Учебно-методическое пособие для специальности физическая культура

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ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОЕ БЮДЖЕТНОЕ ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНОЕ УЧРЕЖДЕНИЕ

СРЕДНЕГО ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНОГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ МОСКОВСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ

ДМИТРОВСКИЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ ПОЛИТЕХНИЧЕСКИЙ КОЛЛЕДЖ

УЧЕБНО-МЕТОДИЧЕСКОЕ ПОСОБИЕ ПО ИЗУЧЕНИЮ ДИСПЛИНЫ

И ЗАДАНИЯ ДЛЯ САМОСТОЯТЕЛЬНОЙ РАБОТЫ


Студентам СПО 1, 2 курсов по направлению:

«Физическая культура»


Дмитров 2014г.




Составители: Коргина А.В., Шишигина Н. В.

ЦК ОБД

Английский язык: Методические указания по изучению дисциплины\ГБОУ МО СПО ДГПК; Сост. Коргина А. В., Шишигина Н. В.

Предназначен для студентов 2, 3 курсов

Утверждены методической комиссией ГБОУ МО СПО ДГПК

Рецензенты: Толмачева Т. А., Нагиева А. А. (ГБОУ МО СПО ДГПК)









ПРЕДИСЛОВИЕ

Курс знакомит студентов с особенностями перевода текстов различной сложности.

Тексты представляют собой сокращенные и обработанные для учебных целей оригинальные материалы, имеющие познавательный и образовательный характер в области спорта и ведения здорового образа жизни.

Необходимость разработки курса определяется задачами новых государственных образовательных стандартов для специальности «Физическая культура». В рамках курса рассматриваются основные проблемы самостоятельной работы студентов, связанные с переводом текстов.

Основная дидактическая цель курса - сформировать у студентов умения перевода, активизировать языковые и речевые навыки обучаемых, расширить словарный запас.

В результате изучения данного учебно-методического пособия по иностранному языку студент должен приобрести следующие знания и умения:

- читать и понимать статьи информационного характера;

  • осуществлять перевод текстов различных жанров с учетом их особенностей;

  • находить в тексте ответы на поставленные\интересующие вопросы;

  • вести беседу и дискуссию на базе прочитанного материала;

  • готовить самостоятельные сообщения\доклады в рамках публичного выступления по пройденной теме.

В ходе самостоятельной работы студента предполагается развитие его социокультурной компетенции, а также осмысление и закрепление материала, пройденного на занятии. Так как, живые и увлекательные беседы о спорте смелых, сильных ловких и волевых, рассказы о сильнейших русских и зарубежных спортсменах, отдельные эпизоды из их жизни воспринимаются студентами с большим интересом, надолго запоминаются и служат хорошей базой для самовоспитания.

Структура курса состоит из 9 текстов посвященных спортивной тематике - материал для самостоятельной работы студентов и общий список использованной литературы.

Текущий контроль осуществляется посредством выполнения студентами устного перевода текстов для самостоятельной работы.

Итоговый контроль предполагает устно- тестовую работу, проверяющую знание студентов: умение воспроизводить полученную при прочтении информацию.



Material for Reading, Translating and Comprehension

Sports 1

Some people do sports, others prefer to watch sports competitions. Which do you prefer and why? Sport has been increasingly organized and regulated from the time of the Ancient Olympics up to the present century. The Industrial Revolution and mass production increased leisure time which led to increases in spectator sports, and resulted in greater accessibility of sports. These trends continued with the development of mass media and global communication. Professionalism became prevalent, adding to the increase in sports' popularity. Sports started to be looked upon as a useful recreation and a way of having fun and taking a break from a workday or relieving stress. The revival of the Olympics in 1896 boosted many forms of amateur sports, and professional sports (such as baseball, boxing, and bicycle racing) drew large numbers of spectators. People who are fond of sports can be roughly subdivided into two groups: those who prefer watching competitions and those who like to do sports. The first group is more numerous than the second one, and consists mostly of people who watch competitions in the so-called spectator sports, that is sports which attract large crowds of spectators. Spectator sports may be professional sports or amateur sports. The second group consists of people who take part in the so-called participant sports, which are more recreational and therefore amateur. For instance, basketball is a spectator sport, while hunting or underwater hockey typically are not. As for me, I prefer doing sports to watching them. The first reason is that I am an active person by nature and I can't stand sitting or standing for hours on end doing nothing. The second one is that I am a firm believer in benefits sports can bring. Most people in industrialized countries live a sedentary life, their lifestyles lack movement, which can have harmful effects on their health. The only way to stay healthy is to do some sport and keep fit. That is why I have been doing this or that sport regularly since I was 5. Firstly, as my Mum says, it has given me a chance to develop a heavy build and shape my figure. Secondly, it helps me keep fit which is very important this year when I am leaving school and getting ready for the entrance exams at the institute. It helps me always be in high spirits as physical exercise normally makes you feel good. I have been doing swimming since I was 7 when my father took me to a swimming pool and I joined the Dynamo sports club. It was my wish to take up this kind of sports, and my parents approved of my choice. I think it is the best sport for building up stamina and a good figure, and a good way to get tempered. It's very good for your nerves, too: to go swimming is the best method of taking away the stress of our everyday life.

Sports 2

Sport is probably as old as the humanity itself. It has been developing with the developing and growth of the mankind. All over the world people of different ages are very fond of sports and games. Sport not only helps people to become strong and to develop physically but also makes them more organized and better disciplined in their daily activities. It makes for a healthy mind in a healthy body. Sports help people to keep in good health. We all need to exercise. Even if you don't plan to make a career in sport you still have to practice. Regular exercises give you more energy. That is why many people who suffer from general tiredness should take more exercise than more rest. Exercise makes you feel and look better. The best exercise is one which involves in repeated movements, those are: walking, jogging or swimming. Bending and stretching will add flexibility and feeling of lightness. Among the sports popular in our country are football, basketball, swimming, volleyball, ice hockey, tennis, gymnastics, figure skating. A person can choose sports and games for any season, for any taste.

Healthy lifestyle

Healthy way of life is popular with the old and the young. What do you need to do to keep healthy? It is widely known that life expectancy is increasing. But the reason why the average figures are higher than they used to be, say, hundred years ago is not that all people live longer than before. One reason is that, due to medical research, many illnesses were eliminated; the second one is that fewer people die in wars. Generally, the life of modern man is endangered by many factors. One is the increasing pollution of the environment by industry and transport; another one is sedentary lifestyle of people living in cities and towns, that is, the majority of the population of the planet. The third one is the quality of food we eat and water we drink which results in a lot of diseases. The fourth one is that living in big cities leads to epidemics, and even pandemics of many catchy illnesses. Unhealthy life results in the fact that many people are overweight. The only possible way of preserving your health is, therefore, healthy way of life which includes keeping fit, balanced meals, and giving up unhealthy habits like smoking, drinking alcohol, and, of course, drugs. Physical fitness is a general state of good physical health. For anyone who really wants to be healthy, fitness has become an integral part of their lives. The fitness boom resulted in a rise in the numbers of people participating in sports and sports activities. It is a well-known fact that even moderate physical activity can protect you from heart diseases and strokes, obesity and influenza. There are many ways of keeping fit. Firstly, you could visit health and fitness clubs. A lot of health and fitness clubs, public leisure centers, huge indoor water parks are very popular among people of all ages. Secondly, regular exercise is necessary. People of different ages can choose or design exercises that will fit them. Some people do aerobics or yoga; others prefer weight training in a gym. Many people prefer walking or jogging which are the cheapest and most accessible sports. Doing some sport or other on a regular basis is the best way of keeping fit. In Russia a number of sports activities are popular among the old and the young: football, swimming, cycling, skiing, skating, fishing, hunting, roller-skating, etc. Mass running competitions gain popularity with Russians. City marathons have become sporting events reported on the radio, television and in the press. A healthy diet is an important part of staying healthy, too. This diet contains reduced amounts of cholesterol, fat, sugar and salt. It helps protect our body from a wide range of diseases; the most dangerous are heart diseases, liver diseases, and cancer. To stay healthy one must, of course, abstain from smoking. Everybody knows smoking is hazardous for your health and can lead to fatal diseases like cancer. Smoking should undoubtedly be banned in all public places.

My Attitude to Sports 1



Let me tell you about my own attitude to sports and sportsmen. To begin with I must say that sport is one of the things that always keep people fit. 1 think that everyone must do all he can to be healthy. Physically inactive people get older earlier than those who have plenty of exercises. If you do daily exercises regularly you feel refreshed, have a good posture and that makes you feel well. Wise people say that good health is a great blessing. Everyone should do all possible to stay healthy. Being in good health means having both body and mind in good working order free from diseases and pain. There is a truthful Latin proverb: "A sound mind is in a sound body". If you want to keep yourself fit, you are to go in for sports. Sport is very popular in our family. Together with my father we do our usual morning exercises at home and twice a week we have our basketball training in the sports club and in summer we like to swim most of all, because swimming makes a man healthy and strong. I'm a hockey fan, too. I try to watch every hockey match on TV. Moreover I take part in different sports competitions which our school organizes from time to time. The most popular kinds of sport in our school are football, basketball, gymnastics, and wrestling. Some boys are also fond of boxing. Among girls calisthenics is very popular. All these sports have their strong supporters. My favorite kind of sport is tennis. I have been playing it since I was eleven years old, and the more I play it, the more I like it. There is a good tennis court not far from my house and I often go there with my friends.

My Attitude to Sports 2



If you want to be healthy, strong and beautiful, you should go in for sports. When I go in for sports, I feel wonderful. I don't sneeze or cough. I am cheerful, active and full of energy. In summer 1 go swimming. I enjoy spending winter holidays in the country There I can ski or skate. Certainly, it depends on the weather. For those who have already determined to go in for sport is very important to choose the kind of sport he likes best. First touch to sports and games we make in childhood. In school we discover our favorite sports and games. That's why the lessons of physical training at school are very important. At school we have PT lessons twice a week. Those who want to become professionals attend specialized sport sections. As for me I enjoy basketball. Basketball is a dynamic and interesting game. It develops many good qualities such as rapid reaction, will-power and collective spirit. I have already realized that sport is desperately necessary for everybody.

Olympic Games

The world's greatest international sports games are known as the Olympic Games. The Olympic idea means friendship, fraternity and cooperation among the people of the world. The Olympic Movement proves that real peace can be achieved through sport. The Olympic emblem is five interlinked rings: blue, yellow, black, green and red. Any national flag contains at least one of these colors. The original Olympic Games began in ancient Greece in 776 B.C. These games were part of a festival held every fourth year in honor of God Zeus at the place called Olympia. It was a great athletic festival, including competitions in wrestling, foot racing and chariot racing, rowing and others. The games were for men only. Greek women were forbidden not only to participate but also to watch the Olympics. The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896. Then they were resumed in London after the Second World War. Since then the Olympics are held every fourth year in different countries. The ancient Greeks had no winter sports. Only in 1924 the first Winter Olympic Games were held in France. Now they are being held regularly.

