The Washington times., 1921-11-13
GRID COACHES
LOSE OUT WHEN
FANS RUN TEAM
Mstxger Tells Of Sensational
Methods Some Have Used to
KIN Dissension.
BY SOL METZGER.

bully good fellows they are. Espe-
cially is this so in football. The coach
who turns the tables and the team
which upsets the set-ups for ten
strike not only get slapped on the
back, but usually pounded to pulp in
sheer glee by their supporters. But
has any one ever considered the case
of the coach as it is written in fact
We have seen coaches eternalIy
cussed and tossed into the discard
who We're doing better jobs than their
conquerors. And we have seen good
teams ruined by the fans. all of whom
had the very best intentions at heart
In good many of these cases the
cause was not hard to find. 1t is
due to the fact that football is con-
sidered by the fans a part of their
own business. Coaches have had ar
dent and enthusiastic supporters ad-
wise them who should be played In
certain positions, who substituted dur
ing games and what sort OF plays to
use, with each and every fan really
thinking he was doing them a mighty
good turn.
Bad Policy.
AS a matter OF fact. IL their tips
were good a coach would be pulling a
''boner' following them. Once you
let someone else run your business
you can put 1t down as fact that
ruin is sure to come. II they make
good at it they own the business and
II they do not, you lose again.
One coach once had trouble with his
fans. They objected to his style of
play because II had failed in an OPEN
ing game when three or four of his
best men were not in condition to
enter this contest. They went so far
as to voice their grievances to the
team. Whe.I a team is down one of
the easiest things In the world is to
disrupt IL by secretly discussing the
pros and cons with the players. 1t
gets it out OF the mire Just like
labor agitator from Russia gets
bunch OF factory hands happy when
the boss has been forced to close
down by telling them to strike for
higher pay. The coach got his eleven
together. told them they could make
their choice having one head to their
system Of play or everyone taking
hand in it--and left the room They
got behind him and pulled through
hard season.
Bezdek Takes Charge.
Hugo Bezdek had the same trouble
At Penn State when he first coached
there. Bezdek was pretty badly roast
ed by the alumni after an early sea-
son game and the situation was work
ed up to point where he had to use
strong arm methods to swing the
squad into q united band The team
was all ready to split into factions.
Bezdek got his squad together the
Monday before the Pennaylvania
game, told them he could coach any
system they liked and that-if they
were dissatisfied with his selections of
players for games, the best thing to do
was for the squad to stay in the room
until eleven OF them survived the free
for all and that these eleven would
play the remaining games
Bezdek locked the door as he walk
Cd out. The team all but had a battle
royal. In the end they agreed that
Bezdek knew more about football than
they did. So they got back of him |
Penn State has just about swept the
boards clean ever since. But for a |
while IL looked as though the football
situation there was ruined for years |
TO come.
Crowd Understands Little.
The big trouble with the fans is
that they know very little football and |
they fail to recognize this fact. We
have had teams criticised by the most |
enthusiastic friends Of our college for |
committing acts on the field that were |
not committed. We have had ends |
roasted as rotten when, in reality, |
they were playing bang up football. |
And we have had back cursed for \
fumblinE when both eyes were closed |
from blow. We have had punts |
blocked in big games and have been
censured when the full back had been |
cracked on the head Just a moment |
before and was kicking when the play |
was in reality a forward pass.
It's hard job satisfying the crowd. |
Once, when a team we were coaching |
was not showing well, due to a slow
development and many injuries, we
were asked IL we liked the situation. !
or course, we did not. Our reply was
to the merchant who asked the ques-
zion. mo, we do not like Il anymore |
than you like the situation in your |
business" That started him to think
Ing and he let us run our own game |
thereafter, just as we had always tried |
to let him and the others of the word |
conduct their own business.
Like any BUSINESS.
Football is just like any other bust
ness. 1t has to be built mp along GER
tain definite lines. And these lines
are not plotted the same by any two
coaches. In fact, they are plann ri |
and replanned after each game. Asl
few people see alike or think alike |
some conflicts are bound to occur be-
tween fans and coaches. OF course,
you can't blame the fan for holding /
an opinion. But you can blame him
for going to the players with IL. He's
then much like the man who spreads |
evil reports about the credit of a mer-
chant or the standing of a bank. His !
" the psychology of the crowd than
which there is none worse. The best /
plan after all is to let the coach run
his season and Judge him on the re-
suits over its entire stretch, not on i
any particular play or game. It's
only fair that fans hold their views
in reserve until the final curtain rings
down.