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Dwayne Douglas Johnson, also known as The Rock, was born on May 2, 1972 in Hayward, California. He is the son of Ata Johnson (born Feagaimaleata Fitisemanu) and professional wrestler Rocky Johnson (born Wayde Douglas Bowles). His father, from Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada, is black (of Black Nova Scotian descent), and his mother is of Samoan background (her own father was Peter Fanene Maivia, also a professional wrestler). While growing up, Dwayne traveled around a lot with his parents and watched his father perform in the ring. During his high school years, Dwayne began playing football and he soon received a full scholarship from the University of Miami, where he had tremendous success as a football player. In 1995, Dwayne suffered a back injury which cost him a place in the NFL. He then signed a three-year deal with the Canadian League but left after a year to pursue a career in wrestling.
He made his wrestling debut in the USWA under the name Flex Kavanah where he won the tag team championship with Brett Sawyer. In 1996, Dwayne joined the WWE and became Rocky Maivia where he joined a group known as "The Nation of Domination" and turned heel. Rocky eventually took over leadership of the "Nation" and began taking the persona of The Rock. After the "Nation" split, The Rock joined another elite group of wrestlers known as the "Corporation" and began a memorable feud with Steve Austin. Soon the Rock was kicked out of the "Corporation". He turned face and became known as "The Peoples Champion". In 2000, the Rock took time off from WWE to film his appearance in The Mummy Returns (2001). He returned in 2001 during the WCW/ECW invasion where he joined a team of WWE wrestlers at The Scorpion King (2002), a prequel to The Mummy Returns (2001).
Dwayne has a daughter, Simone Alexandra Johnson, born in 2001, with his ex-wife Dany Garcia, and daughters, Jasmine, born in 2015, and Tiana Gia, born in 2018, with his wife, singer and songwriter Lauren Hashian.- Producer
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Peyton Manning is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for 18 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Considered to be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time due to his numerous career achievements, Peyton spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and was a member of the Denver Broncos in his last four seasons. Manning played college football for the University of Tennessee, leading the Tennessee Volunteers to the 1997 SEC Championship in his senior season. He is the second son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and older brother of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.
Peyton Manning was selected by the Colts as the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. From 1998 to 2010, he improved the fortunes of the struggling Colts franchise and helped transform them into consistent playoff contenders. During his tenure as starting quarterback, Manning led the team to eight division championships, two AFC championships, and one Super Bowl title, the franchise's first in over three decades, as well as their first since relocating to Indianapolis.
After undergoing neck surgery that forced him to miss the entire 2011 season, Manning was released by the Colts and signed with the Broncos. Serving as the team's starting quarterback from 2012 to 2015, he contributed to the Broncos reaching the top of their division each year and his playing career concluded with a victory in Super Bowl 50.
Peyton Manning holds many NFL records, including AP MVP awards (5), Pro Bowl appearances (14), 4,000-yard passing seasons (14), single-season passing yards (5,477 in 2013), single-season passing touchdowns (55 in 2013). He tied for most First-Team All Pros for a quarterback with 7, and is second in career passing yards (71,940) and passing TD (539). At 39 years of age, Manning was the oldest quarterback to start in and win a Super Bowl until Tom Brady surpassed him by winning a Super Bowl at 41.- Walter Payton, nicknamed "Sweetness, " is 2nd on the NFL's All time rushing list. His playing career lasted from 1975 to 1987. In those years, he amassed 16,026 rushing yards. He made a few appearances on television (as a guest star), but he was known as a profoundly personal man.
- Considered by many experts to be the greatest quarterback in the history of NFL football, Montana was recruited by the San Francisco 49ers from Notre Dame in 1979 after leading the "Fighting Irish" to a Cotton Bowl victory in 1978. "Joe Cool," as he was known for his ice cool disposition in the heat of the game, led the 49ers on field for twelve seasons and played key roles in the San Francisco 49ers four Super Bowl victories between 1982 and 1990. Montana scooped the Super Bowl MVP Award in 1982, 1985 and 1990, however he suffered an elbow injury in January 1991, and missed all of the 1991 season, and most of the 1992 season.
He was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in April 1993, and spent his final two years with the Chiefs before finally retiring at the end of 1994.
Well remembered for his amazing plays with fleet-footed wide receiver Jerry Rice, and high-stepping running back Roger Craig. - Actor
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Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York on February 17, 1963. He was the fourth of five children born to James and Deloris. James Jordan was a mechanic and Deloris Jordan was a bank teller. Soon after Michael's birth, James and Deloris felt that the streets of Brooklyn were unsafe to raise a family, so they moved the family to Wilmington, North Carolina.
As a youngster, Michael immediately became interested in sports. However, it was baseball not basketball that was his first love. He would play catch in the yard with his father, who loved baseball. He soon started to play basketball to try and follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Larry, whom he idolized growing up.
At Laney High School, as a sophomore, he decided to try out for the varsity team but was cut because he was raw and undersized. The following summer, he grew four inches and practiced tirelessly. The hard work paid off as he averaged 25 points per game in his last two years and was selected to the McDonald's All-American Team as a senior.
Following high school, he earned a basketball scholarship from North Carolina University where he would play under legendary coach Dean Smith. In his first year, he was named ACC Freshman of the Year. He would help lead the Tarheels to the 1982 NCAA Championship, making the game-winning shot.
After winning the Naismith College Player of the Year award in 1984, Jordan decided to leave North Carolina to enter the NBA draft. Although he decided to leave college early, he would later return to the university in 1986 to complete his degree in geography.
In the 1984 NBA draft, he was selected with the third overall pick by the Chicago Bulls. As a rookie for the Bulls, he made an immediate impact, averaging an amazing 28.2 points a game, including six games where he scored 40+ points. He was selected to the NBA All-Star Game and named Rookie of the Year. This would just be the beginning of a career filled with awards and accolades. In the upcoming years, he would go on to win five regular season MVP awards, six NBA championships, six NBA finals MVP awards, three All-Star game MVP awards, and a defensive player of the year award.
In 1993, tragedy struck Jordan's seemingly perfect life. On July 23, 1993, his father, James, was murdered off Interstate 95 in North Carolina. Two locals had robbed him, shot him in the chest and threw his body in a swamp.
Three months later on October 6, 1993, following a run of three consecutive NBA championships, Jordan announced his retirement from basketball citing that "he no longer had the desire to play." Now "retired" at age 33, it was uncertain what Jordan would do next. Would he take a year off out of the public eye to grieve and then come back to the Bulls? Would he go out and look for a white collar job in the field of geography, his college major? Or would he take up a completely different hobby like golf?
