San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-10-04
1{@a54
Fans Are Funny.
They Go "Nuts."
After Runyon.
A Philly Incident.
BY Damon Runyon
copyright 1925. by International
Feature Service)


copyright 1925. by International
Feature service)
The psychology Of the sports fans
of the different committees of this
country has always interested me.
I often wonder what emotions churn
within them, and what thoughts, II
any, are buzzing through their brains
For 10, these ten years l nave
been trying to figure out why that
Philadelphia fan earnestly endeavored
to slug me, a lowly sports writer
lust because Will Brennan, the once
famous gesticulator, had forfeited
game to the Giants by the convention
al score of 0 to 0.
I was on my way to the North
Philadelphia station, well in the wake
of the retreating Giants, carrying my
little folding typewriter in my hand
and mentally dcploring the unseemly
turbulence produced among the in
mates Of Philadelphia by Mr.. Bren-
mans action. They were at that
moment trying to knock the Giants
brains out with brickbats, little real
izing that in that particular period
then had selected small and in
convenient target. -t'
An infatuated Philadelphia sud-
denly chose me, although l was earn
estly endeayoring to look like a citi-
zen Of Crum Lynne, Pa. ! do not
know how he penetrated my disguise.
All I know is he let fly with left
hook for my chin, and only the fact
that covered two hundred yards be-
tween the, time he discharged his left
hook and the instant it arrived at the
limit of his reach. saved my life.
could step in those days.
Years of reflecting have convinced
me that the agitatcd Philadelphian
discovering me as New Yorker,
looked upon me as a sort of symbol
of New Yorkism. Ergo, if he sluggcd
me. he was. in n manner Of speak
ing. slugging New York, and thus
avenging Philadelphia for Will
Brennan's decision.
OF course he did not know that he
also would be smuggling Pueblo. Colo,
or I believe the man would have
STAYED his hand. Surely the knowl-
edge would have given him pause.
You NAV slug New York with i'm
pnnity, or left hook, but you may
not slug Pueblo. Colo, and expect to
continue breathing.
Ihave come to the conclusion after
much thought and research that the
sports fans Of this country fail to
give sufficient consideration 20 the
case in hand when enraged. They are
too extemporancous, so to speak.
They rarely weigh all the evidence
carefully. and judicially. They never
pause to count Il hundred. or even
fifty. Thus we have sad outbursts.
and cushion throwings, and much
mumbling. 49,.
First. In arriving ut a conclusion
on a Boston fight. you must get an
idea of the Boston fans attitude.
Years ago the Boston fan was told he
was the fairest in the country. Bail
players and fighters told how they
liked to come here. and since fighters
are still falling all over themselves
TO show in Boston they must at least
be sincere in this statement.
It pays to show here. But the Bos-
ton fan. being reminded of his fair
ness has for many years been leaning
over backwards. He has an absolute
horror of close decision going
against an outsider for fear the good
name of fairness may be smirched.
Had Firpo been allowed to hit Demp-
sew after the bell in the first round
of their fight. Firpo would now be
champion. That in brief is the answer
TO the SolomonMaloney fight. Ma
loney was foulcd.
"MaIoney is rather unluciy. He
was robbed Of n decision in n bout
in which he didn't foul. and accused
of robbery in one when he was
fonlcd. Peculiarly, the same referee
officiatcd in both bouts, and to my
mind was condoned and even praised
when he acted wrongly. and severely
criticised when he did the right
thing"
Sometimes think the New York
fans. too. strains himself in trying
20 be fair to the visiting firemen. He
not infreauently tries so hard to be
fair to the visitors that he is unfair
to the home boys.
That. presume, is the essence
and the spirit Of craftsmanship. and
is to be applauded. But back in my
old home town out west the popular
idea was to be for the home boys to
ho-laid-the-rail. and to learn how to
dodge expcrtly on all foreign fields.
In the great city Of New York
when the ringworms are indignant
over decision by the referees and
Judges. they do not seek out each
individual referee and judge. and say
to them personally. the mean things
that are in their minds.
Instead the ringworms vent their
ire on poor Mr.. Joscphus HUMPHREYS.
the venerable announcer. whose head
is quite bald from tie vials of wrath
that have been empticd upon his
noble bean in years past. And ak
poor Mr.. Josephus HUMPHREYS does is
10 state the decision Of the judges
and the referees.
He has no more to do with the de-
cisions than Onc-Eyed Connolly and
maybe less. But the Infatuated ring
worms call him skunk. and
robber. and poltroon. and dirty
so-and-so. and Mr.. HUMPHREYS has TO
listen with smile. while the real
miscreants, the judges and the ref
crces. co home 10 the bosoms of their