New-York tribune., 1912-01-15
COMMENT ON SPORTS.
Chance Now for the TrOtterS TO
Get Grip in This City.
CORNELL'S FOOTBALL NEED
Dartmouth Coach Did Not Say
Walter Camp Was Twenty
Years Behind Times.

METROPOLITAN district II mas peen cduse
for wonder In the past that sport so
popular in some sections has langulsheu
here. This has been due In part perhaps
to the fact that for number OF years thls
district has been the centre for thorough
bred racing. which in a measure has been
more attractive to lovers Of the horse. 1t is
true also that I'm a community in which
there are many and varied interests for
those who have time and means to seek en-
tertainment no sport is likely TO attract
unless the opportunity is afforded for wider
participation than meeting OF one Week
There are hundreds OF horsemen who enjoy
the various matinee meetings and get much
Measure from seeing the trotters and pac-
ers in action but general pubic interest,"
has been lacking. and such an interest Is
necessary to insure the offering or large
enough purses TO attract the leadihg
stables y the big line. This interest no
doubt could be worked up in time, but
heretofore the competition with the thor
oughbred has proved too much Of handi-
cap 10 overcome.
II is hoped that nothing now will inter-
fere with the carrying out Of the plans be-
ing made TO hold meeting at the Graves
end track in August That some doubt
existed was indicated by the fact that
Rockingham Park. at Salem, Mass, was
promised the dates IL New York failed TO
take advantage of the allotment l am
told. however. that Andy Welch does not
lack for backing in the venture and that
stakes and purses will be offered OF kind
90 attract the best trotters and PAGERS In
the country. Under these conditions the
sport may get boom which will establish
Il on fairly irm foundation in this dis
trict Gravesend was ever popular track
and far more convenient than the one OF
the Empire City Racing Association, near
Yonkers. which was the last to conduct a
Grand Circuit meeting in this city. This
means something. and may make all the
difference in the world between failure and
success. granted, Of course. that the week
of August 19 is favored with fair weather.
The use of the Gravesend track for
trotting meeting does not mean necessarily
that the gates will be closed this year to
the runners. II II is considered feasible 10
hold thoroughbred racing in this state even
with the so-called directors liability law on
the statute books Philip J. Dwyer and the
BROOKLYN Jockey Club will be in line. or
so at least am informed The runners will
he at Saratoga in the month Of August,
~, as said before, racing is conducted, so
that the trotting meeting at Gravesend
would not conflict in any way.
Going back to the Grand Circuit for few
more words, it may be said that the big line
should be stronger this season than In
many years with New York and Pittsburgh
on the list. The fact that z. ]. Tranter, OF
the Fasig-Tiptcn Company. will act as
manager OF the Pittsburgh meeting insures
its success Mr.. Tranter is we'll qualified to
prepare q programme and arrange all de-
tails for the meeting, while all indications
~ point to a wholesome interest in the light
nj harness turf in that city,. The, meeting at
VI Goshen, n. Y, proved so popular last year
that some surprise was expressed that no
application for dates was made. The
Orange County Driving Association. how
ever. is hampered with half-mile track,
so that John r. Townsend explained that
his club would step aside in the interest of
the sport until such time as It could offer
full circuit
The athletic council OF Cornell University
In opening the way to the appointment of
a winning football eleven next fall con-
fesses to a weakness which may or may
not exist at Ithaca. II seems to me that
enough good football men have been de-
veloped at Cornell to give all the aid necesr
sary TO Dan Read or any other head coach.
but apparently such is not the case, or at
least such is not the feeling. Competent
football coaches are born. not made and a
In cY{t Of knnWledRp
is oftentimes a poor instructor phen it
comes to teaching others what he knows
himself. Under the circumstances Cornell
is likely to drop out of the frying pan into
the fire In an effort to get just the man
needed, while doing away with the graduate
system, which is by far the better plan for
ethical purposes. l know OF two men who,
with free rein. could be counted on to
put an eleven in the field for Cornell next
fall with the excellent material at hand,
that would be quite likely to beat Pennsyl-
vania or any other team on the schedule.
These men are George Foster Sanford, OF
Yale, If he could be persuaded TO serve, and
Ed Cochems, the former st. Louis Unver-
sity coach, who is a natural born instruc-
tor and a man who knows football in all its
intricacies, particularly the new open game.
1 have no axes to grind and do not wish
to appear bold I'm even offering the sugges-
ton Furthermore, / believe that Dan
Read. with his knowledge of the players. is
almost sure TO get results another season,
as the nucleus for a team Is exceptionally
strong Still, as outside help is wanted,
cannot resist the temptation to say whom
would recommend strongly IL l happened
to be Cornell alumnus.
At dinner OF Dartmouth alumni in this
city last week Frank ]. Cavanaugh. coach
of the football eleven, denied emphatically
that he had been correctly quoted in Chi
cago some ten days ago when credited
with saying that Walter Camp, Yale's
football strategist, was twenty years be-
hind the times. When l commented on
this rash statement a week ago / sug-
gested that 1t did not seem possible that
Mr.. Cavanaugh had been accurately
quoted. and all those interested in the
Lport will be glad 20 know that the report
Of what he said was exaggerated and mis-
represented. Mr.. Cavanaugh did say tina,
the rules were badly edited last year on
account Of a number OF conflicting sections
and that while no man was better qualified
20 do the work than Mr.. Camp II would
be better IL he was relieved another year
unless he could find more time 10 devote
10 the task. Personally, l am glad to
make the correction in this column, as
have heard some harsh criticism OF Mr.
Cavanaugh for the statement II turns out
ne did not make. He is In a position "a
90 much for the cause Of football and Il
vas unfair that he should have been &c
grossly misrepresented