Show T t R CF IT TT T IS only fitting that the heavyweight heavyweIght heavyweight heavy heavy- weight weIght championship of the world was decided between two Negroes since most of the better fighters in inthe inthe inthe the last few years have belonged to the Negro race I might mention Joe Louis Joe Walcott Ray Robinson Robinson Robin Robin- so son Ike Williams Ezzard Charles Beau Jack and a few others The only two white entries I can think of now who belong belon around the top are Tony Zale and Gus Lesnevich Why is this I asked a well- well known trainer Heres the trouble he said Most of the white fighters ar are lazy or yellow They wont won't train and they cant can't take it This is a minor detail that the white section might consider Remember Remember Remember Re Re- member this They wont won't train and they cant can't take it 11 Good white fighters have become about as scarce as the extinct dodo Zale and Lesnevich are exceptions So is Willie Willi Pep Pcp Outside of Zale Pep and Lesnevich Lesnevich Lesne Lesne- vich most of ot the white fighters that I 1 know are crude lazy and in In- In competent They dislike the training training training train train- ing routine or like Rocky Graziano Grad Grazi- their trade trado ano they wont won't learn how how to box A lOA right hand will do it was Rocky's answer Only It Zale is a professional Graziano He never will be except on the financial side Graziano will never be the pro that Zale Is u. Strictly a pro Francis says of Zale Graziano Maybe a semipro But never a apro pro Citations Citation's Goals Unless something of a harsh physical physical physical phy phy- nature happens to Calumets Calumet Citation he is almost certain to reach two coveted goals goals goals- 1 To finish the money high-money winner winner winner win win- ner of all time time above above one million dollars in total purses 2 To be ranked as the top horse of all time time rated rated definitely above Man o 0 War There is little doubt of his passing passing passing pass pass- ing the one million dollar mark unless unless unless un un- un- un less he breaks a leg or is badly in in- in The Calumet star already has slipped by the 5 mark and h he is just warming up with such stakes as the Arlington Classic in Chicago and the International International International Gold Cup race at Belmont on his list listi i There is more than in big j stake purses left on the 48 schedule and Citation is still a young three- three year There will be much baying and braying among many members of the old guard in placing any horse above Man Ian o o 0 War But Bot dont don't forget forget forget for for- get two things things that that Man o 0 War ceased firing tirIng as a year three and that Man o 0 War never won a handicap race He never ran against older horses horses except except Sir Barton who at nt the time was oS badly badly badly bad bad- ly crippled Man o 0 War was a great race horse But the big test comes in the handicap handicap handicap handi handi- cap division where you m might ht give giveaway giveaway giveaway away weight where you must carry from to pounds to prove your place There is no reason to believe Man o o o. War couldn't have carried this weight Citation already has run against older horses and beaten beaten them Two of these were Armed and in inthe inthe inthe the Seminole handicap Citation can finish his year three-year- old career on even terms with Man Mano o 0 War getting none the best of things But if he goes on from there into the handicap division to meet older horses he ha is almost sure to finish as the greatest race horse this country ever has known It is always just as well to wait until a competitor has at least leut reached the stretch of his career before before before be be- fore he is finally judged and placed Twenty Game Game Pitchers How many game 20 pitchers on the winning side will there ther be this season The crop will be extremely thin When the 1948 season opened the leading probabilities included Blackwell Blackwell Black- Black well vell Feller Lemon Reynolds Dobson Munger Marchildon Marchil- Marchil don Trout Sam Sain Spahn Jansen and Branca Brancau I could mention one or two others How many of ot these will make it Blackwell and Feller two of the favored sons certainly two of ot the best arc are out of It unless they finish finish fin fin- ish like a brace of Citations Blackwell with a bad arm ann has three victories out of eight starts At this time last year ear Ewell the lone lonepine lonepine lonepine pine was 15 on his way to 16 straight Feller has been battling to break even evea It might also be noted that Feller has been driven from the field of glory seven times at least In Inless Inless Inless less than two months Hal drew the roughest start of the bunch losing four tour of his first five games But the scrappy and skillful Tiger put on a hot rally rally ral rat ly and proceeded to win seven In a row He still has an outside chance to reach the olive crowned circle Red Munger of the Cardinals has been one of ot the seasons season's major dis appointments Picked as a game 25 winner big strong and fast the ex- ex army officer has hns been below pat most of ot the year |