Playing the Game Track Ends a Boom Run on the Boards The l.C.A.A.A.A. Meet Marked the End of an Indoor Season that Saw Individuals Dominate Even the Heralded Struggle Among the Member Colleges for Collegiate Team Title

N a Sunday night last week Ottawa Games, and the A.A.U. meet that pre­ room floor—the announcer's amplifier re­ and the New York Americans, Na­ ceded the I.C.A.A.A.A.'s had played to peatedly centered the crowd's attention O tional Hockey League laggards, packed houses. There were plenty of empty upon individuals . . . "the bar is now at played a dull game before a "prize fight- seats last week at the l.C.A.A.A.A. meet. fourteen feet five inches . . . Keith Brown size" crowd on the ice in Madison Square Those three preceding indoor meets had will try for a world's record . . . George Garden. Less than twenty-four hours later, been carefully built up around that color­ Spitz is jumping for a new record. ..." ful quest for the Four-Flat Thus did individuals steal the show from Mile, the Cunningham-Bon- the much advertised three-way struggle for thron-Venzke struggle. There team supremacy among N. Y. U., Yale, was the drama that drew the and Manhattan. It was the memory of a crowds. Those able sportsmen whole season's struggle for mile honors who direct the destinies of the between three courageous young men, in­ LC.A.A.A.A. had other ideas dividuals; the thought that plugging —-their meet was to be a strug­ Venzke, not once the victor this season in gle between teams for a team that struggle, still lords it over his con­ title in which individual per­ querors with his 4:10 indoor mile record formers were to be subordinat­ set while he was still new on the boards— ed to team performances. those were the flashes that kept the crowd That sort of thing is all very awake, that made it a mite difficult to sum­ well for football, baseball, mon up a burst of enthusiasm when it was crew, and to a lesser degree, announced that the team from Manhattan outdoor track. It is rather dif­ College, a team that won only one first ficult to get very excited or place, had wrested the l.C.A.A.A.A. title even to keep up with team from Yale, a real team triumph, true standings in an indoor track enough. Especially would it be difficult for meet. Consider the meet in a spectator from Los Angeles, or Seattle, question: First it violated the or Dallas, or Chicago to produce a wild old adage that dictates con­ abandoned outburst of applause over such duct "when in Rome" by going a passing of an intercollegiate title. It was on the "metric standard" in all too local a finale. the events for the first time, all Greek even to New York's pop­ The meet was decided in the field events, ulation. Thus every event was those poor relations of track, and there to set a new intercollegiate were the only real records set: Spitz of © International record •—• metric — "confusion N. Y. U. in the ; Yale's Keith worse confounded." The meet Brown in the pole vault; Bowdoin's Bill Remarkable "candid camera" shot of the 1500-meter race Niblock with the sixteen-pound shot; and as Bonthron begins to stride out on the queer striped did start off in the intended spirit, with a toe-curling Henry Dryer of Rhode Island State with track to overhaul Venzke, out of sight in the picture. the thirty-five-pound weight. Crowley and Thompson of Manhattan, point winners, final for the 1600-meter relay press up in the pack strung out behind Bonthron in which it was easy to subor­ Perhaps in the Yale Bowl, or on Ohio dinate the individuals simply Field, or in Palmer Stadium, it would be carpenters had whittled, sawed, and ham­ because the relay is a team event. possible to think more of the team. But in mered together a transformation after the Right after the 1600-meter relay, atten­ Madison Square Garden, shelter for six- designs of Gustavus T. Kirby and that no­ tion was promptly focused back on indi­ day bike races and Socialist rallies, the torious mausoleum of sport was all dressed viduals when Bonthron pulled out past color of the 1934 campaign on the boards up in a fresh pine- track, peppermint chugging Venzke to win the "Olympic will be painted in the history books more with the brilliant, game struggles of Glenn stripes painted to mark out the lanes, pits, Mile," metric approximation of the season's Cunningham, Bill Bonthron, , runaways., Kirby Camera Timers, contes­ headlined quest for mile honors. Venzke George Spitz, —those are the tants, benches, and derby-hatted officials held a long lead and had the crowd pulling names that made the season, not Yale or strewn willy nilly about on the boards in­ for him until the very last when all partizan Princeton or Manhattan or Fresno State. side the banked oval track. The track itself applause was drowned in one welling roar was an innovation—a twenty-seven-foot as Bonthron drove ahead on the soft, pine wide double track, a 133.3-meter oval in­ boards and went on past the 1500-meter side a 160-meter strip, all outlined in a finish to fail in a lone try for a measured SPORTS CALENDAR maze of colored stripes. This was the set­ mile record. The first lap of that race was GOLF ting, the party dress that the Garden wore run on the 133.3-meter track and then March 22-25—Open Tournament. in playing host for the first time to the switched out onto the 160-meter strip. There Augusta, Georgia. LC.A.A.A.A. indoor track meet, late resi­ seemed to be no confusion about crossing dent of draughty uptown New York armo­ the bewildering pattern of lines, but per­ HUNT RACE MEETING ries. This strictly collegiate affair was haps this innovation accounts for Bon- March 24—Carolina Cup, Camden, South Carolina. moved into the Garden "to accommodate thron's poor clocking at 3:57.4. Cunning­ the multitudes who have been unable to get ham was out of this particular chapter in POLO seats at these college games before." the struggle. Kansas University, his alma March 17-31—Open Championship, Burlingame Club, San Mateo, Cali­ But the publicity went astray for this mater, is not a member of the really quite fornia. last act of the indoor track season, the most Eastern and local LC.A.A.A.A. And always STEEPLECHASE prosperous since Nurmi furnished the breaking into the "dug dug dug" of the March 23—Grand National, Aintree, boards with a box office success back in spiked shoes on the clean pine boards— Liverpool, England. 1925. The , the N.Y.A.C. sounds like a dog scampering across a ball­ 24

