The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-06
~ Enw AID e.. AFTER.

The earliest recollections most o. MS
have Of athletics at Yale was when Mike
Murphy vas the au,ocrat who directed
the doiugs Of the track athletes and
took part in the successes scored by the
big Blue team oil the gridiror. Murphy
made his reputation as n trainer at
New Haven and turned out team after
team hat beat the Crimson In the
annual dual meet. Then Pennsylvania
stretched out lis arm to Murphy aiS
he left his first love. The result WAS
that the Yale teams fell behind almost
49, fast az the great trainer advanced
In his profession until at ahe time OF
his death lie was rated the best handler
Of athletes In the world.
Now with athletics and sports In gem
eral at a low ebb Old Eli has engaged
n new "Mike' in Michael sweeney in
the hope that he will make the prestige
OF Yale in sports as high as II was when
Mike Murphy was IN lis prime. Those
vino know sweeney intimately havs
every confidence that he will ne n big
factor in the Improvement that is moved
for at New Haven. bu, the former charS
pion high jumper ana record holder has
Kept So much in the background that
few are aware OF his capabilities. That
he has The ability TO succeed Ia certain /;
~ Asi' Aitt " Idlf " uV 10 ~
provide reasonable material and tho
gloom on track and football field will
soon he dispelled.
The strange part OF Sweeney's en-
%gagenent at New Haven u that Yale's
call has induced him To r%eiinQuish his
duties at IIill School, pottstown. Pa,
where Ne has been turning out winning
cans on track and football field for
fifteen years. one thing is certain. that
y \A1A lot u 1900 81 .
let the first he will be welcomed back to
pottstown. where he has become almost
a part OF the school and where he has
been considered an institution.
May Not sta a. Vale.
Even II Yale wants to keep Mike
Sweeney after his two years enga cement
II is doubtful II she will be able to do
50. Only yesterday I met Charley Eit-
patrick. "a close friend o. Mike and a
competitor with him on the New York
A. G. team against the London A. G. in
1872. when both made worlds records
and Helped TO shut the Britishers out
without winning a single event.
Fitzpatrick said that ne had seen
Sweeney recently and found him SO per
fectly satisfied with Hill School and It's
environments tina; he could not under
stand him leaving there. even for the
prestige OF directing and building up
athletics at Yale. Take It from me-
said Charley. Mike has gone TO Yale
only 10 help IN reorganizing sports there
In all probability he has received a leave
Of absence from iii School and will
return there a: tie end o. his two Years
term"
IL many ways sweeney ~ much Ike
The late Nike Murphy. Track and field
lfhiafins pnpvnsSpl Fin. nitpptfpN NJ h.si,
but both became masters of football toc.
tics. Murphy | know exercised supreme
command IN his day AT Yale and II is
said knew as much football as any o:
the coaches. The same has been true
Of sweeney during his career a, Hin
school Both had the happy faculty
% inspiring confidence IN the men they
trained aud the result of confidence gem
orally spelled success.
They both we're men Of temperament
and So far as Mike Sweeney is concerned
one l.;tlc example of that curious thing
called temperament came under my no.
tice at Travers Island in 1895. II mad
IN. wonder at the time. but since has OK.
planned. SO far "a 7 am concerned. the
steadfastness of purpose that has finally
led 10 his appointment as athletic di-
fcc'ur AZ Vale.
Mike was entered IN a minor co!npe-
titiou prior TO the international meet,
and when inferior jumpers cleared an
ordinary height. about i've feet six inches.
easily. he bunglcd badly anu knocNed
down ia. bar. .After that he Jumped
spleudidly and never missed a trial IN
I'll H. was declared vim. ! could not
understand why ne had missed at 1--WE
feet six inches and then never baked
at a height we'll over slx feet. Seeking
Information az the fountain head the
question Mas put and ELECTED a reply