Soccer

The modern game of soccer has a simple goal: kick or head the ball into the goal of your opponent's team. Basically, there is also one simple rule: no one except the goalkeeper may use their hands to play the ball. In a soccer game there are two teams of 11 players, who try to score a point by kicking a ball into the opponents net. Soccer is played on a rectangular field with a net on each short side of the field. Eleven members of each team defend their side of the field to prevent the ball from being forced into their goal, which results in a point, scored by the team kicking the ball. There are only three officials involved in the game: the referee and two linesmen. The equipment used in soccer is also very simple» In addition to the field itself, all that is needed for a game is a ball. Each player wears padded shin guard made of hard plastic, covered by long socks, for protection during play. A goalkeeper may also wear a special padded shirt and gloves to protect hands. A standard field, as regulated by the Federation International de Football Association (or FIFA), has a length between 100 and 130 yards, and a width of between 50 and 100 yards. A soccer game begins with a kick-off in the center of the field. A coin is flipped to decide which team will kick-off. The other team kicks off at the start of the second half when the teams switch sides or nets. After a team scores the other team gets to kick-off in the center of the field. After the beginning of the game the ball remains in play unless it crosses a goal line or a touch line. All players attempt to stop the ball from coming in their zone while at the same time trying to score a goal. A player may kick the ball into the net with any part of the body except the hands and arms. If the ball goes out of bounds, the play is restarted with a corner kick, a goal kick or a throw-in. The referee decides what type to use. If the ball crosses the goal line and the defensive team touched it last then there is a corner kick by the offence. If the offence touches the ball last and crosses the goal line then it is a goal kick. A throw- in happens when the ball crosses the touch line. When it crosses the touch line, the team that did not touch it last, throws the ball in bounds. The ball is thrown over their head with two hands. Fouls are called when a player does not obey the rules and acts unsportsmanlike. When a foul is called, the opposite team receives either a penalty kick, a direct free kick or an indirect free kick. For offences such as shoving and tripping, either a direct free kick (offences not in the goal box) or a penalty kick-(inside the goal box) is awarded. Both allow goals to be made directly from the kicks. If a minor offence is being committed, then an indirect free kick is given, from which a goal cannot be scored. Most soccer games have 45-minute halves, and the clock is not stopped except for injuries or deliberate time wasting. In professional soccer, only three to five substitutions are allowed per half. Generally, more are allowed in lower leagues. Children often play the sport in school as early as elementary school. Many adults also play the sport. Soccer for many kids can be fun. Most children don't think of soccer as work and often enjoy playing soccer. Adults also sometimes find soccer fun and even some adults have careers in the area as a professional soccer players. As for me I like soccer very much. I like both watching it and playing it. It is my favorite kind of sport.



Cycling



We often hear a saying «Don't invent a bicycle» about something simple and known for a long time. Really, the bicycle is old enough - more than a hundred years of age. Its first prototype appeared in 1791 in France. In 1800 a Russian peasant Artamonov made an iron bicycle and travelled on it from Nizhniy Tagil to Moscow. First bicycles looked odd: a large (about 1.5m high) front wheel with a cranked axle. The back wheel was usually smaller. Bicycles were made of iron and riding them was not comfortable because of shaking. They were even called «boneshakers». In 1868 rubber tyros were invented, first solid, then pneumatic. New types of bicycles appeared every year but only in 1885 people saw a model which looked like modern cycles. It had two almost equal wheels and a chain drive to the rear wheel. The frame of the cycle was diamond-shaped. This shape survived and became basic. The new machine looked more elegant than the old «spiders» which were soon abandoned. As time went by, new bicycles were invented - for two, three and even fifteen riders! The first bicycle race was held in 1868 in Paris. But the sport became popular only several decades later because bicycles were expensive and only rich people could afford them. By the end of the 19th century many factories produced thousands of bicycles which became cheap, so many people could practice cycling and take part in various competitions. Cycling competitions are generally divided into road and track events. Both kinds are in the Olympic programmer. Olympic road events include individual and team races. Individual races' distances are different usually up to 200 kilometers. The winner is the first cyclist who passes over the finish line with his front wheel. In the team road event the teams start the contest with 2-4 minutes interval, and that team wins whose members get the best sum of timings. Track events take place on special cycling tracks which look like elongated stadiums with a sloping runway made of concrete, wood or plastics.
Track events are very spectacular. The Olympic programmer includes 1 km sprint races, 1 km heat or time trial, individual pursuit and team pursuit over 4 km. Modern sport bicycles are very light but firm machines made of special metals. Cyclists wear jersey shirts with pockets on the back, tight knee-long woolen shorts, perforated shoes, a cap or a leather crash helmet and mitts on their hands.



Sport in Australia

A lot of Australians think you shouldn't worry too much about life. But some things in life are really important, and to many Australian men, one of these things is sport. It's something they don't joke about. Sport matters, In pubs, clubs and even at work you'll often find men who can talk about only one thing - sport. Australians are lucky. They have a perfect climate, and an endless amount of land. They have wonderful waves for surfers on their beaches. They also have a strong wish to win. Put these together and you get a lot of good sportsmen and sportswomen. In fact, Australia has a very high number of world champions, in all kinds of sports, for a country of only 16 million people. Around the country you'll find plenty of opportunities for golf, squash, tennis, trail riding (horse or motorcycle), fishing and so on. Surfing is almost a religion for many Australians who follow the waves around the country and there are a number of important surfing contests. You'll find football of assorted types including the unique Australian Rules Football. Then, there's motor racing and motorcycle racing, horse racing, yacht racing, cricket matches and lots more. The best thing, of course, is to play sport yourself. But if you can't, or you don't want to, then you can watch other people doing it. Every year, more than 100,000 people go to the final of Australian Rules Football. Crowds of more than 90,000 watch the big cricket matches against India, Pakistan, New Zealand and England. There are sport happenings and holidays in Australia year round. Here are some of them. In February there's Regatta Day with boat races and other water activities. In June in Darwin the Beer Can Regatta takes place when there are boat races for boats constructed entirely out of beer cans - there are plenty of those in the world's beer drinking capital. In August in the Northern Territory camel racing is on in Alice Springs, and then the Apex Rodeo is held, one of the biggest rodeo in Australia - the town fills up with cowboys. Meanwhile in Sydney, Australian biggest race takes place with 25,000 competitors running the 14 km from Hyde Park to Bondi Beach in the city race. In September attention is attached to Melbourne where Australian Football Cup takes place. Australian Football is played in Australia only. This is a game where two teams of 18 players. The players are-allowed to play with their legs and arms. The participation in the game demands great physical strength and very often injured players are carried away from the field or are replaced by other players. Grand Australian Football Cup is the biggest sports competition of the year. On the first Tuesday of November the greatest horse race for Melbourne Cup is held. It is a public holiday in Victoria but the whole country shuts down for the three minutes or so which the race takes. In December the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race starts on the 26th, a fantastic sight as the yachts stream out of the harbor and head south.

Biography of the famous athletes in the world



1.Babe Ruth


George Herman Ruth, (February 6, 1895 - August 16, 1948), better known as Babe Ruth and also commonly known by the nicknames The Bambino and The Sultan of Swat, was an American baseball player and United States national icon. He was one of the first five players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and he was the first player to hit over 30, 40 and 50 home runs in one season. In 1998, The Sporting News named Ruth as Number One in its list of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players".

As discussed in the 1988 book, The Babe: A Life in Pictures, by Lawrence Ritter and Mark Rucker, it is more than mere statistical records that make Babe Ruth unequivocally the greatest baseball player of all time. In several ways, he changed the nature of the game itself. His exploitation of the "power game" compelled other teams to follow suit, breaking the monopoly of the "inside game" that had been the primary strategy for decades. Ruth was the focal point of the start of what has become statistically the greatest sports dynasty in history, the New York Yankees. His international fame helped fuel the rising interest in sports during the Roaring Twenties as the fan base expanded significantly and triggered major expansion of nearly all the ballparks in the major leagues. Early days Ruth was born at 216 Emory Street in south Baltimore, Maryland. The house was rented by his maternal grandfather, Pius Schamberger, a German immigrant who eked out a living as an upholsterer. Babe's parents, Kate and George Sr., lived above the saloon they owned and operated on Camden Street. Kate would walk to her father's home each time she gave birth to a child, eight in all. Only Babe and his sister, Mary, survived infancy. Young George was known for mischievous behavior. He skipped school, ran the streets, and committed petty crime. By age seven, he was drinking, chewing tobacco, and had become difficult for his parents to control. Mary recalled how their father would beat Babe in a desperate attempt to bring the boy into line, but to no avail. He was finally sent to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a school run by Catholic brothers. Brother Matthias, a Roman Catholic priest, and the school's disciplinarian, became the major influence on his life, the one man Babe respected above all others. It was Brother Matthias who taught him baseball, working with him for countless hours on hitting, fielding and later, pitching. Because of his "toughness", George became the team's catcher. He liked the position because he was involved in every play. One day, as his team was getting pounded, Babe started mocking his own pitcher. Brother Matthias promptly switched George from catcher to pitcher to teach him a lesson. But, instead of getting his comeuppance, Babe shut the other team down. Brother Matthias brought Babe to the attention of Jack Dunn, owner and manager of the minor-league Baltimore Orioles, and the man often credited with discovering him. In 1914 Dunn signed 19-year-old Ruth to pitch for his club, and took him to spring training in Florida, where a strong performance with bat and ball saw him make the club, while his precocious talent and childlike personality saw him nicknamed "Dunn's Babe". On April 22, 1914 "The Babe" pitched his first professional game, a six-hit, 6-0 victory over the Buffalo Bison's, also of the International League. By July 4, the Orioles had a record of 47 wins and 22 losses, 25 games over.500; but their finances were not in such good shape. In 1914 the breakaway Federal League, a rebel major league which would last only 2 years, placed a team in Baltimore, across the street from minor league Orioles, and the competition hit Orioles' attendance significantly. To make ends meet, Dunn was obliged to dispose of his stars for cash, and sold Ruth's contract, with two other players to Joseph Lennon, owner of the Boston Red Sox, for a sum rumored to be between $20,000 and $35,000, although some sources say it was closer to $3000. The Red Sox years Ruth the pitcher Though Ruth was a skillful pitcher, the Red Sox's starting rotation was already stacked with lefties, so they initially made little use of him. With a 1-1 record, he sat on the bench for several weeks before being sent to the International League with the Providence Grays of Providence, Rhode Island. Pitching in combination with the young Carl Mays, Ruth helped the Grays win the pennant. At the end of the season the Red Sox recalled him, and he was in the majors permanently. Shortly afterwards, Ruth proposed to Helen Woodford, a waitress he met in Boston, and they were married in Baltimore on October 14, 1914. During spring training the next season, Ruth secured a spot as a starter. Ruth joined a fine pitching staff that included Rube Foster, Dutch Leonard, and a rejuvenated Smokey Joe Wood, and their pitching carried the Red Sox to the pennant. Ruth won 18 games and lost 8, and helped himself with the bat, hitting.315 and slugging his first four major league home runs. The Red Sox won the 1915 World Series, defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 4 games to 1, but because manager Bill Corrigan preferred right-handers, Ruth did not pitch and grounded out in his only at bat. In 1916 he returned to the rotation, although the team's offense had been weakened by the sale of Trips Speaker to the Cleveland Indians. After a slightly shaky spring, he would make a case as the best pitcher in the American League. He went 23-12, with a 1.75 ERA and 9 shutouts, the shutout mark is still tied for the best mark for an A.L. left hander, as well as the current Red Sox record for shutouts in a season. Pitching again took the light-hitting Sox to the World Series, where they met the Brooklyn Robins. In game 2 of the series, Ruth pitched a 14-inning complete game victory, helping the Red Sox to another World Series title, a 4-1 series win over the Robins. He repeated his strong performance in 1917, going 24-13, but the Red Sox could not keep pace with the Chicago White Sox and their 100 wins, and they missed out on a third straight postseason appearance.

