THE LITERATURE OF SPORT.

Evening Star, Issue 20056, 22 December 1928, Page 6

THE LITERATURE OF SPORT.

The disproportionate attention given to sport lias been a feature of life among British-speaking nations practically since the war. On a recent occasion wo commented on the cooperation of golf clubs in Britain with the Department of Scientific Research in the solution of greonkeeping problems. At about the same time it was cabled that a newspaper office in London had produced a most ingenious contrivance, showing in graphic moving diagram form the progress of the test matches in Australia, and that huge crowds found time to congregate in front of these displays of the adaptation of science to sport purposes, becoming enthusiastic enough to cheer when the ball was shown reaching the boundary. The amount of ink that is being spilled on comment and prophecy concerning these same games is far in excess of previous occasions; but there is the mitigation that for the most part the contributors are explayers of international repute and can speak with some knowledge and authority. But possibly the most notable example of the unlocking of the floodgates of publicity within the last few months was in connection with the Tunney-Heenoy boxing contest in the United States. An American writer, Mr Charles Merz, has just satirized bis fellow-couutvymou iu a book entitled ‘ Bigger and Better Murders. 1 Towards the end of that book he writes: “ When the Cathedral of St. John the Divine is dedicated to the Lord there will .be two staiuod-glass boxers in the window of its sports bay.” The strange part of the business is that the intrinsic (juality of any sport does not seem to improve under the influence.of the flood of writing concerning it. If our elders are to bo believed, the standard of play in various branches of sport was higher iu their young days than it is now. There was more individuality, more incident, and more enjoyment for player and spectator; but far less was said about it in print. And what was said was not said by participants in the game. It- is on the whole undesirable that players should act as sporting chroniclers, critics, and gossip-Bots writers for nowspapcis. Too often it leads to friction, and those governing sports bodies which try to put a stop to a growing practice are not acting out of mere autocratic caprice.