The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-02-10
BIG THREE IS
ALSO DRILLING
GREAT SHELLS
Navy in 1920 and Yale in 1924
Had No Outstanding Con.
tenders in Nation
COLUMBIA MAYBE PICKED
Hot Stove Leaguers Claim
Midshipmen Of 1920 Were
the Greatest of All
COLUMBIA MAY BE PICKED
BY BOB MATHERNE

BY BOB MATHERNE
Eight varsity crews are now pre-
pairing for battle royal that will
precedc the selection Of the eight
husky young men who will wear the
shield Of the United States III the
Olympic rowing races at Amster-
dam thi. summer.
Columbia, 1927 intercollegiate
champion; California, Washington,
Navy, Pennsylvania, Syracuse and
Cornell are almost sure to row on the
Hudson this year and the best of
them may 60 on to Philadelphia for
the Olympic trials.
Yale, Harvard and Princeton do
not mingle with the universities that
fight it out each year at Pough-
keepsie for the intercollegiate cham
piorship but If any one Of the big
Three" develops an outstanding crew
you may be sure that crew will try
for the honor of rowing for Uncle
Sam in Holland.
This applies particularly to Prince
ton, which is primarily sprint crew
always, and Harvard, because Prince
ton and Harvard men are bored by
hearing Yale men chortle-"When
did your crew ever carry the flag to
Europe?" Which is . sly reference
to the fact that the great Yale crew
Of 1924 was chosen to represent its
country in the Olympic races in
Paris.
Navy Far Superior
Previous to the Antwerp and Paris
Olympic games there was such m
outstanding crew that trial races
to satisfy the contributors to the
Olympic expedition purse were
staged only as q formality. The
Navy crew Of 1920, sitting eight Of
the finest specimens Of young man
hood a sculptor could conceive, was
50 far superior to any eight on the
water that the selection committee
merely had to send . telegram to
Annapolis-"Get that crew packed
for shipment to Antwerp"
Again In 1924 the fine Yale crew
was 50 far ahead of the field that its
selection was . routine stroke Of
pen.
Approaching the 1928 season there
is one outstanding crew, the Colum-
bia champions Of 1927, who have lost
only one man, but this aggregation
doesn't stand out like its Olympic
predecessors and the trials this year
probably will be . free-for-all.
In the manner Of the baseball men
who argue whether the current edi-
ton of the New York Yankees is q
greater ball club than the old Balti-
more Orioles, rowing men pass away
evenings around comfortable fire.
side in q debate as to which was the
greatest crew Of all time, the Navy
Olympic eight Of 1920 or the Yale.
Olympic eight Of 1924.
Ten Eyck Extols
But l will say in q career that
certainly does not cover the span of
years Of good old Jim Ten Eyck, the
dean Of all the rowing coaches, that
l never saw crew win q harder race
than the one won by the Navy on the
canal in Brussels in 1920. . race with
more at stake and . race in which
that most desired Of all virtues,
heart" played = bigger factor. It
was the most thrilling event ! ever
saw and "Pop" Clendon, veteran
coach of that Navy bunch, said the
same thing after the race with sobe
in his voice and tears in his eyes
when he wrapped his arms around
the boys on the float.
The elimination heats, to get down
to the story, reduced the field to the
United States and Great Britain for
the finals.
Clyde King was the stroke Of the
Navy crew and one Of the greatest
athletes produced at the naval acad-
envy. He was tackle on the foot
ball team for four years, had beaten
the Army single-toed in 1919 with
two placement goals and later won
the Navy Sword in 1922.
Behind him in the American shell
were Gallagher, Johnston, Sanborn,
Moore, (another great football
player), Jordan, Captain Graves and
Jacomini. Ian.
The English crew, representing the
celebrated Leander Club, was COM
posed Of the pick Of the, two great
Oxford and Cambridge university
crews, crew that was no less than
an even money bet in . short sprint
race against even such Z strong boat
as the midshipmen had.
The Navy squad and ell the Amer
leans in Antwerp wanted to bet on
the crew and about $500 was
pooled, which ct the rate of exchange
at that time was over $4,000. ] was
one Of the newspaper men delegated
to place the money and we were In
structed to get it up ct any price.
The big-hearted money fellows In
Brussels demanded five to one and
we put up the money.
Pop. Glenden said to King and
Clark, the coxswain-Let sem peee
you until about thrse-querteSs and
then jump 'em. think they're weak
enough 70 curl" 3
The raee started. We were riding
in Navy car on the tow peth beside
The canal close enough 70 hear the
conversation Of the coxswoins and
almost Glove enough TO touch IT,
oersulen with . wand-apd % ont
we want4d : made wani,
jack Rally, who had Just won ~
sculling championship and the
doubJes with his cousin, Paul Cos
tello, waS litting on the ruppine
board q the car. He had 200 rid
f1G GA tI5e .faee.
Ea1llah Cat Inn~