Evening star., 1938-04-22
CHAMPIONS THRILL
TO BATTLES CALL
Sports Spirit Still High in
Former Tennis Queen,
Jones, Tunney.
Bv GRANTLAND RICE.

bN uhAN LAND MI r..
NEW YORK April 22-What has
called Helen Wills Moody back to the
courts of the champions? The answer
Is simple The old lure of contest
never is lost
I once asked Gene Tunnev if mil
lion dollars could buy the two thrills
of his Dempsey fights-the few mo-
ments before the gong-the moments
OF victory when his hand was rails ID
at Philadelphia and Chicago
Ten millions couldn't buy that"
he said. ut took me seven years of
hard work to get ready for the first
Dempsey fight. I could never have
a thrill again like that-or the thrill
that followed the last two rounds in
Chicago. hated to give up something
could never get again along those
lines, but I knew it couldn't go on for
ever-only for two or three years"
There isn't any question that Bob
Jones never will forget the four big
thrills of 1930-at st. Andrews, Hoy
lake. Interlachen and Merion-no
money he would ever make could buy
back anything like those thrilling
weeks. The lure still is strong at
times, although he never may face
another open. At his Augusta parties,
preceded by no trial tournaments. he
has been as much host as competitor
Old Lure Never Dies.
Helen Wills Moody had definitely
made up her mind two years ago to
quit championship tennis. still can
see her pigtails flying when she was a
l5-year-old kid around Westchester
and Long Island. She has won more
than dozen national crowns at
Wimbledon and Forest Hills.
Her last stand against Helen ia
eobs at Wimbledon was the high spot
Of great career She was through
with championship tennis after that
and she believed it.
But the old lure never dies. Playing
In California. it suddenly occurred TO
her that her tennis still was on the
strong side-that she still was some
thing for any woman to beat.
And she will be something for a,v
woman to beat. No one ever took
better care of physical condition
and somewhere in her earlier 30s, she
still is far from being a doddering old
lady
She still has power and control.
And she never had too much speed.
It merely occurred to her that she
could have more fun playing cham
pionship tennis than anything else
80 why not?
Tunney Had Years Left.
How long could Gene Tunney have
been champion if he had waited for
defeat?
He whipped Tom Heeney just 10
years ago Those in the road in
cluded Sharkey, Schmeling, Camera,
Baer and Braddock. 1t is my opinion
he could have held the title four or
five more years, possibly longer No
athlete ever kept in better shape He
worried little. He had his nervous
system under almost complete control.
Tunney was a master boxer when he
qult-a boxer who also could punish
an opponent more than many ever
knew.
Ran across Jim Braddock at the
opening ball game. Il still like Louis
IN the Schmeling fight" he said.
Louis is younger. stronger a better
boxer and harder puncher. 1 know
Schmeling is smarter Louis will be
better off if he doesn't try to get
smart-if he Just uses what he has
IN physical way. If he tries to out
smart Schmeling. he'll get knocked
out. I don't think be will this time.
All he has to do is move away from
that right hand. which is easy. Max
Baer did it-and Max Baer isn't the
best boxer I ever saw by several jumps.
Louis Ought to Know.
"Schmeling has a dangerous right
hand. But that's the simplest punch
IN boxing to block or step away from.
I think Louis learned something from
that first fight.
He didn't have much to learn. If
he couldn't learn that much, he ought
to get knocked out. I think myself
he learned his lesson.
I'm all through. but I still know
Schmeling would never hit me with
that right If had a good two weeks
workout"
tCcpyrisht. 1898. by the North American
Newspaper Alliance, Inc.)