Evening star., 1941-11-29
Tradition Raises
Big Service Tilt
Above Title
Ronking Honors Mean
Little in Renewal
OF Old RivuIries
BY GRANTLAND RICE,

nearly 100 900 are willing to pay out
close to s500,000 to see two teams
play; both have been beaten and
tied-you get the real meaning OF
football apart and away from the
championship idea.
Army and Navy mean spirit. color
and a traditional rivalry that goes
far beyond any national ranking.
And there still are uncounted thou
sands who might have carried this
human tidal wave at Philadelphia
to 10000 or more.
In the meanwhile, Oregon State
and Stanford are battling on the
West Coast for their right to play
in the Rose Bowl. Vanderbilt is
meeting Tennessee for another bowl
chance. Mississippi and Mississippi
State are meeting for the cham
pionship of the strong Southeastern
Conference, and bowl bid for Ole
Miss. if she wins
Georgia, Georgia Tech, Tulane.
Louisiana State. Boston College.
Holy Cross. Clemson, Auburn
these and many others are battling
for their place in the football sun
of 1941. but the mad spot of football
is Philadelphia, where in addition
to 100000 spectators you flnds such
famous coaches as Lou Little of
Columbia, Dick Harlow of Har-
ward, Fritz Crisler of Michigan and
at least 20 other famous directors
Of football strategy
Service Series Ever Colorful
Looking back to the days when
DAILY of Harvard came to Army to
win from Navy. this service series
has been one of the most colorful
Of them all. AS one peers back
through the years he recalls the
names of Oliphant, McEwan, Gar
bisch, Dalton. Hamilton, Berries,
Pritchard. Merrilat. Babe Brown.
Erwin. Red eagle and a hundred
others who have helped to make this
one of the big days of football.
The two finest Army-Navy teams
that ever met came together in Chi
cago at Soldier Field IS years ago
when they fought to a bitter draw.
This 194l Navy team is one OF the
best that ever swung into action
wearing the gold and blue, leaving
Army riding on fine backfleld, plus
an overhead attack. Another fea-
ture of this latest Army-Navy en-
semble is the admiration and affec-
ton in which both coaches-SWedc
Larson of Navy and Red Blaik OF
Army - are held by all who eve"
knew them and by experts who have
seen their teams in action.
Has True Spirit of Football.
AS you mill around this vicinitv
from the heart of Philadelphia to
the big Municipal Stadium, you get
the true spirit and backing OF foot
ball Here is one game that doesn't
demand any championship team.
Army and Navy are setting q sea-
sons record for attendance and re-
ceiptS. despite the fact that together
they have lost three games and tied
two.
Harvard and Yale, too, played to
capacity, although Harvard had
dropped two games and Yale had
lost six straight when they met. And
Texas and Texas A. and M. were
sold out in October for their game
on this past Thursday. Michigan
had lost to Minnesota and Ohio
State had lost to Northwestern. yet
they played to $4,000 people in their
final meeting.
1t would be great thing for foot
ball if every team lost at least one
game. 1t would be better thing
if every team dropped two games,
as every team has done on the West
Coast so far. The 194l campaign
has been a great football year for
this reason-with only few excep-
tions they all have been beaten at
least once.
Traditional Games Uppermost.
The traditional games still are the
big factor in football far beyond
any national championship. There
are certain main objectives that
must be faced. and these are the
ones that should count, far more
important than any bowl affairs.
I recall many years ago when a
certain commandant at West Point
told Maj DAILY, then head Army
coach, that he wanted Army TO
beat Yale and Navy-one in early
october, the other late in No
vember.
please name the major objective"
Coach DAILY said Il can win either
game. but can't win both"
Which meant that he couldn't
have his team ready for October
and also for November % Which
In most cases is entirely normal.
1t is the November stretch, usu-
ally the final game, that should
count-just as it figures in any big
league drive. The Yankees were
seven games behind in the spring,
but they were 20 games in front
when the race really ended.
Football crowds always have been
smart enough to sense the meaning
and value of tradition, just as the
biggest crowd Of big year under
stands the true meaning of an
Army Navy game that has no rela-
ton Of any sort to either national
or a sectional championship. Those
in Philadelphia on the night before
or on the day of the game are the
only ones who can pick up the entire
drift.
CReleased by the North American