In early 1994, Jordan decided to take up a new hobby alright. However, it wasn't golf. It was baseball. Despite not playing baseball since high school some 13 years ago, he signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox in 1994. He played one unspectacular season for the Double-A Birmingham Barons.
On March 18, 1995, Jordan, a man of few words since his retirement, sent two important words to media sources everywhere: "I'm Back". He celebrated his return to the NBA by doing what he always did best: winning. Although the Bulls would lose in the playoffs to the Orlando Magic, it was obvious that Jordan was still the same superstar player. He would go on to lead the Bulls to three more consecutive NBA championships and etch his place in the history as the "NBA's greatest player of all-time".
On January 13, 1999, Jordan re-announced his retirement, saying that "he was 99.9 percent sure that he would never play again". Soon after, Jordan became part owner of the Washington Wizards.
Near the start of the 2001-02 season, there were hints that Jordan may try another comeback to the NBA. On September 25, 2001, Jordan confirmed those rumors, announcing that he would once again return to the NBA as a member of the Wizards. His two seasons in Washington were mediocre at best. His statistics were solid and he showed some flashes of his old self but he could not lead the Wizards to the playoffs and missed several games due to injury. He retired for good following the 2002-03 season and was subsequently dismissed as president of the Washington Wizards.
In June 2006, he became part owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. Later that year, he filed for divorce from Juanita, his wife of 17 years. They have three children together.- Actor
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Bob Uecker's first career was professional baseball. He played six seasons in the majors (1962-1967), playing catcher for three different National League teams: Braves (Milwaukee, WI, and Atlanta, GA), Cardinals (St. Louis, MO), and Phillies (Philadelphia, PA). His batting, never stellar, declined steadily over his career: he finished with a .200 lifetime average. He wrote a humorous autobiography entitled "Catcher in the Wry". He appeared in a popular series of Lite beer commercials before landing his first movie role.- Producer
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LeBron James is an American basketball player and film producer who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers. He is one of the most accomplished basketball players of the 21st century. He played himself in Space Jam: A New Legacy and Trainwreck. He is the owner of a film production company called SpringHill Company.- Actor
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Terry Eugene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler and television personality. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 1980s.
Hogan began his professional wrestling career in 1977, but gained worldwide recognition after signing for World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in 1983. There, his persona as a heroic all-American helped usher in the 1980s professional wrestling boom, where he headlined eight of the first nine editions of WWF's flagship annual event, WrestleMania. During his initial run, he won the WWF Championship five times, with his first reign being the second-longest in the championship's history. He is the first wrestler to win consecutive Royal Rumble matches, winning in 1990 and 1991. His match with Andre the Giant on WWF The Main Event on February 5, 1988, still holds American television viewership records for wrestling with a 15.2 Nielsen rating and 33 million viewers.
In 1993, Hogan departed the WWF to sign for rival promotion World Championship Wrestling (WCW). He won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship six times, and holds the record for the longest reign. In 1996, he underwent a career renaissance upon adopting the villainous persona of "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, leading the popular New World Order (nWo) stable. As a result, he became a major figure during the "Monday Night Wars", another boom of mainstream professional wrestling. He headlined WCW's annual flagship event Starrcade three times, including the most profitable WCW pay-per-view ever, Starrcade 1997.
Hogan returned to the WWF in 2002 following its acquisition of WCW the prior year, winning the Undisputed WWF Championship for a record equaling (for the year) sixth time before departing in 2003. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005, and inducted a second time in 2020 as a member of the nWo.
Hogan also performed for the American Wrestling Association (AWA), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) - where he won the original IWGP Heavyweight Championship - and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA - now known as Impact Wrestling).
During and after wrestling, Hogan had an extensive acting career, beginning with his 1982 cameo role in Rocky III. He has starred in several films (including No Holds Barred, Suburban Commando and Mr. Nanny) and three television shows (Hogan Knows Best, Thunder in Paradise, and China, IL), as well as in Right Guard commercials and the video game, Hulk Hogan's Main Event. He was the frontman for The Wrestling Boot Band, whose sole record, Hulk Rules, reached No. 12 on the Billboard Top Kid Audio chart in 1995.- Actor
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John Felix Anthony Cena was born on April 23, 1977 in West Newbury, Massachusetts to Carol Cena and John Joseph Cena. He is of Italian (father) and French-Canadian and English (mother) descent, and is the grandson of baseball player Tony Lupien. When he was in college, he played football. He then continued on to be a bodybuilder and a limousine driver. The 6-foot-1 tall star weighs exactly at 240 pounds and is a very successful superstar in the WWE.
The Dr. of Thuganomics started training to be a wrestler at Ultimate Pro Wrestling where he also created the character, The Prototype. Cena first appeared on WWE in a match against Kurt Angle on the 27th of June, 2002 which ended up with him losing.
In 2004, John Cena's status as a celebrity began to develop. Cena won the United States Championship from Big Show. Not too long later, Cena lost the title but he gained it back soon. Cena then lost the title again to fellow WWE superstar, Carlito. During that time, Cena apparently got stabbed in the kidney by one of Carlito's bodyguards. This resulted in staying out of action for a month.
In 2005 and 2006 respectively, Cena was involved in controversies. He had a feud with champion John Bradshaw Layfield, manager Eric Bischoff and fellow wrestler Chris Jericho. Cena also had feuds with Edge and Umaga at that time. But even so, some friendships were formed. Cena is said to be friends with Carlito after they won a match with Jeff Hardy against Edge, Randy Orton and Johnny Nitro.
The year 2007 was a big year for Cena as he was involved in a wrestling match with Britney Spears' ex and rap star, Kevin Federline. John ended up losing that match thanks to some assistance from Umaga to Kevin Federline. Later that night, Cena took revenge by body slamming Kevin Federline backstage. The year 2007 also started pretty well for John Cena as he became the first person to defeat the Samoan Bulldozer, Umaga that year. The Chain Gang Soldier also teamed up with Shaun Michaels defeating the RKO tag team, Randy Orton and Edge. The match ended up with Cena and Michaels winning.
As of October 2007, Cena lost his WWE Championship title because of an injury. While wrestling against Mr. Kennedy, Cena tore his pectoral muscle while executing a hip toss. Although he finished the match and completed the rest of the scripted event, a check-up the next day showed that John's pectoral major muscle was torn completely from the bone, requiring seven months to a year rehabilitation. Not able to perform, WWE's CEO, Vince McMahon stripped him off the title and ended his reign.
In 2008, Cena made an unannounced return to action on January 27 as the final participant of the Royal Rumble match. He won the match, and the traditional WrestleMania title shot. Cena also had a match against JBL, which he defeated at Judgment Day and then at One Night Stand in a First Blood match. However, JBL defeated him at the New York City Parking Lot Brawl. In the month of August, Cena was replaced by Rey Mysterio after it was announced Cena had suffered a herniated disk in his neck which required surgery and he would be out of action indefinitely. According to reports, Cena underwent successive surgery to repair the herniated disk in his neck with Doctor Joseph Maroon on August 25.
