PEOPLE

It seems theKnicks' superswinger Dick Barnett harbors a passion for chess, picking up gameswherever he can. He has just accepted a challenge from a man in Cleveland, whomhe will play by mail ("He said he was a chess nut, and so am I"), andhe would like someday to play Bobby Fischer, just for fun. A spokesman atFischer's chess club in New York has observed dryly that Bobby "won't playfor less than half a thousand dollars." Barnett is not that big a chessnut.

Sonny Jurgensenhas shaved off his sideburns and chin whiskers. It was a simple, privateceremony. "I was only offered $1," he explained. "By mywife."

Once again AdolphRupp has wrested a great performance from a five-man team. Toast-master at atestimonial dinner for Earl Ruby, retired sports editor of the LouisvilleCourier-Journal, Rupp had as speakers four former Kentucky governors—LawrenceW. Wetherbee, A. B. (Happy) Chandler, Bert T. Combs, Edward T. Breathitt—andincumbent Louie B. Nunn. Rupp gave his men their pre-speech instructions andintroduced them. When the proceedings were over he said, "When I die Iwouldn't mind if they put it on my tombstone, 'This man got five governors tospeak—and finish—in 36 minutes.' "

Come July M.Charles Masson, owner of one of New York's most highly regarded Frenchrestaurants, will take leave of the massed flowers, polished crystal and ambermirrors of La Grenouille to serve as chef aboard his old friend Huey Long'sOndine for the Trans-Pacific race from San Pedro, Calif. to Honolulu. Masson'snautical experience is extensive—he served both in the French and U.S. merchantmarine, and for nine years he was maitre d' aboard the S.S. Independence—butall that was, on the whole, a more vertical experience than cooking on theOndine may prove. As crew member George Davis wrote Masson, "The menus youhave suggested sound excellent—a sailor's dream. However, you will only be ableto prepare these elegant meals if the yacht remains upright..." Masson saysphilosophically, "The men have indicated that they want mainly steaks, butI will probably try to pretty them up with some shallots to make them lookdesirable."

While M. Massonis off being a sportsman instead of a restaurateur, Giants placekicker PeteGogolak will be busy doing the opposite. At the owner's invitation, Gogolak islearning the restaurant business from the bottom up at the 21 Club in New York.For several years Gogolak spent his springs doing graduate work in hoteladministration at Cornell, and his summers working in hotels before attendingto football in the autumn. The Army interrupted him, but at 21 Pete will haveample opportunity to catch up on his sauce béarnaise—he has already worked as abusboy and been observed misguidedly pouring brandy on a lobster and setting itafire. This, 21 points out in self-defense, is a dish not found on theirmenu.

"There hasbeen, and let us acknowledge it, a spiritual flabbiness from which our fatherswould have fled," said Richard Cardinal Cushing of Boston at the beginningof Lent. "We have become in some measure 'fat' Christians whose religiondoes not overmuch interfere with our comfort." Cushing, that practical goodman, recommended "holy jogging" and "spiritual pushups" for thepre-Easter season, and those of his flock who have heeded his words should bestarting to shape up. If His Eminence can talk them into a few extra weeks theyshould peak just about in time for the Boston Marathon.

"Would youfind out who's going to win the NCAA basketball championships?" came therequest from outer space, but the best earth could do for Commander JamesMcDivitt, Michigan '59, was a couple of regional scores. "Davidson beatVillanova 75 to 61 and Miami of Ohio beat Notre Dame 63 to 60," Controlreported, and later snuck in a regular-season score: "Ohio State beatMichigan 95 to 86." "Oh, listen," McDivitt said unhappily, "I'mnot going to be able to live with my wife. You know she's from Miami. IfMichigan got beat and Miami of Ohio won, I'm in trouble when I get home."McDivitt thought it all over and came home anyway.

TWO PHOTOS