Show V 1 is 7 IT T IS generally understood that the 1 postwar sawar boom in sport wu will be on the amazing side but it will be an entirely dIf different terent matter I 1 from r 0 m the sport boom after world war 1 I it will appeal to a far greater number of actual players player but I 1 doubt very much it will even ap approach h the so called golden age that followed the first world war those years that brought us babe ruth huth jack dempsey B bobby 0 b b y jones bill tilden bill johnston red grange charlie paddock E earl a r I 1 sand e rogers hornsby and many more in almost every line of sport babe ruth had be been n a star pitcher before but it was not Grantlan dRice un until til after the war that he unwrapped his big mace and began hitting home runs I 1 cant see any such stars in sight for some time to come for this this has been a longer and far more punishing war as tar far as our athletes are concerned it has arrested the p playing careers of far more young youn stars such as bob feller ted williams billy conn and so many others who were still short of their prime and peak when called to service here and there among the younger servicemen well have a certain number of stars who may come close to the old time mark boxers ball players and football players but anyone who expects to see a ruth dempsey jones tilden grange sande and hornsby ornsby II parade is is akely likely to to be be disappointed it could happen of course since almost anything can happen in sport but it a good bet the odds are against it there will be too many of our greatest stars around pearl harbor days back in 1941 who will be over the hill physically before they have the chance to return to competitive sport they will still be good many of them but too many of them will have lost best years another type of boorn boom the sport boom that will follow this war will be another type while it may not give the spectators such big names as we have mentioned S so many outstanding stars it win will accomplish something much more important it will lift the general average L of play and skill far higher than it ever was before the first world war contributed nothing to the headline mastery of the golden age the sport stars of that era had practically no connection with the war in any way you can ring in grover cleveland alexander since old pete was a star pitcher back around 1911 but it will be different after this war army and navy now have from 12 to men in the service and army and navy have outlined one of the biggest pro grams for sport ever known along the line of coaching training and competitive play this big swing in the direction of sport is a vital necessity army and navy know this when the war in U europe drope Is 0 over er there will be millions who cant be rushed home or on to asia and the pacific at a days notice they will need a vast sporting program ram to k keep beep them interested I 1 in n life re w while bile waiting tor for boats and planes to bring them back or carry them to other theaters or of action the big weakness of sport in t the he united states is that we have been too much of a spectator nation and not enough of a playing nation this applies to our youngsters and to older men when out of 18 year olds are rejected by the draft something is obviously wrong army and navy now plan to give till all these millions a chance to play the games they like with greater skill kill even it if few of them ever be come champions there can only be one champion at a time after all but there can be a vast improvement in our average skill postwar football there is one knotty thorny lem that the pro football league or leagues will soon have to meet this involves ches returning servicemen who may ay have a year or two years of college football left but who ho may want to play pro football rather than return to campus life As the pro rule now works no player can be taken into pro ranks until his class has graduated this regulation has worked well so tar far and has drawn the full approval of t the h e colleges and the college coaches the war Is almost certain to be over in europe before next fill fall that nat mean that all football players in army or navy will be released but many will be including a few from the pacific some of the these s e college players will v ft ant to return and finish their col tege ege 1 course others wont one pro football angle is this it if these men jont want to go back to college athy we use them others relieve the present rule th that a it calls 11 or waiting until their college time bover is over should be kept as it li Is or iv ivas a before the war |