The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-08-03
Sport Talk
Dempsey a Sport.
Many Critics.
A Good Feliole.
By HENRY l.. FARRELL

NEW YORK. Aus, 2--lack Me
IN Aullffe. the genial hghtweish'
and the only champion who ever re-
tired undefeated from the ring, ha'
an idea that Jack Dempsey may Ne'
como into tho popularity that up e
the time % the present champion has
always come as heritage TO heavy
weight title holders.
Dempsey, as is well known. is not
hero In the public eye, for rcaton'
that are hard 20 explain. II might
be going too far 20 say that Damp
ssy is tho most unpopular champion
en- tho long list, because Jack john
son held even lower place IN The
estimation OF the public.
johnson brought dlsfaYor upon
himself BY his conduct after he had
won tho championship from Jim JEFF
fries, but pCrapsey has done nothing
since he won the title from Jess Nil-
lard TO bring discredit upon himself
or on the game that has been good
90 him.
pcmpsey's war record got him IN
had With the public and while most
everyone has forgotten there Was
such a thing as a big war, the Inn
preston stlll fingers that Dempsey
didn't do something when he had the
chance.
Friends Of the champion and those
who are broad-mlnded enough 20 so
back 10 tho days leading up 10 the
war. know that Dempsey was largely
tho victim OF circumstances and poor
advice.
AAseAillffe believes that fight
with Luis Firpo. che South American
giant. will do much 20 win for Demp-
say tho public esteem that he de-
serves Until the time that Domp-
sey Is accepted as a national repre-
sentative against a foreigner, he viii
not have the opportunity 20 set him
sclf back into favor. McAuliffe be-
lieVeS
@Carpentier was tho first foreign
fighter TO be checred over an Amer
lean and that can be explained" Nc
Auligfa says. The war records Of
the two fighters was the big Issue
there and the fight was staged at a
time when the hhrdships OF the war
was rather q fresh memory in the
eyes Of the public.
John l. Sullivan gained his great
cst popularity when he fought Nit
cheil. the sentiment being our"
champion against n foreigner, when
Dempsey meets Firpo. unless the an
mostly toward Dempsey Is too deep
rooted 10 be pulled ont. the Amer
lean public will rally the same way
behind tho champion.
~lndications OF this were shown In
the FirDo-willard fight when the
crowd arose spontaneously and yelled
for Willard 30 win when he rallied
and seemed 10 have chance. This
sentiment there was clearly for an
American aEainst a foreigner. be-
cause Willard during his regime as
champion was hardly more popular
than Dempsey.
Through all his trials and trou-
hleS. Dempsey hns been such good
sport that some time sentiment IL
hound 10 change in his favor. He
never has grumbIed or complained.
He has never made answer TO accu-
sations that were mnnifeStly unfair
and untrue and he has never shown
malice toward the owds that prac-
sically razzed him on his two last ap-
pcarances in the ring"
TT Is rather unfortunate for Demp-
i sey that some OF his severesi
critics and his most preiudlced de-
farmers have not had tie opportunity
to meet hi mand talk TO him.
II Is not enough to say that Demp-
sey is not bad fellow. It is more
to the point to say that he is n
mighty fine fellow. ohliging at all
times, affable and kind toward all
and mighty generous in his treat
ment OF friend and foe alike.
Dempsey lacks only the moral
background and the domestic stabil-
ity OF Tommy Gibbons, tho most pop
ular OF all the boxers. II must be
remembered that Gibbons had oppoF-
tunities to become polished and to
grow into the high plane In which
he lives. Dempsey had no chance
TO elevate himself In his youth. but
he has made tho utmost OF his op-
portunities since he won the cham
pIonship.
Just before the fight in Shelby. a
friend asked Johnny Kilbane. tho
former featherweight champion,
which one he wanted to win.
1T win be a shame for either one
10 lose" Kilbane said.
Both Dempsey and Kcarns acted
like real sportsmen all thru the mix
UP at Shelby and they made many
friends. II was most difficult prop
osltion to break thru the oyerwhelm-
Ing Gibbons craftsmanship that was
almost solid In the middle west and
the northwest section OF the coun-
try, but the champion made many
new friends under the handicap and
he had to be a regular fellow to
do It.
Dempsey, az far as public utter
ances would indicate, has never pro-
teated against the unkind spirit that
the public had adopted toward him.
but the hurt Is very apparently on
the inside and It cropped out in the
fight with Gibbons.
Several things in addition to that
Interior rebellion against circum-
stances helped to make Dempsey
more vicious, more inclined TO 30 TO
the ragged edge OF the rules and more
malicious than he has ever been in
the ring before
Thru gross inefficiency of the pro.
moters. Dempsey was In the ring al
most ten minutes before Gibbons
came into the corner and delay of
ten minutes more was occasloned
when Gibbons came into tho ring
with his hands unbandaged The de-
lay worked Dempsy almost into a
rage. He was further angered when
the announcer introduced Gibbons
first and was leaving the ring when
some one from the ringside shouted
at him to Introduce the champion