The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-03
NEW ORLEANS GROUP GOT JUMP.
 ON ROSE BOWL
Coast Promoters Caught FIat-FOOted Though Civ.
 ing Better Guarantee
BY JOE WTLLTANrs

New York, Dec. 3 = My good ness, what happened?"s That's how Nebraska must have felt when word came it had been selected to play unbeaten, united Stanford in the Rose Bowl.
 Nobody has been talking about Capt'n Biff Jones' Cornhuskers in connection with the Rose Bowl. They just didn't seem to figure. Certainly not along with Tennessee, Boston College, or other availableS. Even back home the CornhuSkers seemed ready to compromise on one of the Johnny -come lately bowls.
 What happened was Stanford practically had to pick Nebraska or play bingo. When the time came to send out invitations there wasn't anybody else around. At that, the Cornhuskers aren't bad team. Far from it. They lost teh opener to Minnesota and then won all the rest.
 The Capt'n was one of the best coaches Army ever had and he's ex- banded with passing years. He isn't going all the way out to Pasadena for Myrna Loy's autograph. He'll throw handful of pretty fair foot ballers at the CalifornianS, includ- ing Luther and Francis, two clever kickers who know their way up and down 8 gridiron.
 And yet we are not so sure Stan ford is entirely happy about the selection. Characterizing the situa- ton as "slim pickings" the Asso- ciated Press commented: Tt almost looked like Q conspiracy against the oldest and most lucrative bowl of all"
 And, do you know it could have been a conspiracy, at that? There seems no doubt Boston College was pledged to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. This much the athletic d!- rector admitted when he thanked the team at the close of its unbeaten season you fellows have en- abled us to keep our word with 9 fine group of sportsmen."
 This means the Sugar Bowl people had an option on the Boston team which precluded any consideration of Rose Bowl offer. A big time, unbeaten team always make good post-season attraction. The B. Gers played ten and won ten. They'd look good in any bowl.
 So would the Tennessee Volun- teerS. They also swept the boards, winning ten. With Boston College previously pledged to New Orleans, the Volunteers would have been an excellent choice for the Rose Bowl. Why weren't they picked? Well. for one thing, they didn't wait to be picked. The speed with which they followed B. C.'s lead made 1t look as if they also had been pledged in ad- vance.
 Rose Bowl Slips
 This is an unusual procedure. Generally the football chiefs pass up everything if there's chance to get into the Rose Bowl. Here you have two standout teams ignoring the Pasadena fixture and turning with out hesitation to what is supposed to be a secondary competitor. What is the significance? Is the Rose Bowl slipping?
 We wouldn't say that, but it does mt papear to be getting any stronger. Being the first and the or iginal the Rose Bowl will always be the Daddy of the dishes It will al- ways have something the others lack - even if 1t doesn't always have first rate attraction. Geo. graphically, it will have nothing to worry about either. None of the competitive bowls is close enough to hurt the box office.
 There1i always be Rose Bowl. Some years it's going to be harder to get the wanted opposition than others, because a journey to any of the bowls is profitable these days. (Fordham, for example, wasn't in tereSted in a $35, 900 guarantee to play in Miami's Orange Bowl, so you can guess what the University final ly settled for to appear in Dallas Cotton Bowl) Incidentally, we just talked with Dallas long distance and one of the gentlemen charged with putting the game on said, Ego out and bet it will be the Texas Aggies against Fordham." He also gave us two-horSe parlay at Charleston, SO we'll know more about the accuracy of his information by nightfaA.
 To get back to the possible con- spiracy agains the Rose Bowl which of course would have nothing to do with Stanford as unit. It is entirely possible Tennessee wanted no part of the date and wouldn't i nave accepted it if offered. This is guess but we do know Major Bob Neyland, the coach, has been car rying a mad-on.
 There have been stories, well au- thenticated, that the Rose Bowl peo- pie want to get together with the western conference and make the annual game a closed corporation This displeased the major. He in- terpreted it as a slight to other foot ball leagues including-very much including the one in which the Vol unteers operate with such brilliant success.
 Whats more, the major remem- bers when the Rose Bowl people couldn't buy an opponent and were overjoyed to get Alabama in 1926. This was the south's first appear ance out there. The rebel yellers have been there nine time since.