The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-12-07
FORMER ROLE
FAVORED IN
VALLEY LOOP
AbOlishment of Scouts Is All
Right in Theory, But Not
in Practice
DUAL TEAMS CAUSE STIR
Record Keepers and Cheering
Sections Likely TO BE
Puzzled
DUAL TEAMS CAUSE STIR
By ALAN J. GOLD
(Associated Press Sports EditOr)

(Assoeiated Press Sports Editor)
Kansas City, Mo-, Dec. Tap
All the hullabaloo over football
scouting isn't confined to the New
England precincts. where Harvard
and Yale are on opposite sides Of the
fence.
The Missouri Valley conference
has operated this year under a gen.
tleman's non scouting agreement
but it probably will be cast aside
another season, will the scouts back
in their open.and- above board roles,
to Judge from sentiment that is
coming from most Of the valley
schools.
At least a good share of the
coaches and other athletic officials
hereabouts feel that the adjustment
Of scouting is all right in theory but
not so good in practice. Others,
more blunt about it, term no scout
ing as "bunk." They consider it
breeds hypocrisy and suspicion in
the dealings between old gridiron
rivals, rather than helpin' to elm
mate the so-called "over-emphasis"
in football.
Cite Missouri Game
The incident Of the Kansas-Mis-
souri game ha blown over but OBJ
servers cite it as an example Of the
disadvantages Of q non-scouting
policy. It wac understood that
neither university would have any
official scouts. But it seems that
an ex-kansas official, on his own
initiative, secuted Missouri in the
Iowa State game. His observations
found their way back quite naturally
to the Kansas coaching staff. After
a mediocre season, Kan;as rallied
to wallop Missouri, the conference
leader. There er- reverberations
and explanations
Yale, an ardent supporter Of the
non-scouting policy, effected agree
ment with most Of it's 1927 oppon-
ents on this principle. But there
was nothing to prevent rival coaches
from studying play-by-play &C
counts Of Yales' games in the news
papers, observing publish photo
graphs and other informative mat
ter about the Ellis. Harvard already
had served notice that it does not
subscribe to the non-scouting prin-
ciple. The crimson entered its
agreement with Yale thi. year
largely as q trial measure and with
out much enthusiastic. It was while
he was at Cambridge that the late
Percy D. Haughton built up one of
tho most efficient scouting systems
in the country. Scouting, Haugh-
ton held. was fundamental. His in
fluence carries on.
Dual Team Will Puzzle
The idea Of having two varsity
elevens In competition adopted by
Michigan for 1923 and apparently
likely to be followed by Iowa and
other schools, may give rec ,rd keep
crs some additional moments Of
worry.
It will be all right so long as there
IS = clear lire between the varsity"
and "junior varsity" observers point
out, but the cheering sections may
be = b. puzzled If two evenly
matched teams, each playing regu-
lar schedules, are turned out by a
single school.
For instance, the roar for the vic
tory Of team A on any Saturday aft
ernoon might be stilled by reports
Of disaster t. team B on Z foreign
gridiron. Or the claims Of a cham
pionship for team X of another in
stitution might have . hollow echo
in the tail end position Of Team z.
Then. too, critics .poins OF that
while the formation, Of teams
will give more players a chance to
participate in competition, it hardly
cones under the head Of discourag-
ing "over-emphasis," with two games
to Be played and two "gates" to be
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