The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-07
CONFERENCE SEASON
VOID OF FEATURES
Denver Writer Says 1913
Was Somewhat Disappoint-
ing in Football.
TOO MANY GREEN MEN
Practically Every Coach Con-
fronted With Serious Prob
lem; Gives Utah Credit.
TOO MANY GREEN MEN

With few exceptions, the season OF
1913 In Rocky mountain conference
football was void of any special feh-
lures, says. Pyke johnson in the Dem
yer News. Taken in comparison with
the games of year before, this years
contests were decidedly mediocre, and,
if anything, the general methods OBJ
tanning showed tendency to ultra
conservatism which robbed the sport OF
many of its more interesting sidelights.
The condition is not to be taken as q
positive indication that the game is
losing interest, but may be ascribed, In
the main, to three sound reasons:
In the first place, this year was the
first of the six-year non-competittve
schedule. which has been inaugurated
by the conference. All the .elevens
shortened their schedules somewhat,
and Denver fans were left without con-
tests on several dates. Next year there
VIII be many more games in this city.
Second, the weather was bad in sew
eral instances In three games that tho
writer witnessed, aud in probably one
or two others, the gridircns were so
slow that it was almost impossible for
the eIevens 10 use anything but
straight football of the most elemen-
tary character. This drawback will be
lessened somewhat in the future by
more frequent use of the Union park
gridiroi7, which has been prepared espe-
cially with view to quick drainage.
Third, and possibly most important of
all, veteran material was greatly In
the minority on all squads. Usually
there are two or three elevens which go
into a season with good nucleus Of OK
perienced men.
Green Men Numerous.
Looking over the lineups which COM
Srised the teams this year, the writer
finds that with one exception, all OF
the coaches were confronted with the
task of building lines from green men.
Linemen are not developed in week
or a month. They must be coached
gradually aud along elementary foot
ball lines for months before they at
tain high standard of ability. During
this period, the coach is confronted
with the necessity of holding his backs
to simple styles of attack II he desires
to be sure of his results. Il he does
take a chance at open football the re-
suits are frequently marred by inaceu-
rate work, due to inexperience of the
primary line.
The backfield material presented q
different ease. Many of the backs
were men of at least one year s ex-
perience, while most of the new COM
ers were veteran high school players.
This fat tended to make the recruits
valuable from the start. There is far
less difference between high school
and college methods of training backs
than in working with the linemen.
We have ascribed q good share Of
the Conservative play TO the necessity
of coaching new men-and to the
weather-but it is still true that some
part of the conservatism was due to
the tactics of the coaches.
Apparently O majority of the men
tors did not believe in shifts or In for
ward passing. Their judgment seems
of the more advanced style
elevens iu the critical games
Change Needed in Scoring.
But what of the general publica
While the writer has not been in a
position TO Judge their views, his belief
is that outside the ranks Of the direct
supporters of the contending eleyens
there has been reason for dissatls
faction. This would seem TO be nfore
due to the present scoring rules than
to our own particular coaches.
To begin with, the writer believes
football allows TOO many points. Take,
for example, the Mines-State game,
won by the latter, 90 to O. The tendency
OF the average reader of the sport
ing news is to wonder at the trounc-
ing given to Golden, yet the records
show that the silver and blue. while
cleanly defeated, was not overwhelmed
The fact is that 20 to Q, coming after
the low scores that rule In baseball,
causes a superficial reflection that the
game was entirely one-sided- While
the point may not be held important
by football authorities, 1t is our belief
that q general cutting down of all
scores in football TO the lowest margin
consistent with their comparative
worth would react favorsbly in the
mind OF every spectator and would re-
suit In feeling that the game WIS q
more cleanly contested one.
Then, again, despite the cutting down
OF the field goal, it now seems appar-
ent that this score is too highly rated
IN football.
A field goal counts just half as much
as touchdown at the present time,
vet it gives the eleven with a good
drophlcE6f oV per cent uetter cndnce
TO win.
This In itself could not be objection
able were il not that ability to drop
field goals does not in itself denote
all-round football ability. 1t is merely
the ability Of one specially trained man
in one department of the game,' yet
it counts half as much as the ability
Of the entire opposing eleven.
Further, It is possible for almost any
eleven TO get ban down to the. forty.
yard line. Here the drop kick is com
parstively easy. Bnt bucking from the
forty-yard line to the goal is differ
emit proposition. Then the defense tight
ems almost TO stone wall and it re-
ouires physical strength, superior cum
ming, and an all-round knowledge of
football to gain from that point.
There should be more of premium
placed upon this kind Of playing and
less on fhe foot Of one man, who not
r IL z