European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 07, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday May 7.1989 the stars and stripes Page 23 sex army coach Earl Blaik Dies Colorado Springs Colo. A Earl Henry red Blaik. Who took Over a woeful army football program and built it into a National football Power coaching the cadets to three National titles during the 1940s, died Early saturday at a nursing Home. He was 92. Blaik Lud been in ill health in recent years and made his final West Point visit in 1988 to dedicate a Monu ment he had erected As a memorial to All cadets at the Holly Der Center. Blaik compiled a record of 121-33-10 from 1941 to 1958. He guided army to unbeaten and untied seasons in 1944 and 1945. When the cadets won consecutive National lilies behind Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis and again in 1949. The cadets also were undefeated but tied in 1946,1948 and 1958. Army compiled a 32-Gamc undefeated Streak with two tics under Blaik from 1944 to 1947, and a 28-Gamc skein Al of with two tics from 1947 to 1950. From 1944 through 1950, the cadets lost Only three games and tied three others out of the 63 they played. Colonel Blaik gave army football and army athletics a great Standard and a legacy that we will always labor to  army athletic director Carl Ullrich said saturday. All West pointers and especially All army football players mourn his  he contributed immensely to football. West Point and the country1." army coach Jim Young added. He will be remembered As one of the greatest coaches of All time and one of the outstanding  no one will Ever think of army football without thinking of colonel red Blaik said it. Gen. Dave r. Palmer superintendent of West Point. His name is Synon Mous with excellence in army  All America guard Joseph b. Stuffy said he knew Blaik As three different men. I knew him As a player As a coach working for him and when neither of us were involved in football Stuffy said. He was genuinely interested in every player he Ever had. He was More interested in the third West Point football legend Earl red Ulasik. Won three National titles siring guard that did t graduate than he was in Glenn Davis or Doc Blanchard. Davis and Blanchard could take care of  Blaik who graduated from West Point was an assistant coach there for seven seasons prior to taking the head football coaching position at Dartmouth in 1934, where he compiled a 45-15-4 record. Blaik grew up in Dayton Ohio and Plaul football. Basketball and baseball in High school. He entered West Point in 1918 and earned All America status in football and also lettered in baseball and basketball. After being commissioned in 1920, Blaik served at fort Riley Kansas and later at fort Bliss Texas with the eighth cavalry. He resigned from the army in 1922 and returned to Dayton to work in real estate and contracting. In 1927, he became a civilian assistant coach Ai the military Academy holding that Post through the 1933 season. Blaik inherited an army program in disarray and turned it around almost immediately. He took a team that finished 1-7-1 in 1940 and posted a 5-3-1 Maik in his first season. His teams went on to win the Limbert trophy As the top football team in the East five times during the 1940s. Blaik s most trying time at West Point of Cunard in 1951 when 90 cadets including his son were dismissed for cheating. Blaik considered retirement but was persuaded not to leave by Gen. Douglas Macarthur. Blaik who lost 37 players to the cheating scandal rebuilt the army program again retiring after the 1958 season when Sci Spain trophy Winner Pete Daw Kins paced the cadets to their last unbeaten season. When he retired Blaik had developed 29 All Ameri can players and 15 of his coaching assistants went on to become head coaches. In 1964, Blaik was named to the National football foundation Hall of Fame and two years later he received the foundation s Gold medal award. Ai that time he explained what ibo tall meant to him. If it is the game most like War he said it is also a game most like life for it teaches Young men that work sacrifice selflessness competitive drive Perse Verance and respect for authority arc the Price one pays to achieve goals  Blaik will be buried at West Point next to his late wife where a football shaped Tombstone has a n erected. Boxing from Page 1 function under stress he said. Boxing teaches men to be self confident and to take  but boxing Morris said is Only one of Many Confidence building aspects of West  i boxed in gym class and two years of intramural he said. I got knocked out and i knocked some people out. Did it help me i Don t know. But eliminating boxing is not going to detract from the total  or. Col Eberhard Koeble a neurologist and chief of the department of Medicine at the Frankfurt army Region Al medical Center in West Germany said that from a doctor s Point of View he also would like boxing knocked out of the military. Why arc they doing this he asked. Just to get physically fit no they Are appealing to aggressive instincts. I Don t think the aggressiveness you have going into the ring beating each other to a pulp is the same As you need to fight against the common  Anderson who was in Vietnam As an infantry officer said cadets need to know How to react in a fear filled Situa Tion As they would be forced to do in combat. I can think of no other sport where a degree of fear can be present he said. Ideally i would like to see the Man subjected to As much fear As possible while at the same time ensuring