Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-16
SPORTING COMMENT.
BY J. ED. GRILLo.

Just why there should be any miSunder-
standing regarding the selection Of a
referee for the big fight is hard to under
stand. There is no question that any one
Of the men named to ofIlciate in the ring
by both fighters would give thorough
satisfaction. There has not been an In
stance In recent years where a referee
has deliberately given a wrong decision.
The last case OF that kind was the Wyatt
carp affair in Frisco, when F1tzsimmons
was cheated out Of bout with Sharkey.
Bat the general run OF referees these
days are square men, as fond Of their
regulations as is the average man in any
other walk Of life.
Furthermore. it looks like dollars to
doughnuts that about the only decision
the referee In the Jeffries-Johnson fight
will have to make Is to count ten when
one or the other is knocked out. There
is but nt.::o chance of such fight going
the limit OF forty-fve rounds.
Big, shifty men like this pair are not
apt to do a lot OF flddling It will be a
case, OF one trying to put the other out
after the first few rounds.
Both are well acquainted with the
rules governing the game and will not
transgress In the slightest. Disqualii-
cations in worlds championship fights
are decidedly rare. and. as said before.
any one OF the men mentioned for the
position will fill the bill to the salts
faction Of both principals and the
public.
II there is any hope for the racing
game it seems to lie In the adoption of
the pari-mutuel system Of betting. This
manner Of wagering eliminates the
bookmakerS and the plunger, both OBJ
jectionable adjuncts to the game as II
was formerly conducted in this country
| ,rth ha mol ~tn
to rumors Of crookedness, which has
done so much to give the turf a black
eye There Is no such thing as q horse
owner laying against his own horse in
a book with the mutuels In vogue.
Racing has never been as black as it
has been painted. but the old system left
too mich room for suspicion. So long as
the public does its wagering among itself.
there is not that objection that existed
when the bookmaker handled the publIc's
money. Furthermore. the percentage
which went TO the bookn1afer Is enmi-
mated. But 5 per cent is deducted from
expense of operation. where 1t was not
unusual to see 20 per cent book
Under the Old booking system, with per-
haps two or three so-called dead ones"
in the race.
Ball players are not forgotten these
days as they. were decade ago. but It
Is doubtful. II player ever won SO warm
Doc Powers. the Athletics, catcher. who
died about a year ago.
In his honor June 80 has been set aside
as a day when teams made up OF the
pick Of toe Philadelphia. Boston and
Washington teams will engage in field
sports and playa game on Shibe Park, the
entire receipts OF which will 60 TO Powers
widow. Powers deserved everything he
got in life. and It. speaks we'll for the
men in base ball TO remember him even
after he has gone to the great beyond
i There Is still sentiment in base bali, much
more, in fact, than those engaged in the
! game are given credit for.
Conceding that Jack Johnson is a great
defensive fighter, it is questionable
| whether he Is or ever was as clever as
Jim Corbett. Neither has it been shown
that he can hit much harder than did
Corbett. for no fighter who relies on a
defensive front ever proves hard hitter,
Cor he never lets himself open long
Johnson's fights with Burns and Ketche!
did not prove him a s!ugger. True, he
was not injured by either. OF these Cd.
ponents. but that was probably due to his
wonderful advantage in height and
reach
Jeffries must not be considered q
clumsy boxer He is much cleverer than
always been So sturdy that Re could af.
ford to take a punch for the privilege
Of landing one. Then. too, Jeffries w.il
be the biggest and best, man johnson
has ever fought. and It will. therefore,
be his first opportunity to prove that he
| Is champion, who classes with the
heavywe!ghts the game could boast OF a
few years ago. when Jeffrias fought his
way to. the front.