MOST GRUELLING SPORT

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6631, 9 June 1928, Page 8 (Supplement)

MOST GRUELLING SPORT

Tunney Says Its Rowing AMERICAN FOOTBALL IS THE ROUGHEST

ROWING is the most exacting of all sports, says Gene Tunney, the world’s champion boxer. In the following article he tells why he thinks so.

In the course of an interesting sport talk with some friends the other day was asked: “What do you consider the most strenuous sport?” Without hesitancy I replied: "Rowing." This started so lively a discussion that 1 was tempted to revise my opinion, for 1 now believe that the most strenuous of all sports is a sport argument. But It’s lots of fun. I’d sooner sit around swapping views on sports matters than eat. I’m an incurable fan, and my interest applies to most of the major sports. “Do you mean to say,” my surprised friend went on, “that you consider rowing more strenuous than boxing?” “AGONISED EXPRESSIONS” 1 stuck to my story. 1 have always considered rowing the most taxing and wearing of athletic sports, and 1 repeated this belief, to the utter astonishment of a group that obviously expected me to nominate boxing. A hardfought. four-mile crew race takes more out of, a man than any other type of a sport con teat., that I know. I've seen oarsmen crumple and fall limply over the side of the shell, and almost topple into the water. Look at almost anycrew at the height of a tough race. Get a real clOse-up of the oarsmen by using a pair of field-glasses. If you’ve never done this you’ll get the surprise of your life. You’ll see agonised expressions that you never before witnessed.'

Having classified rowing as the most strenuous sport, my friends kept after me, apd Insisted on my classifying other sports The questions flew thick and fast. I found myself perspiring as freely-as if I’d just boxed ten rounds. It seemed as if a hundred questions

were fired at me at once. “Have a heart.’’ I said, “one at a time.’’ TENNIS HAS MOST ACTION Nevertheless, this, whole group of questions was tossed at me almost in chorus: — ‘What Is the roughest sport?” “What is the most brutal sport?” “What sport has the most action?" I might as well give you my answers, so that you can start a little argument of your own on these interesting questions. , There’s nothing like a good hearty sport debate to while.away the''evening. I guess I’ll start at the top of that questionnaire and work my way down. I consider football (he means American football), the roughest sport—yes, rougher than boxing. I’ve seen as many as a half-dozen men knocked out in a football game. I’ve never seen more than one man knocked out in a boxing match. . t - ~ CALLS WRESTLING BRUTAL I’ve always, regarded wrestling as tin - most brutal sport, and still do. There are certain holds in wrestling that are cruel; much too torturesome for the comfort of the spectator, who knows what’s going on. Many a spectator at a wrestling match is unaware of the torture inflicted by vice-like holds that cause terrific pain. I don’t like a test ’of mere brute’s strength. In wrestling the man. who’s weaker physically hasn’t much of a chance, regardless of his knowledge of the game. In the end his opponent will wear him down and beat him. In boxing the man who hasn’t anything but brute strength is frequently beaten by the cleverness of a smaller and less powerful man. And now for the next question. I believe that championship tennis has more action than any other sport.. Men like Lacoste or Tilden cover a terrific amount of ground in the course of a match.- i