The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-01-21
NED ,IRISH MAY
 BE OUTSTANDING SPORTS FIGURE
Success With Basketball Expected to Lead to
 Broader Efforts
BY JOE WILLIAMS

ton or business instincts and of course, there is always that great American novel they intend tc write.
 Ford Prick came out of the press box to head the National league and he's done a good job under the circumstances. The baseball execu- tive set up is such today that in- dividualism doesn't get much chance. To that extent Prick has been handicapped. There isn't much he can do beyond echo Lam dis czaristic attitudes. But the reformed sports writer is a sound baseball man, no moss backed tory convincing ambassador for the sport, and, in a situation less con- fining, his stature would loom larger.
 Collegiate
 Ned Irish has just been named war time president of Madison Square Garden. Irish is also g fugitive from the press box. He came to us from Philadelphia. He still has a rah-rah hangover. Col. lege football was his oyster, any thing collegiate, for that matter.
 He had a mild personality and soft voice (still has) which belied a spirited, fortnight nature. There wasn't any one around the office who could cook up tougher grouse than Irish when things did not please him. Generally these things had to do with the slovenly man. ner in which this or that sports event was presented.
 By now the story of how he got into basketball as a promoter it pretty widely known. He covered college basketball for us. The games were played in halls ant gymnasiuns. Getting seat was Q test of genius. Once Irish had tc climb through a window and in do' ing so lostt he seat of his pants The grouse he put on the next day broke all existing AAU records fol form and distance. It also sparked the determination which led to his appearance as professional.
 Once he had made up his mind he came to us with an outline ot his project. He wasn't too sure about its succeeding. Nor were we, Irish wanted to stay on the staff and promote his basketball games in his leisure hours, but we dis couraged that. The project was too big. If 1t was to succeed 1t needed the young promoters every hour.
 As you know Irish's promotions were a click from the start, and college basketball, having had ready made audience hereabouts for years, immediately became one ot Madison Square Gardens import ant winter assets. In due course Garden officials became more and more impressed by the young mans calm presence, level headedness and keen insight into cash and carry showmanship.
 It was inevitable that sooner or later he would move into the No sport and while this current move is tied up with wartime emer- gency 1t nevertheless indicates ex- pansion and recognition. If and when the Garden finds 1t neces- sary to have a new full time presi- dent the directors won't have to look far. As a matter of fact, they've already publicly put their finger on their man.
 Ultimately we look for Irish to be the country's foremost promoter il1 sports. He has daring, imagina- ton and solid business sense. His background as sports writer gives him advantage of an over all point of view which has been available to few promoters. And, with the wears, he has developed tolerance and diplomacy. We can't remem' Der when he last cooked up 6 grouse that was worthy of sitting down to growl at.
 Personalities
 Irish becomes the fourth presi. dent the Garden has had since il moved uptown. He fits the pat tern for the simple reason there ha' never been a pattern. Indeed, i would be difficult to name foul men whose personalities ran In s' many different directions.
 Tex Rickard was the first. Rick ard was a soldier of fortune, a melo' dramatist, who went back to thu gold rush days, a gambled wht would bet 'em as high as a cat! back, a snowman. who combined th' bizarre of Barnum and the mag nificence of Ziegfeld.
 Bill Carey followed Rickard; h' was an engineer and a Wall Stree man. We never had the feeling he cared about fights. We re- member him best as spectacular host. He must have picked up check for $6O,OOO at the Sharkey' Stribling fight. the first under hi promotion. The day he was named president we ran an unusually larg' head picture of him. That nigh when his wife came from shopping she saw the paper spread at tn page on which Carey's picture ap' peared.
 aMy heavens" she exclaimed q her daughter, "has father murdered SomeoneP"
 John Reed Fitzpatrick foli0we' Carey. He had an authentic sport background, having been one o these Yale immoFtals you reaf about. Fitzpatrick was more of routine business man than . color fml promoter. He had alert eatl Tor any proposition which prom lsed dlvidends. Thus it didn't tak' long lO sell hlm Ice shows, and [ took Irish even Ices ame 70 sell hin I Ha4s.aa4amN8