The ep34 Knute Rockne

This is Jimmy Powers, ready to bring you another story from the tumult and the shouting. Hi there, this is Jimmy Powers Transcribe. Today, Granny Rice, America's late and great sports columnist and poet for more than 50 years,

takes us to West Point, where Granny first saw Notre Dame and met a young coach named Newt Rockney. That meeting started a friendship between two of the most colorful figures of the Golden Twenties. Now, with a salute to the spirit of Granny Rice and in first person, I take up his narrative from the tumult and the shouting.

Ringed Lardner, a keen Notre Dame and Midwestern router went with me to West Point in the fall of 1920. We ran into John J. McEwan, the big Army Assistant Coach, who was loaded with confidence. I understand, said Lardner, that Rockney is coming in again with that kid named Gip. Who in blazes his Gip snorted McEwan? You'll find out at 10 minutes to 2 tomorrow, replied

Gardner. McEwen did. With Army leading 17-14 at halftime, Gip put on a second half-one man Rodeo as the Irish pulled out the game 27-17. How'd you like Gip as a football player? I asked McEwen after the game.

Gip as no football player reported McEwen. He's a runaway son of a gun. Self-reliant is a wild Mustang. George Gip came out of the Iron-R country near Calumet, Michigan. At times he even baffled Rock, a former Notre Dame star and assistant coach told me this story during the intermission of that historic 1920 Army game.

Being behind by three points, Rock was really laying it into the boys, he said. He had about finished and gip, standing nearby, asked me for a drag of my cigarette. Rock looked up and spotted gip leaning against the door, his helmet on the back of his head, puffing the cigarette.