Aside from wrestling, John has also made a name in the movie business. In 2006, a WWE franchise movie titled The Marine was released with John playing the lead character, John Triton. The movie received mixed reviews due to the poor story-line and discrimination to the US Marines. Even so, fans queued up to watch the movie as this was John's first big screen appearance.
The WWE wrestler also added recording artist to his resume as he released his debut rap album "You Can't See Me" which debuted at #15 on the US Billboard 200 chart. The album was recorded with his cousin Tha Trademarc. The album featured his entrance theme song, 'The Time Is Now' & a host of other singles performed by Cena. One of the songs he performed with popular rap band Estoric and a number of other songs Cena performed with famous rapper Bumpy Knuckles. Cena is the only professional wrestler to ever perform on BBC Two's long running TV show Top of the Pops.
While still active with WWE, Cena made a couple of guest appearances: Jimmy Kimmel Live! twice to promote his album. He has also appeared on popular shows like Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Fuse's Celebrity Playlist, Fox Sports Net's The Best Damn Sports Show Period, MADtv, G4's Training Camp and two appearances on MTV's Punk'd. He also served as a co-presenter, with Hulk Hogan, at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards, as a guest judge during the third week of the 2006 season of Nashville Star, and appeared at the 2007 Nickelodeon UK Kids Choice Awards 2007.
In fashion, The Champ has also made a few trademarks. Cena is often seen with knee-high denim jeans and throwback jerseys when he first started on WWE. Lately, Cena has been wearing a lot of Chain Gang merchandise. When his movie, The Marine was released, John was seen to be adding more military-inspired clothing to his outfit to promote his movie.
Cena graduated from Springfield College, Massachusetts with degrees in exercise physiology and human anatomy. He applied to 60 colleges and he got accepted by 58 of them but in the end, he chose Springfield College. He is the second eldest of five brothers and is said to be a family guy when he is not wrestling. His good friends are fellow wrestlers, John Hennigan, Batista, Randy Orton, Carlito, Jeff and Matt Hardy, whom he will have to fight.
John Cena is definitely going to be a big inspiration to all, whether in wrestling, fashion, music or even movies as his participation in the industry is already more than regular celebrity. With all he has achieved, fans can definitely expect to see more of this WWE superstar in the coming future.
Also, recently he has completed his new movie 12 Rounds produced by WWE Films. This movie was said to have finished filming when John suffered from his injury in 2007.- Jonny was born in Puerto Rico, and started skiing when he was 9 years old. His brother dared him to ski, and he did. Ever since then he has been skiing. He entered his first competetion soon after he started skiing.
He also enjoys playing golf, and wakeboarding. His victory in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, winning the gold medal in the men's mouguls event was the 1st medal for the USA of the 18th Winter Olympics.
He made the US Ski team in 1993, but narowly missed out on a spot to go the 1994 Winter Olympic games in Lillehammer, Norway. 1998 was his 4th year on the US Ski team. The US Ski team was largely successful at the Nagano Games. Jonny won the 1st out of 3 golds for the US Freestyle Skiiers.
Since Jonny's win, when he returned to California, there was a lot of fans waiting to greet him. He also stars in a McDonalds commercial for the Olympics, and has made a guest apperance on David Letterman. - Actress
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Chris Evert is a retired American World No. 1 tennis player.
She won 18 Grand Slam singles championships and three doubles titles. She was the year-ending World No. 1 singles player in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, and 1981. Overall, Evert won 157 singles championships and 32 doubles titles.
Evert reached 34 Grand Slam singles finals, more than any other player in the history of professional tennis. She holds the record of most consecutive years (13) to win at least one Grand Slam title. In singles, Evert reached the semifinals or better 52 of the 56 Grand Slams she played, including the semifinals or better of 34 consecutive Grand Slams entered from the 1971 US Open through the 1983 French Open. Evert never lost in the first or second round of a Grand Slam singles tournament and lost in the third round only twice. In Grand Slam women's singles play, Evert won a record seven championships at the French Open and a co-record six championships at the US Open (tied with Serena Williams).
Evert's career winning percentage in singles matches of 89.97% (1309-146) is the highest in the history of Open Era tennis, for men or women. On clay courts, her career winning percentage in singles matches of 94.55% (382-22) remains a WTA record.
Evert served as president of the Women's Tennis Association during eleven calendar years, 1975-76 and 1983-91. She was awarded the Philippe Chatrier award and inducted into the Hall of Fame. In later life Evert was a coach and an analyst for ESPN.- Billy Martin will always be remembered for his fiery personality, both on and off the field. Cleveland General Manager Frank Lane once said, "He's the kind of guy you'd like to kill if he's playing on the other team, but you'd like 10 of him on your side." Martin won the Most Valuable Player Award in the 1953 World Series, batting .500, with 12 hits, 2 home runs, and a series-leading 8 RBIs. His playing career ended in 1961, but his involvement in baseball was far from over. He went on to manage in Detroit, Texas, Oakland, and most notably, in New York. Martin was hired and fired five times during his career as the skipper for the Bronx Bombers. His untimely death on Christmas Day in 1989, at the age of 61, was a surprise to everyone.
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Tom Brady was born on August 3, 1977 in San Mateo, California, to Galynn Patricia (Johnson) and Thomas Edward Brady, who owns a financial planning business. His father is of Irish descent and his mother is of Norwegian-Swedish and Polish ancestry. He attended Junipero Serra High School, the same high school which produced Barry Bonds of the SF Giants. He attended the University of Michigan from 1995 to 1999. He was a backup to Brian Griese when the Wolverines went 12-0 and won the national championship in 1997. Brady shared the starting quarterback job with Drew Henson in 1998 and 1999, but managed to compile a 20-5 record over those two years, including a 2-0 record in bowl games. The New England Patriots made him a sixth round draft choice in 2000, the 199th player selected overall in the draft. He spent 2000 as a fourth string quarterback behind Drew Bledsoe, John Friesz and Michael Bishop. In 2001, Brady was elevated to second string quarterback behind Bledsoe as training camp broke. The fortunes for both Brady and the Patriots changed forever on September 23, 2001, as Bledsoe was hit hard by New York Jet linebacker "Mo Lewis", suffering a near life-threatening injury. Brady replaced Bledsoe in the contest, and has started every Patriot game at quarterback since. Bledsoe was never able to regain his starting job, as Brady led the Patriots on an 11-3 run to close the 2001 regular season, then led the Patriots through the playoffs and an improbable 20-17 win over the St. Louis Rams, a 14-point favorite, in Super Bowl XXXVI. After an ordinary 2002 season, Brady skippered the Patriots to one of the greatest seasons in NFL history in 2003. The Patriots began the season 2-2, then won every remaining regular season and playoff game, capped off by a 32-29 win over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII. Brady followed that up with a second consecutive Super Bowl appearance in 2004, as the Patriots once again went 14-2 in the regular season and defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21 in Super Bowl XXXIX. Brady is 9-0 all-time in the playoffs in his career following Super Bowl XXXIX. In the first two Super Bowls he has played in, Brady was named the Super Bowl MVP, becoming one of only four players in NFL history to win this award more than once. Brady is 48-14 as a starting Patriot quarterback going into the 2005 season. His poise as well as his penchant for playing with incredible cool and precision in big games is drawing comparisons with the great Joe Montana, former SF 49ers quarterback.
