Saturday's Heroes

Judging by the attendance Saturday afternoon at Soldiers Field, a good many people missed a very interesting game. Those present saw a Harvard team that has been overmatched consistently this season win against a group of players from West Point who entered the Stadium on even terms and with even odds-for a change.

Possibly the professional football experts present were a little disappointed. Neither team would make a spectacular showing in the Big Ten, nor in the National Football League for that matter. But they still played a game that lacked none of the thrills, none of the high interest that are peculiar to the country's fall sport. Both teams played hard, both played rough and both showed a tremendous amount of spirit. The crowd cheered itself hoarse and went back to the Square feeling that it had got more than it's money's worth in action and excitement.

Saturday's game is the best example the University has seen in a long time of what Harvard football can be. Those 60 minutes showed that it doesn't take subsidized athletes and professionals to make an exciting game. Perhaps the paid prophets of doom-who transfer their revelations through Remingtons--will think about this before they again attack the College team and its Coach who put up with all the noise and keep on working.

This type of game will not jam the Stadium every Saturday. The University cannot expect to make a million on it as some of its rivals do. Other methods will always have to be used to help support the ideal "athletics for all" program.

But the team will draw its share of crowds. It has proved that it can put on a fine showing against teams of its own calibre, and can win. Despite what proponents of big time say, University prestige will not be in the least bit hurt by our sticking to our own league. In fact it should go higher in a country finally waking up to the ridiculousness of the present nationwide collegiate football situation.