Charleroi Mail Sept 22, 1942
Part 7
Thanks to Eva Dayle Zippay for transcribing this pageWe suggest that the various sports columnists stop trying to tell the men in charge of Army public relations what should be done about sports during the war.
We make this suggestion because, during the past week, we have been exposed to a couple of columns which insinuate that the possible continuation of professional sports during the next year would be a direct slap in the face for the men who are fighting and to their families.
Whether this is true we do not know. But we are confident that the men at the head of the public relations bureaus of the Army, Navy and other service branches know more about what should be done with sports during the war than any civilian sports columnist whose outlook may be governed entirely by what the war may mean to him personally.
Pay Injures Morale
There have been insinuations, for example, that the payment of money to Sgt. Joe LOUIS and Private Billy onn(sic) for engaging in a heavyweight title battle on Oct. 12 will have an adverse effect upon the morale of all athletes in service and the civilian population.
Without disclosing any military secrets, we can tell you mnow that the matter of paying Champion LOUIS for this title defense was considered for months by the most able minds in the War Department--brass hats far above the public relations division. Because of certain aspects of the LOUIS gate, the decision to pay Joe was one of the smartest ever made--a decision affecting the morale of millions of persons in service and out.
Payment No Issue
This very touchy question of morale as it affected a large and important sector of our fighting men and civilians never was mentioned in any service communique. So we will not enlarge upon it now. The question of paying CONN never was an issue at all. His private debts are being paid merely because LOUIS is being taken care of. The entire matter was handled adroitly by the War Department, regardless of any misinformed critics, as you doubtless will learn after we have won the war.
New York, Sept. 22--(UP)--
Compulsory participation in physical fitness programs by every male college student in the nation as a prime requisite for winning a total was(sic) is urged by the central office for eastern intercollegiate athletics.
"Halfway measures will be disastrous," executive director Asa S. BUSHNELL said in releasing a survey of the country's colleges. (Sic)Everything connected with sports is subservient to the necessity of producing as many men as we are able in the finest condition possible."
A questionnaire submitted to 675 of the nation's athletic directors disclosed:
1. More than half the colleges require athletics for all four classes.
2. So-called "commando classes" are becoming more popular.
3. Less than 1 per cent have abolished intercollegiate athletics.
4. War-time transportation problems have caused one of every five
to shift the games to the crowds.
5. The mid-west and the south are leading a losing fight against the
use of freshmen in varsity sports.
Other war-time difficulties--in addition to transportation--are--decreased revenues, insufficient candidates for various teams, inability to obtain certain types of equipment, and replacement of coaches resigning to enter the service.
Thirteen per cent of the colleges have discontinued one or more major sports, with the heaviest curtailment in the south, the far west the least affected. Of the major sports, baseball and track are the first to go, the report showed, with golf and tennis pared most quickly among the so-called minor variety.
The east backed the use of freshmen on varsity teams strongly, disapproval of running higher in the south and mid-west. The use of first year men was started in the east by Darthmouth(sic), Yale, Harvard and Princeton, and spread rapidly.
When regular play ended yesterday, three combinations were tied at 79 shots for the tournament title. They were Dick SHOEMAKER and Mrs. V.M. SHEWBERT, of Chartiers Heights; Vince ELDRED and Mrs. Earl E. SPRINGER of Highland, and Ted LUTHER and Mrs. J.D. GERMAN, of Youghiogheny.
In the tournament, the pro and the woman players alternate driving on the holes and alternate on all other shots on each hole.
Covering a distance of 300 miles, the race is expected to attract the top entries of all Charleroi and district rookeries and will be the prelude to a four race October card already planned by the Homing group.
The Charleroi-Washington tangle on
the county seat's home field headlines another full weekend grid card for the Monongahela valley district that will see all area schools in action with Monessen hosting to Central Catholic High, Monongahela invading Clairton and Brownsville meeting Redstone.
