The Washington times., 1923-11-10
But LITTLE
CH0N'E: IS
MADE IN
TEAMS
Mediocrity Has Claimed Both
EIevens as It's Very
Own.
By DAVIS ]. WALSH.

PRINCETON, N. j., Nov. TO-.
Tradition, age old and glamorous,
permeated the rustic limits Of this
back country community today as
| it made ready to do justice to the
annual meeting of Harvard and
Princeton, the probable outcome
Of which was as much q mystery
as the tenth dimension or the
reason for sleeve carriers.
Harvard and Princeton were so
evenly matched in the pre-galme
calculations as to defy logical
selection and. make the quoting Of
odds on either team a matter for
/ those who have q frayed cuff
laying around loose somewhere in
the family closet.
It was the first time In many
j seasons that no definite fav0rite
/ was established before game time.
Mediocrity had claimed both teams
as it's very own, defying choice.
The game was the 1923 premiere
| Of the Big Three series, however,
and that was enough. Ftfty-five
thousand persons took possession
Of the little college hamlet between
sunrise and noon. leaking over the
/ eiges after the manner or an over
i filled stein. 1t was Hike trying to-
drop pint Of rice in q thumble.
The boon Of perfect weather.
with q bright sun overhead md
the whine Of NOvembef's bite IN
the air, greeted the occasion. THIS
answer tile whistle under cOIltl1-
i lions that meant charity toward
all and malice toward nOIles
The prospect was for duel Of
i piInts between Vangerbig, of Prince
i ton. ana Hammond Of Harvard. at
| the outset with both teams waiting
/ for the break. Neither has an Of
/ fensive punch worthy OF the name
| and must depend upon, an Oppon-
/ ent's mistake for ultimate success.
Princeton is notorious for Its abls-
lfty to convert loose balls into touch
| downs, and this season made much
capital of this tendency in holding
1 4 stronger navy team to a tie ecO-e
/ after Notre Dame had rolled up
/ twenty-five points on the Tigers the
week before. This was Princeton's
/ lone defeat of the season, but IL was
/ sufficient to indicate that the Roper
| entry was something Of q hat tire IN
/ line defense.
/ In a man-to-man summary, the
| Harvard forwards seem to outclasS
/ Princeton's, but they have falleo 10
| prove it in the seasons record. Tnere
| were no medals on the Hazard mes
men while they were being heid 10
| q. tie by Middlebury and beaten 70
whisper by Dartmouth. The present
outfit is hardly typical HarXaEd
team, with lack of backfield punch
| it's most obvious weakness.
II r. here that PrincetOn's ap-
parent lack Of defense may be
counterbaIanced The Crimson has
no ban runner of tho type Of Beat
4 tie. nor NO fOrWard-pasSer who can
be cIaSsed with Snive1y. All Il
seems to have is eleven men and
| the Harvard system.
| The latter was a great bugaboo to
/ rival teams until recently, but no
| more. It has been exposed - U
| popgun in a shooting gallery, and
| even Harvard Is talking of elaborat-
| ing upon it in the hope of giving the
opposition something further to guess
about. 1t is commentary upon the
system in question that no Harvard
team has beaten Princeton since
1916, although several have man
| aged to pull out tie.
Princeton won the last two games
played very impressively and many
look for it to repeat today. That
would mean three in row, how
ever, and the Tiger has not trtfled
with Harvard to that extent since
the long hair era.
L