Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-19
Some Outlines of Sport.


THE proof Of the magnitude OF
American sports is that it is
in the stock market, ct least a
small percentage Of 1t. The late
Tex Richard and his associates put it
there soon after they completed the
new Madison Square Garden, with a
chain Of Madison Square Gardens that
was TO take in all Of the big cities Of
the East.
Mr.. Richard had dreams of cornering
the stock market and controlling all
of the elements that made up this bill
-dollar-a-year industry, which is
American sport from the point OF view
of the financier. After that he would
extend his activities to England. He
would control and collect DIVIDENDS
from the sports of the world.
Mr.. Richard revealed his ambltlons
IN this direction when he was having
some sort of dispute with the New YORK
Boxing Commission in regard to heaVy-
weight bout, which he wanted to pro-
mote in New York. 1t was suggested
that, as one Of the principals was a
Briton, he might take the tgnt 10 Eng
Mr.. Rickard leaned thoughtfully on
his cane. well, If I get the right
proposition I might. would invite the
Prince Of Wales, OF course, ana tnaC
would draw a lot Of nice people. But
would have to take in some other things
at the same time to make 1t pay. l
would like to take over the DERBY ana
the oxford Cambridge boat race ana
run a sort of sport carnival. II can get
that backing I'll take the next ship 70
'SThere is big money in sport" Mr..
Rickard confided when the new Maoi-
son Square Garden was being built.
expect to have every kind OF sport
there. I was down at Forest Hills the
other day to see the tennis Lots Oh
nice people there. I am going to get
those tennis players for Madison Square
Garden"
Somebody tried to explain to Mr..
Rickard that the tennis players were
all amateurs, and that they could not
be absorbed in his corner. But MI.
Rickard passed that up.
was for All Sports.
GsT'vE got great backing and I am
going in for all of the sports" he
said. 1--WE are trying to buy base
ball club, one Of the New York clubs, for
q starter. Then we may buy lot OF oLner
clubs. think that more money could
be made cut Of base ball than they are
making now"
AS a starter Mr.. Rickard and his as
sociates leased both Of the base ball
parks of New York City for the fight
ing privileges Before his fortunes
started to turn he was attempting to
negotiate for the purchase Of the New
York Giants and the Polo Grounds.
His plan was to turn the Polo Grounds
into an open-air arena and to make an
agreement with the New York Yankees
to have the Giants play in their
stadium. Just how near this deal came
to being consummated nobody ever
will know.
At the time of his death Mr.. Richard
was planning a Winter playground at
Miami, where all of the professional
sports would be exploited and where
Rickard would manipulate in addition
a casino that would rival Monte Carlo
or the Gould places on the Rivera.
But the star Of the sports promoter
started to wane toward the last. The
fight racket which he had pyramided
into almost a three million-dollar gate
at its peak broke under him. He and
his associates lost heavily on the Tun-
ney-Heeney fight.
And now Caulifowers Common, as
the Madison Square Garden stock Is