The Washington times., 1931-10-17
GAMESER|OUS
PROPOSITION
W|THH|M
BY QUENTIN REYNOLDS

DH AOCEN kEN NE \ ENOADO
NEW YORK, Oct. 17.-Just 13
years ago they picked up the
man In the iron hat and threw
him in a front line dressing sta.
ton. They took one look at him
and said, Flowers for one."
But somehow or other he sur.
vived those wounds of battle and
after a couple of months the doc
tor admitted that he might live,
after all. But they said that he'd
be blind. So Major Cavanaugh
gave his watch away. A watch
isn't much good to blind man.
Today Major Cavanaugh is
coaching at Fordham University
and the 1nly sign of his injured
eyes is a pair of dark glasses ne
wears. Cavanaugh lived and he
didn't 60 blind. He fooled the
doctors and he's been fooling op-
posing football teams ever since.
They call him Cavanaugh,
"the man ir the iron hat, be-
cause he IS practically never
seen without a derby planted
on his head. Cavanaugh is one
Of those soldiers who looks like
q soldier. Tall, broad and erect
he completely dominates the
field when he steps out there to
coach every afternoon.
He runs his team with militray
tactics. He doesn't like his play
ers to smile at practice. Football
is too great 6. game to be taken
lightly, Cavanaugh thinks. It's
serious-something like war. His
teams reflect his character. His
team is a military unit which ad-
vances ponGerously and some
times clumsily.
Military on Field
Suddenl.' a flank will be turned,
the offense will discard it's heavy
weapons anC become for the
nonce a flashing, vibrant, speedy
unit that takes advantage of the
opening made by its heavy ar
tillery.
Then hack like Jack Fisher
and Captain Jim Murphy will
flash like :. rair of lightning bugs
across the line. They will throw
passes and catch passes. They
will fly on the wings of Cava.
naugh's deceptive passing attack.
They did that Monday against
Boston College and won 20 to 0.
Cavanaugh was one of the first
coaches to use the forward pass
as a staple standard offensive
weapon.
"It's easier to climb over a
wall than to go through it,"
the major says.
Fordham teams throw passes
from any part of the field and
they throw them well. Spring
practice at Fordham consists of
passing, passing and more pas
sing. Last year Fordham passed
every one of it's opponents dizzy
except that powerful st. Mary's
team from the coast. This year
Fordham has another good team
which maybe a very good team.
To-day will tell the tale"
Cavanaugh says II know I
have q pretty fair team. I
know too that Holy Cross has
an exceptionally good team.
Dartmouth just managed to
trim them last Saturday and it
took 97.yard run from kickoff
to do it," IS
Cavanaugh would like to win
from Holy Cross but he'd love to
win from N. Y. y. That N. Y.
U-Fordhan1 game has become
tradition to New York city. Last
year 10000 crowded into the
Yankee Stadium to watch Ford
ham win. Another 10000 vainly
stormed the portals of Colonel
Ruppert's ball park trying to get
in to see that titanic contest.
It was a bitter, hard-fought
game in which finese was many
times forgotten and sheer primi-
tive power exhibited. 1t was what
coaches call a dog fight" And
It was great show.
~They tell me Chick Nee
han has a sweet team" Cava-
naugh continued. That's the
ball game I want to win, and
! make no secret of it. We have
q hard schedule before that
game comes and, If we come
through without injuries, we're
going to have a good chance"
All the Doughty Major ever
wants is a good chance. When
he was coach at Boston College,
he defeated Yale twice in a row,
and the New Haven College fl
nally dropped B. C. from it's
schedule. They admitted that Cav
anaugh's teams were too much
for them.
G. InL~o Ho1L