his safety from any  Don c la comb sports director for the . Army in Europe said the study in the journal of the american medical association was conducted before the Usa Amateur boxing federation added safety requirements such As thicker headgear and larger gloves. Usa eur boxing programs comply with these standards and add other measures to ensure a Boxer s safety he said. Protective headgear and larger gloves Morris said do not necessarily protect boxers from the damage caused by the bumping and twisting of the brain inside the Skull from an opponent s blow. Bumps and Sharp edges on the surface of the Skull can injure the brain As it is pushed or pulled across these irregularities. Headgear prevents facial lacerations but cannot Stop some of the most serious injuries produced when a Boxer s head twists like a Corkscrew after receiving a blow to the Side Morris said. The brain is injured As it turns in the Skull tearing the Small blood vessels be tween the brain and the Dura mater the covering of the brain. Fibres connecting nerve cells throughout the brain like the wires of a switchboard can also be torn and damaged sometimes irreversibly. A Boxer is vulnerable to neurological damage when he is stunned confused and staggering said or. Capt Dennis Mallei a Volunteer ringside doctor i Mannheim West Germany for inc past iwo years. Much neurological damage can be Preven cd by stopping the fight when the referee or doctor sees the Boxer is stunned he said. We try to Stop things before the Guy gets Hurt Mallei said when interview Dat inc Usa eur boxing championships this weekend. Boxing referee Al Fontaine who is also a physician s ass Island for inc 2nd in 1st Field arty isl army div looks Al a Boxer s eyes to Sec if he can focus an indication his head is Clear. He also notes if a Boxer can hold his fists up. Or if he is wobbling or stumbling. You can Tell when a Boxer is becom ing passive and does t fight Back he said after refer being a Boul Al the usar eur championships. Mallei a general fraction or for the army clinic in Mannheim said he is impressed by the concern sports organizers and referees have for safely. Safely really comes first he said. If s not a blood  Mallei said he has treated no serious boxing injuries in two years. Neither have Koeble and Morris recently Ira cd any badly injured fighters. The military might take pretty goo care of boxers because we do not see any serious problems Al least Here Koeble said. However boxing still docs l make any sense. Why should one engage in such an Enterprise if you have to pad yourself that much certain Well controlled Well coached Amateur programs with Good referees Are relatively Safe Morris said. Bui his objection is not to How Many injuries each Spurl causes bul rather to the Type Ofin Jurics inflicted by boxing. When you gel into the ring and prac lice for the purpose of knocking somebody Oul injuring the other person s brain. Ihal s where my Obj Clion to boxing comes in he said. The majority of army bouts. Clay comb countered end not when one opponent is knocked out bul when the ref Eree stops the contest. I Don t think the goal is to Knock the Guy out. I think the goal is to defeat him in any Way you can within the rules Hal includes knocking him Oul of course he said. The reason for inc bout is to decide who is besi. Not to give one Guy inc Chance to destroy the other Guy when a Boxer Dies from a blow received in inc ring it is often because fan acute subdural a Caloma a pooling of blood Between the brain and the Skull causing increased pressure in the brain. On May 1, a swedish Boxer died from a brain Haemorrhage nine Days after being knocked Oul by a right Hook described As not particularly hard. Head injuries include acute problems such As concussions Post concussion symptoms such As headaches and Cli i Ness Eye and dental injuries and chronic damage. It s important for people to Cali a thai having a concussion docs l mean Iacre is no injury Morris said. Many people will have headaches. ?/.incss and nausea months later. Even a so called minor head injury could cause problems months or even years later. Mallei said that although Well run programs reduce the Chance for injury and he enjoys watching a boxing bout he agrees with his colleagues about the to Lenvial dangers. There s no doubt prolonged Boving is going to kill the brain he said. Over Lime repealed blows to the head can cause Small Haemorrhages Hal leave scar Issue and kill nerve cells. Nerve cells cannot regenerate so eventually mental capabilities can be lost in the injured areas. Punch drunk syndrome first recognized in the 1920s, is often the end Resul Lof a Boxer s career leaving him with for Golf ulness personality changes impaired judgment and difficulty in walking or making Fine move cols of the fingers and hands. Former heavy Wrighi Champi on Muhammad All suffers from Parkin son s disease which Many believe is Are Sull of his boxing career Morris said. The changes suffered by other boxers May be More Subtle and obvious Only to family and close friends Koeble said. These people Are Able to walk talk and function but arc probably unable to hold a Job because they have lost intellectual capability or can no longer use their hands and fingers to perform Many tasks. As a neurologist you look at the Cen trial nervous system and thai is the most precious thing humans have Koeble said. That s All that makes humans humans otherwise icy would be lower Ani Mals. We should really safeguard Hal to  Mike Genato in now York  to this in Pool