The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-30
WEST TO PROFIT
Sunset Stars Have Fine Chance
To Make AII-American.
War Has Taken Yale and Har-
ward OF the Map.
BY JACK VEIOCK.

New York, Oct. 3O.-Football is in
our midst again with a big noise.
1t isn't back with the oldtime
punch because the war has taken
hundreds of college students who
played the game last year. But it is
back, and when Turkey Day rolls
around the gridiron game will have
enjoyed as successful a season as
could be expected under existing con-
ditions.
In the East the game is being
played by all of the smaller colleges,
and Yale, Harvard and Princeton
could not stick to the original inten-
ton of dropping football entirely
Pennsylvania, c orn e l, Syracuse;
Pittsburgh and the army and navy
have teams in the field, and. altho
there will be few of the big games
which have attracted nation wide in
terest in past years, there are several
attractions scheduled which loom up
big on the football horizon. The
Penn-Cornen game, scheduled for
Philadelphia on November 80, will be
one of the big attra ctions. And the
intersectional game between Michigan
and Penn in the Quaker City, Novem-
Der II is bound to stand out as one
of the biggest treats of the year.
Training Docs Not Hinder.
Military training in connection with
football is not proving anything like
handicap, according to some of the
foremost coaches.
While the East will see a compare
lively tame season, the West will en-
joy its usual football treats The
Western Conference, with Michigan
back in the fold, is better and stronger
than ever before, not in playing tai
ent this year, but in organization and
spirit.
Ohio State, 1916 champions of the
conference, looks like the strongest
link in the big Ten" chain this year.
and has already demonstrated her
strength on the gridiron.
The Buckeye team lost but one man
thru graduation, when Captain Soreu-
son won his sheepskin last June. So
with Chick Harley. the brilliant
halfback who made the all-American
last fall, and all other regular MEM
bers of the varsity back in the har-
ness. Ohio State is there with the same
old punch.
The, action of Western colleges in
continuing intercollegiate football and
maintaining varsity teams will have
bracing effect on the game in the
west, and when it comes to the selec-
ton Of an all-American eleven this
fall il seems a certainty that the west
viii have more representatives on the
team than ever before.
Game Strongly Entrenched.
Football, more than any other sport,
is able to withstand the effects of the
war. The game has been commercial
lied to a certain extent. it is true, yet
it can be continued by financing on
the part Of college athletic associa-
tons, thru popular subscriptions from
students and alumni, and it does not
have to depend on the receipts taken
in at the box office entirely
Regardless of the duration of the
war, ii appears certain now that the
grand old gridiron game will be con-
tinued from year to year. The first
panicky feeling that spread over the
country when Uncle Sam tossed his
hat into the ring is wearing off, and
by next fall it is believed football will
be back as strong as ever.
The popularity of the game in the
west was attested to in a surprising
manner during the worlds series.
While the Giants and White Sox were
playing the fifth game at Comiskey
park to a crowd of $1,000 odd spec
tators. Chicago university and Van
derbilt played football before a throug
of 10000 football fans.