posed to a bookie or that no one from the Los Angeles
Rams ever met a man who bet on a game? The whole
thing is rotten. They gave Paul the electric chair for go
ing through a traffic light
"Bet? Sure he bet. Who doesn't these days? And remem
ber where Paul comes from Louisville, Ky. Why, if you're
a kid down there and you don't have a bet riding on the
Derby, you're thrown out of the gang. Sure we'll welcome
him back. I know of only five guys in Green Bay who don't
like Paul, and all of them have the same reason : their girl
friends fell in love with him."
Another businessman, who wanted to remain anonymous
so he'd have some peace, had another slant on the return
of Hornung. "Of course, we'd welcome him back but he'll
never be back in Green Bay. If he comes back and he blows
a game, the whispering will start. This is a small town.
Everybody knows everything these players do. If Paul
comes back here, he'd have to live like a monk, and that
wouldn't be his way. No, I wouldn't be surprised if he
never came back to pro football. After all, he's making
good money on the outside. Why should he go through all
the headaches again?"
That "GOOD MONEY" is an understatement Hornung may
well earn more while ostracized from football than he
did as a star halfback. He has contracted to model wearing
apparel for big advertisers; he reportedly has scheduled
28 banquet talks this season at $600 a speech; he has ex
tensive radio-television contracts. If he were playing foot
ball, he wouldn't have time for most of this.
A city official told me his reasons for hoping Paul would
not return. "If he does, a lot of kids will have the wrong
idea. He broke a rule and defied authority, yet when he
came here a while back to appear on a charity telethon, he
received more phone calls than the show-business people.
It's tough enough to raise kids today without the handi
cap of having the town's biggest hero a man who got
away with something."
But this comment from a leading businessman is more
typical: "Paul got a rotten deal. They wouldn't try this
with a big-town team like Chicago or New York. The
Eastern press has always ganged up on us, and so does
Chicago. If Paul had been playing for one of those teams,
they'd never try this."
Another Packer fan, described as being "very close to
Paul" (though not connected with the team) had a dif
ferent viewpoint:
"Sure we were surprised at how they picked him out
from so many who bet, and we sure want him back. But
now that I've had time to think about it, I believe this is
going to do Paul lot of good. He had had his own way
for so long that he could be excused for thinking the rules
which apply to other people didn't apply to him. This is
going to mature him. When he comes back, he'll be a bet
ter man and a better football player for it all."
And just as I had made up my mind that no one in
Green Bay could be jocular on the subject, I took a ride
with a cab driver. We were talking about the new athletic
plant the Packers had built, and when I commented on
the wall-to-wall carpeting in the locker room, he said,
"Yup, they'll keep their feet clean even if they can't keep
their noses clean."
In a way, this wisecrack tells the story of how the blue
collar worker in Green Bay feels about the Hornung af
fair. They like Paul and want to see him back, but they
can't see what all the noise is about. Betting is kid stuff
to most of them, and they can't understand all the yelling.
"Most of the people I know," a barber explained, "don't
understand the particular rules of the league. All we know
is that Paul got suspended, and we accept it. But every
one is going to be glad to have him back. He's the best
liked football player we ever had around here."
Regardless of how you look at it, no player has more
loyal rooters than Paul Hornung has in Green Bay. He
has another half a year in which to prove he deserves them.
" SPORT flj
.-71
. !
1 -. -
Paul Apologizes to His Fans
Shortly after his suspension, Paul Hornung
wrote the following letter to the people of Green
Bay. It is reprinted from the 1963 Packer Year
book: "This will be my toughest season in football be
cause I'm not playing.
"I have played 17 seasons of football three in
grade school, four in high school in Louisville,
four at Notre Dame, and six with the Packers.
"It will be extremely difficult to sit idle from
the sport I love so dearly. I feel the price I must
pay for what I have done, according to the rules
and regulations of the National Football League,
is a just penalty.
"I hope and pray that my suspension will be
lifted in time for me to resume football in Green
Bay in 1964. I will do everything in my power to
conduct myself in the best interests of the NFL,
the Packers, and pro football followers of America
during my period of inactivity.
"People the fans, my teammates at Green Bay,
my opponents in the NFL, and players in other
sports have been extremely understanding and
most cordial. I appreciate this very much, and it
has given me a new lease on life. Again, I say to
all of them that I am truly sorry.
"I will be pulling with everything I've got for
the Packers to win the championship again this
year, and I will be a fifth man in their backfield.
"If Commissioner Pete Rozelle feels I deserve to
have my suspension lifted before the '64 season,
I'll be back and make every effort to help the
Packers win another championship."
Family Wnkly, Notwmtwr 10. ISC
CUTS -
SCRAPES
BURNS
Stop Pain Fast
Promote Rapid Healing
Apply Caupho-Phbnique to
cuts, scrapes, minor bums. You'll
be amazed ac how FAST its
anesthetic action soothes, coots,
stops pain. And its antiseptic
action combats infection,
helps injuries heal Nature's way.
Campho-Phbniqub also pro
tects against airborne infection
. . . so promotes rapid, uninttr
tupttd healing.
Campho-Phenique is Hlce
having a First Aid Kit in a bot
tle. Wonderful for drying up
fever blisters and cold sores . . .
prevents painful cracking, too.
And when a cold clogs your nose,
put a few drops of Campho
Piibniqub on your handkerchief
and inhale the medicated vapor.
You'll breathe easier FAST!
BRAIN
POWER
We can't have too much!
It's America's big need in lidd
ing our lead in world affairs.
Help colleges get classrooms,
laboratories and good teachers.
Find out how this affect, you by
sanding for a froo booklet to:
HIGHER EDUCATION, Box 36,
Timn Square Station, Now York 36.
HELPS HEART ACTION
GIVES MORE STRENGTH
STAMINA VIGOR
PROVED 1 0 years-600 persons
University Experiments
REFUSE SUBSTITUTES-
only VioBin Oil PROVED helpful.
Sond NOW for FH.it hook US
InrOMETCX lo I ytgor fkx I t
conmnrot VMlii Oil SomI Fj
bnflh NO tot coloriw. lujj, ,
MONTICELIO, ILLINOIS