An Open Letter to Fritz Crisler
by F. Scott Fitzgerald ’17
Dear Fritz:
You write me again demanding advice concerning the coming season. I hasten to answer—again I insist that using a member of the Board of Trustees at left tackle to replace Charlie (“Asa”) Ceppi and Christian (“Dean”) Eisenhart, would be a mistake. My idea is a backfield composed of Kipke, Eddie Mahan, President Lowell and anybody we can get for the left side—Pepper Einstein in the center—and then either bring back Light Horse Harry Lee, or else you fill in yourself for the last place. Or else shift Kadlic to center and fill in with some member of the 75-lb. team.
Failing that, it is as you suggest in your round-robin, a question of using a member of the Board of Trustees. Then who? and where? There is “Hack” Kalbaugh. There is the late President Witherspoon—but where is he? There is Harkness Hall, but we can’t get it unless we pay for the whole expressage at this end!
The best suggestion is probably to put Rollo Rulon Roll-on at full, and return to the Haughton system.
Now Fritz, I realize that you and I and Tad know more about this thing than I do—nevertheless I want to make my suggestion: all the end men and backfield men and members of the Board of Trustees start off together—then they all reverse their fields led by some of the most prominent professors and alumni—Albie Booth, Bob Lassiter, etc., and almost before we know it we are up against the Yale goal—let me see, where was I? I meant the Lehigh goal—anyhow some goal, perhaps our own. Anyhow the main thing is that the C.W.A. is either dead, or else just beginning, and to use again that variation of the “Mexican” shift that I suggested last year will be just disastrous. Why? Even I can follow it! Martineau comes out of the huddle—or topples back into it—he passes to some member of past years’ teams—(who won’t be named here because of the eligibility rules) and then—well, from then on we go on to practically anything.
But not this year, Fritz Crisler, if you take my advice!
The Team.
Published in Princeton Athletic News magazine (June 16, 1934, p. 3). This was an open letter to Fritz Crisler (Princeton's football coach), who had sent a questionnaire to alumni.
Not illustrated.