THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 155?
Sports Thru
The Lion’s Eye
By JAKE HIGHTON
Collegian Sports Editor
It almost seems as if the measure of greatness in the sports
world is determined by the number of anecdotes handed down
from generation to generation.
Certainly Penn State’s Hugo Bezdek, who joined the Happy
Sporting Grounds after a heart attack last weekend in Atlantic City,
has had his share of greatness through anecdotes.
The story most typical of Bez—perhaps the most famous Penn
State sports figure of -them all—is the one told by Nittany baseball
coach Joe Bedenk:
Bedenk, All-American for the Lions in 1923, was playing in a
particularly rough game against North Carolina. Out of a terrific
pileup emerged a Red Sea flowing from Bedenk's jaw. While the
team physician administered to Bedenk, Bez barked, "Is il'broken?"
The physician’s “no” was enough for Bezdek who headed for the
sidelines while Bedenk headed for the huddle. Bez, a firm believer
in the virtually extinct 60-minute player, wouldn’t stand for a player
leaving the field unless it was under the power of a wheel barrow.
A stein taskmaster, Bez piled up scrimmage on scrimmage right
up to game time. He operated on the theory that such punishment
made Saturday’s game easy. By carrying his logic one step further,
Bez figured that the team that worked hardest during the week
had the greatest success Saturday. (A good theory, under Bezdek
anyway; his teams through 1918-24 won 40, lost 10 and tied 7.)
In addition to being a rugged man with the whip, Bez was a
spellbinder and a psychologist of the Knute Rockne school. Lou
Bel], Head of College public information department and former
sports editor of the Collegian, tells the following:
Bez hated to see anyone receive praise or headlines which
might inflate the e£o. So, during any scrimmage when’ a player
had made a long run Bez* would always recall the play with his
fog horn voice—Bedenk claims it was audible from the practice field
to the Corner Room. One day at a scrimmage a back broke loose
for a 40 yard touchdown run. Promptly Bez bawled, “Offsides.”
The irate scoring team indignantly asked who the culprit was.
"Greenshields," snapped the ever ready Bez. At his name.
Captain Don Greenshields grabbed for his helmet and leaped off
the bench.
Other Rockne-like traits were evident in Bezdek. Bell recalls
that during the halftime of Penn State games, the Lion dressing
room had an onion smell rising above the perspiration odor—to this
day it is strongly suspected that Br onion= ’ '
to help the players’ emotions.
The deeds and accomplishments
of Bezdek would truly qualify
him for America’s Sports Hall of
Fame —were there such a thing.
It probably wouldn’t be too
much an .error to call Bez the pop
of Nittany grid coaches. Perhaps
it was natural. After all, he be
gan his career as a player at
Chicago U. under the Grand Old
Man himself, A. A. Stagg. With
so illustrious a coach to start his
career, Bez turned out four All-
American’s at State. Two of them,
Bedenk and Bob Higgins, suc
ceeded Bez as Nittany head coach.
Bui football wasn't the only
Stater. Bez is still the only college grid coach to manage a major
league baseball team. During the 191 G-19 seasons he piloted the
Pittsburgh Pirates from last place to a firsi division berth. Nittany
baseball teams were one of the tops in the East. On the diamond
in 1920-21, Bez's teams won 29 straight for a school record in the
sport. Doubling in trumps at the same time, Bez's football teams
. between 1919-22 went 30 games without defeat—also a school mark.
A recount of Bez’s other deeds would take a tomb. Here are a
few: Served as Phys Ed dean at the College from 1929 to 1936 . . .
Head coached Arkansas and Oregon grid teams . . . Led the Lions
to the Rose Bowl in 1923 . . . Coached the Cleveland Rams of the
NFL . . .' Under Stagg at Chicago U. he was named to several
All-American teams . . . With Penn State short a basketball coach
during World War I, Bez took over the quintet which won 11
and lost 2.
Bezdek doesn't need anecdotes to prove his greatness. His
achievements speak louder. Yet. one incident meant more to Bez
dek than many of his outstanding feats. Under fire during his
closing years as head coach. Collegian writer Jim Coogan cur
rent College sports editor wrote an editorial defending Bez.
Thai framed editorial still hung on the wall of Bez's country home
near Doylestown, Pa., at the time of his unfortunate death.
