The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1945-07-14
By Fred Byrd

Indian jim Thorpe often called the greatest football
.ver of all times, recently told Of his greatest injury
r,stained while playing on the gridiron
He was playing with Akron in the professional foot
hall league against the Canton Bulldogs when punt car
ed 10 Fritz Pollard OF the great Negro backs Of all
times Pollard did perfect feint which caused Thorpe
md eammate to clash head and end up in the hospi
tal for week Needless to say Pollard got away for
long runback.
BULLET Slaughter practicng medicine in De-
ro recalled that most of his injuries sustained the
way as Thorpes Dr. Slaughter was called the great
"a, Negro athlete in the mid West in his dsv and went
10 Howard university to make name in Towards history
that lives till this day
Speaking of great athletes is as good time AS anv
TO concur with fellow sports-scribe who called Ted
Strong one of the great athletes of this
Strong may be unknown to most of us because he
didn't the good fortune of attending the high
pressure universities this because he played in two
sports which the Negro hasn't had opportunity to show
nix worth at least as far as most of the universities are
concerned. These sports baseball and basketball
Ted. at the age of 16 was just big strong. clumsy
kid with promise Of athletic greatness at all He used
to hang out at the 9Th Regiment armory and wish he
could play like the Globe Troers who practced there at
that time He would try and try. but to no avail
One bright day, however Strong came up pinch
hitter and hit the ball about $40 feet one of the long
home-runs ever hit in Butener Park in Chicago and
from that day he developed into the greatest power
hitter in the Chicago Prep League That league included
Phil Cavereta Of the Chicago Cubs. frankie Cuisine of
the Pittsburgh Pirates and Dick Wakefield in the Junior
high school circuit
II was not long before the big professional teams be-
gan dckerng for him This seemed to give Strong
outlook sports and he shortly developed into one
greatest pvotmen and ball handlers in the game of bask
etball
Upon the completion of his prep he began
playing with the Sapersein GlobeTrotters and the Kan
City Monarchs both ambitions he had always possessed
Just Strong reaching lis prime. however
the long and powerful of Uncle Sam reached out
and curtaed his activities We expect to him back
better than ever before long
While in high school, he teamed with Ralph Wyatt
who is famous short-stop.
BY the way, might add that Ted could make liv
ing a singer well ball player He sang in the
DISABLE HiJnks. which is talent show put yearly
by that school, for years One of his numbers Shoe
Shine Boy Ted really made the crowd sigh. cry and
he sang and acted the part of poor Negro shoe
shine boy trying to nickel The nationally famous
Cats and the Riddles appeared on this same show
Bernie Price the pint-man for the famous Globe
Trotes is in Provdent hospital Chicago. convaescng
from fracture of his leg sustained in recent automobile
smashup Here's hoping that Price will be ready for the
coming hardwood season.
Jake La Motta is still fighting the boys who are
smaller than he He took advantage of all his IL pounds
and defeated sensational Tommy Bell the Youngstown
lash 10 gruelling rounds of boxing Bell put up fight
hut his skill not enough to keep the mauler Off
Two colored boys bated it out for the City Park and
Recreatonal Championship Sunday at Northwestern high
school It really made feel good. They Bob Rv
land and Del RUSSELL seeded 1-2 the Wayne university
tennis squad