New Britain Herald Newspaper, December 20, 1915, Page 13

NEW BRITAIN DAILY HERALD, MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1915. . WHY THE EAST FAILS WITH THE FORWARD PAS ESTERN football pla and followers who the east and eastern grid- | ders who visit the west are constantly comparing the merits of eastern and western football. No final Judgment can ever be reached unless many eastern teams meet many west- ern teams. There is no possibility of this happening soon. And all argu- ments as to the relative merits of the two sections on the gridiron are so much wasted breath. It is possible, however, to draw com- parisons on certain factors in the game as they are observed. There is no doubt, for instance, that the west plays A& more open and a more unrestricted passing game. The reason the east Goes not measure up to the west in the open game is simply this: Eastern forward passers, as a gen- eral thing, do not grasp ball prop- erly for the direct, sharp and accurate pass. Instead of taking the ball be- tween the thumb and fingers with a firm grip they hurl it from the flat of the hand. Can’t Be Thrown From Flat of Hand. Coaches Stagg of Chicago, Williams of Minnesota, Zuppke of Illinois, Yost of Michigan and other western mentors . early found the forward pass impossi- ‘ ble if the ball was thrown from the flat of the hand. They taught their backs | to grip the pigskin firmly for a short, snappy shot. Eastern coaches, in thc main, prefer the flat hand, long arm swing so much in vogue. Foster San- ford, old Yale star, who coached Rut- gers, sald one day on Neilson field, at ' New Brunswick, N. J., in reply to a « duestion whether he preferred to have Scarr, his quarterback, hurl the ball| flat handed, that he liked that style better than the grip. He preferred it, he said, because it could be used with a wet ball as well as with a dry one. He overlooked, apparently, the fact that if & ball was so wet it could not be thrown properly it could not be caught re- liably. 4 2 - son Is Poor One. Even if Sanford’s reason were valid A ) (D). (S, Photo by American Press Association. Shea of Princeton Trying Forward Pass In Yale-Princeton Game. it would not be feasible to sacrifice speed and accuracy to the chance of a rainy day coming along to interfere with the better method. Forward pass- ing is rarely attempted with a wet ball. Harry Legore of Yale knew how to handle - the forward pass properly. Eritchard of the Army could shoot the ball as accurately as he could throw a baseball. Dorlas of Notre Dame visited the east and showed how. to shoot the ball. Oliphant of the Army team learned to throw the ball when he was at Purdue. Most eastern forward passers use a long, side arm swing, with the palm of the hand upward. The ball goes high IR the air or wabbles in its course. Too, It generally gets a bad spin that makes It _difficult to catch. The whole pro- cedure is as ridiculous as trying to throw a discus to a given point, using the regulation discus swing. Grasp the Ball. ‘Western forward passers, the best of them, grasp the ball with fingers on the laging, in the middle, and run with it go. They can run or bluff a run with the ball in the same grip. Throwing, le ti Gerish of Dartmouth [ One of the Season’s Stars Photo by American Press Association. have played havoc with Yale by means of the forward pass, and the blue is considered weak this device. complished a good deal more against Harvard and ward toss than either has accomplish- ed against Yale. is concerned, Yale has madc better use of the pass and been damaged by and since that time Princeton has won | one game from Yale. 6—3, in 19\1.] Those six run, nothing to do. were from field goal wi they raise the pigskin only as high as the head and no more than six inches out from the head. And they get speed and accuracy on the old pigskin. This stuff about the forward pass be- ing unreliable and tricky is all bosh. ‘When the ball is handled properly the play is reasonably safe. Various teams from time to time in guarding against Nevertheless, Yale has ac- Princeton with the for- So far af this triangle it SS. The forward pass was born in 1906, points were from White's with which a forward The 1912 6—6, and the six I pass had | | ame was a | ceton points The 1913 game as a 3—3 tie, so Princeton never has e, ran with it for a touchdown. won, 15—5, in 1913, and all the points for the crimson were from Brickley's field goals. beaten Yale with the forward pass. On the other hand, Yale beat Princeton 5—3 in 1910 with a touchdown which was a direct result of a forward pass, Howe to Kilpatrick. Last year Yale employed the forward and lateral pass extensively and directly in the beating of Princeton. In this year's Princeton- Yale game forward passes were instru- mental in Yale winning. In that game Yale, directed by Hinkey, showed the prettiest variation of the passing