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THE DAILY COLLEGIAN. STATE COLLEGE. PENNSYLVANIA' "V
Sophs, Tough Schedule Give
Wersiermen Big Task for '52
By JOHN SHEPPARD
Penn State’s cross country
coach, Chick Werner, has a
task mildly complicated by a
predominately sophomore
corps plus what might easily
be the East’s most difficult
hill-and-dale schedule—Army,
Michigan State, New York,
and Manhattan.
Although not dismayed by the
situation, Chick has set to work
with his crew of second-year men
and .has high words of praise to
offer at this early date.
Time Trials
For the past two weeks, his
team has been concentrating on
the conditioning process, which
is so essential to a harrier. The
daily diet has consisted largely
of distance jogs and calisthenics.
Werner and his assistant, Norm
Gordon, haven’t sent their char
ges through any clock workouts
yet, but next week it’ll be another
story. The first time trials of the
season are slated for next Mon
day afternoon.
The Nittanies open up their ’52
card against Cornell at Ithaca
Oct. 11.
"May Be Good'
According to Werner, the squad
has been responding rather well
to the daily sessions. “This is the
dulle'st part of the season for the
boys, as their daily workouts are
a repetition of distance jaunts
without any speed work.”
“If the sophomores can get over
that second year jinx which is
usually a plague,” Werner said
yesterday afternoon, “we may
have a good team.”
Sophomore Corps
“We feel this is the most prom
ising bunch of sophomores we’ve
had in quite some time.” Werner
was quick to qualify his optimis
tic statement when he quipped,
“This doesn’t mean 'anything, for
only competition will tell.”
In mentioning his corps of soph
omores, Chick was referring to
Lamont Smith. John Chilrud,
Jim Hamill, Don Austin, A 1 Ter
rall, Tom Demboski, Skip Slocum,
and Dave Leathum.
Of the group, Smith, Hamill,
and Chilrud were letter winners
last fall.
• All, according to Werner, have
been coming along better than
expected. At the beginning of the
pre-season drill two weeks ago,
Werner thought that veterans
Smith, Captain Jack Horner, and
Red Hollen would be alone in
their workouts; that is, no one
pushing them. However, sopho
mores Hamill, Chilrud, and Aus
tin, juniors Bob Gehman gnd Jim
Cressman, and seniors Stan Lind
ner and Bob Roesller, look as
though they’ll support these three
returnees.
Gene Wettstone, Penn State
gymnastics coach, served as a
judge at the 1952 Olympic Games
in Helsinki, Finland.
MICHAEL RENNIE
DEBRA PAGET
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TYRONE POWER
MAUREEN O'HARA
"BUCK SWAN"
OPEN AT 6:00
VIVECH LINDFORS
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Sports
Jersey Joe 'Unretares'
PHILADELPHIA UP) Jersey
Joe Walcott “unretired” from a
13-hour retirement yesterday to
set up a return bout with Rocky
Marciano, who knocked him off
the heavyweight throne in Tues
day night’s sensational bout.
Lewistown H.S. Leads
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (JP)—Lewis
town High School held the West
ern Pennsylvania Football Con
ference lead with 475 points.
Both of Lewistown’s victories
are over Class A opponents. In
second place is Bellwood-Antis
with 465 points, holding a win
each over a Class A and Class B
rival. Hollidaysburg is in third
place with two Class B victories
and 455 points.
IN STATE COLLEGE FOR ARROW
There $ something magnetic
about men who wear
Arrow White Shirts
popular button-down oxford, $4.50.
.—SHIRTS • TIES • UNDERWEAR • HANDKERCHIEFS • SPORTS SHIRTS.
ARROW PRODUCTS - Featured at
Crowd Pays $504,645
PHILADELPHIA (TP)—A crowd
of 40,379 paid $504,645 to see
Rocky Marciano dethrone Jersey
Joe Walcott as the heavyweight
boxing champion with a 13th
round knockout blow.
Buc's Renew Agreement
PITTSBURGH (TP) —The Pitts
burgh Pirates renewed a work
ing agreement today with the
Batavia, N.Y. team of the Class
D Pony League but dropped May
field, Ky.. in the 'Kitty League
and Pittsburgh, Kan., in the Kan
sas-Oklahoma-Missouri League,
Eighteen-year-old Warren Git
tlen, Harrisburg, district junior golf
champion, is a Penn State sopho
more.
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