Imperial Valley press., 1933-01-28
COMMENT ON
SPORT WORLD
BY HENRY McLEMORE
United Press Staff Correspondent


United Press Staff Correspondent
NEW YORK, Jan. 28-The an
ncuncement by Mister Eric Ny,
Sweden's ace miller, that his pre-
parations for an invasion of our
indoor track meets included a
thorough course in "scrimmaging,"
caused American patriots to puff
their chests out another inch or
so today.
This gesture of satisfaction on
the part of the patriots was en-
tirely justified. For Nys admission
that he had studied "scrimmaging"
could mean but one thing-that
our runners, never very formidable
in the middle distance jaunts, had
at last forced the foreign boys to
take recognition of their methods
OF running.
"Scrimmaging," as you may
know, is the technical term ap-
piled to the tactics American rum
ners evolved for jockeying them
selves into favorable positions, and
at the same time showing an op-
ponent into pocket from which
he must endanger his stride to es-
cape.
"Scrimmaging" isn't as simple
as it sounds. To be finished
"scrimmager" a runner must have
perfect coordination of elbows,
hips, shoulders, knees and hands.
In addition, your class A "scrim-
mager" must have enough heft and
drive to spit the pack wide open
when he decides to make his bid.
While a knowledge of "scrim-
maging" is always valuable, it be-
comes doubly precious on the turns,
when the field is closely punched
and the vision of the judges is OBJ
scured. 1t is then that the "scrim-
magers' knowing that the officials
are unable to distinguish Harry's
elbow from Jims, and Jim's legs
from Toms, get in some of their
finest work. We know one runner,
who, after couple of seasons OF
"scrimmaging,' took the state ex-
animation for chiropractorS and
passed with flying colors.
Ny, who will make his first ap-
pearance in the Wanamaker mile
in the Millrose games here early
next month, studied "scrimmaging"
in this manner. For all his work.
outs in Stockholm he engaged
three or four chaps whose heft and
meanness far outweigh their abil-
ity to run. AS Ny and his come
rades would round into the turn
the head man among the bruisers
would shout the Swedish equi-
valent of "give him the works!"
and the boys would set to work
upon Mr.. Ny.
Canadians Knew 1t
At first, our Stockholm operative
reports. Mr.. Ny got all the worst
of it. Elbows would jab into vul-
nerable spots and shoulders would
ram him off stride. But early in
January, after some two months
of study, Mr.. Ny became very pro-
ficient. In short, he could hold his
own.
Just how necessary it it for for
eign athletes to know "scrimmag-
ing" was proved at the winter
Olympic games, last February. AS
you know, American runners are
not the only exponents of the
"scrimmage." Skaters use it too.
Well, the Finnish and Danish and
Swedish skaters arrived at Lake
Placid suffering under the delu-
sion that speed and stamina were
the only requisites of winning skat-
ing. 1t didn't take them long to
learn different. In fast the first
turn of the first race convinced
them that their skating education
was not complete. They struggled
manfully to acquire the art in
few days, but found it an impos-
sible task. And as a result, they
didn't win a race. 1t was the Can
adian skates, who knew about
"scrimmaging," who gave the Am
erican's the tougest fight.
The moral of all this is, of
course, that the race is not always
to the fleet.
And to Seaman Watson my sim