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED March 17, 1934 The Literary Digest 25

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PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 26 The Literary Digest March 17, 1934 Championships and Death at the Bridge Table By WALTER MALOWAN Member of the 1933 Ail-American Championship Team and Secretary of the International Union

HERE is great similarity between made his contract, while the declarer from golf tournaments and bridge tourna­ AKJ985 the Cavendish Club played for the drop of Tments. With very few exceptions the <^K762 that card and was set one trick. This bad final outcome is very close, and there are 085 guess cost his team 1560 points, while the usually eight or ten players or pairs who *K10 match was lost by a few hundred points are rated as having an almost even chance only. This hand enabled the "Four Horse­ 4k 4 AQ72 at the beginning. Another similarity is Husband men" to tie my team in the number of ^Q94 9AJ3 that, with the exception of rare upsets, W E matches won, and we ultimately lost in the 0 K .1 7 6 3 0 A Q 10 9 2 the winning player or pair will "come Wife play-oft. In this instance we were at least *Q753 •9iJ6 through" from among the favorites par­ spared the pangs of self-reproach, as the ticipating. Many a golf tournament has <|k A 10 6 3 fatal misplay was not made by our team. been lost through the ball "rimming the 9 10 8 5 Twenty points is the smallest margin cup" and many bridge championships 04 which has ever decided a team-of-four have been missed by the proverbial eye­ *A9842 match. This occurred four years ago dur­ lash, notwithstanding the fact that the ing the Asbury Park tournament, and an contestant has played exceedingly well. The bidding: extra trick in spades or hearts on one of the NORTH EAST SOU TH WEST thirty-two hands played would have been Richard L. Frey suffered just such an IS 2D 3S 4D sufficient to the result. undeserved defeat in the 1931 Individual 4 S Double Pass Pass Masters' Tournament. These yearly indi- Pass People who do not take their bridge seri­ dividual contests are considered the sever­ ously will probably smile indulgently, be­ est tests in contract bridge, since only cause of my having used as trenchant a players who have won a national cham­ in previous contests had been decided by word as "fatal" for "Just a game." How­ pionship are qualified to enter. The num­ ridiculously small margins of from twenty ever, they will scarcely object to my calling ber of participants is limited to twenty- to a hundred points and obviously such the hand shown in the diagram a "fatal five, who are selected by a special com­ an atomic difference does not prove the bridge hand." mittee. In 1931 one hundred hands were superiority of any team. This hand was dealt a few years ago in a scheduled to be played in three days. Western city during what was intended as a Perhaps I favored the change because Frey had played consistently well, and friendly game between two married couples. my team had twice lost the Vanderbilt Cup, was leading the field with only two more North—husband—was set, and a heated the most coveted bridge trophy, by a single hands to play. Sitting West, he held: argument ensued between husband and hand; and this had cost me some sleepless spades 7, hearts K 4 3, diamonds A K Q wife, who accused each other of poor bid­ nights thinking of "what might have been." 9 4, clubs 10 6 5 2. ding. When the wife finally called her The bidding proceeded as follows: The first catastrophe befell us through a "favorite partner" a "bum player," he countered by slapping her face. Disapprov­ EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH misunderstanding between my partner, ing of such card manners, she got the family Pass Pass 1 Diamond Pass Commander Winfield Liggett Jr., and my­ revolver from a drawer, aimed at her unfor­ 2 No- Pass Pass Pass self. The other pair of our team was entirely guiltless. Playing against the Culbertson tunate spouse and felled him lifeless at her West hesitated