Presentations and Platitudes Mark Local Football Dinner

The last touchdown had been scored and the final cheer had long since faded away, but the 1955 football season didn't officially end until the Boston Football Writers' annual captains' dinner last night.

The dinner, attended by the captains and coaches of schools as far away as Dartmouth and the University of Connecticut, was held at Boston's Hotel Kenmore. Missing was the Crimson's leader, Bill Meigs, who is recovering from pneumonia in the Stillman Infirmary.

After a roast beef dinner, each captain spoke to the gathering following an introduction by his coach. Most of the speeches followed the same "I've got the world's greatest coach" line, causing one captain to remark, "This should have been called coaches' night."

Virtually all the Boston sports writers were gathered at the dinner to hear the talks, interview the coaches, and review the season among themselves. The varsity football team was one of the main topics of conversation among the writers, with several expressing the opinion that the Crimson would have had a better record had sophomore tailback Walt Stahura soon more service. But if it is easy to be a Monday morning quarterback, it is even easier to decide what was wrong ten days after the close of the season.

Highlight of the dinner was the presentation of an award for "outstanding contribution to football" to former Dartmouth football coach "Tuss" Mc Laughry.

"We're Too Honest"

Speaking on New England football, McLaughry admitted that "we'll never have the top teams in the nation here again because we're too honest. But the top football players here are just as good as the top players anywhere else. Other sections just have more of them."

After a few more captains thanked everyone from their high school coach to the lowest substitute on their team for their success, Geary O'Leary, a Holy Cross halfback, received the Senior Achievement Award, given to the New England player who shows the most "courage and determination." After breaking that three operations were required to mend it, O'Leary came back to play football again this year only to break the leg again.

With the close of the dinner, the football season officially ended. Only two weeks are left until the first hockey writers' luncheon.