The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-25

ring. In the meantime he will continue
gradually losing much of his champion
ship stuff that has held him on top. No
man can remain away from q training
program and stay out of the ring as long
rs Dempsey has without losing a great
deal and while he may be able to defend
his title against the next challenger,
whoever his opponent happens to be will
find Dempsey much easier adversary
than any man who has stood before the
champion in q ring since the days he
won the title. Dempsey's present pro-
gram is the finest encouragement the
heavyweight division has been given
since that July afternoon when he bat
tered Jess Willard in Toledo, Ohio.
Benny Leonard has been doing little
more than Dempsey. There is a sus-
picion that Leonard has had about all
the boxing that he cares for. The ring
has lost its appeal to him. He is grow
ing to an age where the glory that the
ring offers seems rather hollow. He has
tasted about all there is to taste. No
lightweight has received greater acclaim
nor has any lightweight ever carried
the following that was Leonard's
through his years as ruler of the light
weight division.
Benny has found the revue and
musical comedy stage much more fasci-
mating than the ring and not nearly as
exacting. He has also discovered the
lure of the movie studios. There is no
demand for drying out process and re-
professions. And the flesh is ever weak.
restricted diets in the theatrical and
movie.
For years Benny has found it ex-
tremely difficult to get under 40
pounds. Now it will be next to impos-
slble for him to train to any poundage
under 40.
Leonard has continued his hold on the
title In the last year or so chiefly be-
cause the contenders were a group of
third and fourth raters. But the class
of lightweights is improving while
Leonard is deteriorating and the future
is not difficult to guess.
There was sensation in the east re-
Gently when it was discovered that
Homer Hazel, picked by Walter Camp
as all-America end last year, has been
married for eight years and is the father
of three children.
Hazel admits that he is 20 years
old. He plays fullback and end for
Rutgers. He was star performer last
year and did well again this season. He
has Just finished his football career.
Teammates made every possible eff
fort to keep secret the fact that Hazel
was married and the father of three
children. When the matter became
known it served as a front page news
story.
Hazel is not the only star football
player who was married before starting
to play and who was a father. There
have been number of others and in
every instance those concerned with the
team used every precaution to keep il
secret.
No one has ever furnished an ade-
quate explanation for this attempted
secrecy. Coaches say that if football
player is married he does not give the
time and attention to football that an
unmarried player gives. Home life and
the duties of supporting a family detract
too much from football. That is the
view of the coaches.
Married life does not seem to have
cut into Hazel's play at Rutgers. And
family life did not detract from the play
of several other married stars that we
have known. If anything, being mar
ried and a father, helped their play.
There is this about college football {:
While the game has set new records
for attendance this season and piled up
enormous sums in box office receipts, the
money taken i'll at the gates is going
to make it possible for college and uni
yersitieS TO expand in sDortS
Football keeps the athletic wheel 60