Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-09
" Sav LiteS Hard Side Drive Most Important Says Macfaane
On the Side Lines
With the Sports Editor
BY DENMAN THOMPSON
THEY are casting about for q
successor to Tex Rickard.
THEY'LL look a long time.

successor to Tex Richard.
i They'll look long time.
It has been said, and rightly so,
that no one man is Indispensable,
but prototypes Of the firm-lipped,
keen eyed and agile Drained
sportsman, who made fortunes for
others while building his own and
who proved that '1eveling" Is a
paying policy, even in SO maligned
racket as that of prizet1ghting,
are so rare they may be claSSed on
a par with the Dodo bird.
Dempsey has been mentioned
for the post of president OF the
Madison Square Garden Corpora
ton, which was Richards official
title.
Those who have their money in
vested in the enterprise-one OF
whom Is Dempsey himself-ur1-
doubtedly believe that with the
astute Tex removed by the Grim
Reaper their best bet for some one
to carry on in his place is the fig
ure with the biggest name and
most appealing personality now
connected with f1stiana.
Dempsey is that man, Of course.
and for the purposes Of enlisting the
confidence Of the fans and obtaining
the greatest possible advertising
value from the position, he would
serve the purpose to nicely.
But so far as picking logical
contenders," importing colorful
foreign cauliflOwer and adroitlJ
directing the delicate building-ur
processes that contributed sc
largely to the success of Rickard'
manipulations is concerned, Presi-
dent Dempsey would compare III
status with President Rickarc
about like a flyWeight does to 8
heavyweight. But, for that mat
ter, who would?
Of men with executive ability
there are a number among the
stockholders of the Garden who
have proved their caliber by piline
up fortunes far in excess Of thai
amassed by Rickard, but in differ.
ent lines Of endeavor.
Of good judges of fighters there
also is no lack among the corpor.
atoms personnel, and this ap-
plies also to matchmakers anC
trained publicity men.
It was a very efficient ant
smooth-running organization that
Rickard established for the con.
duct, not only of boxing, but o.
hockey, six-day bike races, mara.
thon talk-fests and almost every
conceivable enterprise suitable tt
be housed and calculated to at.
tract paying customers at The
turnstiles.
None Of them, however, combines
in anything like the degree pos
sessed by Richard the vision. re-
sourcefulness, initiative and courage
OF the man whose mortal remains
today lie in state in the arena Of
the sports temple he conceived and
| erected In order that thousands may
pay a last tribute to the regeneration
Of the boxing game.
It Is doubtful whether there il
a single person among those re-
garded as friends of the in
scrutable, poker-faced man, will
the hard exterior and soft heart
who was as genuinely and deepl!
moved by his passing as Dempsey
himself.
Dempsey's business relations
with Richard extended over a dec
AIDE, in which time he made mil
lion or so for Jack and as much
for himself in boxing. But they
had other mutual interests aside
from the fight game, the latest o.
which to come to light being the
substantially appointed dog-rac.
ing track at Miami Beach, which
opened New Year eve, the day
Rickard was stricken with what
proved to be his fatal illness.
In addition there was strong
personal attachment between
these two men of such widely
different characteristics, the pas
sive Richard and the impulsive
Dempsey.
Naturally Jack is badly cut up
and what effect Richards death
will have on the ex-champion's in
tention to essay a comeback re-
mains to be seen.
It was divulged yesterday that
Richard had planned to spring the
announcement of Dempsey's re-
turn for a final fling at boxing
next Summer.
The loss Of his pal" as Dempsey
puts IL, may result In the latter los
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