Judge, 1931-10-17 · page 13 of 36
Judge — October 17, 1931 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Explanation for Modern Readers This page satirizes sports journalism through two angles: **"Football Star" cartoon (left):** A coach/manager surrounded by reporters, complaining about overtime pay—a jab at how sports writers obsess over contract details rather than actual game coverage. **Main article:** Proposes an "All-American Team" of sports *writers* (not players), rewarding journalistic integrity. It mocks sportswriters' lazy clichés: inventing nicknames for players (referencing "Albie Booth," a real Yale football star), printing irrelevant personal details, and making unfounded predictions. The satire peaks by nominating **Mort Humphries** of the San Francisco Times-Leader as captain *precisely because* he's never selected an All-American team in 15 years—suggesting most writers construct these teams recklessly. **"New York Cop" cartoon (right):** A detective complains about interrogating someone "all day" without the subject asking questions back—unrelated humor about police procedure. The overall message: sportswriters should focus on accurate reporting rather than flowery language and sensationalism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Footnar. Stan—I chance for a seat in Sports Writing’s Hall of Fame. Picking an All-American team sports writers would have its advan- s well as th tative side. Not only would it have es on the positive n a curbing effect on writers, but it would be a spur to endeavor. Sports writers would learn to look ahead to the end of the season when their ef- forts would be suitably rewarded. It might even be possible to give cach reporter who made the team a gold fountain pen or a silver corkscrew. For instance, the Boston sports writer who never once referred to the tend- eney of the Harvard team to be fond of tea might find a place in the roll of honor. He might be paired with the Cleveland newspaper man who, when a team he predicts to win loses admits he was wrong and lets it go at that. Other places, no doubt, would go to the sports editor who never dug up and printed a baby picture of a star open-field runner and to the New Haven journalist who spent his time writing reasonably accurate deserip- tions of the games instead of trying to think of new nicknames for Albie Booth. Mind you, I am not saving that people like that exist, but if they do, the All-American Team would be a proper recognition of their golden qualities. In fact, the more we think about it, the more we like the idea. And just to start the ball rolling, or rather the team writing, we'd like to nominate for Captain of the All-American Team of Sports Writers for 1 + Mort Humphries of the San Francisco JUDGE conder if there's anything about overtime in my contract! New York Cor gated all day without you askin’ questions all night? WwW Times-Leader, Vumphries has been writing up football for fifteen years and has never selected an All-Ameri can Team in his life! Anrivnk Sinvenscarr Distinction pple,” or “onion,” or O™ & the “spheroid.” or “pill” Was “pounded,” or “murdered,” or “laced Now the “pizskin.” or “oval.” or “blimp” gives a thrill When it’s “booted.” “flipped,” Soon the Will “pen,” or? But only the haughty golf-writer will risk A hero who “hits” at a “ball.” —Joun Heme Ain't it enough for me to be investi comicbooks.com