New Britain herald., 1925-01-22

It's one thing 10 be champion But to hold onto the laurels ii something else again.
 Many sportiye celebrities have as' cended to the topmost pinnacle after a gallant uphill climb; have vaulted the final barrier to success. But barring a few exceptions they have failed to retain their lofty positions for anything more than a limited span.
 Down the old sport trail, however, we find handful or so who have leaped to fame-and have stayed within the calcium glare for lengthy stretches; yea, have held the throne for sensational periods. Some of them have since passed from the championship class; others are still carrying on. They represent six of the major sports.
 Hoppc Leads Ijm All.
 Heading the list of so-called spor- tive immortals is Willie Hoppe, ex- ponent de luxe of the billiard cue and the green table. Hoppe, once termed the boy wonder" has been outclicking opponents at the 1S.2 balkline gime for close to two decades.
 Hoppc started on his meritorious career back in 1906. And he has clung tenaciously to the old laurel wreath ever since with the exception of a single year when his most dan gerous contemporary, Jake Schaefer, Jr., ruled the roost.
 Then we have the great Ty Cobb. His supenativc deeds on the major league ball fields are too well known to need much comment. From 1907 up to and including the 1919 cam paign, the Georgian topped the league hitters every sea son but one--1916, when Iris Speaker momentariy halted the Cobbian bombardment.
 Unequallcd in Baseball Annals
 Cobb's stellar batting march knows no parallel in all baseball his- tory Moreover, it isn't likely to be either.
 Back in 1912 a new fcatherweight king was crowned. The parsonage referred to was Johnny Kilbane, a Cleveland youth. Kilbane came in- 10 the title by whipping the crafty Abe Attell.
 For II straight years Johnny had the chevrons packed away in his kit. And then-a French chap named Eugene Criqui, came along and Xiii bane's remarkable reign was over. But Johnny had perched atop the pngilistic throne longer than any other ringster before or since.
 There is an old adage in golf to the effect that champion seldom But not to Chick Evans, Chicago wizard.
 For Evans, besides perhaps win ming as many big time golfing get togethers as any pastimer in history, boasts record of having grabbed the western amateur event four times running. He was turned back on his fifth attempt last summer.
 Nine Years Without Defeat
 To Gil Dobie, now coaching at Cornell. goes the honor of chalking up the longest winning streak in football. Dobie, while tutoring teams at the University of Washing ton years ago, went through nine seasons without tasting defeat Spot that record if you can
 And then there is Bill THden, the tennis monarch. TiIden has played hockey" with the rest of the field in the national singles event for the past five seasons. He looks good enough 10 continue indefinitely, though it is rumored that the cham pion plans to retire this year
 Hoppe, Cobb, Kiibanc, Evans. Dobie and Tilden-all names to con- jure with in the field of athletics; names that will live in the sportive for all time. especially in billiards, baseball, boxing. golf, foot ball and tennis.
 Champions all!