Brady is married to model Gisele Bündchen, and the couple has two children. His brother-in-law is baseball player Kevin Youkilis, who is married to Tom's sister, Julie.- Actor
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John Madden was born on 10 April 1936 in Austin, Minnesota, USA. He was an actor, known for The Replacements (2000), Little Giants (1994) and Arli$$ (1996). He was married to Virginia Jo Fields. He died on 28 December 2021 in Pleasanton, California, USA.- Actor
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When you think of the words honesty, straight from the shoulder, and tell it like it is, you think of one man: Howard Cosell. Howard is best remembered as the greatest sportscaster in the history of sports. His way with words and ability of telling like it was, brought him fame not only in America, but all over the world. Perhaps, no one will ever forget the memorable moments that he and Muhammad Ali spent together. How they made fun of each other and played with each other are legendary.
Howard also appeared several times with Dean Martin in the 70s on some of Dean's celebrity roasts, honoring people like Bob Hope, Bette Davis, Mr. T, even Dean Martin himself, and probably the man whom he knew the most: Muhammad Ali. After the 80s, Cosell drifted away from fame. On April 23, 1995, Howard passed away with heart embolism. But, surely, no one ever forgets how honest and straight-going Howard Cosell was.- Actor
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Fran Tarkenton was born on 3 February 1940 in Richmond, Virginia, USA. He is an actor, known for Hill Street Blues (1981), 1st & Ten (1984) and Saturday Night Live (1975). He is married to Linda. They have one child. He was previously married to Anna Elaine Merrell.- The term Dynasty might have never applied to Basketball had it not been for Bill Russell. In the History of professional sports there has never been an athlete who has more accolades or championships, in other words Bill Russell was not only a champion, but he was perhaps the definition of a champion. Russell did not create the first basketball dynasty, but to date, through Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, Bill Russell has one more championship than any other basketball player.
Bill Russell was born in Monroe, Louisiana in 1934, to Katie and Charlie Louis Russell. . At the age of 9 he moved to Oakland. While in Oakland he was very poor but became a skillful basketball player. At 18 he went to college, at San Francisco, where he won two NCAA Championships in 1955 and 1956. In 1956 Bill Russell entered the NBA draft. He was drafted second overall, by the St. Louis Hawks, but was traded to the Boston Celtics for Ed Macauley, in a deal spearheaded by Red Auerbach, the coach of the Boston Celtics. Macauley was part of a solid offensive unit with Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman, but the team had a missing piece to the puzzle.
As America would soon find out Bill Russell would be that missing piece. Although Bill Russell played less than 50 games, due to the fact he has won a gold medal for basketball in the Olympics, in his first NBA season he definitely made his presence felt. Russell brought an aspect to basketball that had rarely been explored before: defense. Bill Russell knew that basketball was not so much scoring, but keeping your opponent from scoring as well. Bill Russell viewed basketball as a science, and played the game with an analytical view as well as with an emotional intensity.
Russell played the game psychologically as well, defending his various opponents so well that many times he made those he defended feel like they could not score a basket. This intensity not only paid off in the Olympics, and in college, but it would have an immediate impact in the NBA. Bill Russell would lead the Boston Celtics to 9 straight NBA titles, many times over vaunted rivals the Philadelphia Warriors, and later the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Los Angeles Lakers. Russell would lead these teams over some other among the greatest of all time, including Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Hal Greer, and his most famous rival Wilt Chamberlain.
While Russell was rewriting Boston sports history he faced immense racism from the most devout Celtics fan. His home was accosted on a few occasions, and he heard he would not get MVP because he was black from a reporter. Still yet Russell was without a doubt one of the finest players of his day. In the long line of dominance the Boston Celtics would exercise over the NBA the most legendary years were in his final years. In 1966 Wilt Chamberlain was traded from the Golden State warriors to his new hometown Philadelphia 76ers. For the first time in the Bill Russell- Wilt Chamberlain rivalry Chamberlain could not say he did not have the team to beat the Celtics, although many contend that the Celtics were evenly match if not inferior in talent to their many rivals. The Philadelphia 76ers did beat the Boston Celtics in 1967, but in 1966 and 1968 the Celtics, not quite to the level of the Sixers.
But in 1968 it was truly Russell that beat the Sixers, as he was not the heart and soul on the court, but was now it's head coach, which he became in 1967 after legend Red Auerbach retired. He would not let his defeat in 1967 keep him down. He would return and defeat the Sixers in 1968, in a hotly contested Conference Final series, and easily defeat the Lakers in the Finals. At the end of the season Wilt Chamberlain was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, taking Chamberlain to the other arch-rival of the Boston Celtics. In 1969 most of the fabled Celtics had long been gone or had recently retired. Only Russell remained of the fabled Boston Celtics, except for the emerging superstar John Havlichek, and aging star Sam Jones. Russell now had the daunting task of taking a bottom seed to defeat some of the best teams of all time, including a newly revamped Philadelphia after the Chamberlain trade, who they beat, and the New York Knickerbockers, led by Willis Reed, Walt Bellamy, and Walt Frazier, who they beat in 6, and set the match for the Los Angeles Lakers, which now had Chamberlain.
Chamberlain, as well as Jerry West and Elgin Baylor always fell short to the Celtics. This year, alongside Gail Goodrich and Happy Hairston, and a very deep bench, which included future Laker's Coach Pat Riley the Lakers looked to beat the Celtics for the first time in the Finals. After taking the first two at home the Lakers returned to the Boston Garden to lose the next two. The Celtics then lost to Los Angeles in the Forum in Game 5, and the Celtics returned to the Boston Garden in game 6 and won that contest. Game Seven in the Finals was one of the most legendary ever played in the history of American sports. First Laker's owner Jack Kent Cooke had filled the rafters with purple and yellow balloons balloons and intended to drop them after the Lakers won. When word of this got back to Bill Russell, he told his teammates something to the affect of "We're going to have to do something about that." Also at the end of the game Wilt Chamberlain was taken out of the game by unpopular coach Butch van Breda Kolff. An explanation van Breda Kolff gave to Chamberlain was "we're doing fine without you." Without Chamberlain and an injured Jerry West, it was not enough to defeat the Celtics, who won by only two points.
