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Rules of the Game: The Best Sports Writing from Harper’s Magazine


A lot has been written about sports. Everyday journalists from around the world overwhelm us with content. Stats, plot lines, standings, Tiger’s latest…

Which is why, in a world of over-reporting and “tweeting it before the other guy does”, The Tickr team appreciates a decent sports story. Ones that look beyond who’s playing who and A. Rod’s latest catch (off the field, not on).

Enter Rules of the Game: The Best Sports Writing from Harper’s Magazine — a collection of the top sports stories that have been published by Harper’s over the years. Our blunt Tickr review of the book would be: “If you’re a sports fan, buy this book and put it on your bedside table”.

But we’re going to give you a bit more than that…

The Tickr presents The Top 5 Sports Stories from Rules of the Game: The Best Sports Writing from Harper’s Magazine



5. The Story of the Davis Cup by John R. Tunis



The growth of Tennis and the emergence of the Davis Cup went hand-in-hand in the early twentieth century. The Davis Cup brought Tennis to a global audience where rivalries were developed and traditions emerged. “This is 1938. Tennis has changed and so has the world in which we live. Thanks to press, to radio, to easy means of communication, and to widespread interest in athletics, the Davis Cup has been “sold” to the entire world.


4. Down and Out at Wrigley Field by Rich Cohen



Another season brings hope and optimism for the Chicago Cubs? Rich Cohen documents another season of disappointment for the Cubbies. “A New Yorker, my father had urged me to follow the Dodgers or the Yankees, the teams he watched as a kid. He worried that in cheering for the Cubs I would come to accept losing as the natural condition of things and so ruin my life.”


3. Moscow Games by George Plimpton



Plimpton takes us inside the American perspective at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow where tensions were high and uncertainty was strongly prevalent. “One of my friends with the track-and-field group, with which I am traveling, told me that he felt a tap on the shoulder yesterday getting off the bus. He turned to see a policeman and his heart sank abruptly into his shoes. “This is it,” he thought. The policeman bowed slightly and handed my friend a piece of paper that had dropped from his pocket. My friend was enormously relieved, of course, but afterward he told me there had been just the slightest twinge of disappointment that the official had not said, in excellent English, “Mr. Lane, will you come with us, please.”


2. These Sporting Poets by George Plimpton



Up until the meeting of this unlikely pair, Marianne Moore’s favorite boxer had been Floyd Patterson. With his looming fight upcoming against Ernie Terrell would the great Muhammad Ali be able to sway the poet into his corner?


1. The City Game by Pete Axthelm



Real basketball is played on the city playground surrounded with chain linked fence that protect two metal hoops 94 feet apart. “Basketball is more than a sport or diversion in the cities. It is a part, often a major part, of the fabric of life. Kids in small towns—-particularly in the Midwest—-often become superb basketball players. But they do so by developing accurate shots and precise skills; in the cities, kids simply develop “moves.” Other athletes may learn basketball, but city kids live it.”


And if that wasn’t enough for you, The Tickr is giving away two copies of Rules of the Game: The Best Sports Writing from Harper’s Magazine! All you have to do is REBLOG, LIKE or TWEET this post (using the post to Twitter link below). If you’re not on Tumblr or Twitter you can leave a comment below stating why you want the book!

Pro Tip: The more you hype this post the more likely you are to win this little contest! Reblog’s get bonus points and don’t feel as though you need to Reblog the entire post, a snippet will suffice. If you post a comment below make sure you leave your email.

Contest ends May 29th at 11:59pm EST. Winners will be announced June 1st

Top 5 Players to Watch at the 2010 Masters

1. Tiger Woods
One of the most anticipated returns in the history of sports, Tiger Woods makes his return this week to golf. His game may not be in top form but the face of golf is back and all eyes will be focused on the world’s number one golfer. Tiger hasn’t won at Augusta since ‘05 but he has three top 3’s in the last four years, you never know?

Photo: Getty Images
Tiger’s Best Masters Finish: 4-Time Champion (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005)

2. Ernie Els
Ernie Els enters this years Masters as the tours hottest player winning twice this season (WGC-CA Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational). ‘The big easy’ has failed to make the cut the past three years but all things are pointed towards a solid finish this year. If he continues his stellar play this week we could see Ernie poppin’ the collar on his first green jacket.

Photo: Getty Images
Ernie’s Best Masters Finish: 2nd (2000, 2004)

3. Phil Mickelson
Mickelson has struggled this year with only one top ten, but difficult to argue with Lefty’s record at Augusta. He has finished in the top 10 at the Masters ten of the last eleven years and in the top three five of those years.

Photo: Getty Images
Phil’s Best Masters Finish: 2-Time Champion (2004, 2006)

4. Padraig Harrington
Harrington the constant ‘grinder’ always seems to be in contention on Sunday’s in Majors. Harrington has won three majors and has finished fifth at the Masters twice and seventh once. Don’t be surprised if Padraig slips on a green jacket one of these years.

Photo: Getty Images
Padraig’s Best Masters Finish: 5th (2002, 2008)

5. Anthony Kim
This may be the year of the young gun, at 24 Kim is coming into this years Masters with some great mojo after winning last week at the Shell Houston Open. Those shiny belt buckles would accessorize a green jacket quite nicely.

Photo: Getty Images
Anthony’s Best Masters Finish: T20 (2009)

Who do you like this week at The Masters?

Top 5 Sports Cards Found in our Garage


It’s been a while since our last Top 5 so we traveled to our Garage for inspiration. In no particular order…


5. Mike Schmidt - O-Pee-Chee 1977
Classic Phillies Mike Schmidt, autographed (not really). Looks like he’s about to take a swing at us.