a long time before passing team (it happened before Ely Culbertson feet. over the two no-trump bid, but, sound as had reached the pinnacle of his fame), our While I disagree with the jury, who ac­ his decision was, it proved fatal. Game side was vulnerable on this particular hand, quitted the woman, I must side with her as at no-trump could have been made easily, and after three passes I opened fourth hand far as the bridge argument goes. To begin because the dummy, in addition to other with one club, holding spades 10, hearts with. North had no opening bid and prob­ valuable cards, held the ace and queen of A Q 10, diamonds A K 4, clubs K Q J 9 7 3. ably could have saved his life by passing spades and the king of that suit was held We had had two good "breaks" on previous originally. A second opportunity was given by North. The highest total score for the hands and Mr. Culbertson, realizing that him in the play of the hand, as he could have tournament was 278% match points, while strong measures were_ required, made a made his contract. East made the question­ Frey had accumulated 278 match points. bluff bid of one no-trump. My partner over- able lead of the jack of clubs, which placed The recent Grand National Tournament called with two no-trump on the following the queen in the West hand. It also indi­ of the United States Bridge Association hand: spades A K J 3, hearts J 9 2, dia­ cated a short club suit. Therefore East inaugurated the novel rule that knock-out monds 9 8 6, clubs 10 8 4. I did not like probably held three spades, which assump­ matches in team-of-four tournaments must the distribution of my hand for no-trump, tion was supported by West's four-diamond be won by a minimum margin of 500 and never suspecting that the bidding bid. East had doubled, thus marking him­ points. If, after the scheduled number would stop short of game after my part­ self with the ace of hearts and there were of hands, the margin was below that limit, ner's indication of strength, I bid three not sufficient other high cards left to justify additional sets of four boards were to be clubs, which was passed by all. I made a West's raise, unless he held a singleton. small slam, as the heart worked. At played until one of the teams had gained The first trick should have been won with the other table the final contract was five this decisive margin. Long discussions at the king of clubs, followed by the king, ten clubs. We lost the match—and inciden­ the committee meetings had preceded the and ace of spades. The ace of clubs and tally the tournament—by this one tragic adoption of this innovation. The oppo­ nine of clubs were then the correct plays. hand, which is still occasionally discussed nents of the proposed rule argued that in North should have trumped or allowed the among experts. Their opinion is divided golf tournaments championships may be nine to hold the trick, depending upon as to who was to blame for the result. won by a single stroke; to which the pro­ whether West played the queen or not. In ponents retorted that deuce sets in tennis The other all-important hand occurred either case dummy's club suit finally would are prolonged indefinitely until one side has in the Vanderbilt Cup Tournament two have permitted the declarer to discard two gained an advantage of two games. The sup­ years later. In the match between the hearts. Assuming that West played the porters of the proposal finally won out. "Four Horsemen" and the Cavendish Club queen of clubs to the sixth trick, North I was one of the committee members team both reached a vulnerable six no- would have led a diamond and even if West who favored the change, as it tended to trump contract on the very last hand. A took the trick and played hearts. North still relieve the great strain in tournament member of the former team finessed suc­ could lose only two heart tricks as long as bridge. Too many teams-of-four matches cessfully for the queen of diamonds and he did not have to lead the suit himself.

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