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.

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• George S. Lyon
• olympics
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• Sports

3 In The Key

1. A mirror reflection

I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on this Chicago Bulls team since their loss to the Miami Heat last Sunday. It’s time worth spending because this Bulls team feels different from all the convoluted plans in the league for super stars to come together on a single team. They’re a cohesive unit built around an all world point guard that brings to life the cliche of the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

In the post-Jordan era, the Bulls have always been either terrible, or on the cusp of mediocrity. But when you have the reigning Most Valuable Player and a trip to the Conference Finals under your belt, you elevate yourself into the championship discussion.

In a league that’s only rewarded the title to a handful of teams over the last few decades, its an esteemed honor to be in this circle of few.

But is this Bulls team as currently constructed good enough to win it all? Or are they facing an uphill climb that seems like it will inevitably end in disappointment come playoff time?

It was not long ago that Lebron James ambushed the league with his talents, ending all doubts many had before his rookie season on whether he was just another manufactured phenom with little substance. He carried an inferior cast to the NBA Finals, creating championship expectations for his final years in Cleveland, his out of this world talent helping to mask all their flaws, which came to the forefront in repeated postseason shortcomings.

Mo Williams never proved worthy of being a second option, not when it mattered in the Conference Finals against the Magic. Antawn Jamison was the stretch four who was the final piece to the puzzle, but he disappeared in Lebron’s final games in a Cleveland uniform against the Celtics in the playoffs.

The similarities are hard to ignore.

The Bulls were hoping that the signing of Rip Hamilton would fill the void of a second scorer. So far, he’s been injured more than he’s played. And on nights when Rose struggles with his shooting, players like Kyle Korver, C.J. Watson and Ronnie Brewer are expected to be primary scoring options. Luol Deng is one of most underrated players in the league, but injuries has slowed him down as well. It doesn’t help that Carlos Boozer is earning a max-level contract but never relevant when the games matter most.

Look closely and you come to the realization that the Bulls are a team of limitations, driven by their defense that keeps them in games even on nights when the offense sputters.

If Chicago wants to compete in the post-season, they’re going to need help. Whether it’s O.J. Mayo or J.R. Smith, there are still pieces that are missing to complete the team.

For a championship to return to Chicago, Rose is going to need the same help that Lebron never received during his time in Cleveland.

2. Believing in the Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets are 25-1 to win the championship at the moment.

That’s got to be the best value on the board right now.

Since the Carmelo Anthony trade in mid-season last year, the team’s been on a joy ride. First to the playoffs last season, where a quiet first round exit couldn’t even damper excitement for this year’s squad.

With the emergence of Ty Lawson, paired with Andre Miller, the Nuggets have the best point guard combo in the league. Al Harrington has emerged as a surprise contender for sixth man of the year, and retaining Nene from free agency and the acquisition of Rudy Fernandez via trade gives the Nuggets a ten-deep rotation that’s matched by few.

In a condensed schedule, that gives him an advantage for the regular season that could result in a top four seed.

Look around the landscape of the West, where first place and tenth place are separately by a few games, the conference winner will be the one that gets the right matchups in the playoffs.

I look at the Nuggets and see a team that can matchup with all the contenders in the West.

The problem of a go-to scorer in crunchtime lingers, and is something that the Nuggets need to resolve before the post-season.

They’re as entertaining as the Nash-Nowitzki-Finley Mavericks, with as much potential as the Chris Webber era Sacramento Kings.

It seems that everything the Nuggets have been doing post-Carmelo Anthony has surprised. They’re overachievers by nature of our expectations, but if there’s a team that can come out of nowhere and make a run to the Finals in this year’s sprint, I like the Nuggets’ chances better than any other team you can name.

3. Linsanity

Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin scored 25 points with 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals as he did against the Nets on Saturday, a proud moment for all Asian basketball fans like myself. 

The online community reacted accordingly. First with resident Knicks diehard Spike Lee going off with a series of nicknames for Lin on Twitter, including Enter The Dragon, 10 Fingers of Death and Grasshopper.

And yes, I’ve watched this Jeremy Lin Show compilation six times since Sunday morning.

Of course, when asked after the game whether Lin is now the starter, coach Mike D’Antoni replied, “Let me watch the Super Bowl and then we’ll figure it out”.

You’d think he’d be a little more appreciative, considering Lin’s performance probably saved his job.

On Monday, Jeremy Lin made his first career start against the Utah Jazz. And performed beyond anyone’s expectations. His final line: 28 points, 8 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 8 turnovers. 10 for 17 from the field. 7 for 9 at the free throw line. And several MVP chants in the second half.

