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Canadian Raids FU.S.Gridders May Hit New HighIBy JACK SULLIVANTORONTO — iJP) — Canadian footbaH has come a long way from the da vs before the for-p|rward pass when two plungesand a kick constituted the principal attack.The pass, adopted in the mid 30, brought with it the American “import/* the passer who was then the onlv American on teams of Canadians.Now Canadian teams are competing with American professional leagues for their star players and the best American colleges produce. Four teams in the Eastern big four and four in the Western Interprovincial will spend more than $2,000,000 this season, a lot ofit on American players, to lureabout 1.500,000 fans through their gates.THE PASS and the “import’’ led, too. to full development of the game in western Canada, now a hotbed of fan enthusiasm.W hen an American named Fritz Hanson led the Winnipeg B ue Bombers to the West’sagainst the Hamilton Tigers in 1933, the pattern was set. The West, previously beaten badly in every attempt they made, has sent a team down east each year since for the final at Toronto and they’ve returned withthe Grev Cup three times—in 1939, 1941 and 1948. The East-West final arouses national interest and hundreds of fans travel from the West to see it.The pass led toward development of an exciting, diversified game. Spectacular pass plays, deceptive running formations and well-organized attack anddefense have been added to the old power football.Canada s three downs as against America’s four mean nopo\yer team can crunch its waydown the field. It means more punting, more use of passes and wide-open running, particularly as Canada has five men in theback field with no restraint on backs in motion.GENERALLY speaking, blocking is allowed only 10 yards from scrimmage. It seems oddto Americans to see a safetvCanadian title in a game man take a punt and chargeinto half-dozen tacklers while team-mates stand by with hands on their hips. The only thing that helps the safety man isthat tacklers must remain fiveyards away until he catches the ball.One angle of the Canadian game which American players think could be adopted to advantage in the states is the single point, obtained by a kick to the goal or the tackling of a punt catcher behind his goal-line.The Canadians also are generally adopting American terms, perhaps because they are used bv the coaches, even' one in the two leagues is an American. In the W’est the American labels for player positions are used although the East still calls a tackle an ‘‘outside,’’ for instance.THE CANADIAN invasion of the American leagues for players. reminiscent of the raiding of Canadian hockey teams when the United States w'ent into major hockey in the 20s, seems due to hit a new’ high this year.Practically* all clubs in theNational football league have lost players to Canadian football.In the East, Montreal Aloetr.es have signed Chuck Hunsinger from Chicago Bears and Bill (Nub) Smith, whom Alouette Coach Peahead Walker had at Wake Forest.Montreal also has Zippy Morocco from the University of Georgia, Bill McElhannon from Tulane, Jim York from Duke and Jack Berger from New Mexico.OTTAWA ROUGH Riders started a court fight when they signed John KisseU. star tackle of Cleveland Browns. The American club sought an injunction in the Ontario supreme court at Toronto but the court ruled that Kissell could play with Ottawa. Cleveland claimed Kissell signed a contract with them for this season and may take thecase to a higher court.Rough Riders have also signed Walt Matuczak from Tulsa, Bemie Flowers, the great Purdue end, Kay Vaugh from Tulsa and Indiana’s Gene Get-ner.At Hamilton, Carl Voyles, first season in Canadian footballformer coach of Brooklyn Dodg- and will have Bill Vessels, Okla-ers, has a fine team of Canadians backed by such Americans as Bernie Custis of Svra-Wcuse, Rovall Bailev of Little Rock. Ark., and Job Jones from Texas U. He lost Joe Shinn and Hal Waggoner, both formerly of Tulane, to the U. S. draft.NOBBY WIROW8KI of Miami (Ohio) University, will again quarterback Toronto Argonauts, last year’s Grey Cup winners,and new men include Tom Me*Keever from Cincinnati and Clarence Johnson of Northwestern.At Winnipeg Coach George Trafton, former center with Chicago Bears, will build his team around Jack Jacobs, formerly of Green Bay and Washington, who threw 35 touchdown passes for him lastyear. New imports include Bud Grant and Billy Dye of Minnesota.Darrel Royal, 28-year-old former Oklahoma halfback, willcoach Edmonton Eskimos in hishoma’s sensation of last season, and Tom Stolhandske, two-wayend from the University of Texas, as his stars.AT CALGARY, where Bob Snyder is the new* coach, the Stampeders have signed Frankie Alberts of the San Francisco 49ers, one of the biggest names in the pro game and Johnny Bright, halfback from Drake.Another new man is John Henry Johnson, Arizona State college at Tempe fullback.Frankie Filchock, who has made a career in the Canadian game after being barred in thestates for failing to report a bribe attempt some years ago, moved from Edmonton to coach Saskatchewan Rough Riders this season. He has 11 new imports, including John Green of Philadelphia Eagles, Herb Johnston from West Point, Mel Beckett of Alabama State, Dave Skrien of Minnesota and Joe (The Toe) Aguirre, w ho followed Filchockfrom Edmonton.\u
Newspaper Details
Tucson Daily Citizen
Tucson, Arizona, US
Fri, Aug 28, 1953
Page 15
Full Page
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USA 02 Jul 2020
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