Evening star., 1930-12-13
Spirit and Rivalry.

THE part that spirit plays in foot
ball will be shown in the old
fashioned Army-Navy rivalry in
New York today, just as it has
been shown on so many other occasions
in the past between old rivals.
1t is for this reason that when old
time opponents meet you can usually
take most of the dope and the remain
der Of the seasons play and toss it into
the gravel ditch.
ANY team that can get keyed up for
q certain game is hard to beat, even by
what may look TO be better team.
Those who saw the recent Yale-Prince-
ton contest will understand just what
Is meant--or the Army's stand against
Notre Dame, where the margin was
only a point.
Notre Dame has been the Arny's
main shot for some time and 1t is
worthy of note that in seven or eight
years Notre Dame has never beaten the
Army more than touchdown-and
that the last five years the Army has
scored 50 points to Notre Danes 80,
which may surprise number of nom
combatants.
On the value of past performance
this afternoon. But Navy spirit is surg
ing into this game with sweep and
rush, and this is almost sure to mean
q high class foot ball war. This surg
ing Of spirit takes its toll and it Is for
this reason that it is hard to key any
team up through two games in a row.
Psychology and Material.
THIS Army Navy game is a battle
i between material and psychology.
All through the season the Army
has had better material and has played
better foot ball. But the psychology
OF This contest is with the Navy. The
Army is on defense to protect good
seasons record. The Navy is out to
attack in the knowledge that If it is
beaten by a team that held Notre Dame
to q one-point victory it will be only
the expected taking place. The Navy
can afford to lose. The Army can't, on
this occasion.
And the Navy has mustered enough
manpower to give its psychological ad-
vantage a chance to work.
Not Quite Yet.
A TALK with various American
"A Leaguers during the last week
brought out the fact that Mr..
Mack and his Athletics are still the
bali club they all fear next Summer
and that Mr.. Mack isn't ready to abdi-
cate yet. It was felt late last season that
washington was coming and that
Philadelphia was slipping. and that
unless Connie could dig up three or
four good young ball players he would
be beaten in 1881.
But, as one merican League man.
ager put 1t, How are you going 10
get by George Earnshaw and Bob
Grove? They can work In 80 or 80
games, winning or saving most OF them
And how can you get by Mickey
Cochrane, the greatest catcher that
ever lived, bar nobody? No. 1t won't
be washington. 1t will be Philadelphia
the winning club has to beat.
The Long. Long Trail.
Foot ball usually finds everybody
worn out around December at the
end of the season. Nineteen hundred
and thirty has been the long, long trail,
with Christmas approaching and backs
still crashing through the line.
After the Army-Navy game the cur
| tain finally drops on Sunday afternoon
| for two weeks before the Rose Bowl
| party in Pasadena. On Sunday the
Giants and -Four Horsemen stars meet
for the unemployment fund IN a con. on
best foot ball Of the year to look at.
II Benny Friedman is in condition,
| the big crowd will see the best quarter
back Of the modern game in action,
| with a chance to test his skill against
| the picked squad Adam Walh and
Knute Rockne have brought TO town.
washington State steps into the pic
ture on New Year day.
II Carideo plays on Sunday, there
viii be more quarterback talent in action
| than any one field ever saw.
The ROugher Breaks.
lew coaches or teams had any
| IL rougher breaks this Fall than Chick
| Meehan and N. Y, u. They lost
| three games In which the total margin
| against them was Just points, and
| these were against such teams as Ford
| ham, Georgia and Colgate. Two were
lost b. goals after touchdown, which
Is still q poor way Of deciding a hard
| fought battle. Il is a very minor point,
| which too often swings the entire tide
Of contest. meaning victory or defeat.
| It Is far too minor a matter to be made
| that important. Both N. Y. u and
Fordham will have q flock of young
stars ready for action next Fall. and
| this applies especially to Meehan's
sophomore backfeld.
Five Years Later.
i TT win be interesting TO see on sum
i day what q difference . few years
have made In the speed and grace