When Army's classy backfield combination of Doc Blanchard and Junior Davis turned up on TIME'S cover three weeks ago, it was only the second time in four years that TIME had put an athlete on its cover. Except for baseball's Mel Ott (July 2, 1945), no sports figure--for obvious reasons --had made the cover since two months before Pearl Harbor. Some sportsmen, who are among the most superstitious of mortals, considered this a good thing for all concerned.

"Red" Blaik, the Army coach, was one of them. Before the Notre Dame game, Blaik told TIME'S Sport Editor: "Frankly, the thing I'm really worried about is the TIME cover jinx."

Blaik was referring to the fact that some sports figures have had a disturbing tendency to lose their form promptly after their appearance on TIME'S cover. They got there because they were champions, or near champions, and because they were just about to compete in some big event. Some won, as they were expected to, and there was very little hullabaloo about it. But those who lost made big news -- and helped nourish the legend of the TIME "jinx." Some examples :

Johnny Goodman (June 6, 1938), an 8-to-1 favorite to win the British Amateur Golf Championship in June 1938, never reached the quarter finals. Fortnight later, in the Walker Cup matches, Goodman lost both his matches and the U.S. lost the Walker Cup for the first time since the trophy was put up in 1922.

Colonel Edward Riley Bradley (May 7, 1934), who had won the Kentucky Derby four times up to 1934. His horse Bazaar was one of the 1934 favorites, finished out of the money. Colonel Bradley did not win another Derby.

Cavalcade (Aug. 20, 1934), 1934's Derby winner, who had won al most every important race for three-year-olds up to Aug. 1 (opening of the Saratoga season) and was touted as another Man o' War, tripped and bruised his foot a week after he posed for TIME'S cameraman. By the time the cover appeared on the newsstands, Cavalcade had been scratched from the Travers. He never won another race.

Primo Camera (Oct. 5, 1931), lost his heavyweight fight with Jack Sharkey at Ebbets Field OH Oct. 12 and his chance at the world's championship.

Tom Harmon (Nov. 6, 1939), Michigan's All-America back, whose team was overwhelmingly favored to beat mediocre Illinois the following week, made only one touchdown in one of the season's biggest upsets. Score: Illinois 16; Michigan 7.

Joe Di Magglo (July 13, 1936), then a spectacular rookie, played with the American League All-Stars the week his cover appeared, made no hits in five times up, fumbled two ground balls. Score: National League 4; American League 3.

These unfortunate, though timely, lapses from form may, or may not, constitute a "jinx." They are exceptions to the scores of sports figures who have found TIME'S cover no handicap (e.g., Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey, Helen Wills, "Red" Grange, "Bobby" Jones, Mickey Cochrane, Yachtsman Harold Stirling ("Mike") Vanderbilt, Bullfighter Juan Belmonte). It is worth noting, however, that TIME took no chances with its first sports cover: Horseman Stephan ("Laddie") Sanford (March 31, 1923). His horse (Sergeant Murphy) had already won the Grand National before the cover appeared.

As almost everybody knows, Blanchard, Davis & Co. were anything but jinxed (score: Army 48; Notre Dame 0). Whether this is a postwar augury remains to be seen. At any rate, TIME'S readers will not have to wait another four years to find out. Now that the compelling urgency of war has passed, TIME can return to its prewar quota of non-military covers. As U.S. sports recover from their war-bound lassitude, your favorite sports figure is bound to turn up on the cover sooner or later. Keep your fingers crossed.

Cordially,

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