The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-02-27
G RANDOM G
OPORT NOTEO


II the Willard Dempsey battle should
prove to be farce it may be the last
heavyweight fight to attract any notice
for years.
IT MAY EVEN SOUND THE
FINISH of the HEAVYWEIGHT i
The heavyweight championship has
been huge joke since Jack Johnson
got Jim Jeffries to come out Of retire.
ment and meet him. At that time
Jeffries was really the champ. He had
retired indicated.
Everyone knows what happened.
Jenries was beaten when he stepped
into the ring. There were charges
made that Jeffries' drinking water was
dcped. Those charges were never
cleared up.
No one to this day has figured out
why Jeffries-Jim, the King who fear.
ed no one-stood knock-kneed and
scared-looking as he faced johnson.
The heavyweight fights that fol-
lowed were jokes. johnson toyed
with the opposition. Then came
his i'l-sme!iino match with Frank
Moran abroad.
How did Jack lose the title? He
ruined his physique by dissipation.
He stepped into the ring down at Ha-
vana with Jess Willard, a mere novice.
for one reason alone. That was to get
more funds for gay living. He was no
more Jack Johnson the champion than
down-and-out hobo would be.
Wizards youth and strength,
not any ring science he had, won
him the title.
What has he done to win the re-
spect or admiration of f1stiana?
Not thing.
A few no-decision bouts with fall.
guys.
A ten-round bout with Frank Mo.
ran-a joke.
A few workouts with Walter Mon.
ahan as an added attraction in his
circus.
Those sum up his efforts.
Random wanted Jess to win when
he met Johnson because they wanted
to see white man champ. Willard
boosted no popularity to speak of. He
has gained no more.
Dempsey will have as many friends
in the arena as Willard when they
meet.
II the fight Is frost neither
will have friend among the fans
when the last bell rings.
AS to fare-fight sounding the
knell of the heavyweight game:
The day Of giants is over.
The mighty dreadnaught proved no
match for the little submarine.
The light, .swifter airplane surpassed
the bulky Zeppelin.
The little whippet tanks outshone
the giant numbering forts-the first
tanks built. The machine gun proved
deadlier than the huge cannon.
Now that the war is over the boxers
who will appeal to the public will be
the little fellows, bundles of nerve
and science.
The spectacle of two wheeling,
heavy-footed giants swinging wildly to
land knockout won't draw any great
interest
Some one who can hold following
with his personality, his science and
q fair amount Of speed must rule the
heavyweight class il that division IL
to hold its own.
l can't see Will%rd in that role
Dempsey hasn't set himself solid
with the fans yet.
So, IL these two stage a movie
battle, they'll simply box thsmsel-
vSS anu tnS heavyWS'0ut CLASS INTO
oblivion.
We're ready for the bell.
The men who have bossed-or tried
to boss-the Cincinnati Reds would
make a great ball team themselves. |
The only man they would lack would
be a third baseman. An extra short.
stop could be used at third
Since 1894, when Charley Comiskey,
the famous first baseman Of the old
st. Louis Browns, gave up the man
agerial reins of the Reds, the following
men have managed the team. The
position each man played before be-
coming manager is also given. Hank
O'Day quit umpiring to handle the