Evening star., 1939-11-18
From the
Press Box
Rooney Trying Hard
To Keep Grid Bues
BY JOHN LARDNER.

Pittsburgh professional football club
and recently defeated candidate for
the Office of city register (by mar
row margin, and. we wish he had
won), insists that pro football will
survive in Pittsburgh. Here again
we hope he is right, but the auspices
seem to be against it.
There's rumor-pretty sound
that the Pirates will change hands.
The report that the franchise will
be moved to another city-Los
Angeles and Kansas City are in the
markets. credible. Pittsburgh has
failed to support a team which, be-
ing in the hole financially year after
year, also Is in the hole artistically.
Everybody beats the Pirates. No
body watches it happen.
Pro Football Trend Is Up
In Other StronghoIds
In other towns the pro football
trend is up. Even the Eagles Of
Philadelphia will draw good crowds
when the program is promising. A
good game in Brooklyn, New York,
Green Bay, Chicago, Detroit, Wash
ington or Cleveland will pack em in.
Crowds of $4,000 in New York, Of
SO, 900 in Detroit, of 35 900 in Brook
lyn and 25,000 in the hamlet OF
Green Bay already have been
scooped in this year.
Pittsburgh is the weak sister OF
the National League. It's good
sports town, but the franchise hope
lessly is tangled in debts.
Never tycoon, Arthur Rooney
has had to sell his good ball PLAYERS
to meet obligations. Without ball
players, the Pirates fail to draw.
Without drawing, they lose money.
This vicious-in fact, hydrophobic--
circle has .bedeviled Mr.. Rooney's
football ambitions. Up to date,
though. he keeps on punching.
Not that the gentleman ever will
starve to death. Not while the
Leprechaun befriends him as it did
three years ago at Saratoga, where
he scored the biggest killing of the
decade at the horse track.
Boosts $500 Up to S256,000
For Roce Trock Streok
For this Rooney is the hero Of
Rooney's Ride, topic I may have
touched on once or twice before.
Leaving Pittsburgh with paltry
5000 one day In July, he fetched UP
at the Empire City track and ran
the roll to $4,000. This was just a
holiday gesture, and Mr.. Rooney
was on his way home to Pittsburgh
when he stopped off for a beefsteak
at the high-class soda fountain of
Joe Madden, the msrkee of Fifty
sixth street, well-known bartender
author.
The bartender author suggested
that it was folly to take $40 900 back
to the quiet atmosphere of Pitts
burgh when Saratoga, practically
around the corner. was about TO
open its gates for the season. Mr..
Rooney said he thought he saw Mr..
Maddens point.
They wound up at Saratoga on
opening day, and there. in the rain,
| five out of six camera finishes came
home in Mr.. Rooney's favor. boost
Ing his B. r. to s256,0OO, all kidding
aside.
Mr.. Madden says he never has
been through such a day. While
Rooney was betting $4,000 and
$4,000 on to shots. the literary
bartender was betting sos and zoos.
While the judges were studying the
photograph of one of the tightest
finishes of the day, preparatory to
announcing the winner, Mr.. Rooney
told Mr.. Madden that he thought he
would go and get shine.
Greet Good Fortune FoiIs
To End Gridiron Cob
Mr.. Madden waited in the rain for
the picture, which meant $50 900 to
Mr.. Rooney and several clans to Mr..
Madden as well. When the right
horse came up. he gave a Mohawk
yell and raced away to find Mr..
Rooney, who was having his shoes
shined by colored boy.
ITS this way" he was telling the
boy as Mr.. Madden galloped up.
THE tailback fakes to the wingback
and then gives the ball to the buck
ing back, who goes inside left tackle"
We win, Artie!" yelled Mr.. Mad
den.
We'll, we were very lucky, Joe"
said Mr.. Rooney gravely. Nov, as
I was saying, you can vary this fake
spinner with deep reverse and the
other team won't know what the
heck you are doing. Catch on?"
The colored boy made no reply,
having passed out when Mr.. Madden
mentioned the sum that Mr.. Rooney
had just won.
As say, as long as Rooney can
boot those bangtails home in a
pinch, he is self-supporting. How
| eVer Sipce ho jc h1r,osf L.,A