The Washington times., 1917-03-09
PENN'S GRID TRIP.
WRECKED ELEVEN
Many Varieties of Trouble
Caused BY Journey Across
= Continent Last Fall.

| PHILADELPHIA, March 9.-lf the
University OF Pennsylvania send;
one more athletic team to the Pacific
] coast II might as well dissolve Its
athletic association and henceforth
concentrate on chess and checkers
Probably never in the history OF col
iege athletics has a team taken such
disastrous trip as that OF the Penn
football team to Pasadena, and II
may be that the whole sad story is
not yet told. The misfortunes which
grew out OF that joy ride across the
continent are steadily multiplying, and
already the prospects for a winning
team next year have been badly fray.
ed. ripped and otherwise lacerated in
fearful manner.
TrIp Proved FIIvVer.
As a matter OF fact, the fine look
ing football squad OF last season is
almost a total wreck. and for no rea'
son at all other than that some one
at the West Philadelphia institution
was smitten with excessive ambition
and an overwhelming desire to seek
other worlds to conquer. The UniVer-
sity OF Oregon footballers made
shambles of the invasion and the
members of the Penn team completed
the ruin by not turning In and recov-
ering the ground they lost in their
studies while absent.
Got Coach I'm Trouble
The unseemly controversy which
arose over the reappointment OF
Coach Bob FoIwell was a direct re-
suit Of the trip. OF course, this mat
ter has been settled, but not before
the athletic authorities at Penn had
been subjected to a lot OF undesired
publicity which reflected credit on
no one. Then came the report that
Ben Derr. the sturdy line plunger. and
Estrevaag. wonderful lineman,
would leave college because of their
inability to recover the scholastic
ground they lost in the West.
Failed In Studies.
This bad news was followed by the
announcement that Lew Little. an
other sterling Iineman. had been given
a leave Of absence By the faculty
owing TO the fact that he was hope
lessly behind in his studies as a re-
suit of the jaunt to the coast and the
time he lost while in the hospital
undergoing an operation. 1t is also
understood that Jimmy Bryant Is in
bad with the powers that be and that
his trouble can be traced to the pill
grimage to dear old California.
Last Blow saddest of All
Last. and most disastrous OF all. II
the announcement that J. Howar,
Berry, PENIS wonderful all-aroun'
athlete, will not be able to take par
in the indoor collegiates Saturda.
night. owing to an injury to his back
sustained in the game with Oregon
! His physician has advised him agains
any strenuous exercise until tn
trouble responds to treatment. an
he makes no promises when this vii
occur.
In other words. there is a likeIi
1 hood OF Howard Berry's wonderful
| athletic career being shortened b!
the excursion to the Pacific coast
| for there Is nothing more disastrou
to an athlete than a back injury. TIL,
entire college and athletic world i!
pulling for Howard to have a quicl
recovery, and every one hopes tina
the injury is inconsequential. but 1
his marvellous ability is lost to Penn
il can be blamed on the man or mel
who conceived the trip to California.
How is this for a tale of woe? Al
unfortunate scrap between the fac
ulty and the football coach: two fin'
| linemen, a promising quarterback anC
a wonderful halfback gone: a cracl
| fulIback. runner, baseball player and
field athlete dangerously hurt. Can
you beat it?