Evening star., 1932-12-26

Merkle synonymous with boner. 1t mas
greeted the name Riegels with a groan
But what about Merkle himself? How
about Roy Riegels. who ran the wrong
way and cost California a victory ovel
Georgia Tech in the Pasadena Rose
classic of 1929? How did they fee
afterward? What did those moments
do to their lives.
Foes Sympathetic.
4 FTER Hedges missed that pass al
"A the end of the Dartmouth game
Harvard men reached out to pal
his back. They knew how he mus
have felt.
Head Coach Eddie Casey of the Grim
son eleven left the bench for the side
lines and as that final whistle blew he
ran out-not TO applaud his men fol
a victory he knew was hollow-but tt
get to Hedges side and add his kindly
word
Poor Hedges! Even the coming OF
President Hopkins of Dartmouth to the
dressing room to see the boy, to en-
courage him. to lift his spirits. could
not have raised them. His life, as did
Riegels', seemed to be ruined.
Later, after reading the analysis OF
his play, columns explaining that the
pass was not in his hands. that his
fingers never had a real clutch on the
high ball. that his position was no.
such that he could have possibly reached
1t. Hedges probably felt better.
Years will heal those wounds and
will heal his, even though the scar
NAV never be obliterated But there is
no evidence of a life wholly ruined by
enc b!oCmer in sports, even when that
blocmer was enacted on the professional
4i-ld where c, living is dependent on
mental alertaesS and mechanical per-
lection. In some cases the one blunder
Or tumble has been the spur to greater
effcrt.
7. was such a spur almost immedl-
atc,y to Roy Riegel5. for he was put
hack in the second half of the famous
California Georgia Tech game and ne
played his head off.
Coach Was Amazed"
TT was the most widely advertised
i freak play of modern foot ball, but
the luckiess miscalculation was
taken by his teammates, by his coach
Nibs Price, and by all close followers
of the sports world as just one OF the
breaks" Of the game. The same eX-
PLANTATION was offered in Hedges case
by Hanoverites and opponents. Take
It as a break, Dave, just a bad break
Don't let it throw YOU they cautioned
him
After his first terrible detection
Rieeels took his fluke calmly. 1T might
have happened to any of US" said Coacl,
price It was amazed when I saw
Riegels running in the wrong direction
but I don't blame the boy, nor DO
want his future hurt by the play
Rieeels was. the smartest boy on the
SQUAD. I yanked him Immediately
after the fatal run because I thougns
he was hurt. He came to the bench
and was terribly detected. saying ne
believed this would ruin his life
"I told him, nonsense! y
"Nibs" Price predicted he would De
the outstanding player OF the Paclnc
Coast the following season. RlegeS was
tain of his team and played heroic loot
hall. He had no alibi to offer for his
strange play.
II was running toward the sidelines,
and when I picked up the ball started
to turn to my left toward Techs goal,
he said. Somebody showed me and l
bounded right off into tackler In
pivoting to get away from him I com
pletely lost my bearings. wasn't out
of nv head and l hadn't been hurt
RiegeIs Game Back"
DRICE did to Riegels what aviation
officials do to flyers who crack up.
The flyer who smashes his plane is
sent up in.oedta.c,y in another plane
so that ccnfiGe--C in hirlScl1 Will not
be lost. Riege's as sent back for the
second half OF the game. and he Played
himself back to confidence. b-ocked one
punt, but was un2 bic to wipe out the
safety advantage his reverse run had
given Tech.
There was a track meet not so many
years ago which left a college boy IN
pretty low spirits, chagrined, mortlhed
at his performance.
He was a good dash man. HIS per-
formance in the 220 was expected 70
bring his college either the points OF
first or second in the event. His name
what happened in his failure. 1t was
not quite the dramatic crack-up OF
Riegels or Hedges.
Here's the way he explained 1t a1ter.
wards: II was out in front in trial
heat and knew that had it won. :
felt 1 was so far out in front that
J could afford to coast a bit and conserve
my encgry Tor the fMal sprint. l lei
lp. and Just as I did I realized there
was an Eli coming along beside me. He
was at my shoulder. I turned to look
back lost my stride and was passed
When picked up for the last few yards
there seemed to be blanket finish.
was out. I hadn't qualified.
Water His Undoing.
s.I NEVER felt so mortified in my
life. I knew that could wiz
that event. knew that If hadn't
let up 1 would have won the qualifying
heat. 1 knew that my points in the
final would be needed to win the meet
I was utterly detected at my showins
and the realization that the meet prob.
ably would be lost. A teammate only
made it worse by yelling, What's the
matter with you? What ever got into
you?'
"Heartbroken, I left the field ant
went to the lockers. I undressed, tool
a shower, went over to the water coolel
and drank about a pint of water.
started to dress. I was f-dressee
when I heard some one shouting my
name. They wanted me on the field.
IN my confusion and chagrin
had miscalculated thought I didn'
qualify. The officials said I did.