The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-10-10
BY JOE WILLIAMS

Columbus, O., Oct. 10 This sports life is a gay one and wild one. One afternoon you are sitting in the press box looking down on the final game of the world series. The next you are out here sitting in the office of Francis Schmidt, head coach of the Ohio State foot ball team, Big Ten champions a year ago.
 The change from baseball to foot ball is abrupt enough. But somehow the business of talking to Bill Mo- Kechnie about Derringer'S fast ball to Don Scott's all around ability on the gridiron seems to be even more abrupt. It isn't altogether easy to make the change. There should be a time out, as in football, for sports reporter to get himself readjuSted.
 We found MT. Schmidt sitting at his desk going over scouts reports on Northwestern, diagrams of offen- sive and defensive formations. Those crazy looking hen scratchings which remind you of the aimless markings of a drunk in phone booth, but which are so important in the life of coach.
 MT. Schmidt was helpful. He seem- ed to know he had just come from the world series. "It must have been great" he said, giving us one eye and keeping the other on the dia- grams. T heard it on the radio yes- terday. That Derringer must be quite a pitcher"
 For the most part the toughest people in sports to interview are football coaches. They just don't say anything. We have hunch they all belong to the same lodge. The game ahead is always tough, the lo- cal squad is always undermanned or is too young, the rival coach is a fel- low you must watch mo tell- ing what Old Biff has up his sleeve" 1" And SO on and so on.
 Nice Teller
 It would be unfair for us to say that MT. Schmidt is a charter mem- Der of the lodge. We didn't spend enough time with him. He was too intent on his diagrams. We sensed he had a lot of things to do, so we paid our respects and moved out quietly. We wish to- add, however, that all times we found him gra- cious enough. We haven't the slight est doubt that we could have hung around for an hour and bored him with banal questions and he would pretended he liked it.
 FrlaiC xxtoc fI4n AFef time Uy0 had met him. He is supposed to be the most colorful coach in the country. He has been a tonic to the local box office. Win. lose or draw his teams outdraw all others in the confer- ence. We saw the figures yesterday and they are startling. He Is offen- sive-minded and his teams go in for garish scoring didoes. which the public loves.
 Professional football is a Hop here because Mir, Schmidt plays the same kind of football. He goes out after touchdowns. He Is a graduate Of the southwestern conference, Texas Christian, Southern Methodist, Ok- lahoma, etc., wheer they throw the ball all over the state and fifty per cent of the time run on fourth down.
 MT. schmidt Is . big fellow, neFv. 0us, fIdgety and, in the presence Of guests, always smiling ~ smiling c smile that sln0kssseFeens bts inpas llsnee 10 get down tO the Job al hand, Somehow he reminds you Of Oscar Witt 0f the lalnenlable cleves land Indians, looks . v Ike hlm too, We flEst heard Of him from 0ld Pepper BOene, the sage Of Fort Worth
 The Old Pepper told lls aD inleIs asllng, amusing Dtofy about lhe feis
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