The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1940-11-15

orsntl.nd Rice the leading average
per cent.
'The best team 1 ever had al
Dartmouth" Jess Hawley writes
me, twas practically all rni Beta
Kappa. This 1924 team was quite
unusual. They were certainly not
noted for their man power, but they
went through the season unbeaten.
That year could put team on the
field, no man playing out Of position,
no man under a second-string, and
every one Phi Beta Kappa rating.
Scholarly Warriors
1.-THE varsity team included in the
backfield. Dooley, Oberlander, Hall
and Leavitt; ends, Bjorkman, Kelly
and Sage; line, Whitaker, Hardy,
Deal, Parker and Smith. Any sane
coach wants good type of student.
Any sane coach knows how much
intelligence counts for. Tramp ath-
letes are rarely helpful, especially in
hard games. I like a hard, fast
running back and also good block
ers and rugged tacklers. But I'd
like to see them all Phi Beta Kap-
pas. Smartness also counts"
Just as the letter from Jess Haw-
ley came in we stepped into the
quicksands of this football debate.
"Ten me this" writes ii. L. F.
why shouldn't team composed of
Is Carnegie unit men be a better
and a smarter team than one COM
posed Of many who can't pass four
Carnegie units. (The Carnegie unit
is q scholastic entrance ratingJ
why shouldn't a team that de-
mands high scholarship standards
be better than one that doesn't both
er about that side of the college
fence7 Thaes something I can't fig-
ure out, II football Is supposed to
demand brains as well as physical
speed or power"
Brains and Braun
In the first place, you'll find among
many Of the leading teams today
such as Cornell, Michigan, Mime
sofa, Pennsylvania, Stanford, Wash
ington, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame
and others-that only good students
get by. / don't mean Phi Beta Kap-
pas. / mean good, average grades.
But there is another side. 1t Is
almost impossible for teams that
carry the higher entrance or class
room units to 60 in for the proseIyt-
ing-pay combination. They can't get
the men in, and they can't keep
them in, either, If they happen ia
slip by.
Teams that have lighter entrance
standards, easier classroom work
can shoot at the field and get stars
others could never hope to get.
could name you 20 men who tried
to get into certain colleges, couldn't
make the grade, and then came
back on rival teams to beat those
colleges.
Is that what you call "a fair felc
and no favor?"
The main trouble in college foot
ball today Is the scout pursuit and
the offers made to high school and
prep school stars. You might bs
surprised to know how many Of
these have told me OF the offers they
were made, and I've discovered they
usually accepted the best offer
which Is none too good for the kid
You know that.
Here is another angle. The chic
trouble comes from the demand o.
alumni for a winning team, anc
from the pressure put on coaches u
get a winning team or get fred.
Not Universal
This is not universal. Also .yoI
might remember that a big change
for the better is under way. Some
universities are developing brains
Indiana gave 30 McMillin a 10
year contract, win, lose, draw c.
anything else. Texas has given Dana
Bible 10-year contract and Matty
Bell has about the same arrange
ment at S. M. u. Bill Alexander Of
Georgia Tech runs for life.
Who ever heard Of a Latin, Greel
or English prof hired on a One-yeaI
contract? Make 'em HOmers or Vir.
gils or Shelleys-or get fired!
l recall the time that Georgia
alumni were demanding the scalI
Of Harry Mehre in the middle of 9
tough season. Mehre had led Geor.
gia to FIVE consecutive victories over
Yale, better then than Yale would
rate today.
was in the middle of that
morass. know Nal Stevens, Lou
Little and other leading coaches rat
ed Mehre among the leaders. So
Georgia let him 60 to Mississippi,
then well down in the list. Check
on the comparative showings OF
Georgia and Mississippi since Mehrs
laft Athens