Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-06


Steve Ovens hasty departure
as head coach of the Giants last
season, according to Wellington.
We've got a long way to go
in rebuilding the team" Duke
explained, land if we don't win
this season the coach may come
in for a lot of criticism from the
press and public. We didn't
want Steve to take it. Howell's
a lot younger. He can take it,
and he may surprise some of our
critics, but we felt it would be
better to take Steve off the spot. )"
1t didn't sound as though
Steve was running for cover
when we talked to him at the
last NIL meeting. He wanted to
leave the Giants and was look
ing for another coaching berth,
but Duke says he's had a change
of heart and will handle person.
mel work for the club this season.
That will be satisfactory to most
of Steve's friends around the
league, who didn't want to see
him step out altogether.
wellington said Howell knew
what he wanted to do as a head
coach, that he might be retiring
and soft-Spoken off the field. but
in his working clothes Jim Lee
was another character.
There was a lot of talk that
we hired him because we got him
cheap" Duke reminded us, but
that wasn't true. You read the
stories about how we went after
Vince lombard of Army. We
signed Vince as our backfield
coach. That's what we wanted
him for, and in Howell we got
the man we wanted for head
coach"
X X X
Howell, heaven forbid, may
turn out to be the Walter Aston
of pro football. Not that there's
anything wrong with Walter, ex-
cept that he isn't as laxative as
Charlie Dresser and isn't expect
ed to be good copy for the writer's.
Owen liked to tell stories while
Howell remained silently and dis
creetly in the background. Jim
Lee was polite enough, but eco
nomical with the language. It's
possible, of course, that if he
doesn't produce a winner he'll
learn to tell stories, too. It's
happened before.
While horse racing is Laurel
race courses principal business,
track Officials also are looking for
some way to keep the plant busy
during the off season.
We're interested in booking
auto shows. flower shows or any,
thing that requires a lot of
space" Publicity Director Bill
Jaeger explained. We've got
the space and facilities for any
kind of show you can think of
and we think Laurel is nicely
situated for the purpose, half way
between two major cities"
Right now. however, Jaeger
is more interested in pumping IN
interest in Saturdays $4,000
added Chesapeake Stakes. AL
though supposed to be a tune. ur
for the Kentucky Derby, Satur-
days affair may not have as
many Derby names as Laure,
would wish. but it could be one
OF the best races of the meeting
This would be especially true
II a horse like Fisherman. 2
ranking Derby prospect, passec
up a trip to Laurel. The Cor.
nellus V. Whitney horse might
scare out some good runner.
whose trainers figure they cam
beat Fisherman. Laurel is caught
between two fireS-it wants the
publicity that goes with a bis
norse's entry. and it wants &
good betting race.
-Four horses. Whiskery, 1927
Cavalcade, 1884, War Admiral
1897 and Citation, l948, have
won the Chesapeake and gon,
on to take the Derby. There!
little chance that 1854 will Sc.
the feat duplicated.