Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-10
Army Bosses Declared
Divided Over Rugged
Play, Conditioning
Mentors Believe Tests
Against Rival Teams
Needed for Fitness
BY GRANTLAND RICE.
Special Correspondent of The Star

Football coaches with whom I
talked while in New Orleans for the
Sugar Bowl game have no idea what
the future of the grid game or any
form OF college life will be until the
war Is over. The information they
get from Washington is to wait-and
to make no move for the present.
In the group I talked to were
Henry Frnka of Tulsa, John Barn
hill Of Tennessee, Carl Snavely of
Cornell, Lynn Waldorf of North
western, Harry Mehre of Mississippi,
Red Dawson Of Minnesota and sew
eral others.
They were all padding the same
boat into unknown waters. The
main problem ahead is thus: Shall
there be competitive sport, college
against college, or merely sports
training, confined in each instance
to one locality? So far there has
been no answer.
War Department Divided.
There are two divided camps in
the War Department. One side be-
IeVes that hard, body-contact COM
petition against outside rivals is
important. The other group be-
Ieves that physical training is all
that we need at present.
The coaches, naturally, believe
that competitive play, at least
against nearby rivals or close neigh
bors, is needed to lend an incentive
to better training, to greater fitness.
This seems logical if the trans
portation problem can be handled,
and If there Is to be any college
training left for those outside of the
vast allotments of younger men who
will be sent to various universities
for war training.
Just at the moment the colleges
are up against it. since they won't
be allowed The use of the 100000 or
more to be trained for officer work.
The main desire of the coaches is
to get an answer, one way or an
other.
Has Surprising Turf Success.
In the meanwhile, the Fair
Grounds track is doing much better
than many expected.
This track, a non-profit organiza-
ton, Is extremely we'll run, and
where form has been something to
follow, not something to duck. Fa-
vorites have had an unusually high
average, which makes the job of
picking long shots a hazardous en-
terprise.
Those who insist on knocking
down the favorite with some 10-to-1
shot have taken quite lambasting.
They pick up one here, another
there, but the percentage is dan
gerous.
Crowds and play have about dou-
bled the count from last season.
These are rough times for the
guessers along any line. For exam
pie, a year ago there was a general
opinion that all bowl games were
finished for the duration. Yet, the
five bowl games of 1943 drew $4,000,
10000, $4,000, 10000 and $4,000. In
addition to this the East-West game
lured out $4,000. A total attendance
beyond 100000.
Cribs Biggest New Year.
This is without any question the
greatest attendance any New Year
Day ever knew in a football way.
When the statement is made that
there will be no bowl games year
away and practically no college
football, one has only to look back
to predictions made about 365 days
ago to see how badly those prophets
were jolted.
1t is quite possible that oil and
rubber problems, plus the demand
on manpower for about war work,
will close down roughly on all major
spectacles. This is strictly up to the
War Department and the manpower
directors. These are the ones who
must decide.
But there are any number of vet
eran football coaches who would
like to get an answer as soon as pos
slble so they can make their plans
to help out in any way they can be
OF use. And they can be something
more than ordinarily useful in vari-
Gus capacities. They know how to
lead and train young men. Few of
these have given any thought to
spring football, unless the Govern
ment wants it that way.
This idea may change, too. know
HOWE Odell OF Yale had no spring
football plans a week or so ago. AL
most every college football star soon
Will be missing from the old college
roll call-at least by spring he will
But this still is guessing. 1t might
be just as well to wait for the Gov
ernment's final decision.