This might be real. This might last.

The fact that the possibility even exists makes Jeremy Lin my favorite story of the season so far.

This won’t be the last I write about him.

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• sports
• nba
• basketball
• chicago bulls
• derrick roses
• denver nuggets
• ty lawson
• new york knicks
• jeremy lin

3 In The Key

1. Mr. Big Shot and other incorrect assumptions

Chauncey Billups is a guard who shoots three pointers too early in the shot clock too often. But somehow, his reputation as a clutch point guard and NBA Finals MVP with the Detroit Pistons continues to carry him to this day.

Every one of those shots that he takes is a reminder of his reputation, instead of a consideration of the possibility that these are simply bad shots, and that it may be time to move past what we once thought of the player.

And really, it is consistent with the behavior we have about people in every walk of life. The people that we know, that we work with, that we hear about. Reputations are a hard thing to shed, for better or worse.

Take Russell Westbrook: now known to die-hard and casual fans of basketball as a shoot-first point guard whose selfish ways are getting in the team of this perfect machine that they’re building on Oklahoma City. But if you read Zach Lowe’s breakdown of Westbrook’s game, you see a 23 year point guard who has very fixable flaws with a huge ceiling of growth left. Plus he’s already running the most efficient offense in the league.

Once a general perception spreads, there’s no stopping it. But what will make the game more enjoyable for us as these players grow into and out of their reputations is to recognize that the development and decline of these players are fluid. What they are now won’t be what they are in a few years. And what they once was probably isn’t what they are now.

Recognizing and understanding that players continue to evolve will help all of us in assessing how a team continues to grow, instead of taking a stagnant view that is generally behind the curve.

2. The championship hangover

In 2007, the Miami Heat were coming off their first NBA championship in franchise history, with Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade, the team look destined to challenge for several more titles.

On opening night that year, they raised the banner and lost 108-66 to the Chicago Bulls. It was a sign of things to come. The Heat labored through the season, finishing 44-38 and were swept in the first round by the same Bulls. The next season it all came apart, Shaq was traded and the team didn’t return to contention until last year.

This season, the Mavericks seem to be following the same script. Coming off their first championship, Dallas was dominated in their opening day game against Miami. They followed that with another flat outing at home against Denver, than a buzzer beating loss in Oklahoma City.

The defending champions have righted the ship, and stand at 10-7. And now comes news that Dirk Nowitzki will be taking a week off to “resolve some physical issues and conditioning issues”.

It also doesn’t help that to position themselves for cap room in the long-term, Mark Cuban has assembled a completely different team than last season. Players like Vince Carter, Lamar Odom and Delonte West have been brought it to supplant the depth of the roster. Gone are younger talent like Rudy Fernandez, J.J. Barea, Tyson Chandler and Corey Brewer.

There’s no doubt this team will be there come playoff time, but given that they seem to be following the  blueprint of the 2007 Miami Heat and pace themselves for the post-season, the Mavericks might find that their year-long hangover will come back to haunt them in the first round.

3. Dwight Howard’s wish list

Dwight Howard is so dominant in two aspects of the game that’s the least glamorous — defense and rebounding — that it’s made him an underrated player on the court even as he carries flaws on the offensive end with him.

But you can’t say he commands the same respect with his off the court comments and decisions regarding his pending free agency.

Last week, Howard added the Clippers to his wish-list of teams he’d be willing to go to, in addition to the Nets, Lakers and Mavericks.

What exactly is Dwight Howard’s true intentions when it comes to assembling his wish list?

Is it not safe to assume that winning is the most important thing to him?

The Mavericks will be a year older next year, so Howard would be teaming up with Nowitzki and an aging core in the West that’s filled with up and coming teams. If the Lakers were to acquire Howard, it would strip the depth of an already thin team. Same for the Nets, who have arguably the worst roster in the entire league.

Why hasn’t Howard considered other teams like Philadelphia, Chicago, or Minnesota. Each of these teams would be willing trade partners with the necessary trade pieces to provide Orlando with that they need, at the same time these teams could add Howard without decimating the core roster.

Since superstars demanding trades to a team of their choice is becoming an annual occurrence, Howard should at least get it right. Look at how Carmelo Anthony has struggled in New York. Sometimes it’s not about what city you go to, but looking at what makes the most sense from a basketball standpoint.

Players would be wise to try to take control of that too. If you’re going to be selfish, at least do it right.

