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Show "TPHE NEW Golden Age of sport, following the latest world war, las had only a few months in which to get underway. So far it has begun be-gun to outclass the so-called Golden Gold-en Age that followed the First World war in the way of attendance, gate receipts and increasing public interest inter-est that in 1946 will crack all former for-mer marks if we can settle a few problems, and someone doesn't get careless with an atomic bomb. But looking through the mists and fogs on ahead we still fail to see iililll . ) . 7 a. 5 1 any sign that the performers can compare in crowd appeal with Babe Ruth, Jack Demp-sey, Demp-sey, Bobby Jones, Bill Tilden, Red Grange, Rogers Hornsby, Tommy Hitchcock, Man o' War, Walter Hagen and a few others of that former period GrantlandRice who happened to be blessed with that indefinable flair known as "color." ' Most of the star actors we have left to open or carry on the 1948 program go back well before the !ast war started. In this list you vlll find Joe Louis, Billy Conn, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Joe Di-Vlaggio, Di-Vlaggio, Hank Greenberg and others vho had reached, or at least had :ome to their peak before Pearl 3arbor. It is faintly possible, but highly mprobable, that you and I will see mother Ruth, Dempsey, Jones, iitchcock or Tilden in action with is much combined skill and crowd ippeal. Still Great Fighters No one can say yet just how nuch fighting ability Joe Louis and 3illy Conn can bring to the ring lext June. Louis has almost certaln-y certaln-y taken a number of steps over the llll. The odds are that Conn won't e as good as he was in his last ittempt to reach the top. Both may lave enough left to give a record-aying record-aying crowd an Interesting show. Ve'll know about this later on when he two get in better fighting shape. There is no other heavyweight in ight who compares with either, at lis best. Someone may come along ater on, but he Is still some dis-ance dis-ance away. High-class heavy--eights arrive at wide intervals. The 4-Fs produced little and neither irmy nor navy has any sensations howing along the horizon. It might be suggested here that Vrmy's football team has taken the ead in the new Golden Age. It Is letter than any football team that ollowed the first war. Blanchard ind Davis have been mentioned nore than any two football players me can recall off hand. And both vill be around next fall with an-ither an-ither fine Army team that might asily set a three-year record. What about baseball? Most of the tars will be found among such for-ner for-ner stars as Joe DiMaggio, Hank ireenberg, Joe Gordon, Bobby Joerr, Marty Marion, Terry VIoore, many members of the old Yankee and Cardinal casts. But there is still hope for such oung entries as Dave Ferrlss of he Red Sox, Wakefield of the Tigers, Stirnweiss of the Yankees, jchoendeinst of the Cardinals and a ew more who may develop rapidly. Old Stars Returning The majority of baseball eyes will e focused on former stars who ;hould, in the main, be ready for laseball again next spring. Al New-louser New-louser will again rate high up after i brilliant two-year record. After the First World war, the 111-'ated 111-'ated White-Black Sox of 1919 and he Giants and Yankees of the early 20s were unusually strong. What about golf? So far, among :he professionals, the top men are itill Nelson, Hogan, Snead and Mc-5paden, Mc-5paden, who have been around quite i spell. We have no record of any young new pros crashing the spotlight spot-light at this moment. But the amateur ama-teur side with Haas, Stranahan, Mlddlecoff, Doerlng and Givan will be above the 1919-1920 average. This list will hardly include a Bobby Jones, but in medal play against the pick of the pros they have been outscoring any set of amateurs we can now recall Professional golf may have to wait a while before giving the game a young star as good as the veteranj still left. Tennis? Not yet. Amateur tennis has no chance to match the Big Bill Tilden and the Little Bill Johnston of 1919 and 1920, on through 1925. Some of the kids may start moving up, but hardly in time for any 194C or 1947 championships. Revival of Polo Polo will be in for an even tcrlighei touch. Most of the better polo ponies are now missing. Polo went almosl 100 per cent to war aBd little competitive com-petitive polo has been played in th last four years. Polo will need t longer road for its comeback to the days of Hitchcock, Mllburn and otli ers who were around In 1920 oi 1921. But in spite of a lapse in forrr and class from 25 years ago thor will be far more competitors In tlit field and a greater kid crop comlnj on. |