Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-08-17
EARLY START PLANNED
FOR FOOTBALL REVIVAL
In Few Weeks Gridiron Game Will
BE Edging Back Into sports
Spotlight.
VETERANS WILL BE BACK
Zig Eastern College Teams Will Be
strengthened by Addition OF Fix.
pcricnccd Men Who Left TOGO Into
War Service.

In about three weeks the voice of tho
college football coach will be heard
throughout the length and breadth of
the LAND. The gridiron game. which
hasn't had chance since the United
states entered the war. will soon he
eoSinS baseball out Of the spotlight.
IL IS already evident that football
VIII start from one to three weeks
earlier than in previous years. This is
que to the fact that there hasn't been
Il normal season since the fail of 1915.
coaches viii have to get acquainted all
over with their men. and there will be
an sorts of extraordinary problems to
solve which would be absent if the
game mad been played as usual or even
II IL mad been possible TO have anything
resembling spring football drill last
April and May.
,,a Inc colleges. particularly in the
East' aren't saying very much about
their plans or their prospects. but they
are not letting the grass grow under
.heir feet. There will he more prelimi-
nary practice than usual eyerv,vhar.
some or IL VIII be taken on the home
sridlrons, and some of it in the coun-
Try. possibly some squads will go to
inc seashore Furthermore. in the East,
at least. there is no hesitancy in say
ing that the training table will he
resumed almost from the start
More Popular Than Before.
IL seems also TO be the consensus of
opinloh mat this year football will
enjoy more popularity than ever be-
Eren last year during the war and
the influenza epidemic the crowds
turned out better than had been ex-
pcct 81 Now. with the country at
peace and the student soldiers back,
the country is sure to be hungry for
so9a football Big crowds will be
Sodsend TO university athletic treasu-
ries. which have been nearly bankrupt
during the war crisis.
Inc reports from all the Eastern
unusually high percentage of athletes
who left their college work to enter
me war service are coming back to
complete their college courses. AS
many of these men were absent over
two seasons this means that The
Veterans will have the advantage over
ing their absence.
For the most part. these veterans will
,ha only year OF football left. so
about normal in 1920. On the other
hand. there are some persons who
think that the veterans will have a
than they imagine.
Army Life Not beneficial.
| 1t has been found by actual ey-
ncrtencc that the army life has not
had any beneficial effect on athletics
Many of these athletes have found
| IL extremely difficult to regain their
| old form. They have discovered that
their army life had tendency to
stiffen them up. Now. football is a
game which requires much agility.
This being the case. perhaps the new
crop OF men need not be discourag ed
over having to compete with the
veterans.
On account OF the many veterans Of
the war who are returning - complet !,
their college work. it is quite likely
that some of the big universities Will
nc able to turn out teams composed
or men who were not only soldiers
md sailors, but officers in their respe
tive services. This will be particularly
true OF Yale. Harvard. Pennsylvania.
Cornell and Princeton. OF course, a
mans war record will have nothing
to do with his selection, but il would
be interesting to know the war records
Of some OF the leading teams ;his fall.