Russell later said Chamberlain was week, and should have demanded to go back into the game. The two who were previous friends were now very distant. Russell knew that he had won, but he wanted to win over Chamberlain, and did not. No matter the game went to seven games when it should have been much shorter. The Celtics who were supposedly way past their prime were led by Bill Russell to their eleventh championship, they were only the third team to repeat a championship, the first were the Minneapolis Lakers, and the second were the Boston Celtics. Russell was truly nothing short of a champion.
Since his historic victory Russell has been active in broadcasting for NBA games, and occasionally coaching, including the Seattle Supersonics in the 1970s and the Sacramento Kings in the 1980s. He was not ready for the coaching job, and did an all around bad job, sadly enough. He is a best-selling author and thirty years after he won he remained a recognizable face and a legend. Until Michael Jordan he was almost unanimously acclaimed as the greatest player of all time, and some still think he is. But without Bill Russell there is no doubt the Boston Celtics would not be the rock-solid professional sports team they have become in their legendary run of championships. - Producer
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Eli Manning was born on 3 January 1981 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for Capital One College Bowl (2021), Chad Powers and The Simpsons (1989). He has been married to Abigal McGrew since 19 April 2008. They have four children.- Orenthal James Simpson, was an American former football running back, broadcaster, actor, advertising spokesman.
Simpson attended the University of Southern California, where he played football for the USC Trojans and won the Heisman Trophy in 1968. He played professionally as a running back in the NFL for 11 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills from 1969 to 1977. He also played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1978 to 1979. In 1973, he became the first NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season. He holds the record for the single season yards-per-game average, which stands at 143.1. He was the only player to ever rush for over 2,000 yards in the 14-game regular season NFL format.
Simpson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. After retiring from football, he began new careers in acting and football broadcasting. - Actor
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Derek Jeter was born on 26 June 1974 in Pequannock, New Jersey, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Other Guys (2010), Anger Management (2003) and History's Greatest Warriors. He has been married to Hannah Jeter since 9 July 2016. They have four children.- Actor
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Jeff Gordon was born in 1971 in Vallejo, California, just miles away from the Speedway in Sonoma. He started racing with Go-Carts and Sprint Cars and worked his way up to the NASCAR's Busch Series and then landed a few races in 1992. Gordon's first NASCAR race came when NASCAR Legend Richard Petty was going through his last. Gordon learned quickly and won his first NASCAR Championship in 1995, barely beating out Dale Earnhardt in the Points Standings. Since his Debut in 1992, Gordon has won 3 NASCAR Championships and 55 Races, clearly shooting past Lee Petty and Rusty Wallace in the All-Time Wins Category. Jeff Gordon is seen as one of NASCAR's best and brightest young stars.
In 2005, Gordon suffered his worst season since his rookie year in 1993. Gordon missed out for the Chase for the Nextel Cup, and finishes 11th in points, and finishing outside the top 10 in points since he finished 14th in his rookie year of 1993. Jeff did win 4 races this year. Those races were Daytona, Martinsville, Talladega, and the other Martinsville race. No one saw Gordon's bad season coming, after winning his 3rd Daytona 500, and winning 3 of the first 9 races of the season. After the 3rd win at Talladega, he went 16 races without a top 5 finish, a very uncharacteristic Gordon. Gordon had a crew chief swap when the 10 race Chase began, when Robbie Loomis left the team, and 26 year old Steve Letarte took over. Jeff did manage to get back on track somewhat, and won at Martinsville later in the year, and finished 2nd, 14th, and 9th in the 3 last 3 races following the long overdue visit to victory lane. Jeff at the end of 2005 has a total of 70 career wins.In 2004, Jeff Gordon finished 3rd place in NASCAR Nextel Cup points, behind Kurt Busch, and teammate Jimmie Johnson. Jeff racked up 5 wins that season, bringing his career total to 66. Those 5 wins were at Talladega, California, Martinsville, Daytona, and the other Martinsvile race. In 2003, he became the first driver in Winston Cup history to host Saturday Night Live.
At the end of the 2002 racing season, Jeff ended up in 4th place in the NASCAR Winston Cup points standings. In 2002, Jeff and teammate Jimmie Johnson competed and won in the Race of Champions in Grand Canaria, Spain. In 2001, he became the first driver to win at Kansas Speedway and he won it again in 2002 becoming the only driver to win at Kansas. At the end of the 2002 racing season, Jeff has racked up 61 Winston Cup races. His 3 wins in 2002 were at Bristol, Darlington, and Kansas. He also had 3 poles. As of 2003, Jeff continues to co-own the # 48 race team of Jimmie Johnson. Has won 4 Winston Cup Championships: 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001 becoming the youngest driver to win than many. With his first championship in 1995, Jeff became the youngest driver at the age of 24 to win a Winston Cup title.
In 1998, he tied a record by winning 13 races in a same season and by winning 4 races in a row. Won 2 Daytona 500s in 1997 and 1999. Became the youngest driver to win the Daytona 500. Won 3 Brickyard 400s including the inaugural one in 1994 and his second one in 1998 and his 3rd one in 2001 making him the first driver to win it more than twice.- George Michael Steinbrenner III, one of the most successful sports franchise owners of the modern era, was born in Rocky River, Ohio on the Fourth of July, 1930, which is fitting for the owner of the New York Yankees, the premier baseball club in what is dubbed "America's Pastime". (To fans of the Yankees' archrival, the Boston Red Sox, he is considered the Head of the "Evil Empire").
After graduating from Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana (the alma mater of cult director Budd Boetticher), Steinbrenner attended the exclusive Williams College located in western Massachusetts (the alma mater of Elia Kazan, Class of 1930). Steinbrenner's interest in sports led to stints as an assistant football coach at Northwestern University in 1955 and at Purdue University the following year. While making his fortune in the shipping industry (he had joined his father's financially ailing American Shipbuilding Co., where he helped affect a turn-around), Steinbrenner bought the Cleveland Pipers of the National Industrial Basketball League in 1960. The team joined the American Basketball League the next year, and Steinbrenner made sports history by hiring John McLendon, the first African-American head coach in professional sports.
