The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-01-28
To-day's Sport
 Parade
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 BY HENRY AiclsfcNlORE

fUnl,cd Press Stan Corrcspondent) New York, Jan 28-(UP)-The announcement by Mister Erie Ny, Sweden's acc miller, that his prep aratlons for an invasion of our in- door track meets included q thor ough course in "scrimmagtng" caused American patriots to pun their chests out another inch or two to-day.
 This gesture of satisfaction on the part of the patriots was en. tirely Justified. For Ny's admis- sion that he had studied "scrlm- maging" could mean but one thing -that our runners, never very formidable in the middle distance jaunts, had at last forced the for. eiRn boys to take recognition or their methods of running.
 "ScrimmaRing," as you may know, is the technical term applied to the tactics American runners evolved for jockeying themselves Into favorable positions, and ht the same time showing an opponent Into a "pockct' from which he must endanger his stride to cs- cape.
 "Scrimmaging" isn't as simple as 1t sounds, To be a finished "scrim- mager," a runner must have per- feet coordination-of elbows, hips, shoulders, knees and hands. In ad. dition, your class A 'scrimmager" must have enough heft and drive to sppllt the pack wide open when he decides to make his hid.
 While a knowledge of "scrim- maging" is always valuable, it bee comes doubly precious on the turns when the field Is closely punched and the vision of the judges Is obs scrued. It Is then that the "scrim- magers," knowing that the officials are unable to distinguish Hary's elbow from Jim's, and Jim's legs from Toms, get in some Of their finest work We know ono runner, who, after n couple of seasons Of "scrimmaglng" took tho state ex- animation for chiropractor and passed with flying colors.
 Ny, who will make his first ap- pearance in tho Wanamaker mile in tho Millrose games here early next month, studied "serimmaging" in this manner. For all his work- outs in Stockholm ho engaged three or four chaps whose hett and meanness far outweighed their ability to run. As Ny and his com. rades would round into a turn tho head man among tho bruieerS would shout tho Swedish equivh.. lent of "give him tho works!" and the boys would set to work upon Mr Ny.
 At first. our Stockholm opera tive reports, Mir Ny got all the sNF EikAua .uAnil iah into vulnerable spots and shoulders would ram him off stride. But early In January, after some two months 0 fstudy, MT Ny became very proficient. In short, he could hol dhis own.
 Just how necessary 1t Is for foreign athletics to know "scrim- maging" was proved at tho winter olympic games last February. As you know, American runners arc not the only opponents of tho "scrimmage." Skaters use 1t too. We'll, tho Finnish and Danish and Swedish skaters arrived at Lake sion that speed and stamina were Placid suffering under tho dclu. the only requisites of winning skating. It didn't take them long to learn differently. Tn fact, tho first turn of the first race cons vineed them that their skating ed- ucation was not complete. They struggled manfully to acquire the art In Q few days, but found 1t an imposgiblo task. And as a result, they didn't win a race. It was tho Canadian skaters, who know about ''scrimmaging," who gave the Americans tho toughest fight,
 Tho moral of all this is, of course, that tho race is not always to tho fleet.
 And to Seaman Watson my sin. cero apologies.