Evening star., 1938-07-17
BOO|NG OF JUDGES
BY FANS FEARED
Round Vote Announcement
Plan Decision Is Likely
at Session Tomorrow.
BY BURTON HAWKINS.

Concerned chiefly as to whether
round-by-round announcement of OFF,
cial scoring in boxing bouts here will
tend to promote booing Of judges and
referees, the District Boxing Commits
sion will meet tomorrow to consider the
case of the suffering spectator. Briefly,
whether the system will be given trial
boils down to choosing between honest
opinion courageously presented or
opinions which are feared to be wrong
and likely subject to discourteous re-
ception if amplified.
Axis of the entire discussion prob
ably will settle on the advisability
OF exposing officials to possible booing.
Certainly nothing is complicated about
the progressive proposal. A commission
inspector would hop in the ring, collect
slips from the two judges and the ref
cree and hand them to Announcer
Jimmy Lake.
Allowing Is seconds for the slips to
be collected. Lake would make a clear,
slow announcement of the official
score for that round and still have a
margin of l8 to % seconds before the
bell rings for the next round. No
scoreboard is needed. 1t involves not
one cent of expense.
Boo-Shy Officials Too Weak.
Lake, after receiving the cards,
would announce, for example: Judge
Eller votes Dupre, 10 points; Scalzo, 9;
Judge Schuyler votes Dupre, 10 points;
Scalzo, 8; Referee La Fond votes
Dupre, 10 points; Scalzo 10. Total
points, first round, Dupre, 30; Scalzo,
27."
If a clear-cut, brief announcement
In that manner spurs booing it also
will present the facts, which is more
important. We feel if judges and ref
erees are not willing to reveal their
respective opinions to the public and
absorb applause or criticism without
being affected they are not qualified
to be officials.
Even the consideration of the boo
Ing angle implies that officials more
often are wrong than right and that
their scores therefore are not fit for
immediate public consumption. Fur
ther, for a local price range any,
where from $1.10 to $3.50, who will
deny spectator has right to voice
a rich, ripe raspberry If, in his opin-
ion, the scoring is tainted? Baseball,
a sport universally more respected,
frequently presents fans the same
opportunity and hardly suffers for it.
Boxing Needs Check-Up.
The comparison doesn't stop there.
Baseball puts its officials on the
spot, yet boxing thus far has neglect
ed to be as aboveboard with the pub
lie. An umpire's decision isn't yelled
nor is it delayed. If the fans dis
agree, what of it? At least they are
entitled to opinions. A man has made
an honest decision and had enough
courage to make it rapidly, without
quakfng at possible consequences.
Most football officials are gentle
men, no worse and perhaps no better
than boxing officials. Yet they do not
hesitate to penalize the home team IS
yards for holding when that club is
making touchdown gestures in the
waning moments of close game
We've seen that happen frequently,
paving the way for a crescendo of
boos Maybe those $4,000 spectators
didn't see that holding, but the off,
cial did and had intestinal fortitude
to call it.
The boxing game could stand
generous dose of that unwavering
honesty. Boxing officials may be as
honest with themselves as other sports
officials, but it still must be proved
to the public. There still is the pos
sibility boxing official weighs the
boos and cheers of the crowd before
placing his figures on the scorecard.
A home town" decision is one of
boxing's pet phrases, and that ele-
ment of balancing boos and cheers
subconsciously may lead to swaying
officials
Might Educate Fans.
There is no sane reason to guard
boxing officials from possible crit
icism, unless, of course, they are a
thin-skinned lot. In our opinion
local boxing officials are honest, ca
pable and not too squeamish about
being placed on the spot where they
belong. We feel they can make i'm
mediate decisions, weather any pos
sible booing and feel more like men
for having weathered it. There never
has been a real comeback to squelch
honesty and courage of convictions.
Harvey L. Miller, secretary of the
District Boxing Commission, says:
THE proposed system will not, in my
opinion, stop the out-and-out booers
who will boo at anything. If they'll
boo decision they do not like they'll
also boo a round score they do not
like. The progressive score, however,
might educate them
We challenge the District Boxing
Commission to give the system a fair
trial. Not in a semi-f1nal in which
the crowd is only mildly interested,
but in main-event bout which should
put the proposal to thorough test.
There may be booing, but we chal-
lenge the commission to ask specta-
tors after it is over If they feel they
are getting more for their money.
Doesn't the person who pays the
freight deserve consideration or does
boxing prefer not to cater to the GUS
toner? Ask them if they like it. We
firmly believe they will.