Insult to Minnesota

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

One Mr. Charles Bailey of the class of '50 has written a most provocative and interesting article on Minnesota football. While I do not disagree with Mr. Bailey's major premise that poor coaching is the main factor affecting the decline of Minnesota football, I would like to take somewhat pointed exception to some rather poor taste he exhibited.

He made the claim, obviously based on hashed-over hearsay, that the Miunesota team threw the Purdue game of 1949 because it was mad at Bernio Bierman. I say this is hearsay for Mr. Bailey, as a member of the class of '50, would have been in Cambridge when the supposed incident with the sports-writer took place.

A survey of the situation confronting the Minnesota team before the Purdue game should prove that any inference that the team would throw this game is wholly unreasonable. At that time Minnesota had lost one game, and was one of two teams eligible to go to the Rose Bowl. The other eligible team, Ohio State, had been beaten by Minnesota. The Minnesota team was well aware that if they won the rest of their games they would be the choice to go to Pasadena. I was in Minneapolis at this time, and I know, through conversations with members of the team, that the Rose Bowl was the prize ambition of this senior-dominated squad.

Yet Mr. Bailey would have us believe that the team deliberately tossed away its chance to go to the Bowl just to spite Mr. Bierman. This is at best absurd, and at its worst an insulting lie.

Purdue won the Minnesota game because it took advantage of basic Minnesota weaknesses. Minnesota lacked a wingback who could run and a tailback who could pass. Consequently Purdue played a seven-man line, overshifted to the strong side, with the secondary up close. This defense, led by their great tackle, Phil O'Reilly, stopped Minnesota cold.

On defense, to compensate for inadequate pass defense, Minnesota used a five-man line with the secondary deep. Against this defense Purdue's Harry Szulboraki gained at will. When Minnesota moved up to stop Szulboraki, the Purdue quarterback threw touchdown passes. Purdue on that day was a good smart fighting football team and deserved to win.

Perhaps Mr. Bailey meant to suggest that the team's mental attitude unconsciously affected its play against Purdue. This is perhaps true. However, this state of affairs is far removed from the deliberate throwing of a football game. Mr. Bailey's remarks, as they stand, are very insulting to members of last year's Minnesota team. Either he should clarify his remarks or publish an apology. In parting it should also be mentioned that the members of the team have great respect for Mr. Bierman. Joes Cohen 1L, Minn. '60