Show e P CE T T E present year may not be the 1 golden age of sport as far as outstanding outstanding out out- standing ability goes I can see little chance that It will produce masterpieces masterpieces masterpieces master master- pieces even close r 1 to Babe Ruth Rum Jack Dempsey Bob Bobby b y Jon Jones e s Tom Tommy m y Hitchcock Rogers Hornsby Bill Tilden Tilden Tilden Til- Til den Red Grange and Man o o 0 War Not to overlook Earl Sande But the year on ahead will outclass the postwar period E. E of the Jc first world conflict w when hen It comes to the matter of attendance and the actual amount of gold or orIts orits orits Its equivalent taken in at the turn turn- stiles This 1946 1916 season will make all other past years look like Uke the tag end of a depression so far as crow crowds and cash are concerned The recent basketball season flattened all aU past attendance records We have had over people clamoring clamoring clam clam- oring to pay 20 20 a seat for a non non- title fight meaning Graziano and Servo California and Florida race tracks nave left the past far behind in this same respect Two Alabama football football football foot foot- ball squads made up from Alabama Alabama Alabama Ala Ala- bama players recently fought it out before spectators In ham Racing at Jamaica has already already al al- al- al ready taken long leaps beyond last years year's earlier marks The super brilliant stars who followed followed followed fol fol- fol- fol lowed the last world war may be missing but there are still sUll enough good ones to keep the human mass rolling In the general direction of ot the next show whatever game it might happen to be Only Warming g U Up A ABut But these matters are only In the warm-up warm division The real harvest from the golden crop is 11 still on beyond us Baseball expects to shatter all past crowd records by a n wide mar mars gin The Yankees hope to play before before before be be- fore something approximating two million at home The Dodgers would be right alongside If there was only enough parking room for the human frame The Giants wont won't be far faraway faraway faraway away If it their ball club holds up The million dollar bet at New NewYork NewYork NewYork York tracks last season Is likely to reach or pass million dollars this year We have seen crowded Derby and Preakness years before but nothing to what this next May Maywill Maywill will offer in these two better than thousand dollar doUar tests The Yankee stadium hasn't the attendance attendance attendance attend attend- ance space to equal the crowds that saw the two Tunney Dempsey shows but the Louis-Conn Louis meeting will outdraw both financially In the way of extra carloads of ot cash They are already talking about Graziano Graziano Grazi Grazi- ano being Involved in hi a million dollar dollar dollar dol dol- lar gate and the rock-fisted rock entry hasn't even a title The United States Golf Goll assocIation association association is dead sure that the open at Canterbury Cleveland In June and the amateur at Baltusrol In September will run up far higher figures than either has ever drawn rn In the past The crowds who want to see a contest have already far outgrown the limited spaces through spring and summer and fall tall On a recent tour of the southeast we were often asked how long the money would hold out Apparently It is going to hold out for Cor at least another year No one can cnn say yet In just what fighting shape either Louis or Conn will be but the rush to contribute at least three million dollars Is still under way with the contest coming corning late in June Apparently It isn't the entry list but the game that is drawing them out As far tar as one can see neither the Derby nor the Preakness nor northe northe northe the Belmont has any Count Fleet or any or running run run- I ning No outstanding star has yet shown aho for tor these events but this wont won't affect the size of the populace on hand Baseball comes nearer approachIng approach- approach Ing the first golden age In playing class For baseball still has the Cardinals Cardinals Cardinals Car Car- Ted Williams Bob Feller and many others with a high standard of excellence IncludIng including including ing and Wakefield of the TI Tigers ers Some one recently asked how bow large the crowds would be If Ruth Dempsey Jones Tilden Hornsby were back In their prime The answer is they couldn't be any larger for tor the simple reason there Isn't any more room Today they'll rush to see anything at any price Apparently everything Is worth 50 except 50 Genius in Sports What Is this know how this genius or Instinct for tor superlative play In hi sport Ty Cobbs Cobb's father was wasa a Georgia Judge who had no particular lar Interest In any game Ty Cobbs Cobb's children had no interest in baseball Yet Bill Tilden once told me that young Ty Cobb might have been a tennis champion Old man DiMaggio never had the slightest Idea of ot what baseball meant Yet he produced Joe Dom Domand Domand and Vince DiMaggio |