4. Lanny McDonald - O-Pee-Chee 1986
Lanny and his mustache resting up on the bench. The 80’s wouldn’t have been the same without him, his stache and that helmet.


3. Randy Johnson - O-Pee-Chee 1989
Pre-mullet Johnson, when he played for the Expos, pondering life.


2. Barry Bonds - Fleer 1991
Skinny Bonds, must be pre-steroids. Probably flying out to center field.


1. Cam Neely - O-Pee-Chee 1984
Neely’s rookie card. 16 goals, 15 assists all while adorning that wonderful Aztecan outfit.


Bonus Card: Grant Fuhr - Upper Deck 1990 
We wanted it all, the DnR blocker and trapper, the helmet, the jersey—everything but the cocaine addiction.

Top 5 Non-Hockey Related Movies that feature Hockey Jerseys

We haven’t a Tickr Top 5 in awhile but last night’s snooze worthy Oscars inspired us.

5. Happy Gilmore - Boston Bruins

#5 because this movie starts out a hockey movie and turns in a golf movie.


4. Clerks - Pittsburgh Penguins

The cult classic had a few hockey jerseys but we dig on Dante’s support of the Penguins.


3. Wayne’s World - Chicago Blackhawks

Car. Game on.


4. Christmas Vacation - Chicago Blackhawks

Back to back Blackhawk jerseys. This one couldn’t be ignored. Clark Griswold, double zero.


1. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off - Detroit Red Wings

There’s just something about the placement of that bright red Detroit jersey in this movie. The way it matched Cameron’s dad’s Corvette. How it served as pop art in the gallery vignette. The visual contrast it provided in the restaurant scene. We could go on and on.


What did we miss? Agree or disagree?

Top 5 Super Bowl Logos

We like to think we have a little bit of a ‘design eye for the sports guy’ here at The Tickr… Can’t believe we just said that…

5. Super Bowl XLIII


Barely making the cut, but we thought we should include a logo from the past five years. Super Bowl XLII’s logo put an end to seven straight years of over illustrated disasters.


4. Super Bowl XXXV


The first logo of the 2000’s had a lot to live up to. It had to bring in a new century and at the same time put the technicolor colored, neon explosion 90’s to rest. It’s not amazing, but at least it’s got a touch of class.


3. Super Bowl XVIII



The logo that introduced that ‘banner’ element. A banner always takes a logo to another level. Considering the year was 1983, this could be seen as a design miracle.


2. Super Bowl XXIV


Red and blue has been a color trend for Super Bowl logos since the beginning. Over the years, it’s been the fail safe palette for designers. In our humble opinion, Super Bowl XXIV’s logo got the red and blue execution just right.


1. Super Bowl IX

What we consider to be the first actual Super Bowl logo, outside of a wordmark. Hard to argue with that. A reminder that the world of Super Bowl logos should return to it’s simplistic roots.

Top 5 Emerging Athletes Of 2010

5.  Taylor Hall (Hockey)

Hall 17, is expected to be a top pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and was ranked as the top North American prospect by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. Hall currently plays for the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires.



4.  Melanie Oudin (Tennis)

Oudin 18, entered the spotlight last year at the United States Open, defeating seeded players Elena Dementieva, Maria Sharapova, and Nadia Petrova before being eliminated in the quarterfinals.



3.  Michelle Wie (Golf)

Wie 20, won the United States Women’s Amateur Public Links tournament in 2003 at the age of 13, becoming the youngest person ever, male or female, to win a USGA adult event. Wie earned her first LPGA Tour victory at the 2009 Lorena Ochoa Invitational.



2.  Rory McIlroy (Golf)

McIlroy 20, was victorious at the 2009 Dubai Desert Classic, he also finished in the top 10 in two of the four majors in 2009. He is currently ranked 10th in the World Golf Rankings.



1. John Wall (Basketball)

Wall 19, The University of Kentucky Point Gaurd is projected to be the No. 1 pick in next summer’s NBA draft, and shockingly he doesn’t have any tattoos.



Top 5 Most Infamous Performance Enhancing Athletes


New feature for us at The Tickr. The Tickr’s Top 5’s. Once a week we plan on delivering a topical yet grossly unconventional Top 5 list for your enjoyment. First up, Top 5 Most Infamous Performance Enhancing Athletes aka How track stars and baseball players get ahead.


5. Alex Rodriguez

Currently one of the best all-around baseball players in MLB. In February 2009, Rodriguez admitted to steroid use from 2001-2003. His admission came after Sports Illustrated named Rodriguez as one of the 104 Major League players to test positive after a 2003 inquiry.


4. Ben Johnson

He Cheetah all the time, nuff said.


3. Marion Jones

In October 2007, Jones admitted to using steroids during the Balco scandal. She was stripped of her five Olympic medals and sentenced to six months in prison and 200 hours of community service.


2. Mark McGwire

In 1998 Mark McGwire was centre stage as he dueled with Sammy Sosa battling it out for the MLB home run record. McGwire finished the season with 70 home runs. The disgraced star waited over a decade to divulge that he used PED’s, finally admitting this week that he used steroids on and off for over ten years.


1.  Jose Canseco

In 2005, Canseco published his tell-all book titled “Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big.” In his book, Canseco admitted to using steroids while also specifically naming teammates who had taken performance-enhancing drugs, and as much as Canseco is to blame for the emergence of PED’s his book brought awareness to an epidemic in Major League Baseball.