Imperial Valley press., 1941-05-23
BY HARRY FERGUSON

WASHINGTON, May 23 (UPl-
The odd thing about this giant
named Buddy Baer, who has gath
cred up enough courage to shake his
| fist at the lightning tonight, is
that he once gave up football be-
cause it was too rough.
And right there. brethern, you
have a clue as to why nobody eX-
cept the members of Buddy's i'm
mediate family give him much sof
a chance against Joe Louis when
the heavyweight championship Is
laid on the line at Griffith stad
ium. The big, amiable guy simply
isn't mean anough and tough enough
to get in there and do the job he
has cut out for himself.
Your agent does not know how
hard the halfbacks hit the line
when Buddy was left guard on the
Piedmont, Calf, high school team
but he will make an affidavit that
it wasn't as hard as the thing that
will hit him around 10 o'clock this
evening. That would be Louis left
hook to the head, a weapon that
should be called to the attention
of the gentlemen here who are de-
yising ways and means of national
defense. ="
Buddy was II years old when he
came home from a football game
with a swollen nose and two black
eyes His mother urged him TO quit
football.
"Okay," said Buddy, and he did.
The rest of his life has been like
that. He has walked in the shadow
of his bfoaer Max rejoicing { at
Max's triumphs and weeping at
MaX's failures. Just as he put UP
no argumsnt, when he was told tc
quit football, SO he has never put
up an argument about much of any
thing. Nature played a joke on
him by giving him the body of a
magnificent prize fighter and then
adding the disposition of a happy
go-lucky kid who would rather sing
baritone in a quartet than fight
for a living.
They've been trying to build a
fire under him down here for a
month, trying to supply the fury
that is missing. They've reminded
him of what a beating Max took
from Louis and urged him to avengc
that licking. They've told him to
win this one for his young bride.
They've dangled visions in front
of his eyes of fat bank accounts,
fast cars and all the other luxuries
that can be commanded by the
heavyweight champion of the world
Whether it has done any good
no man can tell-not even Buddy
himself-until he and Louis and
Referee Arthur Donovan are left
alone in pool of hot light this
evening. 1t wouldn't even be worth
mentioning except for the fact that
Buddy alone of the fighters who
have made up Louis bum of the
month" parade, really has a gen.
uine chance to beat the Brown
Bomber.
He's the hardest puncher of the
| bunch and he has a long left jab
that could keep him out of harms
way if he used it intelligently. Spar
ring partners who have worked with
both Max and Buddy say that Buddy
is the hardest puncher of the two
and Max could sling that dynamite
so hard in his day that he once
killed a man in the ring. Buddy
hits faster. too, because he punches
straight While Max brings 'em up
from the floor in a roundhouse.
One good right on the button would
be all that is needed TO put Buddy
on the thresh-hold of fame and for
tune.
Your agent believes Buddy's best
chance is 70 come roaring out of
his corner throwing punches and
keep throwing them until either
he or Louis drops. Once he starts
| trying TO be cute and box he is
going to find his face full of leath-
er and his ears full of the sweer
sound Of cuckoos cooling while a
! far away voice tolls g. eight,
nine, ten; the winner and still cham
pion."
There is suspicion abroad that
Louis is going to try TO shoot this
one in par-about three or four
rounds. Too many Of the buns of
the month" have been sticking
around too long and the Brown
Bomber, for all his placid face and
talk, has fierce pride in his ability
as a craftsman. He issued an eve
of-battle statement which was so
long for him that it practically con-