The New York herald., 1922-02-19
By DANIEL.


A champion OF champions in Ameri-
can sport-the great and highly versa
tile Jim Thorpe-a real American.
tribes, were setting running records on
this continent when London was Ro-
man village and gladiators did each other
to death In the Coliseum which still
stands by the banks of the Tiber. A
remarkable champion indeed was
Thorpe the Indian, and at 81 he still
is At enough to go into a professional
football battle with lot OF younger
men and still stand out as the cham
pion.
A champion he was In football-the
greatest player yet seen on any grid
iron. A champion he was in athletics
the greatest all around performer the
world yet has seen. A champion he as
pired to be in professional baseball, but
there his hopes struck snag. He was
a good ball player, was tho Indian. but
not quite good enough for the National
League. The Giants gave him q chance
to prove his worth, but curve ball pitch
ing proved too much for him and he
slid into the American Association
There we still find him, not good enough
for the majors, but star In the class
below.
1t was as football star that Thorpe
made his biggest mark In American
sport. He was a fast running back, a
terrific smashing back, great one at
skirting an end and reversing a field.
He could punt with the best of them;
he could drop kick, and in his day he
had no superior as a kicker Of goals
from placement. He was host in him
self. and we say the greatest. From
time to time football followers will en-
ter into O discussion as to the great
est of all time. but after all is said the
debate SINNERS down to tho Indian.
Thorpe was the product of a great
football school and a great football
coach-the Carlisle Indian School and
Glenn Warner, who now Is at Pitts
burgh. In 1911 and 1912 Walter Camp
placed Jim on his All-American team
at halfback. In 1911 Thorpe made
packed stadium sit up and take notice
when he shone brilliantly In Carlisle
victory over Harvard. by Is to is. 1t
was place goal from As yards by the
Sac and Fox which gave Carlisle its
margin of triumph In terrific battle
with great Crimson machine.
In 1912 the Indians went up to West
Point to play the Army, and there the
football world once more got a striking
demonstration of the prowess of Thorpe.
He ran hither and thither, kicked,
dashed, plunged-had those Army play
ers by the ears while the Indians ran
up score of "a to 6. Those who saw
Thorpe that afternoon never will forget
that exhibition Of power, speed and YER
satility.
In 1912 Thorpe went to Stockholm to
the Olympic games as a representative
Of the United States. The Indian con-
tinued his trfumphs there. The King of
Sweden congratulated him. All Europe
marveled at the athletic ability of the
redskin.' But when Jim came home 1t
was found that there was a stain on
his amateur escutcheon. He had played
summer baseball In little league down
in North Carolina. The Amateur Ath-
letic Union could do nothing but dis
qualify Thorpe and apologize to the
other nations. Thorpe's title was taken
away from him, but America continued
to regard him as the champion of cham
pions.
A Homeric athlete. this Indian. A
champion OF champions.
Copyright, 1899, bp THE New York HERALD.