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Loose Impediments: Canada’s “Grand Old Man of Golf”

With golf being reintroduced at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro for the first time in over century, it’s only natural that we take a look back at the reigning gold medalist, Canadian, George S. Lyon.

Before the likes of multi-sport athletes like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders there was Lyon who played in a variety of sports that included baseball, track and field, curling, soccer, swimming, cricket, and tennis. But, it wasn’t until the ripe old age of 37 that Lyon would discover his true destiny in the game of golf.

The year was 1904. Sir Wilfred Laurier was Prime Minister, Henry Ford opened Canada’s first auto manufacturing plant in Windsor, Ontario and George S. Lyon headed to St. Louis, Missouri to compete in the games of the III Olympiad. Not only did Lyon compete, he ended up disrupting the golf world by wining gold.

So bothered by Lyon wining gold, the Americans and British refused to compete in future Olympic games and with their heavy influence and participation—1904 would be the last year that golf was in the Olympics. Until 2016, of course.

Lyon’s amateur golfing resume was as decorated as they come, in addition to his Olympic gold medal, Lyon won an astonishing eight Canadian Amateur Championships. In 1955, Lyon was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and in 1971, he was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Recently, the The Tickr crew paid homage to the “Grand Old Man of Golf’ by visiting his grave site at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto, Ontario. The photos (except for the vintage shot) in the photoset above were taken with our high-tech photography equipment aka an iPhone.

Rest in peace, George.

Le Dunk De La Mort You all remember this transcendent sports moment from the 2000 Olympics right? When Vince Carter - literally, figuratively, anything else - was at the height of his rise, threw down a dunk over Frederic Weis that was so memorable, it was called “La Dunk De La Mort” by the French media. Translated to English, it means the dunk of death. While we’re all familiar with what happened to Carter after, he of the underachieving career and a tumultuous end in Toronto, whatever happened to the man on the other side of this poster? Weis was drafted 15th overall by the New York Knicks in 1999, but suffered a serious back injury that prevented him from signing with the team. When he recovered, interest in the NBA were lukewarm. Weis would spend the next decade playing professionally in Spain. Earlier this year, Weis announced his retirement from basketball after recurring knee problems. In his words: “We tried a number of different treatments and I’ve actually already gone over the quota of treatments by a mile so it’s enough.” His pro basketball career ends without ever playing a game in the NBA. But he will forever be remembered for that one moment. And in case you’re wondering what he thinks about the dunk and if it bothers him: “Why? I didn’t do anything. It was just him doing something incredible. I can only imagine. If he jumped over me, he can jump over anybody! If people laugh, I laugh too. At least I can I say I once played against him.”Follow @steven_lebron on twitter.

Le Dunk De La Mort

You all remember this transcendent sports moment from the 2000 Olympics right? When Vince Carter - literally, figuratively, anything else - was at the height of his rise, threw down a dunk over Frederic Weis that was so memorable, it was called “La Dunk De La Mort” by the French media. Translated to English, it means the dunk of death.

While we’re all familiar with what happened to Carter after, he of the underachieving career and a tumultuous end in Toronto, whatever happened to the man on the other side of this poster?

Weis was drafted 15th overall by the New York Knicks in 1999, but suffered a serious back injury that prevented him from signing with the team. When he recovered, interest in the NBA were lukewarm. Weis would spend the next decade playing professionally in Spain.

Earlier this year, Weis announced his retirement from basketball after recurring knee problems. In his words: “We tried a number of different treatments and I’ve actually already gone over the quota of treatments by a mile so it’s enough.”

His pro basketball career ends without ever playing a game in the NBA. But he will forever be remembered for that one moment. And in case you’re wondering what he thinks about the dunk and if it bothers him: “Why? I didn’t do anything. It was just him doing something incredible. I can only imagine. If he jumped over me, he can jump over anybody! If people laugh, I laugh too. At least I can I say I once played against him.”

Follow @steven_lebron on twitter.

With the world prepping to invade London for the Olympic games in 365 days, big and shiny new Olympic medals were unveiled on Wednesday.The biggest Summer Olympics medals to date. Artist David Watkins says the key symbols on front and back juxtapose the goddess Nike, for the spirit and tradition of the Games, and the River Thames, for the city of London. On the back of the medals is the 2012 branding, representing the modern city as a jewel-like, geological growth. Well played, David Watkins.

With the world prepping to invade London for the Olympic games in 365 days, big and shiny new Olympic medals were unveiled on Wednesday.

The biggest Summer Olympics medals to date. Artist David Watkins says the key symbols on front and back juxtapose the goddess Nike, for the spirit and tradition of the Games, and the River Thames, for the city of London. On the back of the medals is the 2012 branding, representing the modern city as a jewel-like, geological growth.

Well played, David Watkins.

Update on our London 2012 campaign we launched back in May (for those who missed it, we announced to the world that we’re willing to head to London to cover the 2012 Summer Olympics online in partnership with any willing media outlet). Well it looks as though we have the accommodations covered! That’s half the battle! Now we just need a friendly media outlet, sports network etc. to step up and pay for food and travel! Interested? Check out our London 2012 page for details! Special thanks to our unnamed accommodation supplier. The sports Gods will forever shine down upon you.