game football ever has seen, and the game is a loser when tactics of that sort fall into a decline. Harvard won from Yale in 1908, 4—0, by Kennard's field goal after Ver Wiebe's rushes had carried the ball to easy kicking distance. In 1912 Harvard won, 20—0, and the scoring began when Storer picked up a fumbled ball and Harvard Harvard's thirty-six point last year were mostly from the running game. The forward s cut no figure. In 1900 Yale's 6—0 victory over Har- vard came immediately after a for- ward pass. This pass, Veeder to Al- 'T FOR PITCHERS WHEN HUGGINS IS UP. F there is any man in the world harder to pitch to than Miller Hug- gins the average National league twirl- er hasn’'t yet lamped the individual. One day when Huggins was batting against Vic Willis, then with the Pi- rates, the Rabbit fouled off twelve con- secutive balls, Vic was an easy going cuss, but he became highly incensed and yelled to the umpire: “Get a batter! I'm tired of throwing the ball to a bunch of nothing like that guy up there now!” “Beg pardon, but I can’t help you,” TOUGH [IN Gerish, Dartmouth has produced one of the greatest punters of the 1915 " season. In addition to being a grea! round kickers in the game. fant. t punter, he is also one of the best all Gerish's playing at halfback has also been bril- While not a Mahan, he is one of the best. N “COMES BACK” AS A BIG . LEAGUE UMPIRE. [ JOHNSON, president of the P Amerlcan league, has added “Brick” bwen to his staff of umpires. Owen ' the last few seasons acted as an| mpire in the American association. This will not be Owen’s first trip to i big league as an umpire, Beveral | balls an¢ . — . s e, years.ago he was one of the most valu- able umps in the National league, but was dismissed by Thomas Lynch, who was then president of the old organi- zation, for reasons that were not made public. Owen is considered by many baseball experts as being as good as Bill Klem and Billy Evans in calling trikes. e g replied the ump. “You will have to get rid of Huggins first. The rules say so, and I can’'t go behind the rules, you know.” HALFBACK PAYNE BEATS O’'DEA’S MARK. ARK PAYNE, halfback on the Da- kota Wesleyan eleven, in the game with the Northern Normal school at Mitchell, S. D., recently broke all pre- vious records for drop kicks when he booted the ball over the bars from a distance of sixty-three yards. This is the longest drop kick in foot- ball annals. Pat O'Dea, the famous ‘Wisconsin end, dropkicked a distance of sixty-two yards in a game against Northwestern on Nov. 25, 1898. On Nov. 30, 1882, J. T. Haxall of Princeton kicked goal from placement for a distance of sixty-five yards in a cott, was one of the longest ever used in a football game. ‘What claims to greatness Washing- ton and Jefferson may have had, in a football way, were eliminated by Pitts- burgh recently; also by one little play which must have caused unspeakable horror to football tacticians who wit- nessed the break. A paragraph in the description of the story of the game reads: “Pittsburgh’s .last touchdown result- ed from an intercepted forward pass on W. and'J.’s ten yard line and two plunges through the line, Fry going over.” Can you Imagine any situation that would justify attempting a forward pass on one's own ten yard line? They don’t try that in high school circles. Regulation of Forward Passes Reveals Need For Capable Punters. Following the changing of the rule in regard to a forward pass being thrown out of bounds, the value of a kicker in football has increased 40 per cent. Under the old rule the ball went to the opponents at the point where it crossed IS FOND OF BE OT even a world series victory can give Grover Cleveland Alexander half the pleasure as beating the Pi- rates. And this is the story: Back in 1910 Barney Dreyfuss heard about the big starboard hurler, who then was with the Syracuse club in the New York State league. Dreyfuss looked over Alexander—or had one of his scouts do it—and decided that Alexander was entirely too green. Horace E. Fogel, then president of the Phillies, heard of Alexander about the same time, watched him during several games and decided to grab him. Fogel ingenuously “shooed” away other scouts, balked at paying the big price that one of the owners of the club ask- ed for Alexander, and finally secured him in draft for $750. Almost from his first day with the Phillies Alexander was a star. When midseason came in 1911 his name was on every tongue of fandom. And then it was that Dreyfuss won the undying enmity of the great twirler. Somebody evidently asked Dreyfuss why.he didn’t sign up Alexander when he had a chance, probably intimating that Dreyfuss had made a big error in judgment. Dreyfuss was quoted in the papers as saying that he could have signed Alexander, but he kept “off” of him because the pitcher’s habits were bad. game against Yale, Alexander, whose habits are