East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-12-31
SPORT CHAMPIONS GET
GREAT DOWNFALLS N
YEAR JUST CLOSING
FOOTBALL. FOR INSTANCE. PRE-.
SCENTED MANY SURPRISES
DURING THE SEASON.
Baseball Also, Was Upset When
Braves Grab Pennant In -Four
Straight Vlctories-Two New Box.
ing Champs Como to Front While
Boston Claims Golf Champion
BY HAL SHERIDAN.
(Wrltten for the United Press \


(Written for the United Press)
NEW YORK. Dec. s1.-"The year
Of the Great Upset" is the epitaph
upon the athletic year or 1914. Base.
ball, pugilism, golf, rowing. polo and
tennis furnished new candidates for
the public favor and the downfall of
champions who were supposed to be
entrenehed in their positions. Foot
ball presented many surprises. al.
though. Harvard was able to repeat
In the premier place.
With the Braves great dash for
the National League championship
and the even more thrilling grabbing
OF the worlds championship in four
straight games the world Is reason
ably familiar. To analyze that dou-
Bile feat-walloping the naughty Gi-
ants and the peerless Athletics twice
In the same years. something
which would be vain and profitless.
Manager Stallings tried vainly to ex-
plain in his vaudeville engagement
how his cohorts won. Perhaps the
only explanation that can be made
is that Stallings inspired his men to
have confidence in themselves and
the whole matter may be summed
up in that little incident when he
cancelled the Braves hotel reserva-
tons at Philadelphia after the first
two games and said that his team
would not return TO the city for his
team would win the next two games
at Boston. making a return trip un-
necessary.
In football Harvard won again
largely through the splendid coaching
of Percy Haughton and such excel.
lent players as Mahan Bradlee. Hard
wick. Pennock and Logan. Whether
II was Haughton or whether II was
the material at his command which
brought impressive triumph will al
ways be a mooted question. The ef-
feet Of Brickley's absence must be
in such a debate. Yale un-
der the tutelage OF Hinkey was a fac.
tor until the crushing defeat in the
Bowl. Princeton with wonderful ma
terial was a disappointment. The sur.
prise, however, came in the excellent
showing made by Cornell and the
army and the still more remarkable
games played by Washington and JEFF. |
ferson, Pittsburg. williams and Rut-
gers
Two new boxing champions came
to the front in Kid williams of Bal
limore. bantamweight. and Freddie
Welsh Of England. lightweight. Will
Jams knocked out Johnny Coulon in
he third round at Los Angeles on
Iune 2 and Welsh grabbed his claim
o fame by outpointing Willie Ritchie
n London on July Z. For those fans
Who crowd the fight clubs expecting
o see a championship change hands.
may be well to point out that neith-
II Of these two fights was worth
cad quarter or shilling to see. The
divisions OF the pugilistic
world have the same champions as
hey had a year ago Johnny Kill
ane is still featherweight champion,
ack Johnson is heavyweight leader
nd the others. with the above excep-
ions, are in doubt. The most inter-
sting bid for leadership Is in the
class where four excel
snt fighters are neck and neck for
he honors: Mike Gibbons, McGoor-
=, Clabby and Dillon.
Boston claims its third champion
n Golfer Ouimet who trimmed the
eteran Jerry Travers after he him
elf had been beaten by Walter Ha-
en-. a professional. for the open
championship Just what the dis
nction is between amateur and pro-
essional golf would be difficult to
tate but If a golfer may have anna
eur status young Ouimet is without
oubt the leader of that class.
Maurice Mclaughlin, for the third
year. takes first rank as
he best of American tennis players.
ONE question arose as to whether
r not time hOnOred precedent
nould be set aside in order to give
IcLoughlin front rank inasmuch as
e had been defeated by Richard Nor
Is Williams I'd in the final round Of
ne national championship tourna-
lent. But precedent never stood a
host of a chance with good old com
ION sense and the ranking commit
,e put the red-haired Californian In
le premier position. Williams was
laced second and Kari Behr third.
Columbia won the Poughkeepsie re-
alta, defeating the Cornell crew to
geryone's surprise. Harvard's sec
nd eight went to England and de-
.ated the best that England could
md against them for the grand
cup at Hendley. Yale beat
-aryard by foot at New London
'hich was a distinct blow at the
And last Of all, small type, Ameri- {
as Big Four polo team was bump
! out Of the top position by the Eng ]
sh quartet at Meadowbrook. (
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