19TH HOLE: The readers take over
BOXING: THE POOR KID
Sirs:
Since when has the art of throwing in the towel become lost?
If there ever was a mismatch, it took place last Friday, June 6. Do I need mention the names of Martinez and Akins? (A Surprise Party with Punch, SI, June 16).
As everyone could see, except the referee and those in Martinez' corner, the poor kid was out since early in the first round, regardless of whether or not he was on his feet, in his corner, flat on his back or en route to or from this position.
Regardless that this was a title fight, I contend that not only were Martinez' handlers guilty of subjecting their chattel to an unmerciful beating, but that they also must have shortened the usefulness of their meal ticket by quite a few future profitable appearances.
The whole thing was nauseating and unnecessary. It will probably be some time before many viewers will have the stomach for another such spectacle.
DEAN DILLMAN
San Francisco
Sirs:
The Vince Martinez fight is a perfect example of managers taking advantage of their fighters. It was evident in the third round (if not in the first) that Martinez was out on his feet. This is not a championship fight to be proud of.
I hope you will continue to campaign against such poor supervision of this dangerous sport.
MRS. DAVID H. ALLEN
Wichita Falls, Texas
Sirs:
This matter has stuck in my craw for a long time, and I'm sure many agree with me. How does one man go about knocking out another in modern-day boxing? Here was Vince Martinez flat on his back—he might be there yet, if his seconds hadn't picked him up—and Akins is given a magnificent TKO. It seems to me that if a referee stops a fight with one man unconscious even if he's on his feet, but about to get his brains spread over the ring, it should be a kayo. Let 'em save the TKO for cut lips and faint hearts.
H. G. FLOWERS
New Orleans
GOREN: SUB JUDICE
Sirs:
When the expert in any field makes a mistake it can only increase our respect for him, because we then know he is human.
Mr. Charles Goren must have had other things on his mind when he wrote relative to the "Extra Trick" (Collision at trick 10, SI, June 2), "East could have defeated the hand with a super brilliant defense" if East had discarded one heart on the fourth round of clubs and discarded his king of hearts on the fifth round of clubs. Mr. Goren's statement seems to be based on the assumption that when East discards his heart king, South will also discard a heart.
However, having so cleverly conceived the proper play, South would not have let this defense defeat him. When the heart king was discarded by East on the fifth club, South, realizing this set up the dummy's heart queen, would trump the club with the diamond nine. Nothing the East-West partnership could do thereafter would defeat the contract.
I wish to add that Mr. Goren's articles have increased my enjoyment of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, as well as my education in the fine game of contract bridge.
HEINRICH C. TAYLOR
Judge, Second Judicial District
The District Court of Iowa
Bloomfield, Iowa
•Confronted with Judge Taylor's eloquent summation, in addition to briefs from such sharp-eyed and learned amici curiae as R. S. Richardson, Delray Beach; Dr. A. R. Flowers, Memphis; J. S. Rhodes, Roswell, N.M.; E. C. Worden, Claymont, Del.; Mrs. C. D. West, Warwick, Va.; L. Silbernagel, Pine Bluff, Ark.; Adrienne Bennett, Montreal; S. D. Stearns, New York City; E. H. Hanauer, Newton Centre, Mass.; A. I. Levine, Pittsburgh; Dr. J. M. Hicks, Great Falls, Mont.; and H. P. Epstein of The Bronx, Charles Goren drew upon his decades of experience in the field and entered the following plea: "I goofed."—ED.
INDIANAPOLIS: VALUE JUDGEMENTS
Sirs:
Congratulations on the fine article and especially the editorial on the 42nd 500-mile race at Indianapolis (SI, June 9).
Several writers in the Chicago area have blasted the sport of auto racing. These men are the same Martini-drinking, apple-polishing snobs who make it a habit of telling the reading public what a great bunch of heroes the playboys and gamblers, racketeers and ex-racketeers turned legit are.
I feel that your magazine is tops in giving racing the good name it deserves.
GEORGE R. KRUEGER
Lockport, Ill.
FITNESS: HOW TO
SIRS:
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR FITNESS SURVEY (SI, May 26). WHAT THE COUNCIL ON YOUTH FITNESS MUST PROVIDE IS A PLAN OF ACTION, NOT FOR ACTION.