Emergence as a hitter. After the 1917 season, in which he hit.325, albeit with limited at bats, it was suggested Ruth might be more valuable in the lineup as an everyday player. In 1918, he began playing in the outfield more and pitching less. His contemporaries thought this was ridiculous; former teammate Trips Speaker speculated the move would shorten Ruth's career, but Ruth himself wanted to hit more and pitch less. In 1918, Ruth batted.300 and led the A.L. in home runs with 11, despite having only 317 at bats, well below the total for an everyday player. He also pitched well, going 13-7 with a 2.22 ERA., but now his emerging role as an everyday player limited to him to half the innings of the previous year. Ruth had excelled at the double duty work, and he could make a case as the best player in the 1918 season. Additionally, he led the Red Sox to another World Series, where they met the Chicago Cubs. The 1918 baseball season is noted as the only time a war directly shortened the season. World War 1 dominated the news, and baseball, which escaped sacrifice in 1917, was not as fortunate in 1918. A number of ballplayers were drafted into the armed forces in 1918, and some players dropped their bats and gloves and went to work in war production facilities to escape the draft. Since he was married, Ruth was exempt from the draft. After U.S. Provost Marshal General Enoch Crowder issued his famous "Work or Fight" order in June of 1918, baseball, qualified by the government as nonessential, was forced to end the season in the middle of August. A two-week grace period was allowed for the World Series, but the series was played in the heat of early September, the earliest the series has ever been played. The 1918 World Series would be marred by not only the specter of World War 1, but by abysmal attendance and such low revenue sharing that players threatened to strike before game 5 of the series. In the series, Ruth the pitcher went 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA, helping the Red Sox to a 4-2 series victory over the Cubs. During the series, Ruth extended his World Series consecutive scoreless inning streak to 29 2/3 innings (a record that lasted until Whitey Ford broke it in 1961). Since the Cubs top left handers James Vaughn and Lefty Tyler pitched nearly all the innings, Ruth's left hand bat was kept him from the regular lineup, and he batted just 5 times. The Red Sox had won their fourth World Series in seven years, and fifth overall, and Ruth had played a major part in three of series titles. Since the 1903 inception of the World Series to 1918, the Boston Red Sox were the most successful franchise in major league baseball. By 1919, Ruth was basically a fulltime outfielder, pitching in only 17 of the 130 games in which he appeared. He set his first single-season home run record that year, hitting 29 home runs, breaking the previous record of 27 set by Ned Williamson in 1884, in addition to batting.322 and driving in 114 runs. News of his batting feats spread rapidly, and wherever he played large crowds turned out to see him. As his fame spread, so did his waistline. Since his time as an Oriole, teammates had marveled at Ruth's capacity for food, and by 1919 his physique had changed from the tall athletic frame to more of a rotund shape, although Ruth's weight would have wide fluctuations until the mid-1920's. Beneath his barrel shaped body, his powerful muscular legs seemed strangely thin, but he was still a capable base-runner and outfielder. His contemporary Ty Cobb, noted for his cruel bench jockeying of Ruth, would later remark that Ruth "ran okay for a fat man".

Sold to New York. Despite the box office appeal of Ruth, the Red Sox were in a perilous financial position. After he took over the club in 1916, Red Sox owner Harry Frazee had paid large salaries to attract the best players (some even accused him of trying to buy the pennant). But due to World War I, the Red Sox attendance, as in every other major league city, fell off badly in 1917 and 1918. Revenue was down, and the financial failure of the 1918 World Series did not help Frazee either. Frazee, whose true passion was the theater, owned his own theaters and financed his own shows, but recently his shows were also losing money. Having overextended himself financially, Frazee was desperate for cash, and his players were his only source of money. After the Red Sox championship run from 1912 to 1918 ended with a crash-the 1919 team finished 66-71, Frazee began selling off his best players. Frazee sold many of these players to the New York Yankees, until then, a perennial second division club. After his record setting season in 1919, Ruth made it clear he wanted his salary doubled from $10,000 to $20,000 a year. Knowing he could never meet Ruth's demands, Frazee worked out a deal with Yankees owner Jacob Rupert. For a sum of $125,000 and a loan of more than $300,000 (secured on Fenway Park itself), Ruth was sold to the Yankees on January 3. There was an uneasiness in the Boston sports world just after the sale was announced, although a number of sportswriters supported the sale. On January 5, 1920, Frazee faced the press and answered his critics with calmness and assuredness. He justified his actions with these comments: "It would be impossible to start next season with Ruth and have a smooth-working machine. Ruth had become simply impossible, and the Boston club could no longer put up with his eccentricities. I think the Yankees are taking a gamble. While Ruth is undoubtedly the greatest hitter the game has ever seen, he is likewise one of the most selfish and inconsiderate men ever to put on a baseball uniform". From 1920 to 1934, Ruth's tenure as a Yankee, the Boston Red Sox were the worst team in the American League. During this span they finished last 10 times, never finished above 5th place, and they had no winning season until 1935. After they sold Ruth, the Red Sox struggled to win even a single World Series until 2004, contrasted with the Yankees overwhelming success in that venue, led to a superstition that was dubbed the "Curse of the Bambino".

Ruth the Yankee. Almost immediately, Ruth began to pay off on his investment. He trained extensively over the winter, and in 1920 turned up at spring training in fine condition. When the season started, it was clear that the more hitter-friendly Polo Grounds suited him, and Ruth's 1920 season turned into one that no one had ever come close to seeing before in baseball. He hit 54 home runs, smashing his year-old record, batted.376, and led the league in runs (158), RBI's (137), walks (148), and his slugging average of 847 was a major league record for over 80 years (Barry Bonds eclipsed it with a.863 mark in 2001). Ruth's season was so dominating it led to one of the most amazing statistics in baseball history. In 1920, Ruth out-homered all but one team in baseball, as only the Philadelphia Phillies with 64 hit more home runs than Ruth. Ruth's remarkable season had the Yankees in a serious pennant chase for the first time since 1904 (the year a famous wild pitch by Jack Hasbro cost them the pennant). The Yankees battled the entire season with the Cleveland Indians, player-managed by Trips Speaker, Ruth's old Red Sox teammate, and the Chicago White Sox, the same infamous "Black Sox scandal" team, but in the end, the Indians won the pennant and eventually the World Series.

Impact on Baseball. Ruth's impact on baseball went well beyond his statistics. Attendance, which had stagnated in the 1910's, greatly increased due to the attention Ruth brought to the game, and he was at the forefront of the new live ball era that revolutionized how the game was played. A few baseball people even gave Ruth credit for "saving" baseball after the Black Sox scandal broke in the fall of 1920, and although this was not true, Ruth's exploits on the field likely won back some fans who had been soured by the scandal.












2.Shaquille O'Neal



Shaquille Rashawn O'Neal (born March 6, 1972 in Newark, New Jersey), or Shaq as he is popularly known, is known as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominant basketball players. O'Neal first played for the Orlando Magic, later signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, and now plays for the Miami Heat. At 7 ft. 1 in (2.16 m), 325 pounds (145 kg) and U.S. shoe size 22, he is famous for his physical stature. He has several nicknames, most of which he conferred upon himself, such as "the Diesel", "the Big Aristotle", and "Superman".

Childhood. O'Neal was named "Shaquille Rashawn" ("Little Warrior" in Arabic) by his biological father, Joseph Toney. However, he is not close to his biological father; one of his songs, "Biological Didn't Bother", explains his feelings. His mother, Lucille O'Neal Harrison, would marry U.S. Army sergeant Phillip Harrison shortly after Shaquille's birth. Shaq spent some of his childhood in Germany in Wildflecken, Bavaria, where his step-father Harrison was stationed with the U.S. Army. It was there that he learned to play basketball. O'Neal fractured both of his wrists while climbing between two trees, trying to imitate Spider-Man, his comic strip favorite, and sometimes explains that this is why he makes less than half of his free throws.

Basketball career. Louisiana State University. He first gained national attention as a star at Robert G. Cole Junior-Senior High School in San Antonio, Texas. He became High School Player of the Year during his playing years there. As a young man, he attended Louisiana State University to study and graduate as a bachelor in law. While on LSU's basketball team, he was a two-time first team All-American, two-time Southeastern Conference player of the year, and the national player of the year in 1991. Dale Brown, LSU's coach at that time, states that he first met Shaq while he was visiting Germany, and mistook the then-13 year old for one of the soldiers.

Orlando Magic. He was the first player selected overall in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic and helped the team to a commendable 41 wins that year, missing the playoffs by one game. He further raised his fame that year with two infamous dunks which broke the supports holding the basket and backboard, both on national television: the first coming against the Phoenix Suns, the second against the New Jersey Nets. In the 1993-94 season, Shaq helped the Magic to their first playoff berth ever.

In 1994-1995, O'Neal and Anfernee (Penny) Hardaway helped their team reach the NBA Finals, but were swept in four games by the Houston Rockets.

Los Angeles Lakers. After the 1995-1996 season, O'Neal left Orlando to join the Los Angeles Lakers for an unprecedented seven year $120 million contract. He and teammate Kobe Bryant created one of the most effective guard-center combinations in NBA history, although their relationship was a tenuous one and the two feuded with each other frequently in public and private. Regardless, the two (coached by Phil Jackson) enjoyed tremendous success on the court, as O'Neal and Bryant led the Los Angeles to three consecutive NBA titles (2000, 2001, 2002). Shaq was named MVP of the NBA Finals all three times and has the highest scoring average for a center in Finals history. He was also voted the 1999-2000 regular season Most Valuable Player, almost becoming the first unanimous MVP in NBA history. At the beginning of the 2003-04 season, O'Neal announced he sought an extension to his contract. Laker management, however, was hesitant to meet his demands. The Lakers offered Shaquille O'Neal a contract in February 2004 (according to the book: Madmen's Ball by Mark Heister) to remain the highest-paid player in the league but O'Neal refused. After the Lakers were defeated by the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals, O'Neal was angered by comments made by Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak regarding his future with the club, and promptly demanded a trade. O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, and Caron Butler.

