Show C AATI R CE VOU you Y OU may recall the time when Jim Braddock supposed to be all washed up removed the heavy heavy- heavyweight heavyweight weight championship crown from Max Baers Baer's carefree dome After that party we suggested that the primrose trail rarely led to any pugilistic heights or any other ath- ath athletic athletic letic heights There are certain physical freaks freaks I I wont won't mention their names names names-in hi boxing baseball and golf who trained largely on gin scotch and bourbon and still made the headlines For a while But for each one of these exceptions ions I can name you ten who trained correctly and reached the top f of the hill hiU Gene Tunney Jack Dempsey Jempsey Joe Louis s Benny Leonard Bobby Jones Bill Tilden Byron Nel Nel- Nelson Nelson NelE Nelson E son Sammy Snead Jug Gene Jene Don I Budge Ellsworth Vines Bill DiU Johnston all of f our track Gene Tunney stars and 98 per percent percent cent of our great football and base- base baseball ball players such as Mel Ott Carl Hubbell Blozis Bill BiU Dick Dick- Dickey ey but ey-but but why go on Most of these are the ones who count This question was raised by the recent meeting at Madison Square Garden between two primrose trail trail- trailers trailers ers from the past past Lee Lee Oma and Baksi Bakst Both started out along the soft and easy road Both were phys phys- physically physically qualified to do a much ranch better job than they displayed In their efforts But neither was willing to pay the price of condition the condition the price I that Tunney Dempsey and Joe Louis paid to be ready with the best they had to give And Im I'm giving you three of the tops along this rug rug- rugged rugged rugged ged road As a general rule the so-called so primrose trail has a sudden abrupt and dismal finish At the start of their careers Oma and Bak Bak- Baksi si were galloping merrily along this trail trail and and getting nowhere in a hur hur- ry Now both are supposed to have changed their earlier habits habits in in the understanding that both are about the two best heavyweights left out out- outside outside outside side of war service Both wasted valuable time in improving them them- selves It took a world war to plant them up near the front Oma seems to be going up faster than Baksi He beat the tough miner ex-miner decisively deci deci- decisively decisively in 10 rounds weighing only 1854 1852 pounds to Baksis Baksi's Keeping Keening in Condition This isn't any sermon or lecture on the matter of keeping in shape or the value of hard training But there is a general writing and talk talk- talking talking talking ing tendency to overplay some of the playboys who traveled a long longway longway longway way up in spite of their odd ways of training Harry Darry Greb was one So was Mickey l Walker Valker Walter Hagen was Vas another later on in his career And there was Rube Waddell Bugs Ray Ray- Raymond Raymond Raymond mond Phil Douglas great Douglas great pitchers Even the overpowering Babe Ruth had his lapses So did Jim Thorpe So did Grover Cleve Cleve- Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland land Alexander But what about the great majority of stars who made a point of being in shape who shape who trained for the job The best conditioned fighters Ive I've known in the last 20 years were Gene Tunney Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis And they were not so bad Most Mos of the star ballplayers be be- belong belong belong long to this list list list-I I should say about 92 per cent of them I mean such big leaguers as Ty Cobb Christy Mathewson Tris Speaker Eddie Col Col- Collins Collins Collins lins George Lou Gehrig Carl Hubbell Mel Ott Hans Wagner Lefty Grove Joe Gordon Bill BiJl Dickey I I could keep on for two columns Id I'd say about 99 per cent of the college and pro football players players- the top ones ones keep keep in shape and aud re re- refrain refrain re- re frain at least from the gentle art of getting cockeyed It makes a better story to write or tell about the fellow who was plastered the day or the night be be- before fore fore and and yet came along to win But I could also tell you about many more who might have won won many many more who more who flopped for the same rea rea- reao reason o son son- There are of course certain ex ex- But there are not so many exceptions when you rank them against the vast majority who took the other road Those who lack the the fortitude fortitude- courage courage or or perhaps who hope to be athletes without proper training and conditioning conditioning- are in for a heavy price and a heavier heavier heavier ier jolt They at least are buck bucking ing tremendous odds e Football Weaknesses Football officials have been given too heavy a burden They can make or break any close game It Is for this reason that we suggest two changes that will not only help out the officials but will also help foot foot- ball The first would permit for for- forward forward forward ward passing any place back of the line The second is that after aUer a for for- forward forward forward ward pass is thrown it would be made a free ball ban for both receivers ers and defenders It wouldn't matter mat mat- matter ter who went after it |