Evening star., 1940-07-03
Be 9th Round Over Ganto Merely Louis Has No Real Rival
The
oPORTLIGHT
Louis Is Lone Stundout
In Vast Sports Field
BY GRANTLAND RICE,
4~ac{o1 rnrroennndont pf Tho Gfnp

NEW YORK, July (N.A.N AL
As a rule we usually can check on
this date, Fourth of Julys eve, just
where the leaders belong and who
should dominate the remainder of
the campaign. 1t doesn't happen to
work in that direction this passing
year of 1910.
When we have Max Baer and
Tony Galento fighting to see which
entry will be tossed in against Joe
Louis, you get a general idea of the
heavyweight matter. Which means
that Joe Louis still is the main
standout. almost the only standout
In sport today
This goes for all sports.
A year ago the Yankees again
were running away with the A. L.
pennant. But not this season.
Back in April Bimelech was picked
as another wonder horse. He still
tops the 3-year-olds, but he ism
any wonder horse. The defeats, in
cluding the Kentucky Derby, have
cut into his laurel collection.
With Challedon under repairs,
with Kayak sick, there have been
no top handicap horses. One wins,
and then another. Again no stand
outs.
Some 3-year-old, maybe Bimelech,
will have to hurry to save the crop
Little Hos Greet Chance
To Dominate Golf
Outside of Joe Louis, Lew Jen-
kins may move up in the pugilistic
picture. Having knocked out Lou
Ambers, the Texan can haunt tall
peak by administering the same
lethal menu to Henry Armstrong,
which is no light accomplishment.
Armstrong may be slipping, but he
hasn't yet ordered his winding sheet
or his shroud.
Joe Louis still is the high man in
sport, the leading champion. And
with the opposition he has to face,
Joe Louis will be the high man for
some time to come
The golfers have been in the same
fix. Byron Nelson failed in his
1910 defense of the title as Lawson
Little moved in. With the conf
dence developed from this victory
Little may set another smoking pace,
such as he put through in the anna
teur division. But he is in a much
tougher league now. Anyway, the
ex-amateur star has great chance
to become one of the outstanding
figures of golf
He has a tough title to defend
when you must beat off 1,l0O chal-
lengers in, place of one or two.
Yonks' Decline Proves
Boon to Baseball
This, in a way. is all the better
Tor building up public interest.
Take up the difference shown in
the American League race. A year
ago we had only the Yankees
practically losing the rest of the
league. Now we have four ball
clubs with chance, and the Yankees
have only an outside chance. Rated
1-3 when the season opened, they
are far from being favorites with
the race about half run. This has
trebled interest in Cleveland, De-
troit and Boston as well as other
cities.
A race to the mob always is more
interesting than runaway.
The Reds represent the most
consistent combination in baseball
for 1899 and 1910. They were lead
Ing the league year ago and they
still are the team to beat for 1910.
They have more opposition this
season than they faced last summer.
But they still are the most con-
sistent ball club at the half-mile
post. They have the better pitching,
day In and day out, to call upon.
Amateur Tennis Offers
Nothing Startling
Amateur tennis had little left
when Don Bulge retired. With
Wimbledon and the Davis Cup elimi-
mated, tennis had to take one on the
point of the chin.
The game still is looking for some
personality-such as Mclaughlin,
Bill Johnston, Bill Tilden, Ellsworth
Vines or Bulge. There is no such
party around at this writing. So
far the crop is colorless.
In baseball the slump of Joe Di
Maggie, Dickey and others has been
offset by such pitching stars as Bob
Feller and Buck NeWsom.
There is slight chance only that
any home-run hitter will reach the
so mark. Feller has the best chance
to pick up 80 victories and he may
reach this highly desirable spot
Bob Feller might easily be base
balls standout for the present year
"a star pitcher hooked up with a
leading ball club.
But when you sum up the list the
one outstander-the lone eagle in
the sporting eyrie-still is Joe Louis.
He is champion of the champs. He
is the class of sport, the best man
at his job.
And this goes for all the sporting
fields we know today, horse or man,
or man or horse. Not only as a
fighter, but in the way he has con-
Quoted himself, Louis practically is
all alone.
Only a big upheaval through the
remainder of 1910 can change this
rating or ranking.
Deun,Hornsby/ J