Miami Heat. On July 14, 2004, Shaq was officially traded to the Miami Heat for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and a first-round draft pick. The trade was immediately considered one of the most important in sports history, with analysts uncertain that one man could replace so many of Miami's key players. However, Shaq's new-look Heat surpassed all expectations, easily claiming the best record in the Eastern Conference. Those he was traded for failed to even lead the Lakers to the playoffs. Many pundits compared the Lakers trade of Shaq to the Boston Red Sox trade of Babe Ruth, referring to their dismal following season as "The Curse of the Shaq-bingo". He narrowly lost the 2004-2005 MVP award to Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash in one of the closest votes in history. Despite being hobbled by a deep thigh bruise, Shaq lead the Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals and a Game 7 against the defending champion Detroit Pistons and lost only narrowly. In August 2005, O'Neal signed an 5-year-extension with the Heat for 100 million dollars. Whereas critics denounced this extension as overpaying an aging player, supporters laud the Heat staff for landing the probably most dominant player in the NBA for "only" $20 million a year, in a period where mediocre or constantly injured players like Keith Van Horn, Jalen Rose, Derek Anderson, Allan Houston or Brian Grant earn almost the same amount. By signing this contract, O'Neal contradicted his earlier comment of him never taking a pay cut in the interests of the team. He would have received $30 million this season but took a pay cut of $10 million a year to help the HEAT make trades for better players.

Accolades.

  • O'Neal has been selected to the All-Star Game every year since his rookie season in 1993 (except for the 1999 lockout season, in which the game was not held).

  • He has received All-NBA-Defensive honors in 2000, 2001 and 2003, though he has never been a first-team selection.

  • O'Neal was a key member of the 1994 World Championship and 1996 Olympic basketball team, which won gold.

  • He has been selected by the NBA as one of the "50 Greatest Basketballers" in 1996. He was the youngest member of this list.

  • In 2005, O'Neal became the first player in NBA history to average over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game for 13 seasons.

  • O'Neal has earned All-NBA-Team honors in 11 of his 13 seasons.

  • He also was awarded the MVP in the 1999-00 season and in the 2003-04 All-Star game.

  • O'Neal has a business law degree from LSU. At LSU there is a lodge called the "Shaquille O'Neal Lodge" which is part of the Cook Conference Center.

  • On June 25, 2005 O'Neal earned his MBA from the University of Phoenix.

  • O'Neal was ranked #9 in SLAM Magazine's Top 75 NBA Players of all time in 2003.




3.Terry Fox


Terrance Stanley "Terry" Fox, CC (July 28, 1958 - June 28, 1981) was a Canadian humanitarian, athlete, and cancer treatment activist. He is considered one of Canada's greatest heroes of the 20th century. Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and was raised in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada. After losing his leg at age 18 to osteogenic sarcoma, the young athlete decided to run from coast to coast in order to raise money for cancer research. Beginning by dipping his artificial leg in the Atlantic Ocean at St. John's, Newfoundland on April 12, 1980, he aimed to dip it again in the Pacific Ocean at Vancouver, British Columbia. His pace was daunting. He ran an average of 42 km a day - the distance of a typical marathon. The Guinness Book of World Records lists Rick Worley as the marathon record holder: he ran 200 straight marathons, but over 159 consecutive weekends, not days. No one had ever done anything similar to the task Fox was undertaking. He could not finish his run, however, as the cancer spread to his lungs and he was forced to abandon the course on September 1, 1980 just west of Thunder Bay after running 5373 km over 143 straight days through Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario. He died several months afterwards at the age of 22. However, his Marathon of Hope captured the nation's attention. He was proclaimed a national hero, and the annual Terry Fox Run events organized all across Canada, in the United States, and in other countries around the world, have raised more than $360 million for cancer research. Terry Fox's heroism has inspired other Canadians to similar feats in the name of charitable causes. This has included Steve Fonyo, another runner who also had a leg amputated owing to cancer and who retraced the same route as Fox and then proceeded to complete the run to the west coast in the name of cancer research. A close friend of Fox's, Rick Hansen, a paraplegic athlete, was also inspired to make his own trek around the world in his wheelchair to raise funds for spinal cord injury research. His story is dramatized in the 1983 HBO TV movie, The Terry Fox Story, which the Fox family always has criticized as being too negative as it depicts Terry as having a fiery temper. In 2005 a new movie produced by the CTV television network retold his story, titled simply Terry. Fox was portrayed by Shawn Ashmore. Today, artifacts such as his artificial limb are preserved by the BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. In a public opinion poll Terry Fox was voted the most famous Canadian of the 20th century. He was voted number two on The Greatest Canadian list.

4.Kelly Holmes

Kelly Holmes (born: April 19, 1970) is a British middle distance athlete. Regarded as the best female middle distance runner Great Britain has ever produced, she won gold medals in the 800 meters and the 1,500 meters at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Early life and army career

Holmes was born in Pembury, Kent, the mixed-race daughter of Derrick Holmes, Jamaican-born car mechanic, and an English mother, Pam Norman. Her mother, only 18 at the time of Kelly's birth, would marry painter and decorator Michael Norris two years later, whom Kelly regards as her father, and they had four children together before divorcing. She grew up in Hildenborough and attended Hugh Christie Comprehensive School in Tonbridge, one of the only black children on her estate.


Holmes starting training for athletics aged 12, joining Tonbridge Athletics Club, where she was coached by David Arnold and went on to win the national schools' 1500 meters in her second season. Her hero was British middle distance runner Sebastian Coe, and she was inspired by Coe's successful 1984 Summer Olympics defense of his 1,500m crown. However, Holmes later turned her back on athletics, joining the British Army at the age of 18, having left school two years earlier, working initially as a recreation assistant and later as a nursing assistant. In the army she was initially a lorry driver in the Women's Royal Auxiliary Corp, later transferring to the Adjutants General Corps as a physical trainer, reaching the rank of sergeant. She also became British Army judo champion, and in army athletics events once competed in the men's 800 meters at a meeting, as it was considered that for her to run in the women's event would be too embarrassing for the other competitors. At another event, she competed in and won an 800 meters, a 3000 meters and a relay race all in a single day. Holmes watched the 1992 Summer Olympics on television, and seeing Lisa York in the heats of the 3,000 meters, an athlete whom she had competed against, and beaten, decided to return to athletics. For several years she combined both athletics and her employment in the army until increased funding allowed her to become a full-time athlete in 1997.

Initial athletics career

She won the national 800m in 1993 and the 1500m in 1994. She won gold at the 1994 Commonwealth

Games: in the 1500 meters, competing for England. (Unlike in other international competitions such as the Olympics and World & European Championships, in the Commonwealth Games the British countries compete separately).
Holmes has suffered setbacks caused by injuries. In 1996, she suffered a stress fracture and finished fourth in the Atlanta Olympics. In 1997, a slightly torn calf in training resulted in a ruptured achilles tendon which ended her in Athens World Championships in the heats, hobbling home half a lap behind her competitors. Going into the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia on the back of just six weeks' intensive training because of a virus, she finished third in the 800m. The winner of that race, Maria Mutola of Mozambique would later become her training partner, as Holmes moved to Africa to train and live with her.

2004 Summer Olympics

2004 saw Holmes arrive at a major competition, the Athens Olympics, with no injury worries for just about the first time in her career. She had originally planned to compete in just the 1,500 m but a victory over Jolanda Ceplak before the games had many saying she should take her chance in the 800 as well. Holmes did not announce her decision to race in both events until five days before the 800m finals. Along with three time world champion Mutola and Ceplak, Holmes was considered one of the favorites for the gold medal in the 800m. In the final, Holmes ran a well-paced race, ignoring a fast start by a number of the other competitors, and moved into the lead ahead of Mutola on the final bend, taking the gold on the line ahead of Hasna Benhassi and Ceplak, with Mutola in fourth. Holmes became the seventh British woman to win an athletics gold, and the second after Ann Packer in 1964 to win the 800 meters. Clearly in form, Holmes now became favorite for the her preferred event, the 1,500 meters on the 28 August. Her most difficult task now was maintaining her focus - she later revealed how after waking each morning she had put her medal on and cried. Again running from the rear of the field, she took the lead in the final straight, holding off World Champion Tatyana Tomashova of Russia. She thus became only the third woman in history to do the 800 and 1500m double, after Tatyana Kazankina of the Soviet Union in 1976 and Svetlana Masterkova of Russia in 1996, the first British woman to win two Olympic gold medals, and the country's first double gold medalist at the same games since Albert Hill in 1920. Her time of 3 minutes 57.90 seconds in the 1500m final also set a new British record for the distance. Subsequently, Holmes was given the honor of carrying the British flag at the closing ceremony of the games, on August 29, the day after her second victory. A home-coming parade was held in her honor through the streets of Hildenborough and Tonbridge on September 1, which was attended by approximately 40,000 people - more than double the size of crowds at the parade through London for all the Olympic medalists. She is also odds-on favorite to take the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in December 2004.












5. Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan Named NBA Most Valuable Player for the fifth time in 1997-98 and a unanimous selection to the 1997-98 All-NBA First Team Named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for a record ninth time in 1997-98 Totaled a game-high 44 points (22-24 FT), 2 rebounds and 3 assists in a 111-109 victory over the New York Knicks on 4/18 Notched his 5,000th career assist, recording a game-high 37 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals, in an 87-78 win over the Orlando Magic on 4/11 Registered a game-high 40 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists in a 109-94 victory over the Houston Rockets on 4/5 Named NBA Player of the Week for the week ending 4/5, averaging a league-high 35.7 pp., 5.0 apt and 4.3 rpg. for the 3-0 Bulls Scored his 29,000th career point, posting a game-high 41 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, in a 107-93 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on 4/3
Named NBA Player of the Month for March, averaging a league-leading 28.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.5 apg and 2.07 spg for the 13-1 Bulls.


Totaled a game-high 42 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals in a 102-89 victory over the New York Knicks on 3/8
Named All-Star Game MVP for the third time, recording a game-high 23 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 steals, in the 1998 NBA All-Start Game in New York Registered a game-high 40 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists against the Utah Jazz on 2/4 Posted a game-high 45 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in a 106-100 victory over the Houston Rockets on 1/18 Totaled a game-high 44 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals in a 90-89 victory over the New York Knicks on 1/9 Recorded game-highs of 34 points and 9 assists and grabbed 9 rebounds in a 105-96 win over the Detroit Pistons on 1/3 Registered a game-high 44 points (15-22 FG) and 5 rebounds in a 114-100 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on 1/2
Michael Jordan is the greatest athlete in basketball history. During his brilliant career, Jordan won 6 NBA Championships, earned 5 MVP awards and was selected to 12 All-Star games Michael's talent and personality transcended into the very lives of his fans. He single-handedly paved the way for off-the-court athlete-endorsements - a billion dollar industry today! And this is why.