FRED DIGBY
New Orleans
Sirs:
Such encouragement as yours will help us appreciably in continuing to emphasize the essential need for youth fitness. Dorothy Stull again did an outstanding job.
Local communities have responded greatly, and the large number of reports received concerning local programs would indicate that National Youth Fitness Week has had real meaning in California.
C. CARSON CONRAD, Chief
Bureau of Health Education, Physical Education and Recreation
Sacramento
FITNESS: THE FUN WAY
Sirs:
Nobody can sell American youth on physical fitness through calisthenics, gymnastics, weight lifting, or other assorted exercises that do not emphasize our version of competitive athletics. Americans want their exercise the fun way.
The select few who are varsity athletes gain their fitness in the sports they play. Others must be kept from becoming afflicted with spectatoritis through proper introduction of the carryover sports.
Those of us who are handball nuts know the sheer pleasure of an hour several times weekly spent in thrilling man-to-man competition in a four-wall court, tossing off the tensions of everyday pressures. Handball can be participated in by all ages, just as tennis, squash and swimming.
The soapbox orators, countless proclamations and reams of copy will not bring about physical fitness. The need is for more and more facilities and men who can present a worthwhile introduction.
MORT LEVE
Chicago
FITNESS: THE BUSINESS APPROACH
Sirs:
A Fit Week for a Second Look certainly was an interesting, informative and disturbing report on our national physical fitness program.
Some mention should be made about the outstanding work of the 76 Sports Club. The Union Oil Co. has been sponsoring weekly instructional telecasts and athletic clinics in southern California.
The telecast originates from Los Angeles and moves around the state to cover all the current sports festivals. A segment of the program is devoted to the local athletic scene. The local TV stations carrying the 76 Sports Club disseminate news on coming events and honor outstanding local performers in all sports.
Elroy (Crazy Legs) Hirsch is in charge of the program. He has successfully filled the flying track shoes of the 76 Sports Club's former host, Olympic Pole Vault Champion Bob Richards.
California is proud that Bob Richards was selected as director of the Wheaties Sports Federation. And it is justly proud of the rapid achievement of the Union Oil Co.'s Sports Club. With the continued industrial support of General Mills and Union Oil, plus the enthusiasm of the Jaycees, California can take pride in its physical fitness record.
DON C. BUSH
Coronado, Calif.
Sirs:
I would be interested in knowing what industries in the Buffalo area are particularly interested in the fitness program and which members of the President's Council on Youth Fitness reside near Buffalo.
EDWARD L. O'HARA
Tonawanda, N.Y.
•There is a distinction to be made between industrial sports programs, which are generally limited to the company's employees, and corporate programs toward a fitter community and nation. The Wheaties Sports Foundation (SI, Feb. 17) and the Union Oil program described by Mr. Bush (above) are outstanding examples of well-conceived and executed efforts to educate and encourage individuals and communities to the ideals of fitness. The number of companies becoming interested and active in this kind of program is growing, but so far none are located in the Rochester-Buffalo area. There are, however, a number of companies with very fine employee or community sports and recreation programs.
For example, the Oneida Ltd. Co., silversmiths, has an excellent community athletic program that includes a gymnasium with instructors, and so does Eastman Kodak in Rochester. Linde Air Products of Buffalo offers its employees bowling, basketball, baseball, archery, chess, tennis (on its own courts) and badminton teams. Mr. Mark A. McCloskey, Chairman of the New York State Youth Commission in Albany, is a member of the President's Citizens Advisory Committee.—ED.
FITNESS: FOR ALL
Sirs:
We are securing good results with a class of asthmatic children (both boys and girls) whose fitness performances are in many areas far surpassing that of normal children. If you could see several of our undersized, ostensibly sick children climbing up a 26-foot rope, doing from 100 to 300 sit-ups (feet free), performing 600 straddle hops and learning combative skills of judo, you could not help feel that one of the basic failures on the national scene is lack of proper motivation. There are far too many speeches and debates and too little constructive action.
LAWRENCE J. FRANKEL
Director of Physical Fitness Charleston YMCA
Charleston, W. Va.