New Britain herald., 1925-08-20
PICKLE FATE IN
 ALL SPORTS DEPT. Champs Are Kings Until They Start to TOttGr

A'NN Slh Ehhe' ~ llh oAlNo III the world of sports--the ruling indi-
 idual or clan--haNe no more foun- dation than many royal house. The march of competition sets up and cheers its idols just about us en- Enthusiastically as it knocks them over
 While the monarchs of athletics come and go, however, records seems to show guiding influence that goes beyond the bounds of coinci- dcncc. Certain limits to the cham piCnship span may be voted in most every branch of competition, though the search for them also re- ,yeals many a startling exception such as the long reins of Willie Hoppe in billiards of Jay Gould in court tennis and the mar>e elous en- durance of such baseball stars as Ty Cobb and Walter Johnson, maintain ing the peaks for around score of years.
 Perhaps the most astonishing ex- ception of all to the theory of cham pionship limitation is the case of John Ball. Jr., who in d period of d quarter century, 1888 to 1912, cap tured the British amateur golf title eight times. This display of prowess is particularly noteworthy because 1t occurred in q sport where the crown awarding hand of fate is more t1Ckle in any other.
 Baseball, for all its exceptions. provides a bundle of evidence for the belief that the average cham plon's rulo is a short and merry one. It has come to be something of a tradition in the national game that no club can win more than four jor league pennants in row. The Giants, setting modern record and duplicating feat performed twice in the old days, did it last sea- son. They still have a fighting chance to break the old jinx and es- tablish new standard this year but the odds right now are against them. There is no doubt that McGraw's outfit has slipped a bit. It will be- long among the games miracle teams if it pulls through to the top again.
 The disintegration of the Yankees is further proof that the champion ship pace has it's limits. From pennant winning combination in 1921. 1922 and 1923, the Huggins clan slid back to second place last year and this season is in seventh place, close to the cellar with a club thoroughly broken up.
 There is striking parallel in this Incidentally. to the demise Nof the Giants and Athletics Of other days. McGraw's champions of 1918 fell back to second place in 1914 and to last place in 1915. Connie Mack's title. winning outfit of 1914 was broken up and dropped to the eel lar in one. season. The old Ralti- more Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Pitts burgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers also found it impossible 10 win more than three times in a row.
 It may be that thc present Athletics and Pirates, setting most of the pace in this years ponnant battles, are about to create new dynasties. They have the quality of youth which is lacking among rivals. the Senators and Giants.
 Another turn of the pages of sport seems to show a mystic quality In the number "seven." Jim Jeffries and Jack Johnson held the hcavv- weight boxing crown for seven years, while Jack Dempsey is now in his seventh year at the top. Benny Leonard retirrl e.ter seven seasons as lightweight king. E. D. Sears, the first recognize l American tennis champion, won the i'lIa seven years in a row. William A. Larned cap tured the same crown seven tim2s. The seven-ycar span of 1907 to 1914 saw Australia mainly at the top of the tennis heap in Davis cup play.
 The same influence or coincidence has been at work in Women's tennis, where Suzanne Lcglcn barring an exception or. two due moro 10 ill., ness and temperament than any lapse in playing supremacy, has been at the top through seven seasons, while Mrs. Molla Bjurstcdt Mallory was queen of American courts seven times.
 Helen Wills. with two titles to her credit since dcthronmg Mrs. Mallory, faces d stern test this week in an effort 10 keep up her streak, Will liam T. Tildcn, supreme for five years in mems tennis, seems good for at least two moro campaigns if he holds to his present form.
 Tennis. on the whole, has had perhaps more outstanding dynaSties than any other sport Great Britain from 1S97 to 1906, had her famous Doherty Brothers; Australia followed with the noted combination of Erookes and Wilding; while the United States has held the top with Tilden and Johnston, France, with Bcrotra and l.aCoste now is dominat- ing the European field and threat ening this country's hold on the scepter.
 Golf has known no such stretches of supremacy, It is a startling feat here for a champion to win twice in succession, Proof Of this is In the fact that no competition has repeat ed in the American open since 1912 CT the amateur since 1918. though Bobby Jones, the present amateur king, may break this iinx shortly at OnlSmnnf