The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-10
GaID|ROh CONTEST
FOR THE NATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIP URGED
Would Settle Much Disputed Question
and Net Many Thousands of Doll
lars for the Red Cross.
BY JAMES j. CoRBETT,

BY JAMES j. CoRBETT.
Copyright. 1917. by King Features
Syndicate, Inc.)
Why not a gridiron world sertes''
Tor the benefit OF the Red Cross to de-
termine which ia the greatest eleven
10 the United States?
Year after year there has been a.
heated discussion of them all Never
has there been any schedule arrange
ments which would bring together the
champions OF the various sections The
western conference has had it's own
particular champion: the South has
had its crown weaFer, while the Paei-
nc coast section has had a champion.
The East always has had one out
standing team: several times two or
more elevens have been regarded by
critics as In the championship class
Which OF these teams was the
greatest of them all?
The playing OF pest-season football
games between the various champions
has been frowned upon by faculties In
the past. Some colleges have looked
upon II a. unethical, or have claimed
that IL would be too great a strain
upon their players to keep them In
football harness for two or three weeks
beyond the regularly scheduled sea-
son. And. because OF this stand, the
real football championship of the
United states never has been deter.
mined
But the way is clear in 1917. RI
true sportsmanship rules in the coll
leees that own great elevens She an
swer can be made. A world series"
can be played and through this medi-
UNI probably 100000 can no raised
for the benefit o. the Red Cross
Why not stage a football world
series"-worthy struggles for worthy
cause?
Chicago and Michigan have elevena
right now that rank among the great
est in the West Feats of these two
outshine those OF any OF their rivals
beyond the Alisghanies II both coll
leges complete their schedules with
out suffering crushing defeat then
the cham pionship rests between the
two. II these two powerful teams stage
game Immediately after the close
of the regular season the result of
II would determine the absolute cham
pionship of the West.
aaaAs- have been underway a
week or more to bring about meet
nag VI LINES sNo tSdtBiS 0tf LSEtS4iPNt
l. IT is likely that they will mater
ializa That is splendid. such game
should draw a crowd In the neighbor-
hood of $4,000 or 5000.
Shifting now TO the East ana South
The outstanding eleven below the
Mason and Dixon line Ia that which
represents the Georgia School of
Of Atlanta, Georgia. It's
IL to 0 defeat OF Pennsy. followed by
its overwhelming triumph over the
Washington a. Lee eleven has placed
the Anal stamp Of greatness upon IT,
Georgia Tech stands out now as one
of the greatest football machines ever
welded together 1t rightly deserves
ranking among the greatest in Amert-
ca and seems the certain champion
ef the South. o...a..-, *--a .4
In the East II is the University of
that looks like a certainty
for the cha pionship, Pitt Ia now
In It's third season CT unbroken VIE
tory and although it, eleven of 1917
Ia not as wonderful as those of 1915
and 1915 owing to sra6uations and
there Is no disputing the
fact that Pitt has perhaps the strong
est eleven in the East.
why not a game between Pitt and
Georgia Tech after the close of the
season 10 decide the championship of
the East and South? 1t could be play
ed either IN Atlanta or IN Pittsburg,
with Pittsburg favored owing to the
fact that II has a football park with
a seating capacity In the neighhorhoed
OF 10000 which is far beyond that
OF Georgia Techs park
And then. when the Chicago Mtchi-
gan and the Pitt Georgia Tech battles
hxve bsen fought, have the winners
Of those clashes meet each other In
the titular battle for the supremacy
OF the United States Let the game be
played on the Polo grounds In New
York or on come neutral territory
where there Is a park which Il large
enough to house the tremendous
throng that would tight its way to
see the game.
The Polo grounds can seat $4,000
persons for the football game--and
II is certain that every seat would be
occupied II the championship battle
team In the West was the victor It In
certain that the sunset region of the
United States would send a huge de-
legation TO witness the contest. II
Tech happened TO beat Pitt
and It's team was the entry in the big
clash. thousands of southerners would
go to New York to wheop 1t no for
their favorites. And II II was Pitt In
stead of Georgia Tech that faced the
western eleven large portion OF the
smoky city population would move into
New York for that game.
A price of 50 per seat could be
charged for the semf-fnsi games
which would bring approximately
$4,000 IT So was charged for ad-
mission to the final game the gate
would amount 70 about $40 600. That
would mean a total of about $780, J
600 for the Red Cross. the settling OF