The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-11-10

Penn State Coach
 Coach Bezdek, a graduate of
 Chicago university in 1906, and a
 player under Alonzo Stagg,
 made his first real success at
 Oregon, where he was head coach
 for six years His remarkable
 achievement at Penn State, where
 he has developed a team which
 has not been beaten In three
 years, has brought him into first
 rank prominence.-Editor's note.
 Many theories have been advanced as to how the game of football can be improved. These have ranged from demands that the system ot scoring be changed to wild sugges- tions that the shape of the field be altered. However, in all the mass that has been heaped upon the heads of the rules committee. I think that one splendid idea has been over looked-the formation of an eastern conference.
 East Far Behind
 Most of the faults to be found in football today are not connected with the actual playing of the game on the gridiron. They are what l shall term as outside influences, such as tho tramp athlete, and the variation of eligibility rules. The greater part of this trouble is in the east where there is no conference. In the mid de west, tho far west, the south. and, In fact, wherever the confer ence system has been used. these un- pleasant features have been pracu- cally eliminated and the general wei fare of the game has greatly in- creased.
 A great many people have an idea that if 15 or 20 of the large univer- sites of tho east formed confer ence these teams would be required to play one another. In this way they arc mistaken. There is no req son in the world why Harvard, for example, would have to play Syra- cuse, or Yale would have to play Penn State. or Cornell would have to play Pittsburg. But if these univer- stiles were in the same conference each would know that the other was governed by the same rules of eligi- bility. In this way there would be a better understanding between the contesting universities and the feel ing between the players would also be more friendly.
 Favor IntersectfonnI Games
 Despite the fact that 8 great many coaches, college presidents, faculty members and others who have the best interests of the sport at heart, do not favor the fnterseotional and the post-season games. believe that they are worth while and that they accomplish a great deal of good that cannot be done in any other way. Of course, there could be so many of Ia fFf O into the ground but if the matter is handled judiciously, I think that these intersectional and post-Heason games will greatly benefit tho sport.
 The followers q football in the various parts of the country like to have some comparison by which they can fudge the standard of play in the so-called sections" By having post-season and intersectional games this can be accomplished. If strong eastern team goes to the far west coast and plays the best team in that section, the result of the game will give a fairly reasonable Idea as to the relative strength of the two sections. and at the same time give the specto
 give the spectators chance to see the products of two entirely differ
  same is true of games between mid- de western and eastern teams. east ern teams and southern teams. ana between any of the other possible interseotional combinations. The in- terest that these games stimulate is nation wide. and even at the sac- rifice of a few hours in the class rooms they should be allowed to con- tinue.
 Does Not Interfere With Work While on the subject tof football and it's relation to the class room, I would like to explode a theory that is advanced by many well meanins but misguided people: The idea that when a man plays college footpail ne has no time for anything else. By glancing over the schedule of the average college football player. Il will be seen that this Is not 80. There is no excuse for a man who IS playing football to be down in his studies. For example The average ] man in college sleeps eight hours, three more are taken up in dining 1 This leaves IS hours of which only two are taken up with football prac- tice. Add another hour for the time required in dressing before ana atter tha work out, and 1t makes only three hours out of IS.
 It is a physical impossibility for a coach to keep men on the field TOT more than two hours. One hundred and twenty minutes of football Is all that any man can stand in an after noon, and no coach would be sc fool ish as to tire out his men by any added workout If some of these Morris chair athletes who would have people believe the only thing that college men do Is play football and loaf, would try tG practice for a two hour stretch some day he would