Page
THE CHINA MAIL,
THE CHINA MAIL BEGINS A
NEW
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1959.
WEEKLY SPORTS
FEATURE
SCANDALS OF SPORT
The Greatest Of All Athletes-Yet He Doesn't Exist
By REX LAWRENCE
Don't search the amateur athletic records for the name Jim Thorpe. It's not there. Yet he was probably the greatest athlote the world has over seen,
fell
Why this anomaly? At the height of his prowess, Jim Thorpe
victim of the sham-wrangling that amateur and professional day between branded a "professional" and his name the official records.
And the scandal Bust follow- ed his deihronement as suprenne all-rounder of track and Bel shook the world of sport to its very care.
Today, nearly half a century later, the Thorpe scandal still a live topic among sporles me, For Thorpe, in a carver that spanned barely Ave yours, hated his way to mimortality with a thoroughness equalled by none before or after him.
Over 100 Titles
100
Imagine 19.
..morr
than in
championatip% running. Jumping, swimming. baseball. Alpoing, skaling.
Тлогре
very
WON
was
sport he teek outright the
Thorpe watched in silence, ! wrestling against his emollens. In his heart, the 17-year-old betler. knew he could do But he was an Indian. Enthusiasm, disgust, the un- ro-tainable urge to how these "white" something. who knows"
OVE renal
But in a flash he wis the fence encircling the and enching tawani fer on day bar. Still nmning, he millet off i his jacket, then reared up and over the bar. The University's coch. Glenn ("Pop") Warner, athletes stond and the other agog,
to this persists
was sport. He was erased from
randins. Ameria at the time labourer, a watchman, and film-
War
*t
anxiour to eradicate any of "professionalism" from its Empteur sporting ranks. It wanted to prove to the world ils portaninchip,
The verdict Wis Guilty, Thorpe was branded a profe :ional and hle name emsed from the ocial records. To the AAUA, 3 od never cxisted. The greatest athlete of all time was no more than a myth.
tat did amateur sportsmen breathe wander? Not in the least, Яn Ereat and wide spread became the Thorpe that the rchors of seandal the uproar reached in every ront of the world, Sports writers and sportsmen angrily
Mary protested.
of
the men who now were entitled to Thore's confiscated medals and trophies refused to accept them.
Under Warner's guidance Tharpo
reached the top in no time. Championship cups shelves. his multiplied Nobody,
could peened,
kal.
ETTE
Heart-Broken
And Thorpe
Heart-broken
and disillusioned, unable to turn this cruel verdict, he now witched to True profession- First, he joinert the allen. New York Giants baseball team, then the Cincinnati Reds. the Boston Broves, and felly the Akron, Ohio, befous rir- beat him. Swimming,
ing frem baseball in 1919. ing, shooting, running, Jamp-
The following year, he drifted ing
-name it and Thorpe
into
football, Jofessional wwtild win L. Like *
assorted: meteor, he arched across the playing for sporting heavens, shattered club records trailing in his wake.
Crowning Glory
The crowning glory came al The Stockholm Olympies, where he won 15 events and two gold miralls
1929.
various until his retirement
IR
But until the end et his life, Thorpe never fetygal, or forgave, i that AAUA decision in 1913.
r-'n- Once, he rippled for statement. He
brusquely rejected.
extra.
Then in 1951, Hollywod mado But even the lm of his life. film talled to restore Thorpe's fortune. He received very little money because he had seld the rights cheaply 20 years earlier.
When he વાતાં of heari folture in March, 1933, the world's greatest athlete wan almost penniless,
On hla death, his fellow In- lane set up a memorial to him at his birthplace in the Shawnee : Indian Reservation, Oklahoma.
And even if the record books will never show his fantastic record. Thorpe's story will live forever as one of the
Beatest triumphs, discoloured by one of the greatest scandals, in the history of International sport.
