The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-08
PRAISE FOR SPIRIT
OF PRO FOOTBALL
Lesson in Amenities Of Sport
Collegians Would Do
Well to Emulate.
by WILLIAM p. HANNA.


Footballs over for the year. but not
discussions Of It. The following Is an
appreciation. from a Harvard man and
lover Of football. Of the Canton-Buffalo
game In this city:
II am in hope that you win write
something about the so different side Of
the professional football game, so agree
ably different when looked at without
carping. An informal, jolly afternoon
tea as compared with the serious d ges-
ton Of the equally obvious piece of re-
sistance served by college rivals. The
world depended not upon the issue,
though the players did their part with
no little spirit and zest. No white heat
of rancor and animosity. No time out,
save for the mending Of uniforms No
questions of eligibility. no quibbling
about rules. When back was tackled
illegally-midway between the knees and
the shoe laces---the offending side
profited by fifteen yards for holding
And the splendid spirit OF faith. the
complete lack OF suspicion No examina-
ton of helmets for fear Of hidden In
structions! Sponge and water carriers
strolled with official guardians among
the players. And why not. for the last
word came from the players themselves?
1t was all good to the eyes of those who
revel in the comic side of melodrama,
and 1t carried a lesson in the amenities
Of sport that college undergraduates and
their coaches would do well to emulate"
Glad to print che foregoing to counter
act rubbish about Professionalism being a
menace to the amateur game. Any sport
professionalism honors by adopting II
better off. Why wrap football more than
any other sport in the cotton wool Of
pure amateurism?
do the present rules specifically re-
strict the functions of the snapper back,
as he was called In the old days, to the
asks Maurice Morris. Would 1t not
give desirable impetus to the develop
ment Of the strategic possibilities of the
game If the rule--if there be one--or
custom were modified to permit several
or any of the linemen to snap the ball
from scrimmage?"
"Hers are a few thoughts," says nn-
other reader. that might help you pad
out the column some dull night:
I'm getting the corrected lineup of the
Canton Bulldogs from Jim Thorpe In the
dressing room at the Polo Grounds be-
stituted Speck, a product Of Canton, who
learned all his football from Thorpe, for
Edwards OF Notre Dame at guard
What college Is Speck from?' Thorpe
was asked. He replied: Canton Uni
versity, Jim Thorpe president
when the whistle ended the first half
Of the professional football game at the
Polo Grounds the entire assemblage
burst into spontaneous handclapping-
something entirely new for football 1t
was generally taken as a tribute to the
quality of the performance However,
there was one sceptic who was sus-
piciously impressed by the closeness of
the play He said: Those boys fight
like Langford and Jeannette.'
"Anent Aldrich being Yales only high
school captain. didn't George Chadwick
go to Yale direct from Brooklyn High
School,"
"Fordham, 49," contributes the fol-
lowing:
II have been an interested spectator
at many Of the intercollegiate games this
fall and offer some suggestions for an
All-Eastern team:
ION the ends I would put Legendre Of
Princeton and Urban of Boston College :
the tackles. Keck of Princeton and Gu
I'm "a PSi oSuSc. AHe BudTus. Cdllandn
of Yale and Wilkie of Navy; at the
pivot position l would have Alexander
OF Syracuse. To guide my team I would
have Llourie of Princeton. My halfbacks
would be Robertson Of Dartmouth and
Davies of Pittsburg. At fullback Gar
rity OF Princeton would land the job.
After much consideration I also pre-
sent second team: Ends Williams
Brown; Robertson. Syracuse Tackles
Sonnenburg. Dartmouth: Dickens. Yale
Guards-Woods. Harvard Welsh. Col
gate. Centre--Larsen. Navy. Quarter
back--Conroy. Navy. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
ton, Williams, and Haines. Penn State
Fullback-Horween. Harvard"