Update on our London 2012 campaign we launched back in May (for those who missed it, we announced to the world that we’re willing to head to London to cover the 2012 Summer Olympics online in partnership with any willing media outlet).

Well it looks as though we have the accommodations covered! That’s half the battle! Now we just need a friendly media outlet, sports network etc. to step up and pay for food and travel! Interested? Check out our London 2012 page for details!

Special thanks to our unnamed accommodation supplier. The sports Gods will forever shine down upon you.

Attention Media Outlets, Sports Networks, Advertising Agencies, Tumblr, Foursquare (why not), Richard Branson and/or other wealthy billionaires/millionaires! Consider this TheTickr.com’s REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP for all you industry types)! Our team (brothers, Ryan Watt and Jeremy Watt) are ready and willing to be sent to London to cover the 2012 Summer Olympics online, like no one else can! What we Need Some sort of crazy V.I.P. access to the London 2012 Olympics. Financial coverage of flights, accommodation and food (nothing fancy, we’re pretty resourceful). Financial coverage of our iPhone roaming charges. An online platform to share all our wonderful coverage (this isn’t a must, but probably to your advantage). What you get in Return Real-time coverage of the events of your choosing! We’re not just talking about live tweets and photo posts! Picture if you will, an animated GIF of a speed walker crossing the finish line to capture gold, with Kate Middleton in the background grocery shopping. A daily video update from TheTickr team! None of this talking head nonsense. We’ll dig deep to bring you the viral news the internet wants to share. Stuff like: What’s the true story behind the London 2012 logo? and How hot is that hot tub that the divers hang out in? A complete branding/sponsor package for whatever you want! We’ll skin TheTickr.com and every olympic post with your brand — think POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold but not in a way that’s annoying to our faithful Tumblr followers. Last but not least, we’ll do whatever you want us to do (just no streaking).Why are you Doing This? Simple really. We’re olympic fanatics, plus we lived in London for a year and thought this would be an epic way to return to the city. If you can’t be an olympic athlete, you might as well see if someone will send you to the olympics to cover it. Tumblr Friends we Need your Help! We’d be stupid to think we couldn’t do this without your help and you’d be stupid to think that this wouldn’t be awesome to follow online. Soooo, we’re asking you to dig deep and like/reblog the crap out of this post. Together we can make this happen and if it doesn’t happen we’ll all just high-five over how awesome the above animated GIF is! Lets make olympic media coverage internet history! Email: jeremy@thetickr.com

Attention Media Outlets, Sports Networks, Advertising Agencies, Tumblr, Foursquare (why not), Richard Branson and/or other wealthy billionaires/millionaires!

Consider this TheTickr.com’s REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP for all you industry types)! Our team (brothers, Ryan Watt and Jeremy Watt) are ready and willing to be sent to London to cover the 2012 Summer Olympics online, like no one else can!

What we Need
  • Some sort of crazy V.I.P. access to the London 2012 Olympics.
  • Financial coverage of flights, accommodation and food (nothing fancy, we’re pretty resourceful).
  • Financial coverage of our iPhone roaming charges.
  • An online platform to share all our wonderful coverage (this isn’t a must, but probably to your advantage).
What you get in Return
  • Real-time coverage of the events of your choosing! We’re not just talking about live tweets and photo posts! Picture if you will, an animated GIF of a speed walker crossing the finish line to capture gold, with Kate Middleton in the background grocery shopping.
  • A daily video update from TheTickr team! None of this talking head nonsense. We’ll dig deep to bring you the viral news the internet wants to share. Stuff like: What’s the true story behind the London 2012 logo? and How hot is that hot tub that the divers hang out in?
  • A complete branding/sponsor package for whatever you want! We’ll skin TheTickr.com and every olympic post with your brand — think POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold but not in a way that’s annoying to our faithful Tumblr followers.
  • Last but not least, we’ll do whatever you want us to do (just no streaking).

Why are you Doing This?
Simple really. We’re olympic fanatics, plus we lived in London for a year and thought this would be an epic way to return to the city. If you can’t be an olympic athlete, you might as well see if someone will send you to the olympics to cover it.

Tumblr Friends we Need your Help!
We’d be stupid to think we couldn’t do this without your help and you’d be stupid to think that this wouldn’t be awesome to follow online. Soooo, we’re asking you to dig deep and like/reblog the crap out of this post. Together we can make this happen and if it doesn’t happen we’ll all just high-five over how awesome the above animated GIF is!

Lets make olympic media coverage internet history! Email: jeremy@thetickr.com

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The logo for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero was released on New Year’s Eve with a little bit of controversy. Shortly after the logos unveil it was noted that the Rio logo slightly resembles the logo of The Telluride Foundation, a Colorado charity chaired by Norman Schwarzkopf. What’s everyone think?