The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1937-12-03
DISAGREEMENT OVER SELECTION
OF FOOTBALL FIELD RESULTS IN
CANCELLATION OF KENTUCKY
TENNESSEE FOOTBALL GAME

necessary to stop and clean his shoes
every few seconds. Imagine foot
ball game IN this spot Football
players would have experienced the
same difficulty.
Newspapers related that the game
was called off on account Of a muddy
field. Not So Football games are
not postponed ordinarily Ike this.
But one thing is certain, The game
would have been called off on ac--
count OF darkness had Ii been played
on this unfinished field. Ii this had
been the only place where the game
could be played, there would have
been d different mitter No doubt,
both teams would have eonculrea.
There was another and better field.
marked oil, rot SO yards from this
new field, and il much better con-
dition. Tennessee State had played
all previous games here. Why could
it not be used this day ii view Of
the condition OF the new field?
Then, too, Tennessee states play--
efs and coaches, az well d kentucky
States, did not want to risk playing
on this new field. Gains would have
been slow, injuries might have re-
suited, and, from d Kentucisy angle.
The "Ihofobreds' had too much at
stake TO attempt PLAYING OH aeld
unit Tor play. DESPITE tic tact thlt
both teams desired the use 81 tile
regular playing field, dc President
insisted on the use Of the new tieIa.
nc dedication was Il small matter,
however, Kentucky State came l9
Nashville 70 play football game.
People came to Nashville to see them
play. Surely thay would not hanui-
cap themselves, nor handicap speeta-.
tors, BY playing On the formentioned
field.
There arc those Mashyillians who
may feel that Kentucky was at fault,
and those kentucnians who may dis
agree. Personally, we feel that it
would nave been q gesture Of cour-
tcsy on The part Of the host, not To
expect q kestucky team 10 do the
almo.t impossible. We don't think
the President alone should have SO
insisted, Despite many conferences
BY committees, as game time, the
answer was still III the negative, and,
as a result, no game was played, and
some four thousand or more faas,
WHO had come from long distances,
were disappointed 1t was a terrible
situation one that could have been
easily avoided
Let's hear what Coach hean Of the
"Ihotoheds" has to say regarding
The situation. Quote:
In the seventeen years have
been coaching football ! have never
been called on TO play Il game on
a field Ia as bad condition as the
one at Tennessee State on Thanks
giving Day. We tried to work out
on il Wednesday afternoon, but
found even a workout impossible.
Mud caked on ones shoes as thick us
four inches. Under such conditions
our kicker could not punt over Is
yards. Even straight forward drive,
SO essential IN line play, was imnos--
sible. The field was not marked Off,
measured, or surveyed A wagon or
truck track ran diagonally across it.
At this time | talked with the con-
tractor and he agreed that the field
was IN very poor condition. just
30 yards from this field was another
field that was marked off, had been
played OH for years, and had been
played on as late as the four days
prior 70 Thanksgiving. Iii the light
Of these facts, | contacted several
responsible parties (eNcluding the
nresia'snt1 and they Informed me
that they also did, not desire to play
on the new field, but preferred the
old. The next morning (Thanlgsgiv-.
ingl when, upon examination, wa
found the field ii no better condition,
lcontinued on page four>