Profile
Position - Guard
Height - 6'6"
Weight - 216
Birthdate - February 17, 1963
High School - Laney H.S. in Wilmington, NC
College - North Carolina 1985
NBA Experience - 14 seasons
Drafted - selected by Chicago in the first round (third overall) of the 1984 NBA Draft

Award Year
NBA World Champion: 1991, 92, 93, 96, 97, 98
NBA Rookie of the Year: 1985
NBA All Rookie Team: 1985
All NBA First Team: 1987, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 96, 97, 98
NBA Defensive Player of the Year: 1988
All NBA Defensive First Team: 1988, 89, 90 ,91, 92, 93, 97, 98
NBA MVP: 1988, 91, 92, 96, 98
NBA Finals MVP: 1991, 92, 93, 96, 97, 98
NBA Slam Dunk Champion: 1987, 88

6. Eldrick "Tiger" Woods

Eldrick "Tiger" Woods was born on December 30, 1975 in Cypress, California and now resides in Orlando, Florida. His parents are Earl and Kultida Woods, and Tiger is their only child. Just in case you care, Tiger is 6'2" and weighs around 160-170 lbs. Eldrick attended Western High School. He was a student at Stanford University, but dropped out to become a professional golfer in his junior year.

Tiger is not completely of African-American descent. Earl Woods, his father, is half black, one-quarter American Indian and one-quarter Chinese. Kultida is half Thai, one-quarter Chinese and one-quarter white. After mastering the amateur world of golf by winning the U.S. Amateur three times (1994, 95, and 96) and winning the U.S. Junior Amateur three times also (1991, 92, 93), he decided to turn professional. Nike sponsored him for $60 million dollars along with Titleist for just $1 million.


His very happy agent is Hughes Norton of International Management Group (IMG). His first tournament as a pro was on August 29, 1996 at the Greater Milwaukee Open, in which he tied for 60th place. His first win was the Los Vegas Invitational in which he defeated Davis Love III in sudden death. He went on to win the Disney Classic two tournaments later. Do you want to know what he carries in his bag?? He uses a special bore-thru Cobra Driver, a Titleist PT 15 degree three wood. He uses Mizuno MP29 Irons (2-PW), a Cleveland 56 degree SW, and a Watson Lob Wedge (Tiger will drop his lob wedge for a King Cobra Norman Grind 1 iron on tighter courses). His putter is a Titleist Scotty Cameron putter (Newport Model) with Terryillium Inlays and Balata dots on the back. He uses Titleist Pro 90 balls and his glove is Titleist. All of his clothes and shoes are Nike, of course. His caddy is Mike "Fluff" Cowan, and is coached by Butch Harmon. Cowan is an 18-year veteran of the PGA tour.
PGA TOUR VICTORIES: (28) 1996 Las Vegas Invitational, Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic. 1997 Mercedes Championships, Masters Tournament, GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic, Motorola Western Open. 1998 BellSouth Classic. 1999 Buick Invitational, Memorial Tournament, Motorola Western Open, PGA Championship, WGC NEC Invitational, National Car Rental Golf Classic/Disney, THE TOUR Championship, WGC American Express Championship. 2000 Mercedes Championships, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, Bay Hill Invitational, Memorial Tournament, U.S. Open Championship, British Open Championship, PGA Championship, WGC-NEC Invitational, Bell Canadian Open. 2001 Bay Hill Invitational, THE PLAYERS Championship, Masters Tournament, Memorial Tournament. INTERNATIONAL VICTORIES: 1997 Asian Honda Classic. 1998 Johnnie Walker Classic (Asia). 1999 Deutsche Bank Open - TPC of Europe (Eur).; 2000 Johnnie Walker Classic. CURRENT YEAR PGA TOUR MONEY AND : 1 -- Bay Hill Invitational, THE PLAYERS Championship, Masters Tournament, Memorial Tournament; T3 -- Verizon Byron Nelson Classic; 4 -- Buick Invitational; T5 -- Phoenix Open; T8 -- Mercedes Championships. CURRENT YEAR PGA TOUR BEST ROUND: 63 at Round 4, Verizon Byron Nelson Classic. BEST 2000 PGA TOUR FINISH: 1 -- Mercedes Championships, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, Bay Hill Invitational, Memorial Tournament, U.S. Open Championship, British Open Championship, PGA Championship, WGC-NEC Invitational, Bell Canadian Open; 2 -- WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play, THE PLAYERS Championship, THE TOUR Championship, Buick Invitational; 3 -- National Car Rental Golf Classic Disney; T4 -- GTE Byron Nelson Classic; 5 -- Masters Tournament, WGC-American Express Championship 2000 SEASON: Fashioned one of the greatest seasons in the history of the sport and in the process assured a place among the best to ever play the game. Highlights included three consecutive major championship titles and career Grand Slam, nine PGA TOUR victories and TOUR single-season earnings record of $8,286,821. An eight-stroke British Open victory lifted him into company of Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus as holders of career Grand Slams and at the age of 24 was the youngest to do so. Became only the second player to win three majors in one season, joining Ben Hogan (1953). Was 53-under par in four majors, next-best mark was 18-under by Ernie Els. His nine TOUR victories in a season were the most since Sam Snead won 11 in 1950. His 20th career win at U.S. Open made him youngest player in TOUR history to win 20 times. Started the season in historic fashion, with wins at Mercedes Championships and AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, giving him victories in six consecutive appearances, becoming first player since Hogan in 1948 to do so. Finished T2, four strokes back of Phil Mickelson in attempt to win seventh consecutive start at Buick Invitational. At the Mercedes Championships, shared 54-hole lead with Ernie Els and after both players eagled the 72nd hole to remain tied, won playoff with birdie on second extra hole. Beginning final round of AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am was five strokes back of Mark Brooks and Matt Go gel. On the back nine, trailed Go gel by seven with seven holes to play but eagle-birdie-par-birdie finish and final-round 64 good for two-stroke win over Go gel and Vijay Singh. T2 at Buick Invitational earned him $264,000 and he took over top spot on TOUR's career money list from Davis Love III, who had been No.1 for three weeks. ... After T18 at Nissan Open, reached the finals of the WGC -- Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship, losing to Darren Clarke 4 and 3. Rounds of 69-64 earned 36-hole lead at Bay Hill Invitational, which me maintained with closing 67-70 for 10th victory in 16 starts. .A week later, was runner-up to Hal Sutton at THE PLAYERS Championship by one stroke. Finished fifth at the Masters Tournament after opening 75-72 and coming back with 68-69 on weekend. In first-round 75, made double bogey on 10 and triple bogey on 12. At GTE Byron Nelson Classic, closing 63 matched low round of tournament and lifted him to T4. In next start, held three-stroke lead through 54 holes at Deutsche Bank SAP Open before finishing third behind Lee Westwood. Marked first time since 1996, he had not won after holding 54-hole lead. A week later, successfully defended a title for the first time with win at Memorial Tournament. At U.S. Open, won by a major championship record 15 strokes (old record: Tom Morris, Sr., 13 at 1864 British Open) with rounds of 65-69-71-67--272 (-12) at Pebble Beach. His score tied a U.S. Open record held by Jack Nicklaus and Lee Janzen and his 12-under total broke record in relation to par. Following a T23 at Advil Western Open, completed career grand slam with eight-stroke victory over Thomas Bjorn and Ernie Els at British Open. With rounds of 67-68-67-69--269 (19-under), at St. Andrews, broke British Open and major championship record in relation to par. In head-to-head battle with fellow California junior star Bob May, won PGA Championship in three-hole playoff. With victory, became first player since Denny Shute in 1936-37 to defend PGA Championship. Playing in the final twosome of the day, both players shot back-nine 31s, with Woods birdieing the final two holes to force playoff, where he went birdie-par-par (3-4-5) for win. Rounds of 66-67-70-67--270 (18-under) gave him share of most under-par record with May. The following week, successfully defended another title at the WGC -- NEC World Series of Golf by 11 strokes over Justin Leonard and Phillip Price. Started week with 64-61--125 to set an all-time PGA TOUR record for opening rounds. On the weekend, added a pair of 67s and finished at 21-under-par 259 for a Firestone South record. In next start, out of a fairway bunker on the 72nd hole, faded a six-iron from 213 yards over water to within 15 feet for eagle putt to secure a one-stroke victory over Grant Waite at the Bell Canadian Open. Joined Lee Trevino (1971) as only players to win U.S., British and Canadian Opens in same year and received Triple Crown Trophy from Royal Canadian Golf Association. A member of victorious U.S. Presidents Cup team. Closed official season with third place in defense of National Car Rental Golf Classic at Walt Disney World Resort, a second place in defense of THE TOUR Championship and T5 in defense of WGC-American Express Championship. At year's end, voted by his peers the PGA TOUR Player of the Year (Jack Nicklaus Award); the PGA of America Player of the Year for third time in four years; winner of the Byron Nelson Award and Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average; the Arnold Palmer Award as leading money winner; the GWAA Player of the Year; the Mark H. McCormack Award for leading Official World Golf Ranking for most weeks; the Andersen Consulting Medal for best performance in WGC events; the Palm Performance Award as leading money winner on TOUR West Coast Swing; the Fall Finish Award presented by PricewaterhouseCoopers as leading money winner on TOUR's fall schedule. Set or tied 27 records during the course of the season. His actual scoring average of 68.17 set a new scoring average mark, besting Sam Snead's 50-year-old 69.23 record and Byron Nelson's 68.33 unofficial mark, set in 1945...Named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in December, the first two-time recipient (also won in 1996) in the 46-year history of the award...Named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year, becoming only three-time winner of award. CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Turned professional in 1996 at Greater Milwaukee Open, where he finished T60, and followed with two victories and three top-10s in only eight starts. First top-10 came at Quad City Classic, where he finished T5 after holding a one-stroke lead through 54 holes. Began final round of Las Vegas Invitational four strokes back, closed with 64 to force playoff with Davis Love III, then parred first extra hole for first TOUR win. Earned $297,000 and was first sponsor's exemption to win TOUR event since Phil Mickelson at 1991 Northern Telecom Open. Finished third the following week at LaCantera Texas Open. At Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic, shot closing 66 for one-stroke win. Named PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year. Also named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year, becoming youngest to receive honor since gymnast Mary Lou Retton in 1984. In 1997, PGA TOUR Player of the Year, a season that included four victories and nine top-10 finishes. Highlight of year came at Masters Tournament, where rounds of 70-66-65-69-270 set 72-hole record. His 12-stroke ">Personal Nicknamed "Tiger" after a Vietnamese soldier who was a friend of his father's in Vietnam...Putted against Bob Hope on the "Mike Douglas Show" at age 2, shot 48 for nine holes at age 3 and was featured in Golf Digest at age 5. In Feb. 1998, named to Blackwell's Best-Dressed List. Eighth athlete to be named Wheaties permanent rep, following Bob Richards (1958), Bruce Jenner (1977), Mary Lou Retton (1984), Pete Rose (1985), Walter Payton (1986), Chris Evert (1987) and Michael Jordan (1988). Tiger Woods Foundation, chaired by father Earl, created to provide minority participation in golf and related activities. Foundation has pledged its full support to World Golf Foundation's "The First Tee" program. In 1997 won Sports Star of the Year Award, given to athletes who combine excellence in their sports with significant charitable endeavors. In 2000, on the cover of "Time" magazine, 40 years after Arnold Palmer became first golfer so honored.

