Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-05
BY n. c. BYRD.


two sections in most prominent way.
The Richmond team probably is the best
mile relay aggregation among the clubs
in the state. while the Tremonts are not
a poor aggregation at the mile distance,
by any means. The Washington Cross
Country and Baltimore Cross Country
clubs are without question the two best
long distance organizations south Of the
Mason-Dixon line, and the race should
just about settle the club supremacy of
the south for the year.
Both local clubs stand at least an equal
chance to win the races in which they
are entered. The Richmond mile quartet
Is probably no faster than the one which
the fremont club will put on the floor.
and while the Baltimore Cross Country
Club aggregation will appear to have
the advantage of any four that the WASH
ington organization can put on the floor
1t is probable that 1t will have a mighty
hard job on its hands to win.
No matter from what standpoint the
changes made in the rules are looked
at, 1t appears that they will decidedly
favor the offensive team when put into
operation. There seems little doubt that
the greater proportiOnate strength that
was said to be with the defense last
season will be turned around. and it will
be as great with the offense during the
coming season.
When a team is allowed four downs to
go the 10 yards and all restriction as
to distance is taken off the forward
pass. It is certain that no defense can be
tirely team that is the all-round equal
Of the one on the defense. With four
downs In which to go 10 yards infinitely
greater possibilities are opened up for
good generalship and open tricky play. if
coaches will try to use them, but the
chances are that the four downs were
wanted by the big eastern schools so that
they could go the 10 yards with greater
surety by using only safe or line smash
ing plays. With the defense scattered
It will be mighty hard matter for any
team to stop another which has in it's
backfeld combination of fast men and
heavy line plungers.
In talking of the changes made in the
foot ball rules a foot ball player who
graduated from the old school was of the
opinion that the new conditions will be
TOO lax In that they will allow too much
leeway for the offensive team. While he
may have exaggerated to a certain ex-
tent In his op Mon as to what would be
the result OF the changes, there may be
lot In what he said and only time will
general rule next fall. Here is the opinion
expressed by the man who played foot
ball under the old 5-yard rule:
IT it is higher scores they are looking
for. teams surely would be able to run
up the points pretty fast under these new
rules. With four trials at rushing the
ball, which means five downs to gain the
necessary. 10 yards. the freedom to toss
the ball anywhere around the field and
the privilege to shoot it over the line like
you'll find q no-scofe game; IN the records
OF next seasons contests.
Take a coach like Yost Of Michigan.
with the mania he had a few seasons
oP vnvS1v hseS> L
will revel In these new rules and send the
scores Of games sky high. Think of what
the Carlisle Indians will do with this
game against the weaker colleges on
their schedule
"Glenn Warner will have to get an ad-
dition machine to keep track of the to-
tails. While I don't especially approve
of this steady drifting away from the old
foot ball, unless it Is bound to become an
entirely different game than in the old
made Saturday is sure to be- good spec
tacle to watch, and can see the spec
tators getting excited at the ball bob
bling up and down among the players
Western High sent in one Of the largest
entry lists for the George Washington
meet that has ever represented that
school In any set Of games Four relay
teams have been entered to run in a
listed to run In the open events against
any scholastic fours Besides the relay
teams about twelve entries have been
made in the scholastic 40 and scholastic
so yard dashes.
Only one or two Of the men entered
have ever competed In any kind Of
event before and practically the entire
squad has been sent in so that as much
experience as possible may be gained.
-
team next fall. and with fair material
he would develop an offensive aggrega-
ton that would never stop scoring. Mel
sen was practically the first man in the
country to develop the forward pass to
any extent when 1t first came in, and last
fall when other coaches were bewailfng
the fact that they had no means by
which tn " could build an offense Neil
sen constructed one that scored twenty
fsns points eos on Lei st an eysa nas
on. The same team also gained more
distance on the Army than did Yale.
What Nielsen can do in the way Of
developing an offense can clearly be
high coach. said after the Thanksgiving
game: IF Princeton. Yale or Harvard
had had as good an Offense as George
town it would have won from the other
two by a big margin
Give Nielsen charge Of team like Cor
nell next year and It would be dollars
to doughnuts that the Ithacans would
make better showing than they have
in years. Come to think of it, Cornell
could do a whole lot worse anyway than
to get the Nebraska man. since It has sig
nified its intent n to secure q profess
sional coach next fall. Nielsen is sort
of leader Of forlorn hopes nayway, and
that appears to be the situation at Cor
nell at present. He went to M. A. c.,
which school had not won a state cham
pionship in fourteen years, and won two
in success'ou: then he went to George
Washington, which had done little or
nothing, and won the South Atlantic
championship: then he went to George
town. where q good foot ball team had
not been seen in years, and twice in sue
cession won the southern championship.
Chances are that Nielsen would resurrect
Cornelrs fallen foot ball fortunes In the |
same way he did the other schools with |
which he has been connected.
It is to be hoped that the report which |
il out that Business High may withdraw |
from interhigh school competition and |
abolish the different teams which have
the institutions is not true. |
OF course the success that Business has |
had in foot ball Ii not what could have
been desired. but that is no reason why |
it should quit. It would be q poor way |
to start life-to quit because Of q lack /
of success. The teams representing /
Eastern High have not done much either |
in the last few years az far as winning |
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