The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-12-10
FOOTBALL CAMPAIGN.
HAD MANY FEATURES
Attendance Records Went to
Smash and System Gets
Severe Jolt.

&c
ball season has passed into history
with its usual number of surprises
and upsets, several disappointment,
and few instances OF teams playing
far above the form expected. The
All-American selections are now In
order, and then the gridiron game
sinks into obscurity until another
baseball season has waned and
worlds series talk again nils the air,
Record were made in crowds and
gate receipts far excelling the best
marks OF other years. From every in
stitution where football 10 played, and
that Includes about all colleges,
comes the same story OF record
crowds.
Tho high inark was reached when
$4,000 saw the Yale.Harvard game at
the Yale Bowl, while $4,000 more
same ' Time N IKE New Haven n CROWD @s
was the largest paid attendance In
the history OF sport, and 10000 more
sought I'm vain for tickets. The
Army-Navy crowd was the largest In
the history OF these service games
and half as many more were disap-
pointed over their failure to obtain
The Yaie.Brown game at New
TWICE az many ptO'
pie as did any such game at New
Haven up to three years ago. Pitts.
burgh twice played to more than
10000 persons. and the Brown-Har-
card and Harvard Cornell genes were
record makers In attendance figures.
These serve to show how the sport
has Increased In popularity within
the past few years.
Features On Gridirs..
As for the playing end Of the game,
the outstanding features in this sec.
ton were the great finish of the
Colgate eleven. Yaie's breaking OF the
long spell OF Harvard success and the
failure OF the Princeton team to rise
TO the heights y expected. Pittsburgh
had another highly successful sea
veloped at Brown. GeoI getown. Ford.
ham, and q few other Institutions.
Bob Folwell's first year at Pennsyl'
yania was quite successful and prom
ises greater things than Penn had en-;
Cornell failed TO live up to early prom
lse.
without detraeting in the least from
the worth OF Percy Haughton as
best In teaching footbsii-the idea OF
system prevailing over individual
playing strength got n severe jolt this
year. The impression had grown that
system was OF main Importance and
playing strength secondary.
Harvard lost several stars last
June, particularly Ned Mahsn. and
this year the Crimson failed TO score a
touchdown In four games, against
Tufts. Princeton. Brown or Yale: sys.
Brickleys, Mshans. .soucys, Kings,
watsons, etc, are more important In
the moidinE Of q winning team than Is
the best system In the world. system
every time 70 a crowd Of stars devoid
Of any particular system. Football
followers were beginning TO believe
the opposite. but . few happenings
this year have set them right.
Nuabers Were Popular.
Yaie's success over Harvard. besides
kicking the system theory into
shreds, was very beneficial to the
sport. The Crimson had been going
ahead so fast that interest In the
sport, as far as Il concerned the big
series, was on the wane. The crowds
went, Il is true. but the battles were
lacking In the uncertainty OF result
which creates interest In the game
and enthusiasm In q team.
Yale and Princeton players were be.
ginning to believe that there remained
y
honors OF the socalled Big Three.
Now the Harvard spell 10 Mt an end
and football II benefited.
The use OF numbers found new ad-
vocates this season. Yale being the
most prominent OF the colleges TO
fall In line. Harvard and West Point
still refuse to see the light, despite
the fact that all the teams using the
numbers are satisfied that II does no
harm. The Navy must be ciassed
with the teams favoring the number
system. Some day every college VIII
give the spectator the consideration
which 10 his due.
Work Ahead for Rush.
Princeton's failure to win either OF
the big games was one OF the big sur
prises OF the year. Rush had a team
made up to a great extent OF veterans
and more was expected than the team
accomplished. The injury which kept
Tibbott on the side lines during the
big games was a hard blow. and with
Tibbott In shape the games might
have been far different. Rush now
faces the most difficult of all his
problems. He must build up new
team at Princeton and his two DIG
rivals have their building up well un'
der way.