Show I Sammy Is Indestructible By By GRANTLAND RICE I SEVENTEEN YEARS AGO we sat in the press J pox ox at Ft Worth Texas and got our first look at a pretty fair air country pass er ere He lie took the ball on his own yard 12 line as we wo recall it ft and passed his way to a touchdown against Southern Methodist without without with with- I out using the running game This tall slender raw hide kid was Sammy Baugh The Tho other day S the same Sammy Baugh now workIng working work work- Ing in his football foot ball season three threeS S with and 14 with the Redskins threw three touchdown touchdown touchdown touch touch- down pas passes s e s against Baltimore Grantland Rice In his bis opening shot for 1950 I Sammy Is one ODe of the most amazing football players that ever stepped upon a field Back In 1933 be he weighed pounds I saw Sam last year and asked what he weighed Just the same he said pounds I haven't changed an ounce since the first time I saw you Sammy Baugh took a heavy physical physical physical phy phy- beating that day against SM U. U 17 years yearn ago He lie has taken a terrific beating year after year since especially through those years where it was legal to murder murdel murder mur mur- der del the passer Baugh cant can't even guess how many times the back of his head has bounced off oU the turf after throwing to an end or back down the field Plenty he said Sammy never wastes words The brilliant Mel Rein Heln another indestructible lasted longer than Baugh but Mel was not nota a forward passer an open target for assault Baugh Bauch Is a trifle trine over six feet leet He De Is s lean Jean hard tough Ills bony frame might as well weD have bave been covered with rhino hide lIe He has a pair pall of 01 big hands bands and andIn andIn andIn In addition to his passing beIs beIs be he heIs Is one of 01 the best kickers In football He lie Is better than good rood goodat at quick quck In one game I saw him stand on his own yard five five yard line facing a ahalt halt half hurricane headwind and quick kick 85 yards Baugh Daugh is a hard man to rush lie lieis Ito He HeIs Is still sUll elusive on his feet with a a q I quick ck eye and a quick hand and few can spot a receiver with such swift sureness Ills His throwing arm has haj lasted through nearly two decades where he ho has shown no sign of the old elastic wearing put It might amaze you to how many good football football football foot foot- ball Judges rate Baugh plus his stamina as the greatest football player of aU all time It would be different If Sammy Baugh happened to be bo caught in a group of ordinary passers But look at his rivals Sid Luckman Luckman Luck Luck- man one of the time all greats Otto Graham the tho National League wrecker Johnny Lujack George Frankie Frankle Albert Bob Y A. A Tittle Bobby Layne and many others including Chuck Conerly and Tommy Thomp Thomp- son ion CS Cleveland Outstanding It remained for the Browns plus Otto Graham to prove through all these costly years of rivalry that Paul Browns Brown's Cleveland outfit was the outstanding team in football The Browns are not at the top peak and yet so far this season they have beaten each National league team they happened to meet including the Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles They have been without question the best team in the lea league cue with something to spare In behalf of Greasy Neale it might be said he has suffered the penalty of victory This means he has been unable to get any first- first class help through the draft or otherwise His selections have been the choice His club is wearing out There is certainly no fairness in penalizing success to any such extent The openings averaged around just a fair general attend attend- ance We thought it would be better better better bet bet- ter but judging from the attendance we have seen lately at league big ball parks from 1200 to 2500 formost for formost formost most teams out of the race it seems the same thing could happen to pro football this falL The two races can be quite close In the American Conference the Browns look to be the best team closely pressed b by the Eagles they get in much better physical shape In the National Conference there should be a close race among the Detroit Lions the Chicago Bears and the New York Yankees The two wo western far-western clubs Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco are not far away This looks to be bea a better race than the other league will show The Lions with big Leon Hart lIart and Doak Walker can be tough r Chuck Conerly must s show how h o w much improvement to lift the Giants up unless Tidwell can come to his help The New York Yankees can cane be e a distinct threat e e Luck lick and the Breaks Some Somo years ago I asked Connie Mack Jack what part he figured that luck uck played in baseball After Alter some lome consideration his answer was around three per cent There are times Imes when it seems higher than this his |