Evening star., 1939-12-02
An-Time AII-America
Rating Due Gipp,
Bergman Claims
Irish Star Was Better
Than Grange, Says c. U.
Coach, Censuring Rice
BY LEWIS F. ATCHISON.

That Eternal All-America" foot
ball team Grantland Rice picked in
this weeks issue of national mag
azine may be all right,
But" snorted silver -thatched
Dutch" Bergman, biting off the end
OF a long cheroot, Il don't see how
he could leave off George Gipp, the
old Notre Dame halfback. Who did
you say he put in the backheld,
Granger"
The mere thought of such an
atrocity brought the Catholic Uni
versity coach's Gaelic spirit (Notre
Dame, vintage of '19 to the boiling
point, and it was plain as an old
shoe he thought Mr.. Rice was way
off-side on this particular position.
Why" he continued, recovering
his poise and taking a firm grip on
his armchair to control himself,
Grange couldn't carry Gipp's he'll
met. I'm not joking, he couldn't
do 1t. I saw them both play and
the Clipper was so far superior to
Grange there was no comparison.
Gipp Was Great Leader.
Grange could run, I'll grant you.
He ranks as one of the greatest run
ners Of all times, but the Clipper
could run with him-knoW what I
mean. Grange wasn't any better
than Gipp as runner. and to my
mind the Clipper was more elusive.
But that was all Grange did. He
couldn't pass or kick and he wasn't
an outstanding defensive player and
that's where Gipp had the edge on
him.
"Gipp did everything. He ran like
the wind and could kick and pass
like the mischief. Defensively rate
him one of the greatest backs Of all
times at backing up a line because
he not only had a keen mind for
diagnosing plays, but also could
tackle as well as anybody. Any time
you ran play through his territory
you could take a bow, because that
was like walking into the White
House unlimited.
Il forgot to mention that he was
quite blocker, too and on top Of
that was a great inspiration
leader" A smile fickered across
Bergman's face as he went on. II
remember how he used to come into
the locker room before a game with
sleepy look on his face and 20
around to every player on the team
and say, I don't feel we'll today,
Johnny, you've got to win this one
for Notre Dame
Cannon's Choice Approved.
He'd walk around and give
everybody on the squad the same
pep talk, patting us on the back and
working us up to such an emotional
pitch we wanted to tear the uni
forms right off the other fellows
backs. Then he'd go out and play
a terrific game. He's Notre Danes
all-time football player. ThereIl
never be another like him. at Notre
Dame or any place. and I can't for
the life Of me see how Rice missed
on him."
Bergman, incidentally, roomed
with Gipp at Notre Dame and
played the opposite halfback in the
Irish backfield. He recalled Gipp's
all-around athletic ability and how
he was signed by the Chicago White
Sox for trial after his graduation,
a chance he never had the oppor-
tunity to accept because of his sud-
den and tragic death.
Jack Cannon's selection for one of
the guard positions struck a re-
sponsive chord with the Brookland
strategist, who agreed with Rice
that Cannon was veritable ball of
fire in action. But Dutch" thought
Rice might have given more con-
slderation to Ted Twomey, the
tackle who dug in beside Cannon in
the Irish line and who played lot
OF football for Knute Rockne.
Twomey now is coaching at Georgia.
Dutch" was willing to pass that by
without a protest. After all, Rice
is entitled to one mistake. But that
slight of Gipp, well, that's some
thing else.
Methinks Rice will hear about
that.