Change Opportunity For Jim Thorpe, Pa?

Change Opportunity For Jim Thorpe, Pa?  — Sunday’s New York Times’ sports section  carried a large story on the continuing saga of Jack Thorpe’s attempts to bring the bones of his father  back to his home state of Oklahoma from his grave in Jim Thorpe, Pa.

The Pennsylvania sports legend was buried in 1953 in the small borough that is the Carbon County seat after his wife, Patricia, who was Thorpe’s third wife and Jack’s stepmother, became angered at Oklahoma’s refusal to erect a monument to her husband. The Pennsylvania boroughs of Mauch Chunk and East Mauch Chunk were merging and offered to not just do so but to rename the new municipality in his honor if she would let him be buried there.

Thorpe never set foot in the place. His road to fame started 100 miles southwest at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School which he led to a national collegiate football championship in 1912.

Jack, 73, is now suing in federal court demanding the bones be returned in compliance with Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990. One has to admit that it is a bit of a stretch to use a law aimed at preventing the desecration of Indian grave sites to move Thorpe’s bones considering Thorpe was a life-long Catholic, a quarter Irish and a quarter French, and had never been buried anywhere else. Federal judges, however, have certainly been known to be whimsical in their interpretation of law especially in the pursuit of political correctness and praise from the wine and cheese set.

Perhaps, it would be best for the borough to cut its losses and let the bones go. Of course, then it would need a new name.  Maybe there is a long-ago sports great looking to return to a little bit of spotlight by agreeing to let his body be buried there. How does Mark Spitz, Pa. sound? Bruce Jenner, Pa.? Randall Cunningham, Pa.? Greg Gross , Pa.? They could open it for bids. The possibilities are endless. Feel free to make a suggestion.

Change Opportunity For Jim Thorpe, Pa?

 

2 thoughts on “Change Opportunity For Jim Thorpe, Pa?”

  1. I think the town fathers should either revert to the original name of Mauch Chunk or rename it “Molly Maquire.”

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