19th Hole: The Readers Take Over

GOPHERS , BADGERS AND RABBITS
Sirs:
I would like to suggest that Gwilym S. Brown remove his head from the sand and start reading some newspapers published west of The Bronx (Two Goofs Kill the Gophers , Dec. 3). By stating that Minnesota was unjustly penalized, Mr. Brown proves that he is not like the "rabbit-eared" official he mentions in his article but that he does resemble another equally familiar animal with long ears.

It should be obvious to everyone that when rules are set forth, whether it be in football or any other region of our social system, infractions of same must result in punishment. Where the official did err was in not adding 15 yards for every shake he received.
E. J. SCHNEIDERS
Milwaukee

Sirs:
The Minnesota penalty did not present Wisconsin's Badgers with a touchdown. They were still 13 yards away from the promised land. Wisconsin ran three plays right into the best defensive team against rushing in the country before it chalked up six points.

Mr. Brown also failed to report that on the ensuing kickoff Minnesota had a fair runback and, with the help of two pass interference penalties (one of which may be called questionable, if the Minnesota penalty was questionable), made it to Wisconsin 's 14-yard line. This put them in the same situation that Wisconsin was in a few seconds before. A touchdown here meant victory for the Gophers . But here Minnesota , which had been eating up huge chunks of yardage on an option-type play all afternoon, decided not to run but pass. This was their Waterloo . The rest is history.
JIM LAMAIS
Madison, Wis.

Sirs:
It is ridiculous to place Wisconsin above Minnesota in the top three ratings in the Midwest when Minnesota beat Wisconsin and the refs beat Minnesota . In fact, the refs gained almost as much yardage as Wisconsin—218 vs. 219 yards. Minnesota is the better team!
RICHARD R. HOESCHEN
Minneapolis

Sirs:
Brown's story was an honest account. The men in stripes turned a hard-fought encounter between two fine teams into a fiasco of whistles. A tremendous amount of sweat and desire went all for nought. After that flagrantly unjustified penalty against Bell, Wisconsin could take little satisfaction from their win and Minnesota was left feeling resentful and betrayed.
T. C. EID, M.D.
Minneapolis

Sirs:
As you can see (below), several chaps up here at the Minneapolis office of Campbell-Mithun took the results of the Minnesota-Wisconsin game very seriously.
R. B. PILE
Vice-President
Minneapolis

IVY KING
Sirs:
We at Cornell choked on your article about the Dartmouth football team (Ivy's Den, Dec. 3). In particular, such comments about Bill King as "fine quarterback" followed closely by "better than Gary Wood of Cornell" are nonsense and you know it. Had Wood had the blocking that King had, his season total might well have become his one-game average. It might be pointed out in passing that Wood's two-year career totals in Ivy League play exceed King's three-year output.
STEVEN N. WEISBART
STEPHEN E. GREENE
Ithaca , N.Y.

Sirs:
Bill King is not the best quarterback in the Ivy League .
D. V. SWARTZ
Head Line Coach, Cornell 150-pound team
Ithaca , N.Y.

Sirs:
If Bill King is to be compared with Terry Baker , George Mira and Tom Myers , then Gary Wood would have to be compared with Y.A. Tittle , Johnny Unitas and Norm Van Brocklin .
BROTHERS OF DELTA UPSILON
Ithaca , N.Y.