Pride in Princeton athletics

Gregg Lange ’70’s column at PAW Online about Princeton football (Rally ’Round the Cannon, posted with the Dec. 14 issue) helped me a lot. As an undergraduate I idolized Dick Kazmaier ’52, George Sella ’50, and many remarkable football players. Having been at the Princeton-Dartmouth game in a snowstorm in 1935 when the 12th man from the end-zone bleachers tried to help Dartmouth, at the Penn-Princeton game in Philly when the mounted police tried to discourage Princetonians from taking down the goalposts after a field-goal victory over heavily favored Penn, at the Rutgers-Princeton game celebrating 100 years of football competition, and countless other games in all kinds of weather, I feel close to Princeton football.

I am sure the Ivy League made the right decision, but have wondered if it should make some adjustments such as allowing the Ivy League champion the option of competing in subdivision championships. Should Rutgers and Princeton play every five to 10 years to remind the nation where the game started? I wondered why the stadium was rebuilt on such a grand scale when the football program was designed to encourage low attendance.

I suspect, for practical reasons, little change in the Ivy League approach to athletics is warranted. Considering the overall athletics program at Princeton, we have much to be proud of. At least, I should resolve to attend some games next fall to cheer for a team who plays for the game’s sake and the University — knowing that in the years ahead, it will be more competitive within the league.