7. Mike Tyson

When the 1990s began, Mike Tyson was simply the most feared fighter the sport of boxing had known. He was 23 years old, and undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, having won the WBC version at 20, and destroyed the claimants of the other authorities just past his 21st birthday. He had an awesome physique, including a phenomenal neck of 19 ? inches, as thick and strong as some men's thighs. He entered the ring robe less, wearing simple black shorts and black boxing boots, and with an executioner's air of purposeful intent that carried more menace than King Kong and Godzilla combined.


Many of his opponents were beaten by fear before any blows were exchanged. Only four of 37 had managed to be still on their feet at the final bell, mostly by subduing any violent feelings of their own in favor of self-preservation. Then, as soon as the 1990s began, everything went wrong. He lost his title to a 42-1 no-hoper in the biggest shock in boxing history, he was charged with rape, he was convicted, he served half of a six-year prison sentence, he returned to the ring after a four-year absence, regained a world title, then scandalously bit off part of an opponent's ear during a contest and was banned for a year. His outrageous behavior guaranteed he would remain boxing's biggest-ever box-office attraction. The bundle of animosity that became famous as Iron Mike Tyson entered the world on 30 June 1966 in the Cumberland hospital in the Bedford-Stuyvesant district of Brooklyn, New York. He weighed exactly 8 ? lb. His mother was Lorna Tyson, who already had two other children, who like Mike carried her maiden name, since she and Jimmy Kirkpatrick, Mike's father, never married. Kirkpatrick was a big, strong laborer, whose legacy to Mike was the genes for the muscular development that would one day make his fortune. Kirkpatrick left the family when Mike was two years old and Lorna took her children to the nearby area of Brownsville, which had even tougher and poorer streets than those they left. In this environment delinquency was second nature to most of the young boys, and Mike, without a father and with a mother who, however well-intentioned, couldn't control him, could not avoid the influence of the streets. But young Mike was certainly not a bully by nature and indeed throughout his life was to display glimpses of surprising sensitivity in the general picture he otherwise presented of utter callousness. The world bewildered him at times, and perhaps his shocking behavior was a way to bring some sense into it. His mother apart, the closest person to Mike as he grew into childhood was his sister Denise. Mike learned from her soft, girlish ways. His voice was quiet, unaggressive and with a slight lisp, which he retained to some degree even when later on he could alienate everybody inside or outside boxing by saying of a punch which broke an opponent's nose: "I catch them there because I'm trying to push the nose bone into the brain". Perhaps he was still reacting then to the days when his boyhood associates called him the 'the little fairy boy'. There could hardly be a bigger contrast between the man who said those words in his muscled malevolent prime and the retiring, bespectacled, lisping, seven-year-old 'fairy boy', yet only a dozen years or so wrought the difference. All his life the super aggressive Tyson shown a fondness for pigeons. He kept them as a boy, and legend has it that it was through a bully pulling off the head of one of his pigeons that Tyson discovered his strength and his warlike inclinations. In an unthinking fit of fury young Mike beat up the bigger boy who killed his pigeon, not only realizing his power, but that he enjoyed using it. Tyson based the rest of his boyhood on a life of crime, which was not confined to the petty theft from shops, stalls and slot machines and the pick pocketing in gangs normally associated with youngsters of the district. Tyson was arrested dozens of times before he was 12, and among the offences he committed was armed robbery. He was sent to a New York correction center, the Tyron School, where the unaccustomed discipline and schooling made him an awkward rebel. But he and the school's athletic coach, Bobby Stewart, an ex-boxer, came to an agreement: Tyson would co-operate in lessons if Stewart would teach him boxing. It didn't take long for Stewart to notice the potential this amazingly strong, belligerent youngster would have as a boxer, and he arranged for him to meet a contact of his in trainer Cus d'Amato. Cus d'Amato was now 70 and in effect retired from the pro boxing game, having been made bankrupt some seven years earlier. He had been very successful in training two of his charges to win world titles: heavyweight Floyd Patterson and light-heavy Jose Torres. When Cus d'Amato saw the 13-year-old Tyson sparring for the first time he said: "That's the future heavyweight champion of the world". He was living at the time in a large house in the Catskill district of New York, where he had been installed after his bankruptcy by a wealthy friend and boxing fan, Jim Jacobs, a former champion handball player. D'Amato was living there with his partner of 40 years, Camille Ewald, and was so enthusiastic about Tyson's prospects that he persuaded the authorities to allow Tyson to live in the house with himself and Camille. Undertaking to make sure Tyson received an education as well as boxing training in the gym he ran above the local police station. The arrangement worked pretty well with Tyson embarking on a successful amateur career under D'Amato's surveillance, with Teddy Atlas, a strong-man trainer, brought in to groom Tyson for professional stardom. A hitch which foreshadowed some of Tyson's later problems was overcome. Atlas was told that Tyson had abused a 12-year-old girl and, in an attempt to shock him into behaving more responsibly, he threatened Tyson with a gun. The partnership became impossible. Tyson was taken back to the Tyron school, but Cus d'Amato quickly arranged for him to return to training under a new trainer, Kevin Rooney. In the final trials for the 1984 US Olympic team, the 17-year-old Tyson was beaten twice by Henry Tillman, who won the place in the team and eventually the gold medal. D'Amato decided it was time his boxer turned professional. D'Amato had carefully arranged the wherewithal to finance Tyson's launch to stardom. Jim Jacobs and Bill Cayton were the backers and subsequent joint managers of Tyson. Cayton was an advertising executive who had discovered through his business the appeal of old fight films and who, with Jacobs, had formed Big Fights Inc, buying up a huge collection of films which became the basis of a long running TV series. Tyson liked to watch the old films, and became knowledgeable about boxing history and his possible place in it. The films suggested to Tyson and his team the idea that Tyson should enter the ring in his plain black garb, like the old champions, setting himself apart from the modern trend of show-biz entrances and creating for himself the image of the no-frills destroyer. Tyson's mother died when he was 16, and two years later, Cus D'Amato became his legal guardian. So it was a close-knit, highly professional team which was behind Tyson when he made his pro debut on 6 March 1985 at Albany, New York, against Hector Mercedes. He was not yet 19, and he won by knockout after 107 seconds. Cayton and Jacobs videoed this, an the other quick wins which followed, to compile a tape advertising Tyson for distribution to boxing people. Nothing was being left to chance. Poor Cus d'Amato, however, was not to live to enjoy the day he became associated with his third, and perhaps greatest, world champion. He died in November 1985, aged 77. Nine days later Tyson beat Eddie Richardson, appropriately in 77 seconds. It was his 12th straight win, and ninth in the first round. Tyson was not tall for a heavyweight, standing only 5ft 11 ? in, but he weighed an adequate 220lb. D'Amato had taught him how to bob and weave and present a moving and difficult target. He mastered a fine array of hooks and uppercuts which he could throw from a variety of angles. His main assets were his hand speed, enabling him to deliver punches in swift combinations, and the terrific power of his punching. His ruthlessness in finishing off a stricken opponent was unsurpassed. In 1986 the Home Box Office television channel (HBO) in the USA was organizing a tournament to unify the heavyweight championship, the purses, allied to the television revenue, being sufficient to get the champions of all bodies and the chief contenders to agree the scheme. Such was the trail of destruction Tyson left through the ranks of heavyweight pretenders that the HBO enterprise would have been meaningless had he not been incorporated.
So it was that a mere 20 months after his debut, and a year after D'Amato died, 20-year-old Mike Tyson was challenging Trevor Berbick for Berbick's WBC championship. The 34-year old Berbick had beaten three previous world champions (he had been Muhammad Ali's last opponent), but was still a 4-1 underdog when he faced Tyson at the Hilton Center, Las Vegas. Although the convention in world title fights was that only the champion wore black, Tyson risked a fine by appearing in black as well. Berbick's answer was to enter the ring in a black hooded gown, wearing knee-length black socks. Tyson claimed he saw the fear in Berbick's eyes at the start, and he began quickly severely staggering Berbick in the first round. The second round was notable for the manner of Berbick's defeat. He rose from his third knockdown, delivered with an awesome left hook, to stagger right across the ring on drunken legs to crash again. Pulling himself up with the help of the ropes, he couldn't get his left ankle to hold him up, and the referee had to support him as he declared the fight over. It was a terrifying testament to Tyson's power. Tyson was the youngest man ever to hold a version of the heavyweight title, beating by 186 days Cus d'Amato's other protégé, Floyd Patterson.
Four months later he outpointed James 'Bonecrusher' Smith, who took care not to join in a fight until the last 30 seconds of the last round. Smith admitted he fought only to survive, but he came nowhere near to surviving as the WBA champion. Tyson now owned two-thirds of the world's heavyweight championship. The IBF champion ,Michael Spinks, however, now opted out of the unification contests, presumably seeing a lucrative contest with 'white hope' Gerry Cooney as a better prospect than possibly losing his title and unbeaten record to Tyson. The IBF crown was declared vacant , and Tyson had to wait for a new champion, Tony Tucker (who won the IBF title by stopping Buster Douglas), before he could incorporate the IBF strand and become undisputed champion. He faced Tucker on 1 August 1987 and, despite being shaken straight away by a left hook, he outpointed Tucker to establish his right to total recognition. Tyson the beat challenger Tyrell Biggs, prolonging the fight in order to administer a bad beating, in revenge for what he claimed was a 'lack of respect' shown him by Biggs years before on their amateur days.
He then invited three prominent, beautiful women to watch him repel the challenge of veteran ex-champion Larry Holmes (which he did without difficulty): Naomi Campbell, the model, Suzette Charles, who was Miss America, and Robin Givens, an actress starring in a TV sitcom Head of the Class. Two weeks later he married Robin Givens, a move which radically altered both his private and boxing lives. Everything now seemed to go wrong at once. First of all Jim Jacobs, half of Tyson's management team, became seriously ill with leukemia. He died a couple of days after Tyson, with new wife Givens at ringside, had easily disposed of challenger Tony Tubbs in Tokyo. Tyson had recently signed a new contract with his managers which meant that in the event of Jacobs' death, Cayton would become sole manager, but Jacobs' widow would continue to receive her husband's third of revenue earned. Miss Givens, with the strong support of her businesswoman mother, now began to take a strong interest in Tyson's finances, telling him that not enough of his earnings were getting back to him. Her legal team alleged that Tyson had signed his last contract with Cayton and Jacobs while being kept in the dark about Jacobs' condition. They sought the contract to be declared invalid. Meanwhile Don King, the ubiquitous promoter/manager, never happy unless he controls all the likely heavyweight champions in the world, opportunistically attended Jacobs' funeral and began a strong wooing of the Tyson family with view to taking over Tyson's business affairs to the benefit of all (in reality himself). Meanwhile, Givens, who had claimed to be pregnant at the time of her marriage to Tyson, allowed it to be revealed through her sister that Tyson was abusing her and that as a result she had suffered a miscarriage. All this was brewing up as Tyson prepared for his most important contest to date, a meeting with still unbeaten former IBF champion Michael Spinks, whose supporters, including Ring and Boxing Illustrated magazine, claimed he was the real champion by 'direct descent'.
