A Moment of Silence, Please, for Indy 500’s Checkered Past

Last Sunday was the 60th anniversary of the most celebrated non-winner in Indianapolis 500 history.

On May 30, 1933, readers of the Walsenburg, Colo., World-Independent learned that Will Overhead had won the race.

An editor sent a message to the Associated Press bureau in Denver and asked for the results as soon as possible.

The AP telegraphed this reply: “WILL OVERHEAD WINNER OF INDIANAPOLIS RACE,” meaning the result would be sent overhead, or by regular Western Union telegram, because the newspaper’s wire was shut down. The young World-Independent editor wasn’t familiar with the term overhead and assumed that Will Overhead was indeed the winner and printed an eight-column headline proclaiming his victory.

*

Add Overhead: It was a goof the paper has never lived down. For the trivia minded, Louis Meyer was the real winner, notching the second of what would be three victories.

*

Trivia time: What was the longest sudden-death playoff on the PGA Tour?

*

Still feisty: From columnist Blackie Sherrod of the Dallas Morning News:

“Bobby Riggs, at 75, with a four-way bypass and bone cancer, still works the crowd. From his Boca Raton base, the old tennis hustler flew into San Antonio with his 19-handicap for a member-guest golf tournament, shot himself a 76, gathered up the trophies and several large bills and flew back.”

*

Rough stuff: Nick Nickson, radio play-by-play announcer for the Kings, was talking by telephone with a Times reporter Wednesday night when the highlights of the brawl between the Angels and Toronto Blue Jays were shown on television.

“I’ve always said baseball is a violent sport,” Nickson said dryly.

*

Rambo mood: Will Clark, San Francisco Giant first baseman, on his slow start this season:

“There’s going to be a lot of people who are going to pay. It might take me a year or longer, but they’re going to pay.

“All those guys having a real good time now, when I get rolling, they had better watch their (read ends).”

*

Trivia answer: Cary Middlecoff and Lloyd Mangrum were declared co-winners by mutual agreement after 11 holes in the 1949 Motor City Open.

*

Quotebook: Jay Leno on Michael Jordan: “Pretty amazing--54 points against the Knicks. Actually, you know the embarrassing part? When he got to 21 points, he yelled, ‘Blackjack!’ ”