'Cheap Shot' Play Evokes Controversy

John J. Crouthamel Dartmouth football coach, accused a Harvard player of taking "a cheap shot" at quarterback Bill Pollock at the press conference following the Harvard-Dartmouth game Saturday.

When asked what he planned to do about the accusation yesterday, Harvard coach Joe Restic said "nothing, absolutely nothing. He (Crouthamel) is free to do anything he wants. We played a good hard football game within the rules."

Restic added "I said Saturday that Jake Crouthamel's statement was out of order. It's still out of order. If they feel they are in a position to judge and accuse us, then I think they should look at their own films and assess the total game."

The controversy arose because of a play in the first quarter in which Harvard cornerback Steve Golden tackled Pollock after he had handed off the ball. Pollock was running away from the direction of the play on a fake when he was tackled. On the next play, Pollock was injured and removed from the game.

Although Crouthamel said Saturday that Jack DeGange, Dartmouth's Director of Sports Publicity, would bring films down to Boston for a writers luncheon this week, he said last night that he did not intend to show the films publicly because "by doing that I would be pointing out an individual.

"That is irrelevant to the case. Anything said now is going to be between Coach Restic and myself."

Crouthamel claimed at the press conference that "the player who hit him knew full well that he didn't have the ball. Pollock had handed it off and was just standing there.

"It's a matter of ethics," he added. "This is nothing about the coaches, but your team plays the way it's coached. If any player of mine takes a cheap shot, I'll be personally responsible. I'm sure Joe (Restic) doesn't coach that way."

Restic said yesterday, "when a boy goes out on the field, only he knows what his intentions are, you can't pre-judge what he's going to do. That's why you can't call it a cheap shot."

"Our quarterback expects to be hit on these plays," Restic said yesterday. "He should get hit. If they don't want to get hit, then I don't think they should play boot-legs."