The team won the 1962 ABL championship, and Steinbrenner then pulled off a major coup by signing Ohio State All-American Jerry Lucas, the #1 basketball prospect in the country, thus keeping him from going to the better established National Basketball Association. In fact, to get Lucas into their league, the NBA immediately made a deal with Steinbrenner to absorb the Pipers as its 10th team, but as he was unable to raise the $250,000 franchise fee and was facing a lawsuit from the ABL, the deal collapsed.
The Pipers soon went bankrupt, and Steinbrenner went back to the shipping industry, eventually buying the American Shipbuilding Co. outright. During the 1960s, Steinbrenner was a Broadway "angel" (investing in plays) and later acquired a small ownership stake in the NBA's Chicago Bulls. However, by 1971, Steinbrenner was wealthy enough to make a $9 million bid (approximately $43 million in 2005 dollars, when factored for inflation) to acquire the Cleveland Indians franchise in professional baseball's American League. However, the deal -- which was being negotiated by Indians General Manager Gabe Paul -- fell apart. When Columbia Broadcasting System Chairman William Paley decided to rid the television broadcast network of its New York Yankees subsidiary in 1972, Paul helped broker the $8.7 million deal by which Steinbrenner acquired the team. Steinbrenner then appointed him director of baseball operations for the club.
In January 1920, the Yankees -- then Gotham's also-ran baseball franchise after the fabled Giants of Coopers Bluff -- acquired the Red Sox's left-handed pitcher and star slugger Babe Ruth for $125,000 in cash and a loan to Red Sox owner Harry Frazee, a theatrical entrepreneur, who needed the loot to finance a Broadway show. During the previous season, the Bambino (a 24-game winner and E.R.A. champ as a starting pitcher, the Babe had set the World Series record by pitching 29 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings in the 1916 matchup with the Brooklyn Dodgers, which was finally broken by Whitey Ford in 1961, the same year Roger Maris broke his home run record) had set the modern home run record with 29 dingers for the Boston nine. Behind their new New York strongboy, the Yankees won the 1921, '22 and 23 AL pennants, facing the Giants in three consecutive World Series, losing the first two contests before finally beating them for the World's Championship in 1923).
By the beginning of the 1970s, the Yankees had won 29 pennants and 20 World Series, but hadn't been in the October Classic since 1964. Seeking synergy that would become common in the 1990s, the TV network CBS had bought the franchise for $11.2 million after the 1964 season, from Dan Topping and Del Webb. In the 20 years they had owned the team, Topping and Webb's Yankees had missed appearing in the World Series only five times, racking up a 10-5 record. In contrast, the CBS-owned teams never made it to the World Series, and in 1965, the Yankees finished in the second division for the first time in 40 years. The year 1965 was crucial, as the major league amateur draft was implemented, which meant that the Yankees could no longer use its financial resources to sign any player they wanted. Also, the Kansas City AL franchise that the Yankees had used as a kind of farm club, cherry-picking its best players like Maris in return for worn-out veterans, had been acquired by maverick owner Charles O. Finley, who ended the special relationship. The Yankes in the mid-1960s could not replace their aging stars with quality players, and in 1966, the team finished in 10th place (last) in the AL for the first time since 1912 (when there were only 8 teams), and ninth in 1967.
After taking over the Yankees on January 3, 1973, Steinbrenner -- who knew little about baseball but had coveted a baseball franchise, and now owned the most famous team in North American sports (which is now worth at least 100 times what Steinbreener paid for it) -- pledged that he would not be a hands-on owner. He soon won himself the sobriquet "The Boss" for his autocratic management style, characterized by his criticizing players and managers through the media and the 20 managers he had in his first 23 years owning the club. (In fact, Steinbrenner made 17 managerial changes in his first 17 seasons!).
Controversy has been part of Steinbrenner's tenure as principal owner of the ball club and stadium that Babe Ruth and other Yankee greats made famous. In 1974, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspended him for two years following his conviction for making illegal political campaign contributions to President Richard Nixon's reelection committee, although he bitterly protested that - a Democrat- he had been shaken down by the corrupt Nixon administration as part
Steinbrenner was has been criticized by other owners for driving up the cost of ballplayers after the advent of free agency in 1976. Steinbrenner paid Catfish Hunter, who had been freed from his contract with Charles O. Finley, owner of the Oakland A's, by an arbitrator, an unprecedented $2.85 million for four years, over $700,000 a year when top stars like Carl Yastrzemski made $100,000 a year and Dick Allen was the highest paid player in the game at $200,000 a year. He then bolstered his pennant-winning 1976 team for the following season by acquiring Reggie Jackson, the 1973 American League M.V.P. when he was with the A's., with a $3 million, 5-year contract.
Reggie, the self-described "straw that stirs the drink", and the core of the '76 A.L. champs won back-to-back World Series in 1977 and '78, the Eastern Division title in 1980 (after winning 103 games under new manager Dick Howser, who was promptly fired for losing in the playoffs and would go on to win a World Series title in Kansas City in 1985), and the A.L. pennant in the strike-shortened 1981 season.
In the 1970s, Steinbrenner relied on solid baseball people such as Al Rosen and Gabe Paul, but in the 1980s, he became erratic, promoting yes-men into high position who rubber-stamped his preference for name-players. At the beginning of the free agency era, the Yankees under Rosen and Paul were able to do what the Yankees of the mid- to late-60s were unable to do since the demise of the "special" relationship with Kansas City and the advent of the amateur draft: sign quality players to fill vital gaps in the team. However, Rosen and Paul really rebuilt the Yankees via judicious trades, acquiring players like Graig Nettles and Willie Randolph to anchor the team.
Steinbrenner went to the extreme of embracing the free agent market as a fix-all solution to build a winning team. Via free agency, the Yankees acquired stars who turned out to be either unable to handle the pressure of playing in New York (with its all-invasive media), unsuited for the uniqueness of Yankee Stadium (a right-handed hitter like Steve Kemp floundered in a stadium built to favor lefties), or who -- like two time Cy Young Award-winner Gaylord Perry -- were on the downside if not the end of their careers.
After the 1980 season, Steinbrenner offered San Diego Padres outfielder Dave Winfield, a four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner who led the National League with 118 runs batted in in 1979, his biggest budget-busting contract (and the biggest in history at the time, which vastly inflated superstars' future salaries): a 10-year contract worth up to $25 million, according to the New York Times (Dec. 16, 1980). It was at least twice as high as any salary enjoyed by any other superstar. Expected to take the place of Reggie Jackson, who left the team after the 1981 season, Winfield -- a future Hall of Famer who was a consistent run producer and Gold Glove-caliber outfielder -- never lived up to Steinbrenner's expectations. During the 1981 World Series in which Winfield played with Jackson and other holdovers from the 1977 and '78 teams once again faced the Los Angeles Dodgers whom they had bested in both prior Series appearances, Winfield had one hit in 22 at bats for an anemic .045 batting average. After his freshman year with the club, the Yankees never again made the playoffs during his tenure with the team (1981-1990).
