The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-07-03
FORMER GRID COACH SOON TO
 BECOME RIVAL
'viclous Circle" Says Chick, New Boss of Box.
 at Ebbets Field
BY JOHN A. CLUNEY
 SpOrts Editor

NeW YOEk, July = JOnn F. "Chick" Meehar, the new boss of boxing at Brooklyn'S Ebbets Field, pops up today with Q rather time- ly statement, relative to the "fnon- opoly" of boxing, q vicious circie's and offers protection to boxers who have nerve enough to break away from the gent who holds the r1on- opoly with vice-like grip. That is, he offers ''proaection', with the help of teh gent who pays through the nose, John 0. Public.
 Though the former N. Y. Q. and Manhattan football coach does not mention the n1onopolist by name, any one out in Elkton, Indiana can tell with a glance at the Meehan statement, that he refers to Mich. ael Strauss Jacobs, the bald-headed gent, with the store teeth who rose from the business of ferryboat frankfurter salesman, through the realm of ticket speculation, to the financial security of . millionaire, who has his way with boxers, box ing commissions and tickets in the first fifteen rows, ringside
 Meehan'S "blaSt" is nothing new except that 1t comes at Q time when it will do the Ehbets Field promoter the most good, iH1asmuch as he opens his Brpoklyn gates for boxing next Tuesday and therefore be- comes a metropolitan rival of Ja- cobs, who brooks no interference from anyone. However, Meehan has the "gutS" and Jacobs has the money, so there ought to be a little action for a while, now that Jacobs must be trying to forget the zivic- Davis financial hoperoo of last even- ing, which drew less than S37,O0O after he predicted SIPS, 900.
 Here's the Meehan masterpiece:
 T am convinced that boxing to- day is suffering from Q number Of ailment that require correction = evils that destroyed wrestling and will destroy boxing, too. unless they are checked.
 Boxing no longer is a sport. 1t is 6 business monopoly. Tn the old days a recognized challenger was given a chance to win teh title in his class without signing his future away. To-day Q monopoly operates many arenas and when an opponent is selected for champion, he is selecta ed not because of his ability alone but also because of his willingness to contract his services exclusively to the monopoly in event he wins. VICIOUS CIRCLE
 Thus, vicious circle has been created. Boxers of championship caliber are not given a chance to win the title if they have courage enough to refuse to tie in with the monopoly.
 This condition is to the detri- 111ent of the general public. It is a condition which for years has shout ed for help-help for the boxing fan and help for the unrecogniBed but worthy challenger.
 Another evil which has come with the monopoly is high prices and ticket scalping. Good tickets are sold to the public at prices higher than their face values. One of the by- products of this vicious practice is that no taxes are paid on the ex- cess over the stamped price and the boxer working on percentage gets no share of these extra receipts.
 T am sure that even boxing's recognized champions will cooper ate with me. We intend to offer these champions lights at Ebbets Field with outstanding cfaileneers and protect them against threats Ot retaliation by the trust.
 WILL FIGHT MONOPOLY
 T have decided to fight this mon. opoly which has strangle hold on boxing. I am going to see to 1t that boxers of championship ability are given a chance to show their skill at Ebbets field.
 T will bring the monopoly out into the open and show it in its true light. I am certain the pub. Ii cwill help me force correction of its methods or compel it to suffer the consequences"