1983_04 Insight April 1983

              SPORTS FEATURES
April 27. im
'Golden age* hero now a forgotten man
Frtsae Br* arthlrra
Young Corbet* III, in 1933 wearing
champion's belt for the welter
weight division.
STKVKI). SMITH
Inaight reporter
Fifty years ago, Ralph Giordano
could not walk across Fulton Street in
Fresno or Market Street in San Francisco without getting mobbed by
thousands of adoring fans. Today
Giordano is confined to a retirement
home in the Sierra foothills, forgotten
by everyone except his relatives and a
few close friends. ,
His wife. Gladys, sits in the lobby
of tbe rest home and gazes out the
window as she talks of her husband.
"The nurses all know who he is,"
she says, "but they treat him just like
any other patient"
Giordano is no ordinary patient.
Outside the rest home he was once
known as Young Corbett III, the
Welterweight Boxing Champion of the
World. His picture graced sports sections across the country and movie
stars juch as Clark Gable lined up to
shake his hand. .
"He was so loved and respected,"
said Mrs. Giordano. "Everybody
wanted their sons to be just like
Young Corbett Ifs sad to see him
now."
CorbettV opponent now is not a
boxer, but Alzheimer's Disease, a
form of senility. For a 77-year-old
man, he is still in decent physical
shape, but he cannot recognize even
his own wife.
"It's hard for us to face." said
Mrs. Giordano, "he was such a dear,
sweet man. I just Wish people would
remember him the way he was."
One person who remembers him
that way is his life-long best friend,
Billy Mahoney, a boxer turned sports
historian who comes close to idolizing
Corbett.
"In his prime, Corbett could have
easily beaten any boxer today," said
Mahoney. "I'm sure be could have
downed Sugar Ray Leonard or Roberto Duran without any problem."
Corbett fought in a time period
known as "The Golden Age of
Sports," an era that spanned the 1920s
and 1930s. He reached tbe peak of his
career on Feb. 22,1933. It was on that
date that tbe hometown boy from
Fresno met and defeated title holder
Jackie Fields for the World
Welterweight Championship in San
Francisco. He came back to Fresno a
hero.
-Mahoney said Corbett's
homecoming was every bit as big an
event as the recent welcome home
given to Fresno State's basketball
team after it won the MTT championship in New York.
"There was a big parade, with
speeches and everything. People
were yelling and screaming their
heads off." said Mahoney. "It was
pretty wild. People think the celebration following Fresno State's win was
special. Heck, it's happened before."
Today, the most exciting thing
that happens to Corbett is an occasional trip to the store for some ice
cream.
When Corbett was young and still
known to everybody as Ralph Giordano, he roamed the streets of Fresno
as a newsboy for the Fresno Evening
Herald. His boxing career evolved out
of that job.
"In those days," said Mahoney,
"all the newsboys had favorite corners. If you got caught selling papers
on somebody else's corner, you could
count on a fight."
Eventually the Tights became
pretty bloody affairs, and the street
circulation manager of the Herald
came up with the idea of holding box-
A battered Young cor belt showed Us championship form in defeating world middleweight champion Fred ApoaUtU
ing matches instead of street brawls.
Corbett soon became accomplished in the ring and was matched up on
the weekly pro cards held at the old
Civic Auditorium in downtown
Fresno. In his first fight the ring announcer decided that Ralph Giordano
did not sound like a boxer's name, so
he called Giordano "Young Corbett,"
after former world heavyweight
champion Jim Corbett. The name
Ht Giordano was 14 years-
old and weighed a mere 90 pounds.
Tbe fight ended in a draw, but for
tbe newly-named Corbett, his boxing
career was just beginning. He went on
to compile an amazing 126-10 record
during his 20-year career, including 33
knockouts.
Corbett's life was not always rilled with tbe glories and thrills normally associated with a boxing champion.
He took almost as many blows outside
the ring as he gave inside tbe ring.
Just before the Depression, Corbett put $75,000 of his ring earnings into the Bank of Italy (nowknown as the
Bank of America). A few weeks later
tbe crash hit and he sold out to the
bank for $2 on every $100 he invested.
"He lost about four fortunes during his career," said former Fresno
Bee sports editor Ed Orman. "It waa
tragic he gave everything away."
"I lived with Corbett in San Fran*
See CorbeU, page .
USFL: To sign
a&Mot to sign?
The brand new and seemingly experimental United States Football
League season has been officially underway for six weeks and amazingly,
stadium attendance figures indicate that the new league may be around
for a long time.
