Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-07-01
Fighters ON EDGE;
NOW NEED SLEEP
might Before Battle" Has
Marred Chances of Many
Champions and challengers
DEMPSEY NOT A BECKETT
BY GRANTLAND RICE

BY GRANTLAND RICE
New York. July 1.-Tonight. when
the June moon has ridden high and the
ostermoor beckons from the din
shadows. Dempsey and Carpenter, at
Jersey City and Manhasset. will come
TO the most important stretch of their
training.
Throughout the vast hubbub and the
endless babel that has beaten upon
them. the millions of printed words and
the thousands Of printed pictures. theN
come to the last night before the Big
Tomorrow with an insistent cropping for
the sleep "that knits up the rnve.od
sleave Of care" the sleep that Is needed
now more than any week Of work theS
have ever known.
This might before the battle has
marryd as many champions and ChaI-
lengers as any opponents speed or
power on the following day. Only
those upon the eve OF some hiS teSt YES,
who have looked for endless hours with
wide, staring eyes at the ceiling, wait
ing for sleep to come. know the weak
ening agony of this last night.
In the Art of Preserving Health you
will read, 20. sleep before you fight.
'Tis not too late tomorrow to be
brave" Considering the final stages OF
nervous strain. both will be lucky v
they can pass a night that ism broken
by restless tossing or mapred oy strange
fantastic dreams. where leering phan-
toms have arrived to foretell the posi-.
bilities Of the day beyond. Jeffries and
er Willard both know what 1t means to
'ta find, the night before, the win groping
of ''tired limbs and over busy thoughts
inviting sleep and soft forgetfuness.
It is an old story of both the ring and
the field And it may come to even the
gamest Travers knew II at MulrheLd'
where for nine hours he looked, open
eyed, into the darkness, until his weary
nerves finally gave way at dawn, lcav-
ing him an easy prey to the hrSt op'
ponent in sight.
Time TO Think
Both the champion and the chal-
lenger now have time TO think 1t over
with their physical training done.
Dempsey has trained too much in the
jarring whirl Of the crowd, nn4 NJ lar, r,
pentier has made no violent effort 10
toughten his fiber against the punish
ment he will be forced to weather.
Bat in the main they are both as
ready as men can get Tor the job Of
carrying out the basic ideals of their
chosen profession.
Champion and challenger together
have watched the odds against the lat
ter improve. Whether the remarkable
outburst of Prof George Bernard shaw
had ANYTHING to do with the shift Is
not known George Bernard has duly
warned gullible public against D"mp-
sey's quick and sudden overthrow at the
hands OF "the greatest boxer in the
world" Dempsey may he number OF
things, but he isn't Beckett. The
reason for the slump in odds against
the challenger is obvious. The crowd
has heard too many rumorS Of DPmp-
sey's worried state Of mind over the
reception that he may get when, as
American champion of the world, he
steps through the ropes to receive the
verdict of his Countrymcn.
breads First Moment
Remembering Madison Square Garden
just after the Brennan fight. Dempsey
breads this first moment moro than
any two swings his opponent may have
tn hurl his way He has already been
told that the big majority Of tho audi
ence will be for his rival. something
upon a home field unheard Of in the vast
history Of sport If this diSfavor |,
openly shown, no prophet can forrtrl
the result. since no prophet can rcaC
Alright the many possibilities Of the hu
man mind.
Under any lash Of public disfavor
either expressed openly or by create
ndulation for his opponent. he may lasl
himself into n destructive fury that vii
add steam 10 his punches and speed Il
his fists. and that in turn may ais
wreck his sanor Judgment, where h
will tNar in to win or lose in a sing
crushing smash.
Or it may be that any such publi
display will have the effect nj kijlin
off his ambition 10 win, leaving hin
In the lcthargy of a droopinG spiri
that no longer cares Not even Demp
sey himself can know how his subcon
conscious spirit will work in with th
feeling Of the crowd.
This. TO us, Is the most imDortar
phase Of the fight II has been show
clearly enough that in physical wa
Dempsey Is heavier. stronger. far NOR
rugged and about as fast in those de
partments where speed Is n vital asse
Can Hit Fast Man
bra He has shown that while he can /
hit by fast man. he can also hit
' fast man himself, and hit with MOI
Furnishing effect. both hands consdere,
than his rival But Carpentipr. wit
the volatile Latin temperament thi
thrives upon acclaim and the brav,
Of the popuace. is sure to be psyche
logically at his best. The iaoltng tn;
so many from foreign natiou arc wit
him can have but one effect If he
even close to the champion IN q phys
cal way, counting up both strength az
speed, and If he has the stamina - tal
something and still keep on hi. wa
this psychological edge will have a b
effect and play an important part
: the final returns
IN The odds against him might be eve
l6yer If he had whipped just one go,
maa since he laid aside his Sky-bI,
uniform of service and returned to civ