South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-12-25
NUMBERING MEN
WOULD BE HELP
SAYS N. D. COACH
Harper Thinks 1t Would Enable
Spectators and Sport Writ
erS to Get the Men Who
Make Plays.

The question OF numbering the
players in the big college football
games which has been hanging fire
during the past two years is now com
ing 10 a definite head. Many o. the
big eastern schools, such as Cornell
and Brown have declared In favor or
the numbering system for next fall
and IL Is likely that the plan viii be
universally adopted by American col
1eges and universities During the
past season there was much done pro
and con IN regard 10 numbering the
players. Capt Ketcham Of Yale was
frankly opposed 70 II, while, on the
other hand, the players in the Dart
mouth-Carlisle game were (actually
numbered.
Athletic Director Jesse Harper OF
Notre Dame stated yesterday that the
numbering system has much In its
favor. He has nothing against the
plan but can not say definitely at
such an early date whether the
scheme will go into operation at the
gold and blue schoo- next year. This
numbering Of football players was
done only once at Notre Dame, in the
Wabash-Notre Dame game OF Oct.
26, 1912.
In referring TO the system yester-
DAY Harper said that undoubtedly the
advantages TO be gained far out
weigh any objections against num-
boring. II is especially benefiC'cl to
the spectators. In q shift play or
plunge through the line it is almost
impossible TO keep track Of the in
diyidual players and the knowing who
IS taking the ball or who is doing the
beststackling Is half the fun in watch
ing a football game.
Praised New System.
The students at Notre Dame VINO
witnessed the Wabash-Notre Dame
tilt Of 1912 were loud in their praise
Of the new system. BY referring 70
programs Il was a simple matter TO
tell who were the stars of the game.
Any move towards the permanent
adoption OF the numbering scheme
will be strongly backed by the student
body at Notre Dame.
A big point in favor Of the num-
bering plan especially emphasized
by Harper, is the fact that in this
way a man is sure to get the credit
for the work he does. AT West
Point this year" said Coach Harper
the soldiers had the ball on our
three yard line. Gushurst broke up
a play and threw the man with the
ball for a loss but ROckne got the
credit for It." There is great danger
OF newspaper reporters going wrong
on individual players unless they are
guided by the numbering Of the men.
The West Point game in many in
stances showed the flaws in the old
system In addition 10 the case quoted
above, Harper stated that there were
many other times when the wrong
man got credit for some good play
"Gusthurst." went on the coach,
pulled down as many passes in the
game as any man and yet he was
barely mentioned" In the reports of
the New York papers Finegan and
ROckne were mentioned as the men
responsible for the completion of most
OF Notre Danes forward passes,
while as a matter of fact Gushurst
had as much to do with the success of
the gold and blue as did either of
these men.
Not detracting one iota from the
record OF ROckne, who merited all
the honors that he received this year
ii must be stated in justice 70 Gus
hurst and in fact TO many men from
all schools that the numbering plan