The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-11-23


THE fact is. this makeshift team
u of collegians outplayed the best
team in professional football and
would have won the game except for
two fumbles at critical points.
Among other things the conegians
outrushed the professionals by a
margin of 135 yards against 80.
Taking it at its face value, the
result was remarkable. The pro-
feSsiOnals we're older. more expert
enced. stronger and had played to-
gether much longer. The collegians
presented a scrambled lineup of
stars. some of whom had never even
seen the others play. They came
from the east. the west. the south
and the north. They had practiced
together only two weeks and under
different coaches.
To be sure they played under
their own rules which differ in sew
eral vital respects from the profess
siOnal rules. But this shouldn't have
made any great difference. After
all. the professionals. all former COL
lege men. were weaned on the COL
legiate rules. so they couldn't have
been seriously handicapped.
OF course. the collegianS did not
~ represent a college team in the
sense that. say this years Mime
sofa team. would. They did not rep
resent a unit. They were the pick
Of various sections of the country.
To that extent they we're in per-
sonnet not much different than their
professional opposition.
This might have made a differ
ence. except it is popularity argued
that the professionals must be bet
ter than the collegians because they
have matured more and PLAYED more
football. Actually. this makeshift
tenn was Just another college team
playing one extra game.
What might have happened if
these all stars had cOllided with
the Bears in a late-seaSon game,
once they had started to click as
machine. Is a point that may be
worthy of consideration by the de-
Tense. At the same time the all
stars themselves were far from a
finished machine. and ii was their
first game of the season too. First
and last. because they abandoned
immediately after the ScorelesS tie.
The late Knute Rockne never
would admit the professionals we're
superior TO the collegians. Spe-
CifiCally he thought his 1880 team
could have beaten any of the pro-
feSSlOnal teams. This was one Of
NOtre Danes great teams and it
might very well have made good the
coach'S boast. But that was 1880.
The professional game is about
twice as fast and effective today as
i was then.
IT would be hard TO convince many
L Of the $4,000 people who saw that
crashing. smashing battle between
the Bears and the Giants last Sun
day at the Polo Grounds that any
college team in the country would
have a chance against such powerful
opposition. And yet our Mr.. Wal
lace who saw the game still insists
Minnesota or Pittsburgh would be
an even bet against either the Bears
or the Giants.
The reasoning that the profess
SIGNALS must inevitably get better
the longer they play is falacious. -
he says. They also get older don't
they. and that can and very fire.
quently IS handicap TO an athlete.
On the average. the collegians are
four or five years younger. This
means they are faster and possess
greater recuperative powers"
Moreover. Mr.. Wallace doesn't
think It would be a contest if il were
possible 70 hop a college team up
inspirationally (Say, as Yale was
for Princetom and then send ii
against the professionals. That S
one quality the professionals never
can hope 10 have" still am told
these anthropOids Of Mr.. Tim Mara
broke down and wept like babies
after losing 10 the Bears, which
must have been a most amazing
spectacle, indeed.