Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-10-18
CORNELL ON FULL STOMACH
Won from Pennsylvania After
Breaking Training
COACH SHARPE TOOK CHANCE
Wanted Mon to Forget the Coming
Fight, So Gorged Them and
Sent Them Out for .
NiEht Lark.

NiEht Lark.
NEW YORK. oct lT.--Here Is a story
that Is going it's rounds among foot bali
coaches that throws an interesting side
light upon the memorable victory that
Cornell scored over Pennsylvania last
year. II reveals one, OF the most re-
markable chances ever taken by a foot
ball coach and one that was taken
against the advice of one of the best
conditioners of athletes that the coun-
try has ever known:
DIR. Al Sharpe. the old Yale tullback,
who is coach of the base ball. foot ball
and basket bali teams at Cornell Is the
man who pulled the unexpected Usually
the greatest care is taken of a foot ball
team prior TO big game, Certain diet
ing is adhered to and early hours pre-
vail, but the Aieht before Thanksgiving
last fall DR.. Sharpe astounded the foot
ball men py tenuna tnem TO break train
ing.
Sharpe gathered his men about him
on the Wednesday before the game after
the last practice at Atlantic City and
said: Now. boys, l want you TO go
back to the hotel and eat anything you
hhe, anu cat pleHby OF IL
This remark caused considerable COM
ment. and the, players believed that this
was sarcasm on the part of Sharpe.
because II was rumored that one Cor
nell athlete the previous year had put
himself out of the running by an eat
ing exhibition every meal.
Tonight l want you all to go to a
show" added Sharpe, and 1 don't care
what time any of you get into bed. In
fact, If see a man come into this hotel
before 11:3O he'll hear from me, and he
won't enjoy what he hears. Some OF
you fellows who don't care particularly
for the show can get up a regular bowl
ing match or a pool tournament II
any of you feel that you would like
a little ice cream, just go ahead and eat
It"
Thought Coach Crazy.
This took the starch completely out OF
the boys. They had visions of a scan
dal. Sharpe would lose his Job and there
would. be trouble In every way. They
figured that IL the coach. who was draw
ing down big money and fighting for a
reputation, did not want 20 win, they
were helpless. They wished foot bah was
over and Immediately forgot all about
II. This was Just the condition that
Sharpe wanted to bring about, and he
sat in the hotel lobby and watched his
men rolling In around twelve. The later
his stars stayed out the more Sharpe
smiled Moaklev also was In the lobby
but made no bones about the fact that
he thought Sharpe was plumb crazy.
Orders had been left at the desk that
none OF the team was to be disturbed
on any condition until he awoke natur-
ally. The result was that the majority
of the boys did not get downstairs the
day Of the game until $3.50 instead OF 4.
as is customary. Sharpe sent each man
into the dining room to eat big and
hearty breakfast--another unheard Of
thing So bewildered were the players
at this sort Of training just before a big
game that they had taken their minds
off foot ball. At II o'clock the team was
hustled off to Phillie and Immediately
to Franklin field.
Make Up Minds 10 Win.
Just a few minutes before the game
Sharpe called his men about him and
told them that his actions had seemed
strange, but that he was positive that
Cornell would win and that he wanted
every man TO fight 10 the finish. Al Is
second Mike Murphy for arousing
fighting spirit. and In n few minutes he
told them things that had them fighting
mad. They made up their minds that
they would win, and they did.
The first person TO shake Al Sharpe
by tho hand after the game was Jack
Moal5ley, who loves Cornell as a mother
loves child. Sharpe was then asked
to explain his peculiar actions. and this
is the way Al put It:
Cornell gridlron warriors had been
coming down TO Franklin field too many
years with nothing but past reverses on
their minds. II took me only one year
up there 10 find out that the night prior
to the game and the morning of the
game all the men talked about was the
way Penn had pulled Off lucky victories
in the past. Grads would come around
TO find out what the teams chances
were and would then recall some other
year when things looked bright but
something went wrong.
Forget Foot Ball.
THE men talked foot ball. dreamed II
and worried so that they could do moth
ing but lay In bed from . o'clock. the
usual retiring time. until the wee hours
OF the morning. They awoke tired Out
mentally and physically
Il made up my mind that would moi
have the same condition another year
so did all in my power to get the men
Disguised with everything and to forget
foot ball. The late hours did not hurt
them, because they went TO bed tired
and slept without the usual worry. The
big breakfast was digssted long before
the battle. ] was more afraid OF the
mental than the physical ability OF my
men and when 1 saw them In thu draaa.