Louis reached the end of the boxing trail when Marciano kayoed him. Professional wrestling is sad end for Joe Louis The name Joe Louis doesn't ring any bells wit By ADAM LAPIN h my kids or their friends of their generation — except for those who memorize the record books and have read that he was one of the great boxing champions of all time. we remember the Brown Bomber of o But when we relative oldsters hear the name id. We recall the slim, trim, young Louis of 20 years ago who knocked the Nazi Max Schmeling and the myth of white supremacy out of the ring. We recall: that he was one of. the pioneers in breaking down! jimcrow iin sports, and how at an | { earlier and less advanced stage in the fight for civil rights Louis was regarded by Negroes: everywhere as a symbol of their fight for full oe l citizenship. So for us there is sadness and even tragedy in the image of the now middle-aged and flabby Louis turning wrestler to make | a few bucks. ‘ There is also another tragedy highlighted by. the Negro press and by the New York Post. Post sportswriter Milton Gross reported this month in the dis- patch from St. Petersburgh, Flor- ida, reprinted in the Chicago Defender: . “I saw Joe Louis wrestling last night, which was indignity enough, but the greater indignity was that he went through his bur- lesque before an audience from which Negroes were excluded.” Gross says he told Louis just a few minutes before the match went on that the Gable Arena, where the wrestling match was staged, was jimcrow. ‘ “At least I had to believe that he didn’t know earlier,” Gross writes. ““He said’ so. He threat- ened to walk out of the dressing room and’take'a‘plane to Miami immediately without going on. He was argued into staying and | | } wrestling.” ‘Louis explained that he had no chance to find out about the long-time jimcrow policy at the Gable Arena. “Monday I was in Tampa,” he said. “Last night\I was in Lake Worth. Tonight I’m here. To- morrow in Fort Lauderdale. I didn’t see the papers: I didn’t know.” Out of his very explanation emerged the tawdry image of the one-time champ crawling through the ropes at one little second-rate stadium after the other, night! after night. After the match was over Louis told Gross, “I don’t want that kind of money” and said he would contribute it to the National Association for. the Advancement of Coloréd People education fund. He also said he would never perform again in a jimcrow arena. The Defender and the Baltimore Afro-Ameri- ean headlined his pledge to contribute the purse to the NAACP. : I dare say it wasn’t a very big purse. More important than thé , money was the spark of the old | Louis in his statements indica- ting how he felt about jimcrow. “I believe him because I want td believe,” Gross wrote. “I want to believe him because he was more than a great champion. He was a man of integrity. He was a man of honor and as Jimmy | ! t i I think he is still all of that. But it isn’t easy to keep the spark alive while hurrying from one | cheap wrestling arena to another. trying to meet bills, trying to raise the dough to pay off the big | tax claim by the U.S. treasury | department. There’s no point being sore at the harassed and weary Louis. He was fleeced by pro- moters and hangers-on, socked by the government, forced to keep selling his name and his reputation after the prowess and. youth were gone. Old fighters don’t fade away. Especially if they are Negroes, they keep on fighting or wrestl- ing and scrounging around to pay the bill collector. Surely a great athlete like Louis should have been rewarded by a grateful country and per- Cannon once wrote: ‘A credit to! mitted to retire or to find him- 99 his. race — the human race’. | self a new profession. U.S. mags clash on “inside Landy’ story . Australia’s wonderful miler, John Landy, ran his second four- minute mile in the United States last Saturday, when he beat Ron Delany of Dublin easily in Fresno. Landy’s time was 3:59.1. He said after the race that he will ' now point for the Olympic 1,500 metres, and may not run the mile again. U.S. sportswriters have made a big hulabaloo about Landy and two experts for the Luce publi- cations, Time and Sports Illus- trated, got their wires crossed in 26, took it easy, giving the “inside” story of the a set of practise fabulous Landy-Bailey duel. Wrote Paul O’Neil in Sports to Los Illustrated: “Bailey came to Los Angeles in an extremely relaxed and lighthearted mood, while Landy | i \ i ! stretch’... “As he warmed up just before race time Bailey looked more like a man enjoying the pleasant sum- mery day and the carnival atmos- phere of the big meet than a fel- low about to project himself into the ranks of track immortals.” Now listen to the Luce expert lin Time: “Ryen though he figured to be beaten, lean Jim Bailey, 26, spent a‘ nervous night, and scarcely slept. Calm and confident, Landy, loafed through miles early on the morning of the race. He got Angeles’ vast Coliseum ready to go. Bailey was bushed, and, it seemed, past caring. He stared moodily at the crowd, had a tough time working up to rac- bore heavy burdens. He worried | ing pitch.” and was vaguely fearful that Ron You pays your money and you {Delany might outkick him in the takes your choice. Gert Whyte e SPOR ACING starts at Hastings this week, so this is a good time to tell readers how to win at . the track. I only wish I could. Here are some “handicapping tips, that will help a beginner to make his money last longer. On good days you'll even make a few bucks. Over the season, no system is fool- proof. however, * * * The first rule is, buy a scratch sheet and do your own handi- capping. Ignore the selections in the daily press, which are made too far in advance to be worth anything. (Play selectors’ choices and you’re dead). All handicapping is a risky business. How can you tell when the horse will be boxed in, or step on a stone? And you never know if the, jockey was on an all-night party before stagger- ing to the track. Often a “sure” winner stumbles coming out of the gate, and that’s that. Still, handicapping gives you a better, chance than playing them blind. Here’s one sample system you can use. 1. Look over the past per- formances of all horses in the race. Those who have not had a race within the past week, éross off your list. (This doesn’t apply to the first week of racing here, but is useful throughout the season). 2. Of the horses that ran within the past week, cross off all that failed to finish in the money (first, second or third). 3. Note the weight each horse carried in its last race. If a horse carries less weight, check it for handicapping. 4. Now check to see which horse on your list is carrying the most weight (of those who are all carrying less weight than last time out). 5. If the track is fast, bet, the horse carrying the heaviest weight. If the track is slow or muddy, ,bet the horse carrying the lightest weight. Clear enough? Yi run over the salient points again: Did * fondly called, this week. running again, including the popular mare Magic Note, above. Racing starts at Little Sarato the horse finish in the money last time out? Was that raee run within the past week? Is the steed carrying less weight this time ? This system — which often gets you longshots, _ seldom selects favorites — pays off well at times. But remember, no deviations. It makes no difference if the horse ran first, second or third. Ignore any race but the last one. Pay no attention to post posi- tions, jockeys or time in which the race was won. ¢ x * * If one stable enters two horses in a race (unless it’s a big- money~ event) you should be very careful. Two chances are seldcm better than one in a spot like this. One horse is likely out for exercise, and won't be try- ing. But the public will force the odds down regardless, snapping up a “bargain” bet, so that even if one horse happens to win, the payoff will be very small. x * * For the ultra - conservative bettor, the seventh or feature race presents less hazards than other races on the card. That’s because better horses are entered for larger purses, and owners run their steeds to win. Con- sequently, a greater than average number of favorites finish in front. But you don’t collect much at the pay wicket. * * * On a muddy track anything can happen, but fortune favors the front runners. Horses don’t * like mud flying in their faces. any more than you do. Don’t bet the horse with the inside post position, though. Firm footing is usually found further out, and the rail horse gets bogged down in very heavy going. * * * More tips some other time. Meanwhile I’m away to the races, so wish me luck. P’ll need it. ga, as Exhibition Park is Many old favorites will pe show? May 18, 1956 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE — PAGE 10