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• sports
• nba
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• 3 in the key
• los angeles clippers
• chauncey billups
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• dwight howard
• dallas mavericks
• dirk nowitzki

3 In The Key: The Inherent Fear of Miami, The Big Asterisk, Where is Shawn Kemp now

1. Identity crisis in Miami

Last week, Lebron James likened himself to Tim Tebow: “I love to see what a guy can do when his back is up against the wall and everybody counts him out. I’m in that same boat sometimes.”

Funny because Lebron’s perception of how the public views him couldn’t be further from the truth. No one has ever counted him out, despite his repeated disappearances in crunch-time and failure to win that first championship.

Lebron and Tebow are actually complete opposites. We focus on everything Tebow can’t do, and are completely surprised when he does anything outside the realm of our limited expectations for him. On the opposite side of the coin, we know that Lebron can do anything he wants, and that’s why we react everytime he comes up short at anything.

And what this level of expectation creates is an inherent fear that Lebron and the Miami Heat are always on the verge of putting it all together. Forgotten amidst all our criticism is that this team was two wins from the championship in their first playoff run.

The individual talents on this team overshadows what is essentially a team that’s poorly constructed and reliant on their top players. But when their top player is the greatest talent in the game, perhaps everything else doesn’t matter.

When Miami is dominant like they were on opening day against Dallas, we wonder how anyone can possibly compete with this team. And even when they slump with three straight road losses like in the past week, the inherent fear remains that they’re so close to putting it all together.

The Heat will always disappoint us until their ultimate goal is reached. But along the way, the fear that the dominant team we expect to see will become reality makes them a fascinating study of how perception is so easily altered by our expectations.

2. The Big Asterisk

It appears as though Kevin Garnett’s career will end with an asterisk next to his resume.

Since joining the Celtics and winning a championship with the team in his first year, he’s earned the reputation as a fugazy: a phony tough guy who will pick on anyone, talk trash even when he’s not playing, and even accused of calling another player a cancer patient.

This storyline runs contrary to who he was in Minnesota, where he became one of the few to make the successful transition from high school to the pros. He made the Wolves a relevant franchise, and was the superstar we all sympathized with: doing all that he could in a losing situation for over a decade. As basketball fans, most of us were thrilled to see him finally get out of the first round with the help of Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell.

This is also the same guy, who in his prime, along with Chris Webber and Tim Duncan, put up stats on a nightly basis that redefined the power forward position. And though he was often faulted for shrinking in the big moments, he delivered a huge Game 7 performance against the Sacramento Kings in his only prolonged playoff run with the Wolves, and was the best player on the court in the series-clinching win over the Lakers in 2008.

So why has Garnett’s on court behavior deteriorated so much in recent years? The explanation is simple if you’ve followed his entire career.

If there’s a signature trait that we can associate with Garnett, it is his mental approach to the game: his intensity and focus on the court is matched by few.

Being on the court is almost an out of body experience for Garnett. He becomes a different person, he’s so embedded in the action that it’s bound to result in confrontations. And with his diminishing skills on the court, he can only impose so much of his presence with just his game. To a factor on the court, the intimidation tactics allows him to compensate what he’s lost as a basketball player.

For over a decade, this approach helped him become one of the best players in the game. Now that he’s on the decline, it’s become a flaw that threatens to change the way we’ll remember him.

But I hope we can all at least reach an understanding of what basketball means to Garnett, and how he’s always been consistent with his approach towards the game. It doesn’t absolve him of his behaviour, but it at least allows us to form a full view of his career and appreciate the body of work of one of the best power forwards of this generation.

3. Shawn Kemp, Mentor

We’ve all heard the jokes about Shawn Kemp. The once dominant power forward who soared above the rim on a regular basis, became over-weight, fathered too many children, and left the game with a stained reputation.

But at age 42, Shawn Kemp appears to have turned things around. In this Pro Basketball Talk article, Kemp is profiled as a mentor for Philadelphia 76ers center Spencer Hawes.

The Reign Man now lives in Seattle, is married, owns a restaurant called Oskar’s Kitchen and has dropped 55 pounds since retiring. He’s now the same weight as he was during the peak of his career.

Sports Illustrated will be doing a feature on Kemp in the near future, be on the lookout as it’s always nice to see my favorite players from the 90s doing well with life after basketball.

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• sports
• basketball
• nba
• 3 in the key
• lebron james
• miami heat
• kevin garnett
• boston celtics
• shawn kemp
• seattle