Because of Steinbrenner's profligacy, the Yankees would consistently have the highest payroll in baseball, making it hard for teams from small market clubs to compete (as well as to hold on to their players, who could be wooed away by Steinbrenner's gold after they became free agents). For the period of 1982-1995, the Yankees would have nothing to show for the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on players' salaries. After the 1981 World Series, which the Yankees lost two games to four to the Dodgers, the franchise hit a 15-season dry-spell without a championship season, the first time for such a drought since the franchise's initial establishment in Manhattan from 1902 to 1921. The first 23 years of Steinbrenner's regime was characterized by a managerial merry-go-round, a constant firing, rehiring, and firing of managers, including Bob Lemon twice and Billy Martin a ridiculous five times. Steinbrenner once fired Yogi Berra, who had gone to the World Series as manager in 1964 with the Yankees and in 1973 with the Mets, after eight days in the catbird seat. Yogi deserved better.
Steinbrenner's instability reached its high point in 1990, when he accepted a ban for life from managing the Yankees' day-to-day operations levied upon him by commissioner Fay Vincent for illicit dealings with gambler Howie Spira. Steinbrenner had hired Spira to dig up dirt on his star outfielder, Dave Winfield. A contrite Steinbrenner eventually was reinstated in 1993 as his son didn't like running the business and major league baseball had no desire to see its premier franchise flounder. After his return, he seemed to have matured, and three years later, he laid the groundwork for his regime's second dynasty by hiring Joe Torre as manager. Under Torre, who has been Yankees manager for 11 seasons (an unmatched period of managerial calm under Steinbrenner), the team has won ten division titles, five pennants, and four World Series from 1996 through 2005.
Red Sox fans and other Yankee haters wish for the return of the old Steinbrenner, who would have had 10 managers in 11 seasons rather than one in 11, as in the good old days. So far, he refuses to oblige them. - Actress
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Ronda Rousey burst onto the women's MMA scene in August of 2010. Born in Riverside County, California on February 1, 1987 to parents Ron Rousey and AnnMaria DeMars, little Ronda was born with an umbilical cord wrapped around her neck that damaged her vocal cords. She didn't speak coherently until the age of six. Ronda was a self-professed tomboy and swam from the ages of 6 to 10. She competed on the Jr. Olympic swim team where she placed in the state level.
Because of her mother, a 7th degree black belt and 1984 World Judo Champion, Ronda took up the sport. She had a hard time socializing with other kids and found that Judo gave her confidence. She holds a 4th degree black belt in the martial art.
Ronda's Judo career is a storied one. At 17 she became the youngest judoka in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. That same year she won a gold medal at the World Junior Judo Championships in Budapest, and in 2006 she became the first U.S. female in almost 10 years to win an A-Level tournament going 5-0 to clench the gold at the World Cup in Great Britain. At 19 she won the bronze medal at the Junior World Championships. She is the first U.S. athlete to win two Junior World Medals. In 2007 she added a silver at the World Judo Championships and a gold at the Pan American Games. The pinnacle of her Judo career was a bronze at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Rousey became the first American to win an Olympic medal in women's Judo since it became an Olympic sport in 1992.
After medaling in the Olympics, Ronda's career hit a dead end. She did some bartending to make ends meet and tried to find a better paying job, but it was tough finding anyone that needed her particular skill set. Throwing people down and putting them in armbars aren't really something you can put on a resume. By chance Ronda caught the Gina Carano vs. Julie Kedzie fight on television and things changed.
She made her mixed martial arts debut as an amateur in 2010. Since then she has never lost a fight, winning the majority in the first round by armbar submission. Ronda took it upon herself to chase after and demand attention so that the UFC could no longer ignore women fighters. UFC President Dana White had publicly stated that women would never be allowed to fight in the UFC, but on February 23, 2013, Ronda did just that. She won the fight against Liz Carmouche in the first round with her signature armbar and became the first UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion.
In 2014, Ronda appeared in her first motion picture - The Expendables 3 (2014). Other projects are Furious 7 (2015) and The Athena Project as well as Entourage (2015).- Actor
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Charles Barkley is an American retired professional basketball player who is an analyst on Inside the NBA (1988).
Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominant power forwards. An All-American power forward at Auburn University, he was drafted as a junior by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 5th pick of the 1984 NBA draft. He was selected to the All-NBA First Team five times, the All-NBA Second Team five times, and once to the All-NBA Third Team. He earned eleven NBA All-Star Game appearances and was named the All-Star MVP in 1991. In 1993 with the Phoenix Suns, he was voted the league's Most Valuable Player, and during the NBA's 50th anniversary, named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. He competed in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games and won two gold medals as a member of the United States' "Dream Team". Barkley is a two-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, being inducted in 2006 for his individual career, and in 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team".
Charles Barkley was popular with the fans and media and made the NBA's All-Interview Team for his last 13 seasons in the league. He was frequently involved in on- and off-court fights and sometimes stirred national controversy, in 1993 when he declared that sports figures should not be considered role models. Though shorter than the typical power forward, Barkley used his strength and aggressiveness to become one of the NBA's most dominant rebounders. He was a versatile player who had the ability to score, create plays, and defend. In 2000, he retired as the fourth player in NBA history to achieve 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists.
