Evening star., 1938-11-10
Grid 'sFans Cold
To Fine Points
Of Football
Modern Strategy, Big
Squads Cutting Into
Thrills of Come
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer

NEW YORK, Nov. 1o.-Though
it still gets lot of folks out in the
fresh air on Saturdays, college foot
ball is not the show it used to be,
back when punters were celebrated
in proportion to the distance they
could propel ball, and when iron
men" elevens trod the gridirons.
Introduction of the lateral pass,
an inoftensive weapon at best, has
not compensated for the thrill the
crowd got up to few seasons ago
when kick spiraled 60 to 70 yards
down the field and settled into the
arms of scampering safety man.
Under the new scheme, when four
out OF five punts go tumbling out
of bounds. few teams even bother to
plant their shiftiest open field run
ner in the safety position. It is
more scientific football, but the
spectators got bigger $40 worth
when the kicks went mile high
and the receiver came weaving back
up the field.
Personal Element Gone.
Veteran players of dozen years
ago complain that the enormous
squads of good men boasted by the
leading teams today have taken
something personal out of the game.
One OF them was suffering the other
day:
1T used to be that team with IS
really good men could go through a
hard schedule and win most of its
games. You got to know the indi-
vldual players by sight-even the
llnemen. The Brown University
team of 1926 played through sea-
son without substitution. Think
what would have happened to that
bunch of boys if they had tried to
play today's Notre Dame squad, for
instance"
There isn't much use thinking
about it. They might have fought
the Irish" legion off for half. but
they would have been so spent by
that time from meeting waves of
new players that they wouldn't have
taken much interest in the final two
periods. Army used up over 80 play
ers In a futile effort to stem Notre
Danes relentless rush.
No Chance.to Limit Squads.
Rated strictly off its first team,
Columbia probably has one of the
country's top elevens this season.
1t has in Sid Luckman a truly fine
quarterback. 1t has everything, in
TACT, except requirements and an
ability to beat any important team.
Pittsburgh, of course, is the most
tragic example of a great 11-man
teams inability to last through a
modern big-time schedule.
Ever and anon there is agitation
to establish a football player limit.
to restrict each team to the use of
say. % men in the course of game.
But nothing ever will come of it, be-
cause the big school has found it
is both easier and safer to win with
numbers than to gamble that it can
put together one all-conquerine
eleven.
Not again will the country have
an opportunity to get excited about
a colorful outfit like the Praying
Colonies" from little Center College,
who set the woods afire back in the
early 20s. Great as Bo McNillin and
his fellow Colonels might have been,
they wouldn't be able to dent the
hides of todays behemoths.
Thrills Gone From Kicks.
Getting back to the new idea in
punting, it was originated, perfected
and taught by the late Leroy Mills
and undoubtedly was an important
contribution to the game. It re-
duces the chances of injury to the
receivers of kicks, if nothing else,
but it still robs the spectator OF his
thrills.
No matter how much he is "edu-
Gated" about how to watch a foot
ball game, the fan sits in cold sta
dium in the happy expectation of
seeing swift runner catch the ball
and scat. His appreciation of the
gilt-edged play of the linemen is
scant.