The controversy that surrounded opening day games last month has
now died down a bit due to the start of major league baseball season and
the recently concluded NCAA basketball tournament The major topic of
USFL controversy — the signing of college athletes wbo have not played
out their years of college eligibility — is, however, one that is almost certain to spring up again when the next USFL draft takes place. Surely
there will be another Herschel Walker-type next year who will leave the
college ranks with neither a college degree nor a full four years of college
football experience.
Those who have argued the strongest against signing young men out
of college early have of course been the college officials and the National
Football League, an organization that does not allow tbe signing of
players with college eligibility remaining. One of tbe major arguments
waged by those two groups has centered on tbecEtm that luring a player
away from college football will prevent the athlete from striving to earn a
college degree. In theory, this sounds like a valid argument — statistically it is not
The graduation rate among college athletes, specifically football
players, is low. At some colleges and universities that figure is below 10
percent even though athletes are often herded into the most basic
classes. Thus, it seems as if little harm is done in taking a player out of
college at a time when he can be making money. Granted, some players
will not last in the USFL more.than a couple of seasons, but those two
seasons, if spent playing college ball, would only bring the college money
while denying the player the same opportune ty.
It is said that most professional football players are in trouble when
they can no longer make the team because most of them do not have college degrees. That may be true, but both the college coaches and tbe
players themselves are not particularly interested in degrees. So why not
give the players the chance to make some money while tbey are still
young and able?
That question leads to the second major argument against USFL's
practice of signing "underage" playersV-The success of college football
will be damaged if stars such as Herschel Walker are commonly hired
a way from school before their senior seasons are completed. Some go so
far as to claim that college sports programs as a whole will be damaged
since tbey rely more heavily on football revenues than on anything else.
Again, this is a seemingly valid point, but only on the colleges- behalf.
The millions of dollars that come in from football games benefit the colleges' sports programs, but do little for the player once he has lef t the institution. This fact, combined with tbe dismal graduation rate of football
players, seems to indicate one conclusion — college fotball players are
often exploited.
If the graduation rate were considerably higher, tbe colleges would
have a legitimate gripe. This would be especially true if the schools used
the millions of football dollars tn special programs to educate the play ers,
but such is not the case. Instead of establishing programs such as extensive wtoring efforts and pre-college academic prepping, the colleges
pump nearly all of their athletic earnings into building their sports programs even larger.
The reasons for the NFL's backing of the colleges' agruments is obvious. The NFL in tbe past has comfortably waited while college stars
blossom not having to worry about a rival league with whom to com pete.
Never before has the NFL made an attempt through financial help or
rules changes, to assure that college players have the best possible
chance to earn degrees before tbey enter tte professional ranks
College coaches and administrators, in addition to NFL officials,.
never seem to mention what happened - or better stated, what didn't
happen - after the Nsrhmal Fatm****'1 Atasneiatinn ml. .gainst signing
still eligible college players was dropped 12 years ago. College basketball's quality and money-making potential have been anything but
damaged. This was evident In tbe recent NCAA basketbaU tour-
nament- the most watched and profitable NCAA tournament in history.
The motives of the USFL are the same as those of colleges and the
NFL The new league wants to remain stable. Becoming financially
•table means paying big money to welHrnown pUyers. And until the
graduauon rate of college f ootlaul |>»ayen to Impnrved. tta
NFL officials will at best appear hypocritical.
New team grows by leaps'n'bounds
JOHN LOIACONO
Insight reporter ^aTBi they have done just that" said
Pagani. "By continually breaking our
You've come a long way baby. own records, we prove that we are
That would be a good phrase to getting better and consistently pro-
describe   the   progress   the  new grossing."
women's track team has taken this "The improving has been so good,
year,.... ' I'd say the team has made a
.Tone Nichols, an Intermediate 180-degree turn from the beginning of
I distance runner, is a ^perfect example the season. They've done it through
of how well the •BaSras progressed conditioning, competition and ma turnover a short period of time. ty," Pagani said.
When the year started, Nichols' Pagani is thrilled with tbe team's
best time in the 800 meters was 2:26.8. leaps and bounds since the start of the
"In less than one season," boatted season, but he also is quick to point
Pagani, "she has brought tvSr time out that CSUF is still not quite a rival
down more than H seconds. That may competitor in the Northern Pacific
not seem like much to many, but over Conference.
such a short distance,  14 seconds "As a team, realistically, we're
means 80-90 meters. Lengthwise, that not extremely competitive, only in a
is more than a straigW-a^-wyvand handful of events," said Pagani. "But
part of a turn." then again, that's to be expected. Tbe
At the onset of the CSUF women's schools we are going up agains t have
track season, Pagani was objective, had athletes in competitiansince their
but enthusiastic about the inaugural freshmen years. They are established
year of track competition for college programs  that  have  a  tradition,
women in Fresno.                ^ That's tbe one thing we don't have
The biggest problem the team here... tradition."