and ever the side line. Coaches took advantage of this by developing players who could throw the ball thirty and forty yards down the fleld with the accuracy of a baseball. When a team was fortified with such players punting was rarely resorted to, and on the fourth down the ball was thrown down the fleld and out of bounds. Such tactics of course did not give players of the defending team a chance to run the ball back, and so much ad- vantage was taken of the rule that the committee at its meeting last year changed the code so that a penalty of a down is inflicted and the ball put in play at the point of the previous down. 1f the ball is thrown out of bounds on the fourth down the oval is brought back to the point of the previous down and given to the opposing eleven. Can Now Run Back Punts. 1t readily can be seen that the change was for the best and increased the value of a kicker and went further to equalize the offense and defense than any alteration in the code in the last three years. A team on defense now has a chance to run the ball back ATING PIRATES have been models for every youth, saw the article and went white with rage when he read it. Throwing down the paper, he hunted up President Fogel and Manager Charlie Dooin. “I'd like to ask a favor,” he said. “What is it?” asked Fogel., “That you give me permission to pitch two out of every four games we play against the Pirates,” answered Alexander. : “Why do you want to do that?” was asked. “Because I want to beat his club for what he is publicly quoted as saying about me.” Alexander’s request was granted, and the records show that over a four year stretch the Pirates have beaten Alex- ander only two or three times. HANK GOWDY CELEBRATES. HANK GOWDY, the Boston back- stop recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of his debut in the Na- tional league. He got his major league start with the New York Giants on Sept. 18, 1910,’when he covered first base in a game in which the Pirates opposed the McGraw men. Gowdy's record in the field was ten putouts, one assist and one error. At the bat he didn’t get a hit in three times up, the | delivery of “Babe” Adams being too | baffling for the future star of the Bean- eaters. Don’ts For Gunners 'HE fall gunning season is about on, and every year the hunting brings with it its spoils in the form of human sacrifices. For the benefit of gunners who are planning to go after game this season the follow:ng list of don’'ts is given: Don’'t take any chances. The func- tion of a shotgun is to scatter shot, but be very careful where you scat- ter it. Don't blaze away in haste and don't get excited. Many a shooter has filled his favorite dog full of lead just be- cause he was overanxious. Don’t point a gun at any person in jest. It is always the gun that “we didn’t know was loaded” that goes off and does the damage. The only time to point a gun is when you intend to kill. Don't take every rustle of a bush or a bough to be a sure indication of game. Remember sometimes an inquis- itive person has a penchant for being in strange places. Don’t carry a loaded gun through the street or on cars, trains, automobiles| or any other Kkind of vehicles or leave making sure that your object is game. Don't shoot until you see the rabbit, and then be sure that he is clear of both man and dog. . Don’'t drag a gun under a fence with the muzzle pointed toward you. Don’t climb over fences with your gun or lean it against a tree until you get over. Put it through the fence and on the ground business end before. Don’t hunt with any one that you know to be careless. Carelessness with three and a quarter drams of powder behind and one and one-eighth ounces of shot is inviting “sure death.” Don’t load your gun until you are actually ready for business. At all other times it should be empty. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are looking down the barrel at your game. Don’t use a cheap gun, as it is apt to explode when a heavy charge is used. Don’'t borrow a dog or gun or loan either. Don't rest on the muzzle of your gun. Don't violate the game laws. It is not only criminal, but sometimes very costly. Don't “hog” all the game. Leave a little behind for the next fellow. Don't rest the muzzle of your gun on it around farmhouses to have some child playfully blow a head off. 1 pon't get excited and shoot without the ground. A gun muzzle clogged EVERS DIDN'T REMEMBER NEHF. WHEN Arthur Nehf, the remarkable southpaw who was purchased last summer by the Braves, was intro- | duced to Johnny Evers by Manager Stallings, he said: “Howdy! ' This is the second time I've had the pleasure of meeting you, Mr. Evers.” “You don’t say so!” exclaimed the Boston captain. “When was that?” “It was the year you managed the Cubs,” said the young left hander. “I reported one morning and you gave me the grand bounce that afternoon. You told me I'd never be