The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-02-08
The Sportscope
SOME BOXING JINXES.
By Bruce Copeland. =

SOME BOXING JINXES.
Jack Dempsey is superstitiouS.
Very few boxers are not. II they
are not naturally superstitious, they
acquire the habit.
The other day in Portland. Ore.
Jack decided to visit the grave OF
The Nonpareil," his great name
sake.
He said other boxers had stopped
there to place wreath and suffer-
ed defeat-as . result, Jack fears.
Any display OF refinement in the
camp of John l.. Sullivan was re-
garded as . jinx. John L. would.
rather see Old Nick himself than .
dude" hanging around.
Jim Corbett regarded his chances
as almost hopeless unless he saw
women sitting at the ringside.
Tommy Ryan always had q col
ored man in his corner; he said.
(; for good luck.
Terry McGovern attributed his
first defeat by Young Corbett to
the fact that his attention was di-
verted by his fiancee in ringside
| seat.
Kid Mccoy always boxed with
his trunks inside out. He said the
seams irritated him more than an
opponents blows.
/, Johnny Griffith was never at
ease in battle unless his father
was taking tickets at the door.
Jem Driscoll, the great British
feather, would not let his seconds
shower him with water. He held
water a bad omen since a certain
day, when boxing on a barge. his
opponent knocked him through the
ropes into the water.
The boxer is as superstitious as
the actor. Life to the average pug
Hist is lodging one jinx after an
other.
SOME BASEBALL BLOTS.
Every nov and then . shooting
star falls from the baseball Gfma-
ment, its blazing trail lost to view
in complete oblivion.
And still they fall
The most graphic account Of IN
elephant hunt, with its thrills and
perfls. could never match the id.
vertising value of baseball in re.
gard TO the livery market.
Murder will ont; so will . b0ner.
No fallen gladiator Of ancient Rome
was ever subjected to the iDdigni.
ties imposed by bleachefites on IN
erring hall player.
Somehow the stain Of q bone.
head play can never be eradicated.
"LOng John" Anderson, sAee hat
ting star with the Yanks and Sen.
ators, was 6rst to "stear second
with the bases full Thereafter the
fans made it miserable for him
Whenever he got to first. One zeal
Of their taunts Was enough.
! Marty O'Toole aivyered for the
Pirates ~ q direct result Of pub.
licity accorded his purchase price
then considered fabuleaS. MaKty
took it 50 to heart that he actually
loatheA the sight or suggestion o.
money.
The late Bugs Raymond was On
of the greatest Of pitchers, but OF
the field he was one Of the biggest
bOneheads. He was seBsueusly veal
to . fault and many played hi
. weakness TO q finish. Such prank
were published IN hlmer0Us vetl
until poor Bugs became . marx To-
many of the vert types Of human
ity along the circuit Then his LIZ.
was snulfed out in . saloon braWl
Chief Meyers was . hero Ut IN
: Polo grounds until one day b
stopped to tie his shoe and was hi
By . batted ball Tie the score
you big cheese; not your sheet
yelled . fan. Meyers WAS pevel
any good on the bases after that
PROFITS AND LOSSES.
Johnny Evers. now manager o
the Cubs, became rich playing base
ball. He was industrious am
thrifty in the winter season. say
ing enough to buy the best sho'
store in Troy. n. Y. One night !
burned down. Johnny had enougl
money to rebuild it. but a secon'
fire almost wiped out his bank &C
count.
Orvie Overall pitched great bal
for 10 years with the Cubs and re
tired to buy an orange grove il
California. He invested all hi
savings in the golden trees. The
along came the first frost in .
years and caught Orvie With empt
pockets.
Wee Willie Keller, tie creates
place hitter the game has ever pro
duced. invested most OF his saw
ings in Brooklyn property on tn