The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-03-03

=
McGovern's gaze typical resort
picture was unfolding itSelf-bald-
headed business men with skin
groteSqueIy browned-Slick-k haired
Sl1eika from everywhere loaded
with ukuleleS, adventure and bath
room gin-dOwagerS affecting that
girlish something land 1.-the
Iimbed young ladies wearing the
new-cut bathing arnlor that hides
little in front and less in back.
"CPEAK1NG Of legs" resumed Mr..
- McGovern. ..
It. was evident there was no way
TO stop him, and while the subject
would naturally be diStastefu1 to one
of my spiritual character I was
forced to concede the appropriate
ness Of the occasion and presence Of
ut least one inspirational pair.
Yes, If Mr.. McGovern insisted I
would have to listen. Ny inherent
ell-breeding made this necessary
if nothing else. So Mr.. McGoyern,
big-gifted calory and vitamlne man
from Broadway, began to speak Of
legs and such.
you know" he began, "Tllnney
isn't going to last as long as cham
pion as you think. His legs are
badly proportioned and they are too
light for his body.
st hadn't noticed this particularly
Until I watched him work out today.
He's got the legs Of a nliddleweiglt.
This wouldn't be anything to worry
about II his legs were we'll proper
toned but they aren't. They are
straight up and down In contour.
They lack what you might call an
athletic mold. Legs Of this type as
rule have no elasticity. They don't
give enough, and the wear and tear
of ring work gets to them pretty
quickly"
4 suspected that the sun had
gone to Mr.. MCGovern's head. 1
reminded him that it was the gen.
eraI belief that Tunney was equip
ped with two of the greatest If not
the most gorgeous legs in the his
tory Of the genteeI art Of face de-
n1OliShing. @
WHERE would Tlrney have
Vbeen without those legs in the
seventh round at Chicago?" I asked.
What do you think. he was riding
when he got up and broke the 800
yard record for back-pedalin& get
ting away from that old man after
the knockdoVn?"
Mr.. McGoveEn shifted his position.
The blonde in the red suit had
moved to another beach chair.
Condition did that" answered
Mr.. McGovern. MOT legs. Tunney
was in superb condition that night.
He could have back pedaled On
pair of soda straWs.
but he is not always going to be
III that superlatively fine condition
and what's more important he is
getting older. In any sport the legs
are always the first to age. Fighters,
ball players, tennis stars and golfers
always go back first In the legs.
Some go back quicker than others.
This Is because they did not have
good legs to start with, and Tunney,
I'm telling you, hasn't good legs"
Mr.. McGovern went on to say
that no sport imposes such con-
tinuous and terrific burden on the
legs as fighting. In his day he was
fighter himself, bantamweight
Of better than average ability. He
recalled time when he boxed
three rounds with Johnny Hayes,
the marathon runner
TIAYES was training for his
l. i second race with Dorando, the
Italian whom he had previously
beaten in the Olynlpics," related
Mr.. McGovern. HE was running
ten, fifteen, and twenty miles day
This obviously to get his wind and
legs In shape.
Hayes and I were about the same
age and buddies. I got the notion
that 1t would help his condition If
he added boxing to his training
routine. So brought him over to
the gymnasium. We were to box
three rounds every day.. We boxed
only once, and at the end of the
third round he all but collapsed
Mr.. McGovern offered this as con-
vincing proof that fighting imposes
more strain on the legs that any
other sport. His star pupil, Ruth,
has under developed legs-a middle
weight from the hips down and a
dinosaur, no less, from the hips up.
But Ruth has lasted long time. At
the age Of thirty-four he had his
greatest year.
SThe answer is easy" exclailns
Mr.. McGOvern. Ruth puts less
strain on his legs In full seasons