The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-03-01
Western Conference Football
Mentors Will No Longer
Hitch Championship Hopes
to Stars-Reverse Previous
Policies and Now Look For
Athletes

Chicago, March 1.-(AP)-Wcst-
crn conference football coaches no
longer hitch their championship
hopes to stars.
AS spring practice gets under way.
some coaches do not even permit
photographing Of their new candi-
dates for fear some player will get
too much ballyhoo and then prove
flop.
The policy of Bob Zuppke at I'LL
nois, who won the Big Ten cham
pionship last fall with a "starless"
team, has spread through the con-
ference until other coaches are
adopting the same attitudes.
Two-team football will become uni
versal in the conference next fall,
but none of the coaches appears to
be overwhelmed by a rush of candi-
dates.
Looks for Athletes
"1nstead Of trying to get enough
football for athletes" said Coach
Dick Hanley of Northwestern, 81 am
having trouble finding enough ath-
letes for football"
Hanley is a convert to the starless
plan, as misfortune to his stars last
fall ruined the brilliant prospect Of
his first season as a Big Ten coach
and left Northwestern laundering
in the ruck.
! Still, there are plenty of empty
shoes for the freshmen to try On
this spring. Oosterbaan, Gilbert and
Co. have gone out of business at
Michigan. The Incompatible Herb
Joesting, at Minnesota, will join the
alumni roofing section. "Tiny"
Lewis at Northwestern and "Cotton"
Wilcox at Purdue will give way to
others.
Have Started Drills
The spring football season at I'LL
nois opened III mid-February. Min
nesota began work soon after in its
vast new field house. Coach Hanley
called his Northwestern athletes for
March i, but Michigan put off the
spring program Of fundamentals
until April.
Few of the brilliant all-around
squad at Illinois will be lost by
graduation this spring, but the other
leaders, Michigan and Minnesota,
were hard hit. Michigan's greatest
strength for the coming campaign
will be in those who carried over
from 1927, who were not far behind
the regulars in ability. Doc Spears
OF Minnesota likewise has salvaged
from the old Gopher machine many
valuable parts, but he must piece to-
gcther crew that can stand the
buffeting Of six conference games,
an unusual schedule in the Big Ten.
| Coach Stage of Chicago also is
! favored with prospective available
| ity Of most of his 1927 squad, his
greatest losses being Ken Rouse, an
outstanding center, and Johnny Nc
Donough, picked as Rhodes scholar.
/ Phelan's Surprise Spoiled
The experience Of Jimmy Phelan,
Purdue coach, in introducing Ralph
WEIGH to the conference has helped
to make the coaches even more Sc
cretive. Phelan had planned to save
up the Texas wonder and sprinr
him on Purduc's first conference
foe. On the eye Of the Purdue
Harvard battle, Captain Cotton
Wilcox broke his ankle, and Welct
had to be used. The way WEIGH rar
wild against the Crimson made hin
marked man in every conference
! game and Phelan's surprise wa,
spoiled.
Even the spring training at lows
{ is under che vigilant gaze Of Ia.
! alumni, some Of whom have beer
seeking the scalp Of Coach BUR-
J IngWersen.
r The faculty athletic COMMITTEES
! determined that Ingwersen shoult
have at least one more year, hi