Petering Out

Fair Harvard! The smell of your locker room's strong And the Stadium's old and decayed, But your record is good, you have proved you belong With the best of the boys you have played. Princeton's Tiger has come with its fangs and claws bared To dismember our hopes and our dreams. Meet the challenge fair Harvard, it's hereby declared: Triumph! Tear them apart at the seams.

Last year the only high point of the Princeton weekend was the Coasters concert at the Cap and Gown Club after the game. There was lots of booze and a sweaty reminiscence into the fifties. "Poison Ivy," "Charley Brown," "Yakety Yak," and "Love Potion Number Nine" were the only songs left to sing for Harvard people after the punchless Princetonians had slushed out a 10-7 upset over the Crimson. The old Harvard fight songs just didn't have much zip after that.

In fact, they haven't so much as raised a prickle of excitement for Harvard fans the last two years. In 1971 at Harvard Stadium the Tigers also shocked Harvard, that time by a 21-10 score.

When you get right down to it, the last nine years have been pretty barren for the Harvard backers. Seven times in those nine years (and the last four times the game was in Cambridge) the men from Old Nassau have prevailed. So it's time for the revitalization of a Harvard song or two, and a change in the losing trend. It's time for rah-rahs and go-get-ems. It's time to put down these paper Tigers.

The picks:

HARVARD-PRINCETON--If there is any justice in the world this should be a monstrous rout for the Crimson. But since Nixon has done away with justice as we all once knew it, it probably, won't happen. Watch for the Tigers to eliminate the mistakes that have hampered their offense. And Princeton's defense will be its customarily tough self. Still, Harvard has too much for the Princetonians, although it will be far from a rout. Pity. Harvard 24, Princeton 12.

PENN-YALE--The Quakers are smarting from last week's slap in the face by Harvard. Yale, of course, did not take kindly to a 24-13 thrashing by Dartmouth. Both teams have been filing their incisors for this one. They've got to kick, scratch and bite to stay alive in the Ivy title picture. The Quakers have sharper files. Penn 23, Yale 21.

DARTMOUTH-COLUMBIA--The Big Green, unfortunately, are back in business. The Dartmouth win over Harvard worked like silicone for the Greenies, inflating their confidence and boosting their title stock. Columbia, with the resignation of Frank Navarro, will be loose as sloth with diarrhea. But it won't help. The Greenies will feel their oats for the first time in a long time. Dartmouth 37, Columbia 10.

CORNELL-BROWN--Big Red fans are hanging on in the race and praying for divine intervention. Injuries have slowed the sometimes-potent Cornell attack, so Red health is important. Brown is in the best shape it's been in for a long time. Fresh from a 7-6 win over Princeton, in which they rolled up over 300 yards rushing, the Bruins will be eager for more. This could be a close one, but experience and overall depth points to Cornell. Cornell 28, Brown 24.

CRIMSON-PRINCETONIAN--Harvard's Plympton Street Pugilists will make the boys from that Nausau rag wish they'd stayed home chasing black squirrels. Crimson 23, Princeton 2.

Last week: Two for four (.500). Season: 15 for 31 (.484). Pepto Bismol.