faced  was  not   rebuilding,-Tilling In this year's dual meets the
specific openings or even topping last women's, track team has come out
year's accomplishments. It was simp- ahead two out of three times. They
ly beginning a team. The 1963 season opened the dual season by defeating
is the first year for women's track at San   Francisco  State,   135-15.   The
CSUF, and though tbe team is in its in- Gators had only seven participants. In
fant stages, the coaches are very their second meet the ladies met a
satisfied with its performance to date, tough Stanford squad and ended up
"I'm extremely pleased," said losing 93-46. But in what was supposed
Pagani in a reclining chair in his to be a close match with UC Santa
athletic office. "The team is doing Barbara, the Bulldogs came away
very well. This may sound strange, with a somewhat easy 75-52 victory,
but the first thing that pops into mind "The UCSB meet was supposed to
is coaching^ The three of us (Red go to them or be decided by tbe last
Estes, BoOFraley and' Pagani > have event," admitted Pagani. "Our win is
been around this sport for a long time a good indicator that we are doing
— an average of 18 years each. something right"
"Because of that everybody gets Though the team on the whole is
a lot of attention, and I think that's tbe very "green" and really cannot stay
way it should be. I, or tbe other with most of the NorPac Conference,
'The key to breaking records
is improving. And they have
done just that. By
continually breaking our own
records, we prove that we
are getting better and
consistently progressing.'
—Pagani
coaches, don't try to coach 25 or 30
people at one time. Bob, Red and I
each have certain categories and
areas that we cover in small groups
and they really enjoy that"
Pagani had a plan at the beginning of tbe season and that waa to try
and get his athletes to break school
records as often as tbey could. That
may sound peculiar. Since this to the
first year of women's track, it to a
larks will
"The key to breaking records is
a few of the individuals are making a
mark.
Renee Wyckoff, Nichols and Shari
Vellz have qualified for the NorPac
Conference championships, which
wiU be held May 20-21 in Eugene.
Wyckoff, a junior, qualified for
the 1500 meters with a time of 4:31.71.
That bettered the qualifying time of
4:2ft,
"The northwest schools are
known for their distance rurtners and.
thouch Renee has very good times.
Renee Wyckoff in front of the competition, a position the has strives) very
hard to maintain this season. Wyckoff will compete in the NorPac cl
ships May 20-21.
she ranks only eighth in the conference," said Pagani.
Nichols, who, dropped her personal"- best in the 200 meters 14
seconds, was one of the major reasons
that CSUF was able to begin a
women's track program.
"She to as responsible for the
team existing as anybody," said
Pagani. "Before we had a team here,
she went to the athletic directors, people in the administration, coaches,
filled petitions and tried to stir up student support. She basically would not
take no for an answer. She to going to
be a success in life because she has
such a positive attitude."
Pagani believes Vellz is probably
the most talented athlete overall on
this year's squad. Pagani said, "If sbe
isn't the best individual athlete on this
team, then she is certainly very close.
She's qualified for the conference
championships in two events — the
long jump and the 200 meters. If she
had the time, she could probably
make It in several other events as
well. She is also a member of the 400
and 1600 meter relay teams. Needless
to say, she to very weU rounded "
Another individual the coaches
are very Ugh on is Merika Reed, a
freshman from Oakland. CA. She
competes in the 100 and 400 meter
hurdles and on the 400 meter relay
'team.
"The problem with Merika is Hut
she to suffering from rYt*#JrmanitUrJ."
said Pagani. "She is originally from '.
Texas, then moved to Oakland. Her
high school program in Oakland was J
not very strong. She is a novice at this ';
point but has come a long way in a •
very short time.
"As an example, one of tbe most >
critical things in a spring is the start. |
When she came here, she had never '
even used a'starting block."
, Reed's best in tbe 100 meter
hurdles is 1S.01, just .07 seconds short .
of the conference qualifyling mark.'
Her 64.8 mark in the 400 meters to off
by only .66 seconds. A freshman, the
coaches are confident that Reed will
become a NorPac contender in a few
years.
The coming year should be very
interesting for the lady Bulldog track
team and coaches. Pagani said there
won't be any pressure to bring in
specific people because they need per- J
sonnel in every area.
"We aren't looking to fill certain  .
areas because there are so many
areas that need to be strenghtened,"
said Pagani. "We do have a strategy.
We try and look at the a  '
the whole. Tbe confer
from 800 meters and uj
and California are very food there.
"So if we can recognize the weak
areas, we can try to bring in people
there. H we are sajcceemM at that we
can become very ctriaaprtilrre my
quicklv   We would naturally like In