Patterson Will
Drop D'Amato To Get Fight
New York, Nov. 25. Floyd Patterson, former world heavyweight champion, want
1 return bout with Swedish, champion Ingemár Johansson so badly that he will drop his suspended manager. CES D'Ʌmain, necessary to get New York post re- Ih the ported today.
an
The
newspapers sports columnist, Milton Gross, quoted Patterson as telling him in interview: "I
fight want to Johanason as soon
as possible and I'm ready to sign for the fight by myself right now.
to walt so want
they don't
stick somebody in there instead of me..
WATS
|
the
world's
Yet ler than a year later, in January
1913, Thorp, greatest athlete
now
the
Hc fought agains decision, but there little fight left. He till just a myth,
WAY was
WA
"in disgrace."
ho
of
Ilowever, even if official- dom had wiped his from the Man br forgotten.
name
recard books, the Bronze was not to
can
that It was at this mone tennis, hoekes, lacrosse, shoi
Tharp's athletic enreer beint putting and pole vaulting!
All-American, in Jim champion
Olymp Pentathlon and ph, le 1912
of i
when il 1t Man
began Deethlen Pentathlon
boy was called before the AAUA, the Red Inclin Brenze,
following An anonymous tip. who astonisheel the world.
off, to answer charges that he In that single jump, "Pop" Warner's shrewd even saw 3 was a professional. future "great." He put Thorpe help in the foolball team to develop him for the track. He enched and advised, aventally reverat
Thorpe's 11fe-long still becoming
:i Decathlon events
in the Olympic 1912
Games at Stockholm, setting up records that went unchallenged for 20 years.
King Gustav
ralled him he greatest athlete that ever lived,"
The President of the
State, William
Lifted
feted him.
Taft,
And sportsmen everywhere idolised him.
Then, when Tharpe was ai the very zenith of his fame and glory, offlelsidom in the shape of the Amateur Athle
inion of America merci- lessly struck him down,
He was branded a "profes- sional," forced 12 return his treasured medals and
trophies 1
and his name was expunged from the annals of sport for i
ever,
His. Crime
What was Jim Thorpe's
crime?
ile had
accepted *
SITLA 11
salary for playing baseball with a minor club in the Caro lina League to help pay hig way through college.
ย
Technically, Thorpe was *professional sports- man. Morally, he was nothing of the sort.
Thorpe could not deny the charge. Quibbling, petifogging. almost nonsenstent in this con- text, i was nevertheless buck- ed up by the rule-book of the AAUA and, by this rule stood, Thorpe had no defence other than that the money- small ainount-had been necessary to pay his college foos.
For
50oria-
many years writers everywhere argued the pros and cons of Thorpe's posillon, Thousands of sports- men pleaded and peiioned
the wuthorities for his re- instatement as an amateur. They pointed out that Thorpe had not been paid for any of the athletics events he had contested,
But the AAUA was adamant. Thorpe, they decided, was out
for life.
Public Sympathy
Moved by the sympathy of the public, Thorne said: "I wis ofraid I'd get that everlasting feeling of having wasted my life, but these kind words at sports- men from all over the world are worth more than all
the
prizes I ever won,"
But Thorpe need never hvo feared that his name might be forgotten. His story is mora than a chronicle of aporting triumph. It is the story of a courageous struggle ngainst formidable odds, the battle of a determined David against the Goliath of racial prejudice, over-zealous officialdoin and Jealousy.
Jim Thorpe came into scori full- accident. A almost by
Red Indian of the blooded Shawrite tribe, he Won A scholarship to the Curiisia Indian College, Arkansas. But He spent all lifs spare time ni the neighbouring Carlisle Uni versity's sports ground, watch- the athleten being past
through their parts,
He was doing this one day in 1207 while the University'a high-jumping team
at
practico, The performance were not inspiring. One after the other, the |||igh=}urrierN wind enishing throw it tho biết.
All Thorpe could do we to "In the offer an explanation:
my team, 1 Played with college men who aro
Для regarded
my Les
In 1950. a poll of American him the sportswriters named
athlete of the first outstanding half of the 20th Century.
