Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-30
Argues Ban on Former
COLLECTIONS Should Go

NoileqIons Snouio 10
still believe, that with the change
IN Nays age limit, the two acade-
mics should go back to their old sys-
TENS of playing any cadet or any
n1idshipman who can enter West
Point or Annapolis and remain
BY this I mean that any foot
ball player who has had two or
three seasons at some university
should be eligible still to play his
three years at either of the service
schools.
When Nays age limit was lower
than it is now, this gave Army too
great an advantage. Navy was left
far behind. But it is different
today. College players now can
enter Annapolis as well as West
Point
The main idea at both academies
is to train the best officers they can
turn out. On a general average,
football players make the better
officers. They should, at least.
Football gives them greater poise
under fire and also greater stamina.
mean this usually is the case.
Academies Handicapped
BY Limited Material
Under present conditions Army
and Navy can't hope to compete
with many teams which can round
up talent that the service schools
never could hope to get. I believe
Army and Navy should get together
xand from now on announce their
own football code-that is, to con-
slider any cadet or midshipman ELI
gihle to play football who can make
the grade needed to enter, and who
can stick there after getting in.
This move would require bit of
daring and something in the way of
intestinal fortitude, which Army and
Navy certainly are supposed to
have. But it is a move both should
make. for the better interests Of
the service-for-why name any
thing else?
I would like the country to know
the handicaps under which these
service players work
In the first place, their coaches
have only a limited career, before
they are changed. Wallace Wade,
Jock Sutherland and other famous
names in the coaching ranks have
told me it takes at least five years
TO learn the rudiments of good
coaching and 10 years to know your
Job.
Look over the list of winning
coaches today-with few exceptions
they have had from 10 to 20 years
experience-or longer time.
Long Day as Student
Crimps Gridironers
I mean Bob Neyland of Tennes-
see, Clark Shaughnessy of Stanford,
Lou Little of Columbia, Frank
Thomas of Alabama, Frank Leahy
of Boston College, Jack Hagerty of
Georgetown, Bernie Bierman of
Minnesota, Fritz Crisler of Michi-
gan, Lynn Waldorf of Northwest
ern, Homer Norton of Texas A.
and M, Carl Snavely of Cornell,
Jimmy Crowley of Fordham, Jess
Nicely of Rice, Dick Harlow of Har-
ward, Red Blaik of Dartmouth,
Jimmy Phelan of Washington, Bill
Alexander of Georgia Tech-these
and many others named in no par
ticular order.
But they have had to face the
high hurdles year after year. Yale,
for example, let out Nal Stevens
Just as the eminent doctor and
coach was beginning to be one of
the best coaches in the game. Army
and Navy coaches are given no such
hard-boiled experience.
But this is only small part of
the Army Navy handicap, which in
cludes getting up at daybreak and
working through to later darkness
from reveille to taps. No college
player has to face any such bar
rier.
I believe Army and Navy should
be given their chance, which they
alone, can demand-and get. Their
records in the last few years prove
they have had no equal opportunity
to win. For certainly no other teams
have any finer spirit, which is a
big part of football.
1t will be interesting. to see how
Army and Navy face the situation
ahead. The next move is entirely
under their control-either they will
change the present setup or take
their annual defeats.