The Ticket: A Fifty-Year Sports Odyssey

Newcomb, a successful businessman and retired general in the Air National Guard, attended more than 850 sporting events over the last 50 years, including the major championships of 10 sports. Among his accomplishments are having completed the grand slam of golf in 1993 by attending the four major tournaments (Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA) and, over the years, having witnessed 11 of college basketball's Final Four tournaments. To document his presence at these various events, Newcomb offers a series of vignettes featuring why he decided to go to a particular game, how he got to the site and how he got in, because in many instances he arrived without a ticket. He also includes a brief description of the outcome of each game. Although far from a polished writer, Newcomb conveys the excitement of being on hand for a sporting event rather than watching it on TV. His capsule reviews of his experiences make for an easy, quick read, although Newcomb's hyperbole can be annoying. Included are reproductions of 75 tickets as well as Newcomb's list of his top 25 sporting events. (June)