Evening star., 1932-12-26

e.
more had drunk a few minutes
previous began to make itself felt ]
couldn't keep 1t up. finished last"
| A track star who felt a similar
modification, but from a cause which
still occasions laughter In the telling
Of 1t, Is Dan Dean. University Of Penn
, sylvania ng-distance-running star who
| went to Los Angeles for the Olympics
and was expected to romp home with
the points of first place in the 5000
meter final for the United States He
finished in seventh place, disappointed
hurt, but, fortunately for him, laughing
Boom Upsets Dean.
The word boom" licked him. That
was the race won by Lehtinen, the
Finn, who was accused of fouling Hill
Of the United States. and in the argu-
ment over that episode Deans part
was overlooked. But look at what hap
pened to Dean, apparently sure win
| ner, but victim of a mental lapse.
A German official was the starter of
the race. He told the runners that he
| would say, "Auf der platZ-vertig-
boom!" that is, "On your mark-get
set-go!" The crack of the revolver
would be heard with the word boom" "
The unfamiliar starting formula
tickled Deans sense of humor, but at
the same time confused him. He for
got that there would be a pause be-
tween the words ''vertig' and boom, y
as there would in English between get
set" and go" He beat the gun for
false start. Again he was on his
mark. The boom" would not get out
of his thoughts. He got off all right,
but while boom played tricks Tl1h
his mind he forgot to use his feet as
he should and found Lehtinen well
ahead CT him with pace that he
could not seem to meet. And the
Australian Hillhouse was out ahead
too HillhouSe, who had beaten him in
trial
We'll" he thought. I'll take that
Australian now" He put on speed and
passed Hillhouse. Lehtinen was still
far ahead, but here was japanese to
be passed and Dean would do it. He'd
at least be second.
Sprints Too Soon.
4 IL he had went into that final
"A sprint after the Japanese. Boom.
boom. BOOM he plugged along.
He was second.
"One more lap" he heard an official
shout.
"One more lap?" Dean was startled.
That boom" had played such trick
with his mind that he had misjudged
the route, put on his sprint lap too
soon and was done.
II had shot my bolt" he said Il
had only enough to finish ahead of
Hillhouse-seventh, as the records
show"
Charlie Pratt. captain OF Harvard's
1927 foot ball team and stellar pre-
former in the field events on the Har-
ward track team, could have won a
Harvard-Yale track meet by heavlng
the discus within 10 feet of any of his
previous performances.
He had placed second in two OF MS
specialties that afternoon, the shot and
the javelin throw. A first place was
needed in the discus to win and Pratt
had shown tossss good enough to cinch
the event and the meet, but he Just
couldn't seem to swing the platter out
far enough and Yale won by one-third
of a point when he placed second with
a score of 66 2-3 to Sc 1-3.
It was dramatic finish, but not in
SPORT like foot ball or base ball,
where the mob is there to howl. Pratt
felt badly about his failure to win, but
his general excellence in every sport
was sufficient to assuage any hurts ne
might have felt at the time
Dartmouth's Old Jinx.
MORE heartbreaking than these
lVl foozles, it seems, have been Dart
mouths breaks at the Yale Bowl.
Hardly an encounter at New Haven but
y&ro,er1,io1 hard 1lck with
the Ellis has entered into the outcome;
pass Of Tommy Longnecker OF the In
dian team a few years ago. Dartmouth
had the game. 1916. and was out Tor
another touchdown by the air route
Iongnecker, as he faded back to pass.
slipped and started to fall. He tried
to get rid of the ball. Some magnet
drew his aim to a man out alone, Tree,
ready to 90. none other than Hoot Ellis,
fastest of the Ellis. Longnecker shot
his pass directly into Ellis arms and
the receiver ran some 70 yards for the
touchdown and 1910 Yale victory
And there was Ed .Dea1n. Dooiey
terrible day at the bowl for Dartmouth.
II ever a quarterback was assaled by
the grandstand critics from all quarters
in search of goat" it was Dooley.
ward from the Yale goal Dooley bat
tered four times for the score and
couldn't make it. BY strange freak
of the game. not possible today since
the goal posts have been set back, his
last plunge took him head on into a
goal post and he bounced back two
yards. - :.
failed to interfere with his career. He
went to Cambridge the following week
to give the greatest display Of defensive
foot ball ever seen in the stadium.
Base Balls Outstanding Boner.
DASE BALLS outstanding boner was
- Fred Merkle's, as base balls out
standing mechanical error was Fred
Snodgrass'. Merkle cost the Giants a
pennant by his misplay and Snodgrass
cost the Giants a world series. The
fans never forgot either, although each
man was q great ball player but for
those outstanding lapses.
All Snodgrass did was drop fly, but
who hasn't at some time or other? 1t
was Snodgrass' luck that the fly he
picked to trickle through meant world
championship.
Merkle's mistake was a little differ
ent Two men were on, Merkle on first
Inc CIldntS neeOeu run 10 WILL al
Bridweu singled. Merkle saw that the
winning run was being scored and he
stopped running before reaching second.
Johnny Evers yelled for the ball. 1t
was thrown to second and Merkle was
out. The run didn't count and the
Cubs won the National League pennant.
If ever two men suffered for mistakes
they did. Pulling a Merkle" became
synonymous with a bonehead play and
neither Merkle nor Snodgrass was ever
allowed to forget his lapse.
But in professional sports such con-
slant reminders from the bleachers
seem to have little effect. In the money
game the goat is quite likely to be as
much of an attraction at the gate as
the hero; and, after all, in pro sports,
the boys are in it for money as well
as glory.
Copyright, 1882, by North American News
paper Alliance, Inc.)