The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-09-28
| Handlers To Blame
For Present Plight
| OF Pat Comiskey
BY JOE WILLIAMS

New York, Sept. 28.-Pat Comis-
keys battered, twisted form hang
ing limp over the top rope in the
chilly Jersey meadows the other
night told a story-a story of what's
wrong with the heavyweight divi-
sion, why 1t has gradually gone to
seed, why Joe Louis Is the No.
unemployed man in the boisterous
business.
The story in brief Is this: The
men who are supposed to know what
it Is all about In prize fighting,
managers and handlers, just don't
know. They don't know fighters or
else they don't know how to bring
them along, or both.
Great baseball players fade and
pass but there are always others
equally great to replace them. One
OF the reasons, we suspect, Is that
the baseball executives, managers
and handlers know their business
thoroughly. They know ball players
when they see them and they know
how to bring them along.
You would think, for instance,
that Jack KearnS would know a
fighter, particularly a heavyweight,
when he saw one, wouldn't you? He
brought Dempsey along, you'll re-
call.
A week before the Comiskey- Baer
fight KearnS said to us 'You
know don't fall in love with fight
ers. 1t took me a long time to get
crazy even about Dempsey. But this
kid Comiskey, he's really the stuff.
He can't miss becoming a great
fighter. He'll murder Baer."
These words, mind you, from a
man who has been around fighters
for thirty years, twho is rated as
one Of the most astute managers
In the history Of the ring.
OF course, Comiskey could still
come on to make Kearns' Judgment
look good. Other young fighters
have suffered knockouts early in
their career, including Dempsey,
and that didn't stop them. But
that Comiskey could be so green,
SO utterly unequipped for a big
league assignment and none of the
veteran scholars of the trade real
lied 1t Is shocking.
Handlers to Blame
A large part of the blame must
be placed at the doorstep of Comis-
keys handlers. They babied the
fellow. They never gave him an
authentic chance to learn his trade
the hard way. Most Of his build-up
opponents were either out and out
surf board riders or so pathetically
crude that it was unnecessary to
do business with them.
As a result, ComiSkey went along
bowling over human ten pins in q
spuriously spectacular series of one,
two and three round knockouts. How
can a young fellow learn anything
about fighters that way? And what
can be in the minds Of handlers
who sanction such a program? A
one time shot at a big purse and
nuts with the future?
We happen to know that wasn't
the case here. A mild, pleasant
little fellow by the name of Bill
DAILY who has been around a long
time, manages Comiskey. He hadn't
been making any money to speak
OF out Of the young Irisher from
Paterson. He wasn't to get much
out Of the Baer fight. Mostly it
was chance to establish the kid
as national figure. The big money
was to come later.
DAILY was just as sure as the sun
that Comaskey would stop Baer. He
was positive the youngster was ready
for any sort Of test. To him the
series OF set-ups which had been
used to focus attention on Comis-
key was sufiicient schooling. Comis-
key was q hitter and O hitter didn't
need much schooling. It was like
o fellow who had been born with q
good voice. He just started to sing
and that was that.
Start All Over
OF course, DAILY was wrong, dead
wrong, and now he must start all
over and If he has learned his les
son he win start the realistic, prac-
teal way. He will begin 10 throw
Comlskey In with earnest, sincere
mediocrities. lot him win or Lose
on his merits, let him learn how 10
fsht himself out Of tough situations,
how 10 operate against this style
Of fighter and that style Of fighter;
IN abort, master fundamentals and
tactics.
u may 30 that comiskoy never
was Q fighter and never win be 4
fighter, That's iof Tire future u