Friday night's clash will give Bill AMOS' fast-clicking crew their first double A encounter of the season and is expected to provide them with the first opposition on the schedule that has been all Washington's. AMOS and his lads have been traveling at a mile-a-minute clip with their top-heavy routs of Canonsburg, and Carnegie high schools.
Downed Carnegie
Carnegie high was snowed under a 59-0 score last week.
The Cougars emerged from their encounter with the Donorans practically intact and are expected to be at full strength by Friday night. They will be put through daily drills by STEPHANIAN and his assistants for the meeting with the Little Presidents.
Just what strategy the locals will adopt in the meeting with the Prexies could not be learned today. AMOS' men are expected to be decided favorites by their 105 points totaled in two games.
In other conference games, Coach Johnny REED's Monessen Greyhounds will play the role of host to Central Catholic of Pittsburgh after downing both Rankin and Monongahela in earlier games. The Greyhounds are expected to have little trouble with the Pittsburghers although REED is reported to be still not satisfied with his machine and anticipating a couple of more changes.
Monon-Clairton Clash
Monongahela emulates our own Cougars in taking to the road for a clash with a strong Clairton high school eleven. It will be the third appearance of the season for Yi McCURDY's lads who fell to Monessen 7-6 last Friday night after a gallant battle.
Brownsville completes the conference picture against Redstone.
Among the smaller Charleroi district schools, North Belle Vernon and Marion Hi start the ball rolling on Thursday afternoon with their clash on the latter's field. It will be the renewal of grid warfare for the uptowners who rested last week.
Jefferson and Bentleyville at the coaltowner's gridiron hold the sportlight(sic) for Friday afternoon features which also will see Waynesburg clashing with Centerville and Point Marion invading Ellsworth.
The Commission grant will allow horse racing from Oct. 3 to Dec. 5 and stipulates that:
All profits above eight per cent of the track's assets be donated to War Relief.
10 per cent of the wages of all personnel be invested in war bonds.
10 per cent of purses and stakes be paid in war bonds.
10 per cent of all jockey fees be paid in war bonds and stamps.
Concessions be allowed to retain only eight per cent of their gross, with surplus profits being donated to War Relief groups.
In outlining the conditions, officials said the Commission recognized that horse racing was not an essential industry.
The athletic council voted abandonment of the rule for the "duration of the war" at a meeting last night.
The two teams, newcomers as far as football relationships are concerned but old foes on the basketball floor, will meet at Donora's American Legion Field.
In his first year his Panthers had a date with Washington at Seattle, 3,000 miles from home. He had one regular of the great 1938 team left, and there were few who were willing to give the Pitts much of a chance when he headed west via the skyways for Seattle.
But the Pitts did all right, passing Washington to death, completing 12 out of 18 aerials, and winning by a 27-6 score.
A year later BOWSER saw his team hit the depths for a Pitt opener of modern history. Ohio State ran riot in the second half, winning 30-7 after being played to a standstill for the first 30 minutes.
Last year the Purdue Boilermakers came to town, and left on the long end of a 6-0 score. Terrific heat, a first-quarter charge that stopped on the one yard line, and frequent fumbles, and poor passing got Pitt off to a bad start, a start that had a lot to do with the subsequent early season lacings.
Mr. BOWSER's 1942 first team compares a lot better with the 1939 eleven than any of the other two. His backfield has the same lack of speed, but it has drive.
The line will not rank with the great lines of
history, but it is well bulwarked at center and tackle, and the first string ends and guards are capable.
JAMES, only eight years out of school, faces the task of holding a strong team with green, untried materials, but he expressed confidence in making something "before the season is finished."
Two workouts will be held daily until Friday when the program will be reduced to one in the afternoon.
JAMES, who succeeded Lt. Arthur D. KAHLER, now in the U.S. Navy, is assisted by a former teammate, Charles (Chick) KENNEDY, and 62-year old veteran Richard McANDREWS.
In a co-feature bout of 10 rounds, Bobby RUFFIN, New York, meets Leon HAIRE, Philadelphia.
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