The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-07-21
/ ALKING
IT OVER
BY JOE WILLIAMS

ATEW YORK, July 21.-It is all
~ very puzzling. No scientist
mas reported seeing sun spots. There
have been no warnings about the
seven-year locusts. Einstein has
evolved no new theories. Peggy
Joyce remains singularly complac-
ent. And yet everything is topsy-
wopsy. Particularly In sports.
Take that great race boss. Twenty
Grand. He goes out to Chicago. a TO
favorite. which on the face OF things is
like robbing juniors bank. and what hap
pens? He's beaten four lengths by Mate
IN the Arlington Classic. and as far as
anybody knows AL Capone had nothing to
do with IT. This comes under the head
OF staggering surprise.
And not only that:
The United States Davis Cup team is
hattened out by England and thus elimi-
mated from the International tennis finals
for the flrst time since 1919 and at a mo-
ment when hopes rode high and everybody
was saying what a grand chance the boys
had to bring the cup back to this country
1t was simple. AL they had to do was
to beat France In the playons.
The result is most embarrassing Eng
land was looked upon merely as a punch
lnR bag upon which the youthful Shields
and Wood were to sharpen up their back
hands and oVerheads mere lark against
q background OF bubble and squeak. The
entire fabric Of American strategy was
devised with the overthrow of France IN
mind.
And moreover:
BY sway OF showing that this is a dizzy
sports season an unknown youngster from
Florida comes up here and takes a ma
tional swimming title away from the
zieRfeldian Eleanor Holm: Tommy Armour
fresh from his fine triumph In the British
Open finishes fortY-seventh or whereabouts
in the American open. or far enough back
to make him look like a dellcatessen
merchant taking his first driving lesson.
and on top of that. a person from the
coast named Ellsworth Vines makes
ohump of Johnny DoeR the new Tilden.
In the LOngwood cup finals.
Your correspondent pauses for an ex-
blanation. I mean what does 1t all mean?
have been laughing at people who tell
me the 166-pound Walker will knock out
Sharkey. But-wen to repeat. but
TECHNICALLY, these develop
n ments are known as upsets.
What is an upset? Generally
speaking, they are something that
didn't figure to happen. But in
the final analysis there is no such
thing as an upset. Barring the
long count and the fraudulent in
fiuence the best man and the best
boss usually comes down in front.
1T is entirely possible that on any
given day Mate will beat a Twenty
Grand or vice versa, and that
busher will fan a Ruth. A great
deal depends on circumstances and
conditions.
To me the most astonishing reversal Of
form of the year was that of Twenty
Grand against Mate. and vet this was not
astonishing enough to convince me that
the Whitney colt is not great a-year-old.
know 1t is unwse to go against the
records and that the records show Mate
has beaten Twenty Grand three times out
of four. But even so in the one race.
meaning the Kentucky Derby. when the
two colts were even-up. perfectly trained
and admittedly fit. Twenty Grand made
1t q cake walk.
Somehow 1 feel that under the same
circumstances he can do 1t again. We
will be able to tell more about that at
Saratoga. When an ordinary cat mum
cher such as Spanish Play. can outstride
a Twenty Grand which is what happened
at Arlington. 1 prefer to remain stubborn
and ignore the result.
At the same time I will admit that no
body has any business comparing the
Whitney colt with Man O. War. There
was q hoss you never had to make ex-
cuses for. When he went to the races he
went and when the numbers were hung up
you collected.
In some respect Twenty Grand is like
the Sharkey fellow. Plenty of class. but
you can never tell when something is go
ing to back fire on you. Interference on
the back stretch never beat a Man O. war
and 1 never heard of him complaining
about a strained muscle.
Twenty Grand is that he is real good
hoss-and before the season is over
have a suspicion everybody, will be saying
that he was the best of the year.