Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-08-14
Plenty Talk, Not Much
Action as Promoters
And MANAGERS Mill


New York, Aug. 13-(AP)-For
the champion who has yet to defend
his laurels in the current campaign
there are few cheering reflections in
scanning the train of disaster that
has befallen many of the erstwhile
idols Of sport.
1t has been a bad year for title
holders in most every branch of
| competition with not unlikely pros
pect of a lew additional turnovers
before the last goal is kicked or the
final putt Is holed.
Here are few of the outstanding
casualties among the champions:
Willie Hoppe lost the balkline
billiard crown to young Jake Scaefer
-Strangler Lewis was tossed off
the heavyweight wrestling throne by
Wayne Mum, who later yielded to
the veteran Stanislaus Zbyszko.
S-Cannopball Martin dropped the
worlds bantamweight boxing champ
pionship to Charley Rosenberg.
4-Mike McTigue lost the light
, heavyweight toga to Paul Belenbach,
5-Jean Borotra's Wimbledon ten
mis- sceptre was lifted by his country
man, Rene Lacoste.
6-W. E. Garrett Gilmore's nation
al sculling honors went to Walter
Hoover.
Cyril lost the American open
golf crown to Willie MacFarlane.
S-Babe Ruth has been dethroned
as major league home run king,
The possibility that this list may
be extended is one of the main points
of interest in the closing chapters of
the 1925 season.
| An expert concenSus proba bly,
would agree that William T. Tilden,
tennis monarch for five years, has
the best chance of any to keep at the
top. The same concensus probably
would concede that Jack Dempsey's
| heavyweight crown will be intact by
Jan. l, 1926, but whereas Dempsey's
present policy involves few, if any
risks, Tilden will meet all Corners in
defense of his title.
Big Bill" has beaten about all of
his closest rivals thus far and seems
still in a class by himself but 1t is
not an impossibility that some rae
quet In foreign or native hands, may
find his Achilles heel in the cham
pionships next month.
The queen of American courts,
however, has slightly different
prospect. Where year ago Helen
wills seemed destined for supremacy
of the type Of TiIden's, she faces a
serious threat this season from
Elizabeth Ryan, the Californian, who
has come back to American tourna
ment competition after thirteen years
In England and Europe, where she
was Suzanne Lenglen's most consist
ct rival.
Miss Ryan's decisive defeat of Miss
wills at Seabright has put the cham
| plon on the defensive. The fact that
Helen also was forced to three sets
by Mrs. Jessup and Mrs. Mallory in
recent tournaments also adds to the
uncertain outlook for the Berkeley
girl, though, on the other hand, they
may also be merely an indication that
she has not yet reacher her top.
In golf, Bobby Jones. the amateur
king. and Walter Hagen. P. G.. A..
champion, face none too pleasant pros
| poets trying to keep their laurels In a
game which delights in upsets and
uncertainties. Nevertheless these two
famous links men will tee off with
close to an even chance Of coming
through again.
Baseball fandom. meanwhile. is
giving three long cheers for a new
champion or two. In the home yards
or the New York Giants and the
Washington Senators, rulers of 1924
major league heights, this may seem a
bit premature, but supporters of the
Pittsburgh Pirates and the Philadel-
| ph1a Athletics were ALMOST ready to
| moist the remnants aloft and watch
their favorites battle 1t out for the
worlds championship
| On the face of returns 50 far. the
Senators have the best chance of re-
| peating If their veteran hurting corps
Is able to stick to its guns to the fin
lsh. The Giants, beset by manifold
difficulties, have harder task on their
hands in an effort to make it five
| straight pennant victories.
Youth is one of the factors that Is
seeking to overthrow these baseball
leaders as 1t is also endeavoring to
| scan the peaks in other spheres of
| competition. The Pirates and Ath-
| letics represent the rising baseball
generation, the efforts of the blood
| and ambition to overthrow the old dy-
nasties.
1t is an interesting and somewhat
strange sidelight in the championship
] class to note that women stars have
| been more consistent than the mascu-
| line competitors. Suzanne Lenglen
and Joyce Wethered maintained their
reigns in the domain of tennis and
golf abroad. while few mermaids are
willing to dispute Gertrude Ederless
nj