The Power of the Press

Thanks to bridgeblogging.com, thousands of readers are privileged to survey the various newspaper bridge columns that they would not ordinarily be able to enjoy because they are not carried by their hometown press.  Amazing — the benefits we have all derived with the introduction of cyberspace  — for whatever purpose suits us.

I must confess, however, I yearn for the days of Alan Truscott’s daily, yes daily (including Sunday’s) column in the New York Times.  The newspaper industry was thriving and the bridge community cried out for it to be presented every day!   Of course, there was always a lot of action to report about in and around New York alone — but many bridge players all over the country had New York Times subscriptions — some merely to keep up with the current bridge goings-on.

The Kays were among them.    Norman and I were just married and living in a high rise.  At 7 a.m. every morning, when we would hear the thud of the newspaper being tossed against our front entrance, we would both make a bee-line for the door to see who would retrieve it first.   One would think Norman, being a broker and a sports fanatic, would be interested in the stock market closings or the late evening scores, but I used to have to wrestle him for the Bridge Section.   Alan was a unique writer, quick on the uptake, extremely well-rounded, always did his homework and produced an entertaining column — managing quite often to ad a personal touch to the featured hand.    Perhaps I am biased because he always gave Norman great press and on occasion I’d even see my own name in lights.  In fact, I recently came across the January 15, 2005 column which he dedicated to some, shall we say, “unusual combinations” (and I am not alluding to card combinations).   

This is the prelude to the hand Alan wrote up in which Bobby and I successfully defended some innocuous 4H contract and by accident I helped to beat it for down five.   I don’t recall the hand (and sometimes I can’t even remember what I had for breakfast — or if I have eaten at all), but the clever article was reminiscent of the old game of Musical Chairs and he capitalized on the theme.   It was captioned:  

BRIDGE; Changing Partners When the Game is Marriage.

“Those at the top of the bridge rankings and their connections sometimes surprise us by marrying each other when not in the first flush of youth.”

“In England, Jane Juan, a world champion, married Tony Priday, a European Team Champion.   Sally Sowter Horton, a world champion, married Raymond Brock, a world champion runner-up.”

“On this side of the Atlantic, Betty Sheinwold married Edgar Kaplan, who with her former husband. Alfred Sheinwold, invented the Kaplan-Sheinwold System.   Much more recently another of Kaplan’s partners, Sidney Lazard, married Betsey Wolff.  And a year ago the world champion, Bobby Wolff, former husband of Betsey, married Judy Kay, widow of Kaplan’s longtime partner, Norman Kay.”

Got it straight????