This contest took place at Atlantic City on 27 June 1988. It turned out to be perhaps Tyson's most impressive performance. Fans were kept waiting over 15 minutes for the start, as both camps insisted their man was champion, and thereby entitled to be second in the ring. Eventually the New Jersey Commissioner, Larry Hazard, had to intervene and insist Spinks enter the ring first. Spinks was clearly nervous while it seemed that a hyped-up Tyson couldn't wait to get at him. A flurry of blows early in the first round put Spinks on one knee and forced him to take a mandatory count of eight. When Spinks tried to attack on the command 'BOX ON' he was caught by a right uppercut which knocked him flat on his back, from where he tried to rise but stood no chance. He was counted out in 91 seconds. No one could now dispute that Tyson was the most efficient fighting machine in the world. However, Tyson's next defense, against Frank Bruno, was rescheduled several times and put back in all by six months or so as Tyson's private problems mounted. He fractured his hand in a street fight with former opponent Mitch Green; he drove his wife's BMW into a tree in what many took to be a suicide bid; he threatened to hang himself after chasing his wife and her mother through a hotel lounge in Moscow, where Givens was filming; he objected to being filmed and smashed a TV camera; he appeared with Givens on a TV chat show looking drugged, and smiled foolishly and submissively while she repeated many of these stories against him, saying he was manic-depressive; he smashed up his house, threw furniture into the street and chased off his wife and her mother; he was sued for divorce; he signed a promotional contract with Don King without consulting Cayton; he sacked Kevin Rooney, his trainer since he turned professional, for siding with Cayton; he finalized his divorce after only a year and eight days of marriage, with Don King's help; and two women accused him of sexual harassment. When Tyson eventually met and overawed Bruno, his performance was way below par, and he even allowed Bruno to stagger him with a good punch before he finished him off in the fifth round. Some good judges saw the seeds of decline in this fight, but nobody anticipated what happened next. With Tyson's problems with Cayton settled by an uneasy compromise, King was in control as Tyson fought challenger James 'Buster ' Douglas in Tokyo. If any betting existed, it was at odds which made Douglas a 42-1 shot. But Tyson was under-trained, listless and drugged for venereal disease and depression. Well out boxed, he eventually caught Douglas in the eight round with an uppercut which floored Douglas who, because of a slow referee, was given a long count (about 12 seconds), enough to save him taking any further punishment before the bell rang. Douglas recovered fully in the interval, continued as before and knocked out Tyson in the tenth, with Tyson, knocked down for the first time in his career, groping about on the canvas for a lost gum shield while the count was completed. Because of the long count earlier afforded Douglas, Don King spent days, it seemed at first with the support of the WBC, to get the verdict reversed, but the boxing world laughed at him. Shocked by this reverse, Tyson responded well, getting himself into better shape and beginning a comeback which saw him dispose of his amateur conqueror, Henry Tillman, and the dangerous Donovan 'Razor' Ruddock twice. A mullet-million dollar title fight was arranged with Evander Holyfield, who had assumed the heavyweight crown from Buster Douglas. But circumstances forced this encounter to wait for five years. Once more Tyson's reckless private life intruded.
Three weeks after his second defeat of Ruddock, Tyson went on a binge to Indianapolis, where he took a suite in a hotel near to one where Miss Black America contest was taking place. He was introduced to the contestants, and on 19 July 1991 took one of them, 18-year-old Desiree Washington, to his room. It was 2.00 am and she alleged he raped her. Tyson was charged, came to trial, and in March 1992 was sentenced to six years imprisonment and four years' parole. As one who had lived the life of a multi-millionaire, however foolishly and wastefully, he reacted badly at first, but gradually he knuckled down and devoted himself to keeping fit, and, he claimed, to reading. He acquired new heroes (the names of Mao Tso-Tung and champion black tennis player Arthur Ashe were tattooed on his arms). He said he had been converted to Islam. He earned the maximum remission for good conduct, and was released after three years in March 1995. Tyson was, of course, the hottest property in boxing. Everybody wanted to see the monster. The MGM Grand Garden, Las Vegas, signed him up to a six-fight deal and there was a further deal with ShowTime, the pay-tv channel, leading estimates of his first contest being worth $22 million to him. This comeback fight, on 19 August 1995, was against a soft opponent, Peter 'Hurricane' McNeely, whose father fought Floyd Patterson for the world title in 1961. McNeely had won 36 of his 37 fights, but it was a carefully managed record. He bravely rushed across the ring to attack Tyson crudely at the bell and ,although Tyson missed with some counters, he eventually landed one to put McNeely down. When McNeely went down again, and rose looking groggy, his trainer Vinny Vecchione leapt in the ring to rescue him, which caused his disqualification. The contest lasted 89 seconds, and the sell-out crowd of 16,737, who had paid inflated prices to see the slaughter , yelled their disapproval at being cheated of blood.
Don King was still Tyson's promoter, and in all but name his manager. In December Tyson had a second run-out, against Buster Mathis Junior, another man whose father had fought for the title. The first Buster Mathis was beaten by Joe Frazier in 1968, and had died just before his son's meeting with Tyson. Mathis was a much more credible opponent than McNeely. The fight was switched from Atlantic City, where King was not allowed to promote because of a fraud charge hanging over him, to the CoreStates Spectrum, Philadelphia. Tyson won when a short right hook started a sequence that knocked out Mathis towards the end of the third round. But he was unimpressive, and to the experts clearly a long way short of the man he was at his peak. Nevertheless the Tyson publicity machine was rolling and, with the warm-ups out of the way, it was time to start collecting the various heavyweight titles again. First up was the WBC title, held by Frank Bruno, Tyson's victim seven years before. The immensely popular Bruno was upbeat in the run-up to the fight at the MGM Grand Garden in March 1996, and attracted many British fans to cross the Atlantic and snap up the 6-1 odds locally available against him. Unfortunately for them, a frightened Bruno was overawed by the occasion, and a Tyson assault in the third round had him squatting on the bottom rope from where referee Mills Lane had to rescue him. Tyson was a world champion again and went on his knees in the ring to salute Allah. Tyson's mandatory challenger for the title was Lennox Lewis, but Lewis' camp agreed to step aside, for $6 million, so that Tyson could challenge for the WBA championship. Bruce Seldon was the WBA champion, and was expected to put up about as much resistance as Bruno, when the two meet at the MGM Grand Garden. An ex-convict (four years for robbery) he had three defeats in 37 contests. The odds against him were 20-1. He was called the Atlantic City Express, and was certainly very quick to grab Tyson when the fight started. He looked as anxious as Bruno, was down twice in the first round, rising each time, but the second time he shook his head and referee Richard Steele called it off at 109 seconds. The fans again hooted their displeasure. Seldon earned his biggest purse, $5 million, while Tyson picked up around $35 million. Tyson's WBC title had not been at stake in this fight, Tyson being committed to meet Lewis for it. But now Tyson had the WBA crown, he was at liberty to defend that against Evander Holyfield, a fight which would be much bigger at the US box office than Tyson-Lewis. So Tyson decided to ditch his WBC championship. All was now set for the big fight which should have taken place in 1989: WBC and WBA champion Tyson versus former champion Evander Holyfield. Holyfield had been a great cruiser and heavyweight champion, but had impressed in only one of his previous seven fights, suffering his only three defeats in this sequence. Significantly, after losing his titles Michael Moorer in 1994, he had retired from boxing because of a heart condition. A year before meeting Tyson he had faced Riddick Bowe during a comeback and been stopped in the eight, dramatically running out of steam after flooring Bowe in the sixth. Few thought a seemingly worn-out Holyfield would have the stamina to stand up to Tyson, but he trained so hard for 15 weeks and appeared so confident that initial betting odds of 22-1 on Tyson had been cut to around 6-1 on the night. Of 48 reporters polled, however, only one favored Holyfield. Right from the start of the bout at the MGM Grand Garden Holyfield showed that he was not intimidated by Tyson. He even stood toe-to-toe with him in the first round. Deprived of his usual psychological dominance, and faced by a confident, fast, skillful foe, Tyson quickly ran out of ideas. The contest developed into a scrappy one, with lots of holdings. Tyson was 30, Holyfield 34, and both began to look tired. In the sixth round Tyson walked into a left hook from Holyfield that sent him down and sliding back-wards across the canvas. He recovered and fought on bravely, but took a battering in the tenth. The effects had not worn off before Tyson was in trouble on the ropes in the 11th, and he ceased fighting back when referee Mitch Halpern saved him from further punishment. Tyson was bitterly disappointed. It was his second defeat, but he had excuses for the first. This time he was beaten by a better, and older man.
There had to be a return fight, and it was one of the most eagerly awaited of all time. The date was 28 June 1997, the place MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. Both men had now had 14 world title fights, and both had won 12. Each was guaranteed $30 million. The fight had been postponed from 3 May because of a training injury to Tyson's eye. This time, of 50 boxing writers polled, 29 favored Holyfield and 21 Tyson. Nevertheless Tyson was a narrow betting favorite at around 6-4 on.
What happened shook the world of boxing. Holyfield won the first two rounds, in which there was plenty of rough stuff. In the second a clash of heads cut Tyson's eye, causing him to complain. In the third Tyson came out without his gum shield, and was sent back for it, but after two minutes of the round he took advantage of a clinch to bite a chunk out of Holyfield's ear, and spit it on the canvas. Holyfield leapt in pain and turned his back. Referee Mills Lane, who proved much too weak to handle the fight, called a halt, and deducted two points from Tyson, but after a four minute delay allowed the round to continue. Tyson then bit Holyfield's other ear. Astonishingly the round was allowed to end, before the interval, Mills Lane belatedly disqualified Tyson. The Nevada State Athletic Commission fined Tyson the maximum according to their rules, a paltry tenth of his purse, i.e. $3 million, and banned him for a year, a ban which operated in all states, and which would not be reviewed until 5 July 1998.
Tyson was now publicly derided as low-life-scum, a coward, etc. But, of course, he would still be the hottest property in boxing were his license restored. He had already earned more from boxing than any previous boxer -an estimated $200 million. In 1998 he owned six houses, including one he hardly used in Connecticut which had 61 rooms, 38 baths, and a master bedroom with five television sets. Yet he was reported to be short of liquidity, and owing $7 million in tax. He publicly confronted Don King outside a Los Angeles hotel demanding money, and allegedly kicked the promoter in the face. Lawyers are claiming that King did not account to Tyson fully and took more money from the boxer that the law allows. Tyson ditched King as a promoter, although King claims he has a valid contract with Tyson to promote four more fights. While Tyson is banned this aspect is academic, but in March 1998 Tyson was reported to file a $45 million fraud suit against King.
Tyson's private life is as complex as ever. Since the break-up of his marriage to Robin Givens, he has acquired four children, and is reported to be a devoted, if usually absent father. He also has a new wife, a pediatrician, Dr. Monica Turner, who says he is a good person, that he is far more intelligent that the press make out, and that she loves him for himself. His behavior is as wild as ever, and late in 1997 he crashed riding a motor cycle, apparently having fallen asleep, and was nearly hit by a truck. He suffered broken ribs and a partially collapsed lung. He was riding without a license, although still on parole from his recent imprisonment. In March 1998 he earned himself $3 million as an 'enforcer' at a Wrestlemania meeting before 19,000 fans in Boston. At around 240lb, he laid out a wrestler with a swift punch, but this "violence" which had no doubt been rehearsed.

8. Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson was born in 1960. 15 years later Allen Ezail Iverson was born in Hampton Virginia, June 7, 1975. He was raised by his mom Ann Iverson and Allen didn't hear from his real father, Allen Broughton until last year (1997) when he was sentenced to 9 years in jail for stabbing his girlfriend. Michael Freeman is the only father type man he has known. Freeman worked in Newport harbor until '88 when he had an accident. Then, instead of a new job he found only troubles, he was convicted in dealing drugs and was sentenced to 22 month in prison, and another 23 month for violating his paroles.


Allen said that one time when he went to visit Freeman in Newport News Correctional Facilities, the same prison he was incarcerated at, And Freeman Shoes were so damaged that Allen took the shoes off his feet and gave them to Michael and Allen went home barefooted that day. After freeman's accident Ann Iverson began working at the harbor too, but that wasn't enough. In '91 Ieisha was born, she had serious health problems which forced Ann to work overtime in selling her body to pay the bills for the doctors. Growing up for Allen wasn't easy, his family was very poor. Many days during his childhood he grew up without water, heat or lights and his apartment stanched from sewage water because a pipe exploded under their apartment. Often Allen stayed with friends or coaches during his teenage life. A couple of times he even stayed at a shelter. Allen didn't like basketball at first. He thought that basketball was a soft game. That's why He enjoyed football better and still, to this day calls it his #1 sport. One day he came home from school when he was 9, his mother signed him up for little league basketball practice. He didn't want to go, until he got there and seen friends from his football team there. So, since 9 years old, Allen's been playing basketball. At Bethel High School in Hampton, he received awards for football and basketball. He was named Virginia AAA football player of the year his junior year. He led Bethel High to a state title in football and basketball. In His Senior year of high school he was incarcerated and missed out of the rest of his missed out of the rest of his senior year and senior prom. It was February 14 on Valentines day, Allen walked into a bowling alley, a racial dispute started a brawl in one of the corners of the alley. There were 50 people in the alley, half of them were white, four people were arrested, four black people, Allen was one of them, Allen claimed that he ran away when the fights began but he was sent to trial. In the trial 2 white people testified that he broke a chair on a white girl's head, Allen couldn't stand to see people go up to the stand and tell lies about him. Further more a camera that recorded the incident didn't record Iverson. He was sentenced to 5 years in jail, but, he only did 4 month The Governor of Virginia at the time agreed to let him out only if he will not play basketball until he'll get a high school diploma, Allen agreed. At Bethel High School in Hampton, he received awards for football and basketball. He was named Virginia AAA football player of the year his junior year. He led Bethel High to a state title in football and basketball.
In His Senior year of high school he was incarcerated and missed out of the rest of his missed out of the rest of his senior year and senior prom. It was February 14 on Valentines day, Allen walked into a bowling alley, a racial dispute started a brawl in one of the corners of the alley. There were 50 people in the alley, half of them were white, four people were arrested, four black people, Allen was one of them, Allen claimed that he ran away when the fights began but he was sent to trial. In the trial 2 white people testified that he broke a chair on a white girl's head, Allen couldn't stand to see people go up to the stand and tell lies about him. Further more a camera that recorded the incident didn't record Iverson. he was sentenced to 5 years in jail, but, he only did 4 month The Governor of Virginia at the time agreed to let him out only if he will not play basketball until he'll get a high school diploma, Allen agreed. While Allen was in jail friends and coaches made signs and t-shirts saying free Allen or, free Bubba Chuck. Bubba Chuck is what some people called him growing up. It is a combination of 2 uncles names. Also, friends said he always Knew how to solve a problem on the court so they started calling him the Answer. While in jail, Allen missed a Scholarship to Kentucky University. He got up every morning at 5:30 to shoot hoops and try to make his dream come true. He also studied in jail to get his diploma. After he got out of jail Allen went to a learning center in Hampton Virginia where young people go to get a high school diploma, a lady named Sue Lambiot helped Allen to get his diploma, he went to her house 5 days a week, 6 hours a day, worse then jail. Allen finally got his diploma. Meanwhile Allen's Mom went to visit Coach Thompson of Georgetown University and ask if he can take Allen under his wings and not only be a coach but a father like figure to him. Allen needed a father like person to look after him. That's what coach Thompson was to him. A couple of weeks after Allen been out of jail, Coach Thompson came to visit Allen at the center. He loved Allen's talent and granted him a full scholarship to Georgetown University. People wondered why Thompson gave this trouble maker a full scholar. But Thompson didn't see that in him. Thompson saw a young man who made mistakes in his life but have an unbelievable talent. Allen wasn't to sure about leaving his family behind because of there living situation, so that day he left for Georgetown he cried as he waved goodbye to his family. Allen loved Georgetown, He majored in Art because Allen is a truly gifted artist. Growing up in one of his apartments he drew a big moral of Michael Jordan on his door. When they moved he wanted to take the door but the land lord wouldn't let him.At Georgetown he had an African room mate. He received great honors there as well. He was named defensive player of the year and All American Status, he was Georgetown all time scorer, He averaged 26.6 points a game. As he kept going back home his family living situation has gotten worse. So Allen knew he had to go pro. Allen also had a daughter Tiaura, he needed to feed Himself his daughter and his girlfriend Tawanna Turner. Allen became the first Athelete to leave coach Thompson early, So Thompson introduced him to David Falk, a very well known agent. During these couple of months Allen signed to be with Falk, moved him and his family in a luxury apartment near his agent, got great loans from the bank, and hired a specialist for his little sister Ieisha who suffered from seizures. Allen was moving up. The day he announced that he was going pro, is the day he withdrew from school. He only visited one NBA city which was Philadelphia, and he loved Philly. June 1996 was the NBA draft. Allen Iverson was selected first by the Philadelphia 76ers as there #1 pick. A couple of days after that Allen signed a deal that was worth 3.9 million dollars. He also signed a multi-million dollar deal with Reebok, A 10 year 50 million dollar deal. Over that summer Allen played over in Japan with other college standouts and received a silver medal. Also that summer he played in games that featured some NBA stars like Alonzo Mourning. His first season as a sixer was great as you all know. Allen became everyone's favorite rookie as well as player. Most of that came about when he broke Micheal Most of that came about when he broke Micheal Jordan down so bad that all Jordan could do was stare in shock.
Allen received the award for Sheick Rookie of the Year.

He thanked his mom for the award and said he wouldn't be anywhere without her. During all of this his sneakers, the Questions became Reebok most successful shoe. That summer he got arrested. He let a friend drive his Mercedes while he was in the drivers seat and a friend in the back seat. His Bentley was going 90 miles per hour in a 65 zone. Allen was charged with possession of a gun and Marijuana. He went to jail that night in Richmond, Virginia and had to call for his sister Brandy, who still lived in Hampton to come bail him out. Allen received 3 years probation and had to do 100 hours of community service. Going into his second year he was suspended from the first game of the season. As we all know His second NBA season was also great. Even though he was having a great year his team did not do so well which enable him not to be picked for the All-star game. During all of this Allen had a second child by his long time girlfriend Tawanna Turner. They had a baby boy and named him Allen Iverson Jr, Allen calls him Deuce. Reebok also came out with Allen second sneaker called The Answer 2. During that summer Allen began to get more and more tattoos. Allen has 11 tattoos. On his arms he has Hold My Own, A soldier head because he feel that all his life he's been in a battle, The grim reaper with a basketball in his hand, VA's finest (Virginia Finest), Only the Strong Survive, The answer above his panther, Dynasty Raider ( A name him and his crew went by growing up), CRUTHIK(the name of his record company), Fear No One, and two more on his chest that reads Tiaura and Deuce( his kids) and prayer hands with his mom name under it. That summer Allen also became Very Good friends with Maze, Jermaine Dupree, and Da Brat. Allen other friends were in his Mercedes and got pulled over after making a drug deal. Although Allen wasn't involved they still kept his car for good. During the Lockout Allen and his friends began working on his Rap album titled Slow Motion. Allen said people should buy his album not because they like his shoes or because he is a favorite basketball player, he want people to buy his record because they understand his flow and thinks that he is a great MC. He said people should look from guest appearances by Kool-G-Rap, Jermaine Dupree, Brat, Maze, Nas and maybe a couple more.
During the Lockout he also got engaged to his long time girlfriend Tawanna Turner, which makes his Mom very happy. Allen's mom drive around in a red Jag that Allen brought her a year ago(1997). Allen has many cars as well. He has a Mercedes, a Bently Azure, and a Range Rover. Allen wears about 300,000 thousand worth of jewelry. Allen wears a watch that cost him 80,000 dollars, he keeps a pocket full of money every where hegoes. One time at a hotel in Indiana he had forgotten that he left 6,000 dollars under his mattress and had his bodygaurd Terry Royster run back and get it.Allen lost a best friend when he was younger, Tony Clark. Tony was murdered by his girlfriend. Allen believe that if Tony had been there with him at the night of the bowling ally brawl he would've never been in there. Allen's mom is his biggest supporter, she holds a sign up at every game that says "THAT'S MY BOY #3". Allen Iverson jersy is in the top 5 selling jersy's and his sneakers, the Answer 2 has placed Allen sells over the roof.

9. Dominique Moceanu

Dominique was born on Sept. 30, 1981 in Hollywood, CA. When she was 6 months old her father hung her from a clothes line to see how strong she was (I know, this story is on every page) and she held on until the line broke! At age 2 her family moved to Highland Park, Ill. where between the ages of 3 and 4 she was enrolled in her first gymnastics class. At age 3 she received her first passport and immediately went on a 3 month tour of Europe. At age 4 her father first contacts Bela Karoli inquiring about enrolling Dominique in his classes but he advises him to wait until age 9 or 10. Then when she is 6 her family moved again, this time to Tampa, Fl. and enrolls at LaFleur's Gymnastics. In 1989 her little sister Christina is born. Then in 1991 at age 10 her family moves again, this time to Houston, Texas so she can train with Bela Karoli. Her first practice session with Bela occurred on December 18, 1991. Seven months later she qualifies for the Junior National team and later medals, becoming the youngest ever to do so at age 10. 1 year later she again qualifies for the Junior National team but this time she does not medal and ends up finishing 7th all around. But just 1 year later she competes on the Junior National team again and this time finishes 1st place all around. 1 year after that she becomes the youngest person in U.S. history to win the Senior National title and the only person to go from a Junior title to a Senior title in one year. That same year at the World Championships in Sabae, Japan she wins a silver medal on the balance beam and finishes fifth all around, the highest finish by an American in the competition. Then in 1996 she competes in the Olympics and though she receives no individual medals she helps the U.S. win it's first women's all around title.

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