* Indestructable is the word for Sonja Henie, Olympic ice

skating champ prior to the Second World War and a
professional skater for more than 20 years. Still going
strong, she recently starred in a 90-minute television show,
as head of a large cast of skaters, comedians and “dry land”

talent,

Gert Whyte'e

SPORTLIGHT

HREE letters in the mail
this morning; one saying
the PT should enlarge its

sports pages; a second thinks
the paper gives too much space
to. sports; and a third advo-
cates the banning of boxing
because of its alleged brutali-
ty, and offers as evidence the
fact that Sandy Saddler, world
featherweight champ, is going
blind.

I'd like other readers to ex-
press their opinions on the
amount of space the PT should
devote to sports, and the re-
lative emphasis we should give
to amateur and professional
sports. Final decision on this
question should rest with our
readers, who are “the actual
owners of this paper, because
they raise the money to keep
the presses rolling.

On the alleged brutality of
boxing as a sport I will say a
few words.

In the first place, Sandy
Saddler didn’t damage his
eyes in the ring; he may suffer
partial blindness because of
injury incurred in an auto ac-
cident last July.

Having said that, just to get
the record straight, let me add
that in my opinion professional
boxing is beset by many evils,
including mis-matches which
often lead to boxers taking
unnecessary beatings in the
ring.

But I believe that there is
no finer sport than amateur
boxing, and no better builder
of character, courage and
skill. Boxing has been popu-
lar since the ancient Greeks
revived sports of various kinds.
Under proper supervision, box-
ing is one of those sports which
help to develop healthier
young citizens,

That’s my say on the matter,
Readers can take it from here.

Dempsey likes Patterson,
other experts are cagey

Ex-heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey thinks Rocky Marciano could whip
Floyd Patterson if he fought the 21-year-old champ this summer, but nevertheless

predicts that the young Negro titleholder will develop into ‘‘one of the great champs
of our time.’’ Unless Marciano ‘‘unretires”’
Patterson a brisk workout, opines Dempsey.

The old Manassa Mauler has
seen a lot of champions come
and go since he lost the crown
to Gene Tunney in a rain-
swept Philadelphia ring back
in 1926, but he holds Patterson
in high regard “because he’s
got plenty of stamina, heart
and punching power.”

Other boxing experts agree
that Patterson. is the © best
heavyweight in sight at the
moment, but ridicule the idea
that he stacks up well in com-
parison with past champions.

Charley Goldman, who
trained Marciano, says that
Patterson will never be a
great champ and should not
be compared with fighters like
Dempsey, Louis, Tunney and
Marciano.

“Still,”_ adds. Goldman,
“Floyd is only a baby yet, in
ring experience, and he might
develop into a great fighter.”

Eighteen men have held the
heavyweight title (in the era
of modern boxing, with gloves)

Is new basketball

scandal in offing?

Could another basketball scandal like the one which almost
wrecked the sport in 1951 break sometime this year in the
United States? There are indications that gamblers are again
tinkering with players, and that some players, eager to pick
up “easy” money, are contacting gamblers at the present time.

In 1951 players at City Col-
lege, Bradley, Kentucky and
elsewhere were convicted of
taking money to “throw”
games or win by narrow mar-
gins (giving the gamblers an
edge on points betting) and
were barred from the game
for life.

Now it is reported that some
mid-western U.S. college bas-
ketball players are searching
out gamblers and offering
their cooperation in return for
a share of the profits.

Although five players were
caught in 1951, others escaped
detection and some are now
playing pro basketball. Wheth-
er pro games are being fixed
is anyone’s guess,

Basketball has never caught
on as big-time spectator sport
in Canada to the same extent
it has south of the border, and
there has never been even a
breath of scandal associated
with the game here, But thou-
sands attend games regularly

in the U.S. and it is a “big

time” sport with
and bookies.

Most of the bookies want
to keep the game clean. They
have the odds on their side
and are afraid that another
scandal would kill the goose
that lays so many golden eggs
for them.

A basketball “fix” js easy
to set up and exceedingly hard
to detect. Perhaps that is why
so many college kids think
they can pick up some crook-
ed money and not be caught.
: Everyone knows that wrest].
ing is not on the level, but
wrestling promoters bill their
bouts as “exhibitions” and the

fans pay for the -entertain-
ment,

gamblers

* Sophomore s-nsation Wilt

(the Stilt( Chamberlain
shows how easy it is for a
seven-footer to dunk a basket.
The Kansas Jayhawker had a
45-point average in his first
two college basketball games,
but in recent weeks the oppo-
sition has caught onto his style
and lowered the figure.

FEBRUARY 1, 1957 —

there is no ohe in sight who can even give

_Dempsey and Louis were eas”

before Patterson. The list.
reads like this:

John L. Sullivan (last of the
bare knuckle fighters); James
J. Corbett; Robert Fitzsim-
mons; James J. Jeffries;
Tommy Burns; Jack Johnsons
Jess Willard; Jack Dempsey:
Gene Tunney; Max Schmeling:
Jack Sharkey; Primo Carneré)
Max Baer; James J. Brad-
dock; Joe Louis; Ezza 3
Charles; Jersey Joe Walcott
Rocky Marciano. ; :

Corbett, Jeffries, -Johnsot;

ily the pick of this bunch, folk —
lowed by Tunney and Marci
ano.

Right now Patterson is rated i
behind every previous champ: —
ion, but he shouldn’t feel ba
about it. Rocky Marciano was
also regarded as an “accident
when he won the title, but hé
proved himself as rugged 3
his name, and as tough as they
come.

At 21, Patterson is te
youngest man to ever win the
heavyweight crown. Oldest
was Joe Walcott, who was 3
before he made it.

Biggest.champ was Jess Wil
lard, 6 feet 6% inches and 252
pounds. Smallest was To Z
Burns, 5 feet 7 inches and 178 ©
pounds. Bob Fitzsimmons wa
a few pounds lighter thal
Burns, but several inches tal
ler. He was built like a light
weight from the waist dow)
but had blacksmith’s shoul
ders.

James J. Braddock was
known ‘as the “Cinderell@
champ.” He had retired from
the ring and was making #
working on the waterfront i
the depression days. Persuad’
ed to come back and meét
Baer, he couldn’t resist thé
temptation to pick up: a Dl
of scratch. In the back of his
mind he thought he might beat
the over-confident Baer, wh?
did most of his training 1
night clubs. It turned out h®
Was right.

Jack Jolinson was the first
Negro heavyweight champiow
although Peter Jackson woul
almost certainly have achiev:
that distinction if John L, Sul
livan had not drawn the colot —
line many years earlier. Th —
Boston Strong Boy liked t
boast that he could “lick 2DY
man in the world” but he stU* —
diously avoided tangling with
Jackson. or |

In recent years Negro fight
ers have almost dominated th®
heavyweight picture — Louls
Charles, Walcott and now Pat
terson.

Perhaps a decade from now
Floyd Patterson will:be rank |
ed near the top, instead of at :
the bottom of the list.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PA@