The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-09-22
MANY LARGE COLLEGES
WILL NUMBER PLAYERS
Out OF 30 Replies to Query, Fl
State They Will Start Plan From
beginning OF Season.
COACH WARNER WON OVER
Indians Leader at First Refused to
Consider Innovation, but Now VIII
Comply When Requested to DO So.
System Pronounced a Good One.

With the opening of the 1914 foot
ing: "WNI the players be numbered
this year,"
And the answer is that most OF tho
larger colleges in tho country will
number their players from the outset
OF the season. and that every other big
college will fall In line before the sea
son is over.
Some weeks ago letters were sent to
the coaches OF about fifty OF the largest
colleges in the country. asking them IL
they would number their players, and
requesting those opposed to the plan to
state their reasons.
Up TO the present writing. replies
have been received from thirty-six
coaches or athletic directors. These
thirty-six replies show that twenty one
OF the biggest colleges will number
their players from the beginning OF the
season. four probably will adopt the
plan for the big games. four Will num-
Der their players at any time upon re-
quest. and only three arc directly OPP
posed TO the plan. Frank. Hinkey. the
Yale coach. said tho question had not
been taken up ut Yale, and he, there
fore. could not make definite answer
at this time.
These colleges Will number their
players from the start OF the season:
high. Notrc Dame, Chicago, Illinois.
Iowa, Northwestern. Ohio State. Pur-
due. Indiana Minnesota Wisconsin.
Holy Cross. Dartmouth Washington
and Jefferson, Rochester, Pennsylvania
State
Pennsylvania early games at lcasD
Williams tearly games at lcast1
These VIII number their PLAYERS Mt
any time upon request: Carlisle. La
iaye,tc' mississippi, Tennessee.
The coaches of these colleges arc
considering the plan and have stated
'nat as the season advances they prob
ABLY Will adopt tho plan: Colgate, Mis-
souri,. Kentucky, Michigan
mo coaches OF these colleges arc
hrmly opposcd TO the plan: North Car.
olina. Nebraska. Montana
The University of Pittsburgh was ono
or tho pioneers I'm the adoption OF the
numbering plan. and tho letter that
came from K. l.. Davis graduate man
amer that explains tho result OF six
Years experiment with the scheme. is
highly Interesting. Tho letter follows.
I'm part:
The custom OF numbering PLAYERS
has been In vogue al the tinivcrsitv
Of Pittsburgh for the past six vcars
In facs, believe IL was our school
mat hrst attracted tho attention Of
the larger schools to the plan. When
wc played at Cornell last year there
was considerable favorable comment
as the spectators noticed the numbers
on the players backs, and. through the
medium of the programs, were able
10 identity our players. who, other
crS to them
several years ago Glen Warner. OF
Carlisle. refused TO number the Indians
when they played here. The scheme
was rather new at tho time. and nc
feared that tho numbers would enable
tn CT ,IeI,
and make them the object OF attack
We convinced him that this feature
wasn't To he considered. All the teams
We played last year wore numbers with
the exception Of Lafayette. They were
the one team that refused to wear num-
bcrs
"At our big games with Pcnnsyl-
vania state and Washington and JEFF
fcrson. where VIC draw about $4,000
persons. players OF both sides are num-
bcrcd. and believe the spectators
would raise an awful howl II IT was
otherwise"
Davis stated that sometimes the num-
hers on the backs OF the men become
blurred by mud, or arc torn on dur
ins the game. but adds: "By the time
that happens the spectators have had
chance TO identify the players and
they know them. so that the scheme
works out .. X"
Glen Warner. who, as Davis states.
was opposed TO the plan few wears
ago. wrote:
The Indiana Will he perfectly WILL
ing 10 wear numbers this fall when
ever there Is n request for this inno-
walton. can see absolutely no OBJ
/ lection now TO the players wearing tho
numbers except the bother OF fastening
them on"
Here is an extract from letter that
cainn TO us from Wilmer G.. Crowell
coach of the Lafayette tcam-one OF
those that held out against the plan
last year:
The system OF numbering players Is
NJ good one. Lafayette when playing
away from home. will gladly number
its players on request"
lafayette officials feel that il isn't
necessary to number their players in
the home games, holding to the belief
that most OF the spectators are ia
miliar with the players in one way or
another.
Another article on the plan number
ing players will appear in this column
Tomorrow, giving the views of other
coaches relative to tho scheme
COiOred Teams to Play
The Independents Will play the Brooklyn
al na -aNn.NH