Since retiring as a player, Barkley has had a successful career as an NBA analyst. He works with Turner Network Television (TNT) alongside of Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, Ernie Johnson as a studio pundit for its coverage of NBA games. Barkley has written several books and has shown an interest in politics. In October 2008, he announced that he would run for Governor of Alabama in 2014, but he changed his mind.- Actor
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Wayne Gretzky, nicknamed "The Great One, " is widely considered the greatest hockey player of all-time. At the time of his retirement at the end of the 1998-99 NHL season he was the NHL's all-time scoring leader in Goals, Assists & Points in both the regular season & Stanley Cup Playoffs. He led the NHL in scoring a record 10 times, was Captain of 4 Stanley Cup Championship teams, and was named the league's MVP a record 9 times. He is the only NHL player ever to score 200 Points in a season, and did so 4 times in the span of 5 years. A great ambassador of pro sports, he was also named the NHL's Most Gentlemanly Player 4 times and received the Order of Canada (their highest civilian honor) in 1998. Upon his retirement in 1999, his trademark jersey No. 99 was retired by the NHL.- Actor
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George Foreman was boxing's most feared fighter from 1973-1974. Undefeated in 40 straight fights, 37 by knockout, he was on a 24 consecutive knockout run when he faced Muhammad Ali on October 30, 1974 in defense of his world heavyweight title in Zaire, Africa. A product of a poor family, Foreman was in constant trouble with the law. He credits the Job Corp with turning his life around. Started boxing as an amateur and, in less than three years, captured a gold medal in the 1968 Olympic Games. Lost only 2 out of 24 amateur fights. Turned pro under the guidance of veteran trainer Dick Saddler. Foreman was a stablemate of former heavyweight king Charles "Sonny" Liston and Charlie Snips. Foreman idolized Liston and copied his ring style and mannerisms. Foreman used a piercing stare to intimated his opponents ala Liston. He was criticized for beating second rate opponents, yet had scored victories over credible fighters like George Chuvallo, Boone Kirkman and Gregorio Peralta. Destroyed undefeated Joe Frazier in two brutal rounds to capture the world title in 1973; Frazier was knocked down six times. Destroyed Jose "King" Roman in one round and Ken Norton in two rounds to retain his title. Foreman was knocked out by 3-1 underdog Muhammad Ali in 8 rounds. Foreman fought 5 men in one night in a 1975 exhibition. Won five straight knockouts on the comeback trail before being decked and decision-ed by Jimmy Young in Puerto Rico in 1977. Foreman claimed to have seen God in his dressing room following the defeat and announced he was going to become a preacher and retire from boxing. Preached for 10 years and blew up to 300 pounds. Decided to return to the ring to raise money for his church; experts laughed, but Foreman racked up 18 straight knockout victories. He was defeated in a title bid by Evander Holyfield but, a few years later, shocked the world by knocking out undefeated World Heavyweight Champion Michael Moorer (36-0) to become champion again at 45. Made a few successful defenses before losing his title by a controversial decision to Shannon Briggs.- Actor
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Armstrong was raised alone by his mother. Even as a child and teenager, he invested a lot of time in cycling. At the age of 13, Armstrong achieved his first victories in cycling races and other sports. In 1984 he won the youth triathlon championship. Three years later he practiced triathlon as a professional athlete. This was followed by qualification for training with the Olympic team. In 1992, Armstrong made his debut as a professional cyclist at the race in San Sebastian, Spain. Armstrong drove in the "Motorola" team from 1992 to 1996 and in the "Cofidis" team in 1997. With toughness, ambition and endurance, Lance Armstrong cycled his way to the top of the world in the 1990s. In 1996 he was considered number one on the world cycling rankings. In October 1996, Armstrong's doctors diagnosed him with testicular cancer. In addition, metastases were found in the lungs and brain. Now not only was the exceptional athlete's promising career at stake, but also his survival. It is probably thanks to Armstrong's iron will that he was able to successfully fight cancer. In order to survive and be cured, he endured the most aggressive chemotherapy.
This was successfully carried out on him. The athlete began cycling again after just five months, in May 1998. Armstrong not only emerged from this serious phase of illness healed, but also stronger. He prepared for his comeback in major professional cycling racing by taking part in smaller races. His greatest success after recovering from cancer was his first victory in the "Tour de France" on July 25, 1999. Since then, he has distinguished himself as the most successful performer and boss in the "US Postal" team. Armstrong's rounded light-footedness and his stretched position out of the saddle were characteristic of his riding style. Coming to terms with the illness was not only reflected in Armstrong's changed awareness of life and sport, but also in the founding of the "Lance Armstrong Foundation". The foundation is dedicated to supporting children with cancer. The athlete also launched the "Ride for the Roses" sponsored race. In 2000 he won bronze in the Olympic individual road time trial. In the following years, Lance Armstrong became the most successful professional cyclist of all time with another six victories in the overall ranking of the "Tour de France" in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005.
In 2003 he was named World Athlete of the Year. In 2004 he won the "Tour de Georgia". In 2004 he designed the Livestrong bracelet. The bracelet was part of the "Wear Yellow and live strong" campaign, which aims to support cancer patients and cancer survivors. In collaboration with Nike, approximately $70 million was raised for the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF). In 2009 he came third in the Tour de France. In 2010, Lance Armstrong finished the 97th Tour de France in 23rd place overall. In May 2010 he was awarded the "Laureus World Sports Award" for the second time, after 2000. In October 2012, Lance Armstrong was retroactively stripped of all his titles since August 1, 1998 and given a lifelong ban by the UCI (World Cycling Federation). He was accused of long-term, systematic doping abuse, which he confessed to in January 2013. With his first wife, Kristin Richard, he had a son and two daughters. This marriage ended in divorce in 2004. Another daughter and another son were born from his relationship with Anna Hansen in 2009 and 2010.- Producer
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Deion Sanders is an American former professional football and baseball player who is a sports analyst.
He played 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, The Washington Redskins, and the Baltimore Ravens. He had a part-time career in baseball as an outfielder for nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), where he played professionally for the New York Yankees, the Atlanta Braves, the Cincinnati Reds, and the San Francisco Giants. Sanders won two Super Bowl titles and made one World Series appearance in 1992, making him the only individual to appear in both a Super Bowl and a World Series.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.- Actress
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Nancy Kerrigan was born on 13 October 1969 in Woburn, Massachusetts, USA. She is an actress and director, known for Blades of Glory (2007), Fairy Tales on Ice: Alice Through the Looking Glass (1996) and TNA iMPACT! Wrestling (2004). She has been married to Jerry Solomon since 9 September 1995. They have three children.- Michael Fred Phelps II was born in Towson, Maryland, to Deborah Sue (Davisson), a middle school principal, and Michael Fred Phelps, a state trooper. Before the 2004 Olympics started, rumor had it that 19 year-old Phelps was thinking of trying to match or even surpass Mark Spitz's legendary seven gold medals record. By his fourth race with one gold and two bronze it was obvious he couldn't tie it but instead he could match Russian gymnast's Alexander Dityatin's record of eight medals in one Olympics. Every race after the two bronze he came away with gold. After his seventh race he did a truly noble thing by handing over his butterfly leg on the 4 x 200m Freestyle relay to Ian Crocker a temporary rival and now a friend. To everyone this was deemed the most selfless act of the games but to Michael it was just giving his team mate another chance. Throughout the entire week of competition he barely managed to sleep so when he finally got to rest he went to check out how the dominant women's teams were doing and enjoying the culture and atmosphere in Athens. The success in Athens was amazing. He surpassed fellow American, Mark Spitz's record of 7 gold medals, that were set in the 1972 Olympic Games, at Munich, Germany, 36 years earlier. In Beijing 2008: Games of the XXIX Olympiad (2008), after record tying seventh gold medal, Mark Spitz personally called Michael Phelps and congratulated him for his historic feats and records, he achieved in Beijing, China, were well watched as Mark Spitz's record were tied and broken, by Phelps, as he and teammates were 8 for 8, in 2008. All are first place gold medals!