New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-10
Coach Metcalf Offers Sug-
geStions in Review OF
GridirOn Season

T. Nelson Metcalf head coach OF the
Columbia football team for two years
has announced that IN his opinion real
prominence in the sport could not be
won under the conditions which now
prevail. Lack Of interest by the stu
dents combined with the restrictions
placed on tho sport BY the men IN
authority have stuuted its growth and
will continue 20 do so until more lio-
er-l spirit Is shown by every one con
cerned
"Cojumbia's plans FOR football must
not aim too high" said Mctcat IN
review Of the season published IN nc
Columbia Alumni News w hen viz
orous campaign brings out fewer lh4"
Gftv clioible men. half Of them weigh
ING under lbO hounds and most OF tncm
without football experience, Columbia
cannot hone 20 compete on even terms
With the best OF tho teams now on her
"Ore Of the greatest obstacles in the
way OF developing football az Columbld
is that tho majority Of the men are
eligible for tho varsity for only one or
two wears and then go into PROBES
sioral school. 10 means practically
nov, team every wear. This, with the
added fact that this year less than one
fhird Of the men on the squad hau
rlaved football before coming 10 COZ.
iege, made the situation very dlihcuII
Students with Metcalf
The student and alumni bodies are in
sympathy with Metcalf in his plea, TOT
more liberal legislation on tootbali.
The question of passing q ruling per
hitting students In the profession
schools in the university 60 play 1901
ball has been freely discussed during
the mast several months, and when u
was announced that the first two years
Of the course in the school o. lourna,-
ism under the jurisdiction OF the col
lcge the students believed that similar
stems would be taken in the other
schools. This would make more men
eligible, Il only for q year
Nr Nctcalf offers no excuses for the
failure Of the team. There Is no at
tempt 10 establish an alibi. HIS reVle"
of the season follows:
The football season Of 1916 is not
very bright spot on Columbias athletlc
record Il seems especially dark tol-
lowing q season such as last year S
This fall five games were lost, two tea
and hut one game won. No man can
review a season such as this one with
out LAYING himself open TO the charge
Of Offering alibls.
But the coaches have no excuses 70
offer They did their best with the,
material at hand. and though, oil
course. they can look back and sec
mistakes in policy. they are SATISFIED
in the thought that they gave all they
had 70 the work. They have no one
but themselves TO blame that better
football was not forthcoming as a re-
suit Of their labors. The breaks OF
the game" seemed TO be against Coium-
bia this season, just as they were win
her last year. In the matter OF m
iuries especially fate seemed 70 be
against US. for time after time IN,
juries took the men whom we could
least afford to lose
Outlook Not Bright
When the season opened in Septem-
Der the outlook was not especially
bright. The schedule was much harder
than that Of the Year before, only five
Of last years regulars had returned
and the raw material seemed somewhat
poorer than that Of the previous sea
son. However. with the year Of e.
perience back of us. there was every
reason 70 suppose that the team wouid
be fully as strong as in 1918.
Everything went well until four days
before the first game. when Howard
Miller suffered an injury TO his knee
which kept him on the sidehnes Tor
the entire season. Miller had been the
star Of the team the year before; he
was the field general. the drop-kicker
and the best broken field runner on the
SQUAD; he was the man around whom
the coaches had planned their entire
attack, and for that reason his injury
struck deep. In short four days a
green quarterback had 10 be broken
in. and II was not at all unexpected
when, although outplaying Hamilton
in all departments Of the game. we lost
the first game in the schedule by
score OF il to because Of fumbiing
and poor gencralship.
The following week Vermont was
beaten to 0. but we met a snag a
week later in Union, who came to
South Field with the best team she
ever had. team which later defeated
Amherst % TO G. The varsity played
a much improved game Union scored
by a drop,kick in the first five minutes
of play, but from that time on the