Hard Times
The award again brought his friend, And when the AAUA | They changed their names. name into the headlines, but by he had run into hard branded the Indian a profes was simply an Indian boy not now
Limes. sional, Warner led the thou-whe to the world."
showed Since his retirement who
But sunds
officialdorn ปร for Teed reinstatement.
neither empassion, nor under-sport, he had worked
FOUR D. JONES}
MADDOCKS
He's Nuts VAVE
GET BACK
KESP
DEATH
LOVE THE ROAD!
FERDINAND
NANCY
GLORY BE THINK OF THE MONEY! MONEY MONEY, MONEY
AUNT FRITZI--- MAY
I HAVE A DIME
FOR SCHOOL
SUPPLIES ?
OKAY
~~
BUSHANKARA,
BRICK BRADFORD-
BAKK AND PUM ARE RETURNÍNAS, 777 PR. BABITLANDS LABORATORY: IN THE
LL GIVE THE RUSSIANS HIS
NOTE
AND
SCRAM
"It's obvious 11 sign without Cus to get the light if I have to. I'd
to represent
love him
Ronnie Burnet Resigns
From Yorkshire's
Cricket
Captaincy
Loeds, Nov. 25.
Ronnie Burnet, Yorkshire's 41-year-old cricket captain, who led the side to
the Cointy Championship title last season, has resigned.
Burnet, la letter to Mr J. H. Nash, the Yorksure secretary, writes: " was willing, if rë
bul
CUP quirexi, to do another year
EUROPEAN CUP FOOTBALL
Bremen. Nov. 25. Sparta Rotterdam) reached The quarter-finals of the Euro- pean Steeer Cup when they bent IFK (Gothenburg) 3-1 12 a deciding second-round match tre tudny,
ה
The club ended equal 011 goal Aggregate, 4-4, after the regular home-and-away matches in Rotterdam and Gothenburg, and
third match beganie
necessary.
Half-time score In today' ane was 2-1-Reuter.
BARCELONA WINS
Barcelona, Nov. 25. Defeng Milan 5-1 here 10- night. Barcelona qualitted for the quarter-Onnis of the Euro- pean Soccer Cup aggregate or 7-1.
goul
They had won the Art-leg match in their second round lie, played in Milan by 2-0-Reuter.
Frankfurt, Nov. 25,
Einira ht Frankfurt, West German football champions, qualified for the quarter-finals of the Eugen Cup when they circ w 1-1 with Your! Boys (Berne) here today.
Eintracht, 4-1 winners of the first leg match in Berne three weeks
wron the second und the en aggrekale of
5-2
There was no score at half- time in today's mitch-Revier.
Sports Diary
RKAAA
TO-DAY
Merung
Executive Committee meet at Education Dept, A.30 pm,
HIKFA But him
Council Meeting Sports won't Road, 5.43 D.menis
me as a manager, but 1: the New York Boxing Commission and the nther States cut, and If Johansson fight
me under those circum- stances, then Cus will have to remove any- step aside....d andy to get the fight."--Router.
frem
AN
HOLD ON.
DARLIN' MERE!
THAT IDIOT
WHAT'S
ÎNE WANT, MAN?
HE'S CRAZY
MAN, CRAIY
HEY! CAN
YOU GIVE MAR
A LIFT 7
Exhibition tennis by US Cup Players at LAC, & p.m.
Bofth All American Softball King's Park, 130 p.in,
Davis
maich at
during which SP4307 Johnny Wardle controvers vecurred,
the
Successor
Ruriel's successor will not be known for
wecks. SK Veral There are no obvious candidates
have decided that as the 1cam Is now obviously along the tight lines, and bearing in mind my limitations as a r rinss ericketer, it would best serve Among Yorkshire amateurs and the interests of Yorkshire the county may have to appoint professional exptaly for the cricket if 1 retired. ant made!
Are time in the club's 96-year history. way for a younger man."
Sir Leonard Itution Yorkshire finished 11th in when he was coptain of England the championship in Burnet's was not captain of his county.
first year as captain in 1958. ---China Mall Special.
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