Show Years Catch the Fastest Athlete By GRANTLAND RICE Raw Speed You speak of the speed of Coal- Coal Coaltown Coaltown Coaltown town or the speed Citation knows You speak of the speed of the western gale when the young tornado blows But theres there's only one speed that matters wherever the simooms rage And that is the speed of the flying years that turns youth into age What Are Reflexes Just what writes L. L M. M P. P are the reflexes you and other sporting experts thanks write about Are they physical or men men- mental menI mental I tal Why should they affect an old- old I timer imer more than a younger fellow fel- fel fellow low ow Why are they so important I would think that a veteran would have lave better reflexes than a young young- younger er fellow Reflexes are merely team play between mind and muscle For ex ex- example example example ample years ago I was talking with Jack J a c k Dempsey Jack was then the n about through I 1 know Im I'm as strong as I used to be he said I know I can hit as hard I know I still can take a punch as Grantland o Rice well But Ill I'll tell you what makes me sore I see a punch starting I know where its it's headed for Six or seven years ago my chin or my head would be out of the way in in- But today too many of these punches hit me Even the sucker punches Theres another angle Jack said Six or seven years ago when I spotted an opening my fist swung in that split second Today when I see an opening it disappears disappears disappears pears by the time my fist gets in motion It is either blocked or it has moved out of the way I dont don't believe many people know what this means to a fighter It is only a matter ma of a split second Maybe Maybel a fifth of a second But it happens that way as you get older The message from your eye or your mind travels slower to the muscle Not much slower But a fifth of ofa a second means a lot There probably never was a bet bet- better better better ter instinctive puncher or fighter figh er than Dempsey when he was at his peak Or during those days when Dempsey was hungry You might think that as you got older the message from eye or mind to muscle would travel faster it It As you get older nothing travels faster except the years The only de de- detail detail de- de detail tail an athlete picks up as he grows older is experience When Louis was working after a fashion against Joe Walcott he would stalk the Jersey and catch up with him Then do nothing Ten years ago he would have knocked out Walcott in the first round for Louis was a fast hard puncher But after his 10 or 11 years in the ring Louis' Louis re re- reflexes reflexes reflexes flexes were shot He could see his opening but by the time he had I Ithe the blow under way Walcott would be out of reach The same thing happens to ball ball- players The hitters can no longer follow the pitch and get the bat working in time Notice how many veterans are called out on that third strike J Ted Williams has the best set s t of reflexes in baseball Ted can swing a bat on a of a seconds second's notice when notice when the pitch is only 20 or 30 feet away You dont don't believe this is true Ask Bill Dickey who wh caught back of Williams for some years On Being Hungry For several weeks inhabitants of various wayside inns around the world have been telling me this story It concerns Walter Good Time Charlie Friedman Car- Car Carnera's Carnera's Carnera's nera's original importer Good Time Charlies Charlie's dream is isnow isnow isnow now to locate a seven foot china china- chinaman chinaman chinaman man or a seven-foot seven Zulu Zulu one one of those who can high jump eight or nine feet We questioned him about it recently and discovered Good Time Charlie feels that he has the answer to the next heavyweight champion Id keep him h j i m hungry Charlie says Id get him bim and starve him The trouble with fighters today they are too well wen fed They have been able to make a good living outside of the ring They eat too much Jack Dempsey was hungry when he was at his best Tunney needed money when he forced himself to train for Dempsey Joe JoeLouis JoeLouis JoeLouis Louis was hungry when he broke in Willard was hungry when he started after Jack Johnson Hun Hun- Hungry Hungry Hungry gry guys are hard to lick what's the matter with white fighters today Good Timo Time Charlie continued They are fat and overfed So they have no ambi tion Most of them can make gooc goo money without fighting A well fed man seems to have havi nothing to fight for |