Pulp Fiction, 1943 · page 64 of 100
12 Sports Aces, May 1943 — page 64: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Analysis This is **story prose** from a pulp magazine article titled "12 Sports Aces." The text argues that sports spectators play a vital role in athletic competition through their vocal support and commentary. It uses examples from baseball, tennis, and boxing—including references to Bill Tilden, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, and Gene Tunney—to demonstrate how fan enthusiasm and shouting can influence athlete performance and game outcomes. The piece encourages readers to enthusiastically cheer at sporting events. At the bottom is a wartime advertisement about sinking U-boats.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
62 . 12 SPORTS ACES joudest for these wise old baseball heads knew that the fans could tell when a pitcher was slowing down and the batter had the edge, much betier than any man on the bench could. ILY old Bill Tilden has ieng been aceused of being a grandstand player in tennis. And so he is until he gets the grandstand yelling at his shots. Then if he has not made you too excited te observe, you will see Bill steady down and start playing his unspectacular but sure-kill backhand shots. He knows then that the bleachers wiil tell him when his opponent is hot and he himself has lost the pace and started to cool off. The fans, and especially the ones who hope with all their hearts to see him jose, have won many a game for Big Bill just by coaching him. ‘The bey who lays down his good money in exchange for a pasteboard entitling him to sit on a hard woeden seat and yell at the fighters, often is the one who really wins the fight. The athiete who ustens to the voice of the spectators —old Jim Cer- bett used to call it “The Roar of the Crowd” really is hearing the wisest coach that sports ever have known. So yell, you fanatics! Let your raucous voices come bellowing out strong and raspy ! Never fear that your wisecracks are heard only by the spectators in front whose ears start flapping from the con- cussion. . You are taking a real part in the sport. You are teaching youngsters, warning faulty teams, helping officials, and win- ning the games ef wise old-timers for them. You taught fighters like Jack Dempsey most of what they know. You caused Joe Louis te change his style in mid-fight and go on to win from Carnera and Schmeling. If Allie Stoltz would tearn how to listen to you he might be a cham- pion. I have seen such a wise old outfielder as Dixie Walker change from a s!ow lope to a swift sprint at your howls on one of the rare occasions when he was wrong about the speed of a flyball. You yelled the Brooklyn Dedgers into pennants and you screamed the Cardinals into their victory over the Yankees in 1942. Your shouts, coming at unexpected moments, haye upset the dope and turned many an underdog into a winner. In that famous fourteen count ring in Chicago, Gene Tunney ducked at your yell when he could not see a punch that Jack Demp- sey had lifted from the floor ard Gene went on to win. You did not intend Gene to win, you were yelling to help Jack, but never mind. Just scream your heads off. Sports, all sorts of sports, will be as good as your reoeting and shouting can make them. GComichboo