The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-10-18
/ ALKING
IT OVER
WITH JOE WILLIAMS
NEW YORK. Oct. ID.


ULTIMATELY Army and Navy
~ will play football together
again. And it will be for the best.
Both as a pageant and a contest
the annual service clash always has
stood out as one Of the command
ing attractions Of the fall season. A
natural and healthy rivalry exists
between West Point and Annapolis
and it is a good thing for sport and
men to encourage these things. Very
likely some sort Of compromise may
be effected shortly. At present
Army observes only the first-year
rule In varsity competition. How
many years an athlete has been a
varsity man elsewhere is of no con-
Germ to Army officials once he ma
triculates at the point.
In recent years Navy has placed a gen
eral restriction on varsity competition to
three years. thus conforming to the rou-
difference in regulations that led TO the
existing spiit between the two Institutions
NAVY repudiating an agreement it pre-
viously had accepted.
The Army stand all along has been
that lts principal business is the turning
out Of soldiers and that since athletics
contribute to the success Of this business
cadets be permitted 70 make fun use, Of
MI sports favilities. The Nays implied
Is that it IS unfair TO pit a team Of men
with six years experience against team
OF men with only three.
=
A LII other things being equal
IA there is probably much truth
IN this. But you can't prove it in
this case by the records. Army
could not beat a comparatively ordi-
nary team from Notre Dame last
fall and a few weeks later the
Cadets were knocked all over the
premises by Stanford This would
seem to indicate that the important
thing in a football player is ability,
not length of service.
The present suggested compromise Is
that the two Institutions mutually agree
sitv experience Of athletes to four years
all told; which IS to say that II an
he win be eligible for only one year at
either of the service schools.
1t is never possible for the side line OBJ
Of this nature is stepped in Washington
politics and for that reason 1t is always
hazardous to ATTEMPT forecast o. o. maj maj
decision Army Dfo56blv would stand pat
IN its preeout FarrauvemeDt To admit
IN This arrangsmcrt is wrong now would
be a confession that It never was correct
or proper.
TINE most singular thing about
4 this affair, aside from the Navy
ahruptness in demanding a new
deal back in 1927. is that no other
college or university appears to care
how old or experienced Army play
ers are, Just as long as the boys
bring along q pretty fair team, the
corps and a mule. AS a matter OF
fact Army has had a much more
attractive schedule since the split
than before, if this may be said to
be significant of anything.
ANY one who Is a! all familiar with the
WordS horrors at the pointer the
Academy either for that matter-needs no
persuasion to be convinced that Young
purpose Of kicking a football uD and down
the. field.
Z
A Young gentleman whose main interest,"
lB football will find life much easier ana
more alluring at almost any other seat OF
Indulgence in the world. This being so
any intimations thai Football players are
recruited at the point hv an organized
scouting system may be tossed atrlly over
the p0rtside shoulder.
THERE can be little question that
i high geared competition in
sports is helpful in the development
of a military equipment and it
seems to me that any rule designed
TO minimize this opportunity, no
matter what the conditions, operates
at cross purposes with the intent of
the institution. To be sure there
have been Cadets and NIidshipmen
VINO turned their backs on the
service once their football days were
ended, but in ratio to those who
have stayed the percentage is hard
ly large enough to be recognized by
the naked eye.