Norwich bulletin., 1916-06-29
YALE VARSITY MADE
 A POOR SHOWING
Husky Blue oarsmen SpIashed, Found Style of Stroke Difficult. but Rowed Pfuctily.


 Lawrence Perry, writing in the New l York Evening Post, has the follow ing to say regarding .the Yale-IIar- yard race on the Thames
 In all the races, except that of the freshmen, the Blue was completely outroweds and while some feel that the Yale freshmen would have won ha dthey not run into rough water in the last half mile of their race can- not think so. In my opinion Yale was bothered no more by the turbu lent conditions than Harvard was, both threw up cascades of water and the going in one lane was no smOoth< CT than in the other. No, Yale should face the facts as they stand
 And what are those facts Some will say that they involve what amounts to aR expose of the fallacy of the Yaleas present scheme of row ing, whose basic principles, as we all idea. For instance, there is hard an- choring of the blades, the long pull through, and the strong finish. The slides are not so long as in the shells i of crews of other American universi- ties, which makes it necessary for the English crews-not all-can come for ward for this catch without hurrying their slides and without a forward ] lungs which makes for a bad recov- SIy-r l1dlSl year ale crew sCOuIQ QO thisEaIld did. This years Yale fresh- man crew did it very well; but the varcity was execrable in this respecE The result was an utter destruction of i rhythm. The men pounded and i splashed down the course in manner that would have brought about a six l or severn length defeat had 1t not been I for the sheer strength and the indomi- 1 table spiri tof the men, It requires pluck--Yale pluck--to row at the top t-E -T-. when six out of eight men are catch 1 ing at different times, when they are 1 pulling up half the river every time | they bring blades out, when the cox swain, to cap the climax, steers the portoars into az stake. when the That Yale under the circumstances. did as well as she did. that she was not routed utterly, in other words, is creditable to the men who sat in that boat
 I don't think it was Yale's system of rowing that enabled Harvard to Twin. The primary cause of victory, of course, was the Crimson's fine row. ing, but another cause was the fact that Yale boated a set of men who eleven. They filled the eye physical ly. Seated in a shell and viewed from a point of vantage in a coaching launch, they appeared sufficiently
  when rowing alone. without opposi- tion, with nothing to hurry them, they were tremendously impressive. You watched them bend their bodies for the catch and saw them pull through from an ineffective starting position, realizing the disadvantage under 3 which they labored and yet believing they were physically capable of meet ing that handicap. But the whole
 point is that men better moulded phy- II f a rrl of in an 5 eight-oared shell would not have had that handicap. because they would have been able to come forward for the catch in more Workmanlike style
 and besides. would not have had to
 face the task of beating their own , yard. It is true that scales would Q l not snow a great difference as be- tween the Harvard and Yale crews fl the matter of weight but the tape . measure would reveal the significant Q fact. Yale was too big in thI waist 2 too bulgy in the legs and shoulders Yet, on the other hand. 1t is undoubt- 6 edly true that the Nicka1Is method cannot be employed successfully by 2 crew which does not possess botf . strength and endurance. NiclSalPs
 men never have got the help from
 their legs that Herrick. Rice, Court : uey and Dr. Spaeth expect The Har- ! ward stroke Is more graceful than thu e style of rowing taught by the Yals mentor and it is more easily learned material usually found for crews II 2 American universities This how. ever. is not to say that the NickalH idea Is false or inadeanately conceiv- en Its principles are well founded have the sanction of tradition in thu Q birthplace Of roWingnot to say thl z prestige of iotorlce on the Thames
 n tEQs 1Ee VeaFs--cut t exacE