The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-12-28
| ALKING
IT OVER
BY JOE WILLIAMS

NEW YORK, Dec. 28.-The foot
IN ball coaches of America are
here in town today visiting the art
galleries, museums and other places
Of historical interest, including such
Of those as we're not closed during
the Christmas raids and reading
the list Of arrivals I note such we'll
known names as FIELDING II. Yost
Pop Warner, Hunk Anderson, Nal
Stevens, Gil Dobie, 30 Mcmillan
and others.
am surprised that I do not note the
names OF any Of Mr.. Pinkertons men,
nor yet any OF those Of MI. Val OFarrel
10 say nothing Of those of Mr. Null
rooney's plain clothes staff I mean there
is no indication that there are to be any
talks during the week by dicks, sleuths
or detectives.
say this is surprising because In the
business Of shopping on the young men
who 20 out there and fight for dear OLD
Backwash apparently is vital adjunct 70
he modern business OF coaching. Unless
] have gathered the wrong impression
no varsity squad can hope for success
unless 10 was plenty OF police protection.
wrong course may hayf gaIhe55 s1e the
90 by Is that either the coach or some
one connected with the coaching staff OF
Southern California put q dick or sleuth
on the trail Of one Of the westerners 3
week or so before the Notre Dame game.
1t seems that in some way either the
mead coach, who is Mr.. Howard Jones,
late OF Yale. or the sub coach or the sub
sub coach or somebody else developed
certain suspicious about one Of the South
ern California varsity players and that
these suspicious we're of sufficiently
felonious portent to warrant calling the
patrol wagon
Later details revealed that these
suspicious werC based upon the fact that
the Young man in question although a
member Of the Southern California
varsity. expressed an open admiration for
Notre Dame football II appears that this
was adequate reason to regard him as a
potential traitor. a veritable Benedict
Arnold In pads and cleats
n
GO Mr.. Jones or some one in or
- out of his association decided
that something ought to be done
about it. In true keeping with the
higher forms Of higher education as
1t is represented by some football
stalls, the young man was placed
under the surveillance of detectives
and kept in exile for number of
days. The horrible thought seems
to have been that, left to himself.
ne might have betrayed some cam
pus secrets to a South Bend scout.
Viewed from any angle the incident rep
resents the maximum in tyranny self i'm
portance and nausea. II is an action
more in keeping with the administration
OF San Quentin than a college. What
is the result of a football game compared
20 Students character and his reputation
IN after life?
To me the answer is obvious. But then
] am not the coach of the Southern
California team. / have no Way of know
ing how it feels to have a great team.
such as Mr.. Jones had year ago and
which he seems to have this year-and
then have that team thoroughly Inundated
by rival team somewhat crippled and
IN no way bettered by a long trip across
the continent
Possibly in such circumstances, II I
suspected one of my men of being even
slightly respectful Of an enemy team, 1
also would call out the cops. Maybe if
7 hadn't dined we'll 1 would have him
shot or at the very least placed in
solitary confinement for two or three
years. I am not sure Just what I would
do but any Of these things would seem
to be in keeping with the fine, boyiSh
spirit Of high pressure football.
The incident has been formally written
of the records by an apology to the
young man and his parents from the uni
Versity, in which the president very
magnanimously participated. 1t must be
still yearning to read that somebody was
hit on the jaw. Indeed, I would give a
moderate sum. on easy payments, to take
What puzzles me most Of all is that
everybody seems to agree that mere
apology is enough II may be enough for
naive. immature mind but it doesn't
atone for most atrocious breach of
decencv. I find myself wondering who
actually runs Southern CaHfornia-the
president or the coaching staff.