The Indianapolis times., 1930-06-21
/ ALKING
IT OVER
BY JOE WILLIAMS


~ rumblings OF old Professor
william Muldoon to the contrary,
the New York boxing commission
has gone on record as accepting
Herr Max Leiderkranz Schmeling
as the heavyweight champion Of the
works-which was about the only
srorting thing it could do. Three
times the good old professor who
learned about craftsmanship from
the wrestlers back in the evaslye
eighties tried to withhold recogni-
ton from the German novice who
was fouled to fame by the erratic
Sharkey.
The third time Muldoon mumbled some
thin- about the commission acting for
the people to whom the championship be-
longs" adding that the commission should
not accept Sohmeling as the peoples choice
because he is champion unworthy of the
nar7e. whether schmeling is a champion
or strictly load Of westphalian ham does
not concern me particularly at the mo-
ment.
What does interest me is the professors
straight-pan crack that the commission IS
IN there swinging for the people. Well
let's see about that. Just what has the
commission. the most powerful and IN
duentiai body Of its kind in America.
done for the people2 What's that? yes
that's 50. they made the bows in the ring
wear different colored panties. This was
done. I imagine. on the theory that the
contracting colors would make it easier
for the referee to tell who was winning.
n
TDIDN'T hear you? Oh, yes, the
mouthpieces. Pardon me, folks.
The fact had escaped my memory
but the commission is responsible
for those frightful looking red gadg-
ess. shaped like boot heels the boys
lam into their mouths a second
before the gong sounds. This re-
form was inspired by humanitarian
reasons. 1t enables the boys to 5aKe
twice as much punishment around
the head as they otherwise might
standard attire for referees was
adopted and authorized consisting of fash
ionable miIdewed grays. This was at once
a revolutionary ard progressive step ana
was generally acclaimed. ut definitely
takes ;se manly art of self-defense out oil
the rolled neck sweater class" the com
mission explained.
And what else has the commlS-
sion done for the people-the good
old people? Of hand recalle such
striking and vital innovations as:
tAlBarrinE the water bucket from the
corner.
Cxx-2lBanning the towel as token of
surrender.
(JJD Censoring the language of the sec
onds.
tBvD) )Oning announcer Joe Humphreys
tonsils. and
(&gDEncouraging carol singing by pink
faced youngsters between rounds.
DUT what hasn't the commission
ID done for the people? All, Felix,
now YOU have hit on something that
is something. Let's take the recent
Sharkey-Schmeling thing-hgura-
tivelv. 1 hasten to add, and only
for a brief period. What did Mr..
Muldoon and his two associates,
the Messrs. Farley and Phelan, do
for the people in that one? The
answer is simple, easy and positive.
Absolutely nothing.
And what did they do for the TWO
fighters. who we're getting most of the
money out of a charity treasury. who
needed no particular protection themselves
snd upon whose conduct hinged the success
or failure of the event? Again the answer
is easy. The commission did everything
the fighters demanded. and at least two Of
the things they demanded were not only
contrary to the laws of the game but were
tremendous concessions that placed pre-
MUM on fraud. and openly invited Just
such a public swindling as ultimately de-
veioped.
There is a law in New York that
fighter who fouls is to be paid on pro
rata basis for the number of rounds he
fought For instance II the fight is sched-
Hled to go fifteen and he fouls in the
fourth ne is to be paid only for the num-
Der of rounds he was in the ring. For
the ShaTkey-Schmeling fight this law was
conveniently waived. Why? The boys
wouldn't fight unless it was. It was put
in the books to protect the people. But
when the showdown came the commission
decided to protect the fighters.
q u
A S if this wasn't enough the
1 n commission at the suggestion
Of the fighters inserted in effect
this extraordinary and altogether
amazing clause in the contracts d.
no matter what happens in the
course of the fight each fighter is
to be paid the full amount of his
purse"
will Mr.. Muldoon kindly tell me what
he means when he says the commission is
acting for the people? And will somebody
else tell me what, if any. purpose a box
ing commission serves, and why We should
continue to have them inflicted on us?