succeed him.
The Yale athletic reform goes deeper,
however than the replacing Of two or
three professional coaches In the uni
versity. 1t contemplates system OF
athletic control which does not leave the
captains supreme. At present Ratclife
ROmeyn, captain OF the crew LOT mex.
season, and Henry Newton Merritt. the
base ball captain, have absolute power to
select their coaches and to determine
their system. They can revert to anna
te,r coaching or can select any probes
sional they choose. Neither has yet made
I'D his mind, according to interviews with
both
Both Lush and Kennedy have standing
offers from leading American universities
and their designations can be had any
time for the asking. but they are urged
to remain by powerful factions of rowing
and base ball men. Each has large
following of alumni, who wish them re-
tanned, and indications are that both will
remain unless professional coaching is
abolished.
A rumor which is branded as untrue
by rowing officials is that Fred Plaisted,
the former champion sculler was brought
to Yale last winter to coach the Yale
freshman eight; that the eight he coached
won from Harvard at New London and
that Plaisted will be slipped into Ken
nedy's seat. Capt. Frost of the Yale
crew says that Plaisted did not coach
the freshman crew, but the minor class
and scrub candidates. Those close to the
crew believe that there is nothing In the
report The athletic alumni advisory
| council, the Yale athletic committee and
the faculty all wish reform in the method
Of governing Yale athletics, and some
system will be devised which will take
some of the power away from under
| gradute captains.