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$100,000 IN PRO EARNINGSWOULD PLEASE DIDRIKSON500W eek in New VenturBeseand Marathon Dance Offers—W on't Be Indorser.This one of a series of crticles by Babe Didrikson in which theworld's most famous and most versatile woman athlete tells the story of her life.BY MILDRED (BABE) DIDRIKSON.WHEN I decided to turn professional, after the A. A. U. had disqualified me. I had no idea of making a milliondollars, although around the various meets and basket ball tournaments Icompeted in I heard a lot of gossipabout the money that could be made by capitalizing an athletic reputation.While I was inBabe Didrikson.California competing in the Olympics I was told that one famous amateur athlete wanted to mf ke $500.-000 before retiring.1 would be satisfied with $100,000,but I do not expect ever to retirefrom sports.The most money I ever made in mylife before was $125 a month, working for an in-surance company in Dallas. Before the Olympic games I made $00 a month as a filing clerk. I played on the company’s basket ball team and was a member of the track team. After the Olympic games my salary was raised.When I returned to Dallas from Los Angeles, and the people of Dallas helda parade and reception for me, I received an oiler of $65,000 to make a series of motion pictures. I had previously received an offer to appear in vaudeville which guaranteed $30,000for a few months’ work.At the time of these offers I had no Intention of becoming a professional athlete, so I did not even consider them. But since I turned professional last month I have been flooded with offers of all sorts.One newspaper columnist said that there is no demand for women athletes in the professional field and that I would be lucky to make $3,000 before people forgot about me. I know him.He is a fine sports writer, but I don’t think he amounts to shucks as a business man. During the week from January 8 to January 14 in New* York I earned more than $2,500 for myself.I don’t pretend to be a boxer and I don’t intend to capitalize on any falsereputation wTiters have given me. Thisoffer, however, grew out of a meeting I had with Babe Stribling, the younger brother of William (Young) Stribling, in Dallas. I was asked to put on the gloves with him and I said I would if he would not pull his punches. In the match, which lasted three rounds, he was on the defensive, and I knockedhim down once.But as I said, I do not think of myself as a fighter, and I do not intend to make any contracts for boxing matches. I have posed from time to time with boxing gloves on, but only because the photographers ran out of ideas and begged me to do it.Can’t Raise WhiskersANOTHER offer that I cannot accept came from the House of David base ball team. They wanted me to play with them this Spring witha guarantee that I would pitch one inning. Grover Cleveland Alexander Is a pitcher on this team. I turned this down because I thought the main attraction of the House of David team is their whiskers, and I don’t think I could grow a set of whiskers in time to team up with them.There is a marathon dance going on now in the East and I was offered $500 just to go over one night and watch them as a spectator. I passed up this offer because my manager, George Emerson, thought it was a stupid idea which I shouldn’t lend my name to in any way. I like to dance, but I don’t see any sense in dancing for weeks and weeks until 3'our tongue hangs out and you wabble on your feet. That isn’t athletics—it’s just dumb.The operator of a chain of sports goods stores in New York offered me $2,500 just to let him use my name as a buyer for his stores for a few months. He wanted me to indorse hts skates,basket balls, swimming suits and soforth. I am not going to be an indorser. Iam not going to sleep in anybody’s beds, use anybody’s soap or smoke anybody’s cigarettes and say that I owe my success to them. If I make $100,-000. I’ll make it honestly. If I ever express an opinion about anything, it will be a real opinion.Many Legitimate Offers.I HAVE plenty of legitimate offers that ought to net me a fairly good income in the next 12 months. Of course, many of the offers I have received I cannot accept. I’ll tell you about some of these.One boxing promoter in New York offered rr.e $350 a night for 10 nights ! to appear at a series of boxing matches for women. I am not a prize fighter, so I turned the offer down. If any one wants to offer me $10,000 to box somewoman I might consider it, and I don’t lt;care how big my opponent is. JWould Enjoy Promoting Club.ONE of the most attractive offers Ihave had was from the New YorkHippodrome, which offered me $25,000. in a certified check, to organize a woman’s athletic club, similar to such men’s clubs as the New York Athletic Club and the Illinois Athletic Club in Chicago.That appeals to me very much. There are so few places for women to work off steam and keep their figures in shape. There ought to be an athletic club in every city for women, with teams. If I can help, to promote anv-basket ball, bowling and golf and tennis thing like that, it is exactly what I will do.ii(Next—How much better it feels to be a professional than it does to be an amateur.)(Copyright. 3033. by North American Newspaper Alliance. Inc.)
Newspaper Details
Washington Evening Star
Washington, Washington-DC, US
Sun, Jan 15, 1933
Page 11
Full Page
Clipped by
Michael W.
NA, 22 Jan 2023
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