Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-09-17
GRIDIRON STORIES
Football Games That Were Won
by a Tongue Lashins.

Writing on football In the American
Magazine, Edward Lyell Fox tells Of |
football defeats that were turned into |
victories by tongue flashing. BE says: |
There are instances whereby coach |
IS have won games all unbeknown TO |
the public. These are crises that have |
been faced In the dressing room be- |
tween the halves, with the team |
stretched out dirty and bruised Lash
ed by coaches tongues or stirred by
the appeal personal. an apparently dis
organized and defeated rabble often
becomes o steady but furious fighting
unit
In 1905 Pennsylvania went to their
dressing room after playing a 8 TO 8
first half with Harvard. The tie score
was misleading. Harvard had played
the better football They had ripped
the red and blue line to tatters. And
Harvard would have crushed Pennsyl.
vania II Mike Murphy. the veteran
trainer. had not jumped upon q table
and talked three minutes to the team.
Murphy. Ike Antony. wns no orator.
do you want a lot of bean eaters
up there in Boston to crow over the
hash their team made OF your cried
he. They'll turn that city inside out
and on good Penn money at that!
Your friends II be courtin' free lunch
counters for weeks II yon let those
dubs get away with this. Myself-it
almost made me cry 10 see those big
stills walk all over you. (He gulped
nOticeablyJ Because I know how
good you are. You weren't right that
half. You'll Kill 'em now. You've got
10. Think of the crowd And say, fel-
lows. II there's no mother. father. sis
ter or girl up there watOhin'. Just
think OF me. fellows. Think OF me,
that takes care Of you all. For I've
got the con" boys
he couGhed. brushed his eyes with
the back Of his hand and faltered on:
~ won't he with you very much
longer. and | want you TO win this
game.
He finished speaking and stole away
without a word There was no cheer
ing: the men were thinking TOO hard
The next half Harvard found n differ
emotions were keyed up 20 such a pitch
that their fierce football has never
since been seen on Frnuklin field Har.
ward was dazcd swept away and beat
en-b"cnusc II rnnn spoke
Another remarkable turning Of d
game between the halves occurred a:
Ithaca I'm 1908. Cornell led Columbia
by G 10 o when the teams returned TO
the dressing rooms. Columbia had nor
recovered from wearing game with
Princeton the week before. Many OF
the men were overturned. There was
n distinct feeling OF the hOpelessneSs
Of II nll when the players lay down
upon the "oOr and brnches. Only Bill.
white huIl terrier mascot. showed
signs Of livelincsS IL was cold in the
dressing room. and trainer shook the
ashes I'm the stove he used a poker.
the end OF which became red hot.
When tpally be laid down the metal
rod the red whitencd. but the heat re
NAMED Bill. deciding that the poker
was 10 be played with like a stick
caught the heated end in his month
Instantly his HIPS scared aud turned
black. BIN only shook the poker hard
er. Two men grabbed him and tried
10 force him TO open his mouth. But
Rili fought back. and finally they had
90 choke him before he would loosen
his grip. II was then that Coach Nor
ley nudged Captain Fisher and point
ed 20 the dog. Catching the idea. Fish
er sprang Co his feet and built up a
speech around Bill. lie compared Bnrs
nerve 10 the teams and asked the
men IL they were not ashamed OF them
selves bis closing sentence was
Just play for Bill. Bill. Bnlr
when Columbia returned TO the Geld
BlL yepIng furiously. led the way
An LlCvnsh the half the team heard