The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-04-24
IENEAJTE
PASSING Of
BAD BOYS
BY Gene Tunney
EVorld's Heavyweight Champion

i sAN II w = sN-k4SA1S
While I was visiting the vari
Gus baseball camps in Florld'
during the winter, sportln;
writer's unanimously complained
that q great reform wave hae
come over baseball players ane
that the colorful incidents
which resulted III 50 much gooe
fiction j few years ago were
no more.
The fact that few of the out
standing revele1:s of the past hat
dropped back into quiet routinel
did not seem to me surprising. Al
whole there never were but few
Peck's Bad Boys in any of tin
camps. and they were known chiefly
for isolated and often exaggeratet
escapades because OF their pronli
mence In actual competition.
AS b matter OF fact there die
not appear to be any reform wave
ut all III the goody-goody sense. q
is simply case of some OF tbs
leading athletes Of today having
acquired q business acumen they
lacked few years ago.
There Is nothing remarkable
about that, for many 3 business
man who soWs wild oats on his
way fO the top quits later, not
perhaps out Of any great spirit
Of repentaaace. but because ne
finds e ID troublesome i'm his
new role 70 have rtniOrs CIR.
eAiIati2lg, To the effect that he IS
asst Ill that HE should be.
III the case of athletes there are
nlways constant predictions that
they are tlar0ugh" about the time
they win their first big success 90
n they begin to conserve their
money and strength more than
they did III the flush Of their youth,
they are more than justified.
Baseball camps. however, We're
full 0f reform stories this year.
There were outstanding cases which
the shorts writers commented on
freely. Some 0f the baseball ehrOn-
acies were positively aiIing because
Babe Ruth steadfastly refused 70
break. over the traces and stage
eccentricities that would make good
copy.
Not long ago to engage in sports
In a professional way practically
bound tile participants to a life Of
Fiotous living. They had to spend
more than far weather. friends
and spend 1t more spectacularly to
uphold the dignity of their posi-.
tons.
No man lin the old days could
have owned race horses as
do today and still go on lead
fng 4 quiet and sober com
merefaI life. No boxer of any
repute at all could put his
money into anything except
HOLSTERS and champagne.
Not even a. promoter like Tex
Rickard could have built a struc'
ture dedicated entirely to sport as
is Madison Square Garden and
offered stock among reputable
financiers in Wall Street. II a
Babe Ruth In years gone by had
attempted to establish such a trust
fund as he has established and
which will care for him for life, he
would have been the victim Of end.
less jokes such as those they used
To tell about Tom Sharkey. most of
which are now being duplicated
about some Scotchman
But Tom saved some part of the
reputation he lost In taking care
Of his money by owning a saloon,
which was about the only profes.
sion an old-time boxer could adopt
when he quit the ring.
Jim Corbett suffered a period of
great unpopularity after he had
taken the championship away from
John L. Sullivan, largely because
he refused to join In the last-doIIar
orgies expected of champions, and
because he wanted to earn money
by playing in the theater instead
of boxing all the time. Nevertheless
he has survived most of those who
considered athletic fame and dissi-
patton synonymous.
Baseball i'm the old days de-
nanded almost as much from
famous players. The players of
the Casey Mt the Bat type were
among the characters Of the
Great White Ways of the
country IN the 90's, but they
didn't earn enough money to
make their exploits stay re-
membered.
Only now that their pay is com.
mensurate with the interest the pub.
lie has in seeing them are ball play
ers watched with critical interest.
But as a class, athletes are devel
oping more and more It a business
sense which precludes dissipated
lives as rule, even though training
may be broken now. and then. In
turn, it is the public interest in sport
that has caused the athletes to set 9
greater value upon their health and
skill than formerly. The rough old
timer has almost passed, and with
him much of the suspicion of the
public, and even managers who hired
spies to trait their stars and other
wise goad them into jumping over
the traces at every chance.
Sport is all the better, not for iii
reform, but for it's new view of life.
copyright 1928. by King Features
49, Syndicate. Incl