Evening star., 1960-12-02
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAV By FRANCIS STANN
A Matter of Opinion

the American Medical Association here this week. Dr. Max
M Novch of Newark, N. j. chose boxing his target
Obviously he failed to make a complete study of it,
although he Is former college boxer.
The good doctor charged that unless done to
teach scientific boxing it might be wise to outlaw all
college and amateur boxing to prevent injuries" He
added "The amateur and professional ranks full of
fighters who do not know how to protect themselves"
Up to this point Dr. Novich safe ground but then
he goofed
There needs to be "resurgence of the art of self
defense in boxing practced he sad by such ring greats
of the past John Sullivan Jack Dempsey, Gene Tun
ney and Benny Leonard
Zounds! Dempsey? Sullivan? They were distinguished
practitioners of the art Of destruction and sepreserva
on not of selfdeense Only with Leonard and Tunney
did the doc and 500 average is not very good in
argument of this kind.
DEMPSEY AND SULLIVAN according to all accounts,
were among the rougheSt and most cruel brawer Of all
time Dempsey could box he proved against the light
hitting Tommy Gibbons but that an exceptional per-
formance for the Manassa Mauler In most his fights
Dempsey was snarlng charging tiger taking two
punches to land blockbuster.
There was little that scientific about Dempsey
and Sullivan when they in their primes. The low
blow and the cas-lke castings fighters hands in the
Dempsey less accepted part of the
game In Jacks earlier days there rule that called
for fighter to retire to neutral after flooring
opponent Go back the old picture files and
how Dempsey stood such stricken opponents Jess
Willard and Luis Angel Firpo.
Il all but Straddled em," Dempsey himself has ad-
mitted, "and they tried to get up belted
EN- again And when was down in my early days they
did the thing to me- Habit strong that Demp
sey probably failed to regain his title from Tunney be-
of his reluctance to go to neutral after
the rule was put into effect
**%%
LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL Pop Warner football and
Little Lassy softba under fire this week by fitness
experts OF the ANA AS observer put it, About the
best that said of the little league sports came from
Dr. Robert r. Macdonald of Pittsburgh who commented
They can't be all bad"
The main objection of the panel speakers was that
elementary school children would better off without
contact and without the pressure of adult rooters
on the Sidelines. There might be substance the
latter part Of the argument if the ANA embraces
Little League baseball in the field of contact sports is
not going to 60 unchalenged.
Baseball is of a contact sport than game
OF tennis doubles For every critic Of Little League base
ball. there probably 10 defenders who will argue that
it of the best youth development programs in years
Poppa and Momma nuisances granted but they always
have been among us in all sports carrying their stop
watches, rule books scoring tablets and overdeveOped
pride for all to see.
THE MOST CONFUSING opinion to come out of the
ANA meeting delivered by psychiatrist, Dr. Robert
A. Moore Of Ann Arbor Mich. In paper he submitted,
Dr. Moore suggested that athletes deliberately
themselves to injury because of guilt complex"
Guilt wrong wishes be explained by punish
ment in the form of bodily injury Dr. Moore was quoted
Fear of retaliation for certain unconscious acts OF guilt
he added also could athlete to anticipate with
terror form of bodily mutlation AS protection
against this he develops pattern of whistling in the
dark by feeling himself totally unafrad invulnerabe to
injury"
This little deep for most athletes whose reac-
tions sought but they not bewdered to
be mute National Football League linebacker snorted
You don't try to hurt anyone in this game especially
not yourself That's the last person. Andy Bathgate Of
the New York hockey Rangers sputtered That's silly
You get hurt easy in this game without try
ing so why try?"
That psychiatrist is screwy Fullback Tom Tracy Of
the Pittsburgh steeers pronounced Il think he'd better
60 psychiatrist"