a major league .pitcher.” “I fired you, eh?” retorted Evers, after looking Nehf over carefully. “Well, it'’s no wonder Charley Murphy tied the can to me. We managers all make mistakes. I'm strong for you now!” WATCH DADMUN OF HARVARD. FUNNY how a star at one place is only a rookie at the other. It's all in the difference of styles. Harry Dad- mun, luminary at Tufts two years ago, when he put up a rattling fine game against Harvard, and now at Har- vard, looks no better than many of the raw recruits in the Crimson line. However, Harvard predicts that just as soon as he has unlearned his Tuft with dirt or mud is a dangerous propo- sition, - ton's style he will agaln shine, _ There are kickers who can do they are few—that is, the ones get the desired distance in th forts. When a team is in its oppo ritory and too far away to field goal, the kickers now are ed to boot the ball high in without crossing the goal line. lows players of the kicker's cover the kick and recover the case of a fumble. It follows player who attempts to catch in the shadows of his own go is nervous, and the more pla; down to tackle him will mal more apt to fumble. PURIENIIY One Point Not Covered. The rules committes undoul take action on the point of a running out of bounds and ting back on the fleld to recelve ward pass. The play has come u eral times. The player was not session of the ball at the time he ed the side line and was in the play when he caught the oval. time the runner was out of bow ball was in the air and belonged ] member of the defending team or ble players of the passer's side it touched the ground. As there specific ruling on the point, the p thing to do would be to bring th back to the point from which if] snapped and order the formation ed over. Inserting the ten yard penalty fi tentional grounding of the ball sulted in more action. The pla; take more chances with the throw it down the fleld on e tempt to successfully execute the Before this penalty was inserted ¢ hurlers of the ball merely tos ball a yard or two forward when saw it would be impossible to m pass to one of their eligible play: It Was Unsuccessful and lessen the distance of the punts. Protection For Fullback. Giving the fullback more pro after he has kicked the ball is ing with popular approval of most ers, although it is hard for t avold the kicker when they cl through with plenty of drive. In cases the officials should use their judgment as to whether a bl player intentionally roughs the ki The change also benefits the kicking side in that it can recover the ball in case of a fumble by one of the catch- ing side. As a result the players who are stationed in the back fleld must catch the ball. There also are more ac- tion and interest in the plays by having the ball in the playing fleld at all or whether the bumping into him accidental. There have been few J alties for such an offense this as the coaches have instructed players fully on the rule. A point which was in the rules year and which has been omitte: season is the roughing of the times, The effect of the change is shown by the number of kickers developed at the various colleges this year. Most of these players are punters and fleld goal kickers, and a number of important games already have been won by the air line route. A player who is a punter is generally the fleld goal kick- er, and as a result the changing of the forward pass out of bounds rule has developed several kickers who would not have been heard from if the old rule remained unchanged. Boot Ball Out of Bounds. In developing such kickers the coaches generally instruct their pro- teges to kick the ball as far down the fleld as possible with the one idea in mind to boot the oval out of bounds. after he has thrown the ball. In contests the passers have been hi being run into after the ball had b thrown, but the officials were at a how to rule such an infringement. general opinion of western coaches officials is that the same penalty sho be inflicted as for roughing the ki An understanding on the point bef the contests will go & long way avolding trouble in the games. Little Revision Needed. The knocking down of the second defense after the ball has been decla: dead is another change in the which has met with popular appro There have been few violations of tl rule which also includes throwing feet in the air to strike an opponent the face. Captain Wilson, Although Not a Great Player, Put Up a Steady Gam Photo by American Press Association. HILE Captain Wilson of Yale cannot be classed with the leading backs of the season, some credit should be given him for being an able pilot. ‘Wil son, when he was sent back to catch punts, was a certain handler and a strong, although not fast, runner, so that when he played quarter formerly he had been football and gets accustomed to Haugh- able to run back a reasonable amount of distance, even though he was