New Britain herald., 1927-08-22
CUBS ARE SETTING
 CONVINCING PACE
Chicago Team Furnishes Biggest
 Upset in Years
By the Associated Press.

1 New York, Aug. 22 GP - The
 dope" takes many a strange twist
 in sports.
 Only a few months ago the Ath-
 letics and Pirates were odds-on fav- orites to win the major league pen nant races. But with little more
 are out of the running while the
 slugging Yankees have a lead that
 only a train wreck or an earthquake
 can upset.
 The Pirates. of course. aren't out of 1t but their chances of pulling through have lessened as the Chica-
 so Cubs have set convincing pace. , If the Cubs win it will be the i biggest dope" upset in the Nation
 al league since the miracle team of l Boston Braves swept to the top in 1914.
 Out of AZ baseball writers around 1 the major league circuit who gave the Associated Press their opinions i in advance of the 1927 races only
 one picked the Cubs. Even this bold
 choice was qualified by the predic- 1 ton that either the worlds cham l pi6n Cardinals or the Cubs would win. Only one other expert on the ! list rated the Chicagoans as high as
 second place. The majority picked them to finish fifth.
 Jack Dempsey was 3 to 1 favor l ite to trim Gene Tunney last Sep ! tember but with their return fight exactly month off, Tunney is 2
 to l shot to repeat his victory Apparently the experts who could see nothing but the devastating
 puncher of old in the Dempsey pre-
 pairing for last years battle. now are almost as strongly convinced that the erstwhile Manassa Mauler is still mostly a hollow she'll" in spite of his knockout of Jack Shar- key. They believe Dempsey should have been disqualified for fouling Sharkey, instead of being awarded knockout victory. They further con- tend that Dempsey, but for his so- called break" would not have gone much further against the Boston gob, anyway. in other words, that he is through
 It may be in the minority, but there is just as insistent a school of fstic thought convinced that Dempsey. regaining confidence and punching power if not his old speed, will turn the tables on Tun- ney at Chicago. Dempsey. these ob- servers argue, still can take it. and come back to apply the decisive wallop. He took" plenty, they point out, from both Tunney and Sharkey, the difference being that he showed, against sharkey. an ability to connect that was sadly missing against Gene.
 Tunney may figure to be too smart, too fast and too good boxer for Dempsey, improved though the latter may be. But the same factors were held to be in Sharkey's favor. They didn't work out because Dempsey crowded the Boston sailor from start to finish.
 The answer, if any. seems to be that Dempsey must carry the fight to Tunney from the opening gong if he is to win. Conversely, that Tunney's main reliance is to hold off the plunging ex-champion. spear him at long range or tie him up at close quarters.
 Two years ago the debate was west over the relative gridiron merits of Red Grange, the gallop- ing ghost of Illinois. and George Wilson, sensational University Of Washington halfback.
 Both were all-American selections and both turned to professional gridiron, where their performances aroused fresh argument. The dis cussion ceases abruptly, however. when it comes to comparing their relative drawing powers. As a gate" attraction, Grange is alone. lie IS the Babe Ruth of his sport
 It takes only a casual squint at the figures of c. C. Pyle to prove this. The promoter made over s100,o00 with Oranges New York eleven last season and is surround ing Red with an all-star cast for the 1927 season. He lost s37.000 with Wilson's Wildcats. a rowing outfit, which will be among the missing this year although Wilson himself may land a pro" berth i with one of the teams in the newly 1 consolidated National Football !, league.
 Oranges playmates this fan, | Pyle says. will include Eddie Tryon. | former Colgate star: Wild Bi!l' | Kelly. crack Montana player. and | Jeff CraNath, Southern California center last year. Morton Kaer Southern California halfback and 1 1926 all American choice also nav