The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-12-28
TALKING
IT OVER
WITH JOE WILLIAMS


to believe that the world at
large looks on sports writer's with
the same enthusiastic contempt
their fellow staff workers hold them
in. 1 suppose it is envy and Jeal-
ousy in equal proportions, and noun
ing else. At any rate. no Sports
writer ever took vacation but WhaC
on his return to the mines ne was
oreeted either with strained cool
ness or with cheap comment such
as: "What vacation is this Tor you
YOUR winter or summer one? W.
"Iow do you birds tell a vacation
from your regular work.?
With the large jOwled idlers on
he copy desk and the embryonic
Menckens among the rewrite art
lists a strange, cruel fiction has
grown up that no sports writer
ever does any work. Patiently TINS
is untrue. No man on the paper
works harder than the sports
writer.
THIS MAY BE DUE TO THE BIO
LOGICAL, FACT THAT MOST SPORTS
WRITERS ARE A LITTLE BIT QuEEN
ANY MAN WHO WORKS WHEN THE
NECESSITY DOESN'T EXIST CAN NOT
BE SAID TO BE ALL THERE
rH1s moi doubt explains why dra-
matte critics, feature men and
star reporters are uniformly accept
ed as representative citizens. The
grace and facility with which these
mugs s.de-Step and stiff arm the
routine labors of the day is nothing
short of remarkable.
And yet when they come stag
gering back from their vacations,
brown as a juniperberry, the Gus
tom is to hold everything and
launch the high-pOwered, OIL
burning EXPLANATIONS.
$50 you had a wonderful trip?
Well, say, now that's just great!
And you shot three moose and
five gOggle-eye perch!"
AS I SAY, THE ATTITUDE TOWARD
S MRiFEss T IS EEEsELY DfFFE a At
2o 5N IFS OF ACUTE MENTAL ANGUISH.
r V1sIONED something terrifying
i in the bleak prospect of going
through life unpetted and unpam-
pered b ythose fine, old, illustrious
gentlemen on the other side of the
city room who wrote so feellngly
about the Bolivian situation, the
restoration of the timber lands in
Nevada and other topics equally
fascinating and mysterious.
y y
But as the years rolled on
sensed change in m yemOtiOns.
Sorrow bowed to pity. The boys
nthe other side Of the room
hadn't really understood. Their
indictment against sport writer's
was built on a miscOnception of
what constitutes work.
+ =
FOR INSTANCE, THERE ARE THE
TRIPS THE SPORTS WRITERS TAKE
WITH THE BALL PLAYERS TO THE
SOUTHLAND IN THE SPRING: AD-
MITTEDLY THESE TRIPS ARE NOT
WITHOUT A CERTAIN ALLUREIENT
ANb RELIEF AND 1 DO NOT BLAME
TIL BOYS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF
TIT ROOM FOR GROWING BECAUSE
THY MUST REMAIN BEHIND AND
Walk TO THE TRAINS KNEE DEEP IN
SNOW.
DUT these trips present a charm
I'D that is both superficial and
spurious. 1t is long trip and it
is not easy to sleep in Pullman
berths.
Nor is it always simple mat
ter to get news. In such desperate
circumstances it becomes neceS-
sary to write something about
nothing. l am thrilled to say it
is a matter Of record that no
SPORTS writer has ever failed to
meet the test.
COURAGE is A HIGH QUALITY IN
THE MAKEUP OF A SPORTS WRITER.
WITH AN INFECTIOUS LUNGE ON A
DAY WHEN NEWS IS DULL AND DRAB
HE WILL GUST HIGGINS, TRADE
RUTH. GRILL RICHARD AND ATTACK
HEYDLER. THE FACT THAT NOTHING
EVER COMES OF HIS FLAMING CRU
SADES SHOULD NOT BE HELD AGAINST
HIM.
They can't rule you off for trying.
Iz-uzIz1ul.za'1E-1.