San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-12-13
Rag'a4
Here's Quite An Idea.
A Non-All-American
Team.
Could Beat All-Amer.
leans.
Needs q Little
THINKING.
No Big Stars On 1t.
By Damon Runycn

AAAhAN8oAANSs y
No Big Stars On 1t.
~ By Damon Runycn ~
Copyright. 1895. international Feature
Service. Iuc.l
claim no authority in football, yet
make bold to say that with certain
expert assistance, I could pick from
the teams I have seen this season. q
team that would carry no man named
on any so called All-American selec-
tion, but that could beat any of these
All-Americans by a score of at least
20 to 0.
will even agree to exclude from my
Non-All-American team, players. nom
mated on the second and third teams
Of the solicitors of the All-Americans.
This agreement would deny me the tse
of 80 outstanding stars.
The solicitors Of these All-American
teams are very crafty in adding sec
ond and third teams to their selec-
tons, because they can thus toss q
sop Of recognition to every section of
the land. When you name 33 foot
ball players. you are pretty sure to
take In about all the players Of the
more prominent teams that receive any
special publicity.
1t 10 a species Of alibi, or excuse
for not putting some sectional star on
the first team, but / would scorn
this subterfuge In my Non-All- Ameri-
can. / would name eleven men only,
and let the All-Americans have their
50 to draw from.
OF course I would not be able to
name my Non-All-American players
Immediately, because / don't know
what players are to be nominated on
the so-called All-American teams. !
have seen only 30 or sixty selections
to date.
Along toward mid-winter, when the
All-American selections are all in, and
70 are the solicitors. 1 could announce
my Non-All-American team without
fear Of trespassing upon the preserves
Of the All-Americans. I fear, how.
ever. that there will then be too much
NOV on the ground to arrange a game
in the East, but California and Flor.
! would be pleased to take my Non
An-Americans to tho Pacific coast,
or down South, and play q game for
the benefit Of any worthy charity. but
in that event ] must be permitted a
couple Of substitutes, as the change Of
climate and water might affect some
OF my Neutrality-suspicious..
I have said that I could PICK my
team from the teams have seen play
this season. and / might state that !
have seen Pennsylvania, Chicago, ILL
nois, Dartmouth. Yale, Harvard,
Princeton, and the Army and the
Navy.
! an inclined TO the belief that
most Of these teams will be represented
jority Of the AIl-Americans. / must
Der. from the unmentioned players,
and have in mind a number that
am reasonably sure will not be placed
on the All-American first, second o.
third teams, who would be of great
value to my team.
! name no names. l do not wish to
direct attention to my men until ! am
certain my challenge is accepted. II
picked Harding of the Army or Nc
Phail of Dartmouth, rs my quarter.
for my Non-All-Americans, those ALI
American fellows would craftily shut
me off by placing my men on their
second or third teams, although how
they can keep from putting one or the
other on their first teams is some
thing that is known only to those deep
thinking All-American pickers.
Consider the limitations of my
field!
l would be barred from going be-
yond what / might call my visual ter
ritory. and picking such as Wilson OF
Washington. Tryon Of Colgate, Black
of Montana. Nevers of Stanford,
Friedman of Michigan, and numerous
others, because ! have not seen them.
1t Is a sure thing would be denied
the selections of such as Grange, Of
Illinois, Oberlander, Parker and Lane,
Of Dartmouth; Sladge of Princeton
Hewitt and Wilson, of Army, and
Henderson, Off Chicago, even though
have seen them, because they will GER
tainly be included on the All-Ameri-
cans.
/ would have to take what Is left.
Perhaps / could hold out Kruez. and
Rogers of Pennsylvania, and Cheek.
of Harvard, but / doubt it. Yet
repeat that with certain expert assist
ance, my No~-All Americans would
wallop the daylights out of any All
American team that will be named.
The expert assistance I would nee
essarily require would be a couple of
competent coaches, such as Mr.. Haw-
ley, of Dartmouth, and Mr.. Zuppke,
of Illinois, TO arrange system of play
for my Neutrality-suspicious..
would not insist on Mr.. Hawley or
Mr.. Zuppke, would take Mr.. Crow
ley, of Columbia, an exponent of one
Of the greatest systems ever developed
in football, which is the Haughton sys-
TEN, or would be quite satisfied with
~ - a..