Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1912-08-21
NEAR APPROACHOF
FOOTBALL SEASON
This Year Will be Most In
tereStine in the History
Of the Game

loolpdn season opens.
SO said Jim Thorpe after the close
of the Olympic games at Stockholm.
In spite of the honors which have
come TO the Indian through his mar
velous ability on track and field the
lure OF the fall game is still strongest
within him and devotees of the col
lege sport oau count on seeing Thorpe
the pivotal point OF interest in the
many stiff encounters on the Carlisle
schedule.
With but a month lef before the
opening of training the lines on
which the 1912 football campaign viii
be fought out are beginning to make
themselves evident The arrange
ments as to coaches, schedules and
policies are determined upon and the
new code of rules is being scanned
to ascertain the maximum possibili-
ties for the various universities
To the man who spends large part
OF each day wondering how human
life exists under the heated conditions
OF summer the thought OF men using
their thinking apparatus to figure out
new moves In the game which re-
| quires head guards, woollen jerseys
and others equipment not in keeping
with the blistering sun Of August will
come as distinct shock Yet. con-
sidering the state Of the weather. the
subject OF football prospects is al
ready coming In for surprising
amount OF attention.
One thing is certain--the coming
season is going 20 be one OF the most
interesting I'm the history OF tho game,
There we're few critics who were sat
ished with the results Of 1911. Nor
that there was any desire 20 go back
OF the scores registered, but largely
because these SCORES were so lacking
in conclusiveness- In the East at
least the 1911 code OF playing regu-
IHtious had hut few friends
The present state of football legis-
lation has been attacked vigorously In
some quarters and there is no doubt
that 1t is open to criticism. II has
however, at least this advantage
promise OF producing positive results.
There will be a decided dimlnution OF
no score contests in the coming cam
paign. The writer Is firmly OF the
opinion that the restoration 10 the
game OF its original ground gaining
qualities is decidedly an asset aud
that a continuation Of the footiess
kicking and defensive tactics OF 1911
would have hurt general interest In
football OF the American college
variety.
CorneH h the spot which VIII at
tract a large share OF attention at the
opening OF the season. ithaca has al
ways possessed an abundance OF good
raw material. and n AL Sharpe is the
man the Comedian athletic advisers
think he Is, fine institution should be
we'll represented I'm football this fall.
DR.. Sharpe will have an abundance
Of players with experience and there
is little doubt that Cornell will be
more of football factor than In many
years. Princeton viii make mighty
effort to continue the championship
success gained last year and the Zig
ers VIII start with one asset the lack
OF which has hurt them in previous
seasons.
The college has confidence IN the
coaching system. Princeton in past
seasons has always been worried II
the start of the schedule did not
come with a rush of large scores.
Coaches who wanted TO teach thor
oughness have been forced 10 produce
fiashy results. The Tiger has learned
a lesson in this respect. and It is safe
to say that Princeton will be playing
it's best football at the end and not at
the beginning of the season.
Captain Jesse Spaulding of Yale has
a hard task ahead Of him, but with
Arthur Howe to bear the brunt OF
coaching and some splendid material
= available from last years freshman
class. there is much TO encourage Yale
men to expect a successful season.
The Blue has had a poor year in
athletics and badly needs a victori-
GUS football team to help build up
the broken fences in its once WE'LL
tended athletic domain.
The biggest asset for Harvard from
the freshman OF last year Is c. E.
Buckley who has already marked
himself as one of the most remarkable
athletics Harvard has shown In recent
years. With Buckley to help out
} Captain Wendell in line plunging and
the rest of the capable back mater
ial, It looks as though the Crimson
would have, the edge on the basis oil
/
I'm previous seasons should fade into
: insignhcance II he lives up to the
possibilities which are open to hin
J through the change I'm the rules
which could not favor his style O
playing better IL they had been fran
, ed for him.
Captain Mercer is the trump care
IN the Quaker hand The writer i
personally OF the opinion that And,
Smith. fine individual player that HI
undoubtedly Is. does not rank will
, the coaches at the other big univer
stiles. This opinion seems not to b
generally prevalent at Pennsylvania
Captain Mercer himself is an enthusi
astic supporter of Smith and told tn
r writer short time ago that he Is o
! the belief that Smiths reappointmen
4 was the best possible thing for tn
4 football prospects OF the university
' At all events the Quakers have the ad
! vantage which harmony brings Mer
q Ger Is a fine type of athlete and Is
a leader OF the first order. capable o
getting the best out of the men unde
s him.
S Both the Army and Navy sufferer
o heavily by graduations, and on pane
at least do not look as strong as the.
e we're last season. The smaller eastern
colleges. as usual. will be dark horse
r until midseason, but the chances ar
that the big 'uns will catch Tartar
like Penn state and Springfield Train
coh,oI xrhpp the