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At age seven, Ichiro joined his first baseball team and asked his father, Nobuyuki Suzuki (Suzuki Nobuyuki), to teach him to be a better player. The two began a daily routine which included throwing 50 pitches, hitting 200 pitches from Nobuyuki, fielding 50 infield balls and 50 outfield balls, and hitting 250–300 pitches from a machine. Ichiro Suzuki, all-time single-season hits leader in Major League Baseball.As a Little Leaguer, Ichiro had the word "concentration" (??, shuchu?) written on his glove. By age 12, he had set professional baseball as his goal and, while he apparently shared his father's vision, he did not enjoy their training sessions. Nobuyuki claimed, "Baseball was fun for both of us," but Ichiro later said, "It might have been fun for him, but for me it was a lot like Star of the Giants," a popular Japanese manga and anime series that told of a young boy's difficult road to success as a professional baseball player, with rigorous training demanded by the father. According to Ichiro, "It bordered on hazing and I suffered a lot." When Ichiro joined his high school baseball team, his father told the coach, "No matter how good Ichiro is, don't ever praise him. We have to make him spiritually strong."[citation needed] When he was ready to enter high school, Ichiro was selected by a school with a prestigious baseball program, Nagoya's Aikodai Meiden Koko, where, unlike as a professional, Ichiro was primarily a pitcher instead of an outfielder, owing to his exceptionally strong arm. While in high school, his cumulative batting average was .505, and his cumulative home run total was 19. Among the strength drills he performed in training there were hurling car tires and hitting wiffle balls with a heavy shovel. These exercises helped develop his wrists and hips, adding power and endurance to his thin frame. Yet, despite the production of outstanding numbers in high school, Ichiro was not drafted until the fourth and final round of the professional draft in November 1991, because many teams were put off by his small size of 5' 9" and 124 pounds. [1] [edit] Career in Japan Career Hits & Avg in Japan Season Hits Avg 1992 24 .253 1993 12 .188 1994 210* .385 1995 179 .342 1996 193 .356 1997 185 .345 1998 181 .358 1999 141 .343 2000 153 .387 Total 1278 .353 *Japan Single-Season Record Ichiro made his Pacific League debut in 1992 at the age of 18, but he spent most of his first two seasons in the farm system because of his manager's refusal to accept Ichiro's unorthodox swing. The swing, nicknamed 'pendulum' because of the pendulum-like motion of his leg, shifting the weight forward as he swung the bat, was considered to go against conventional hitting theory. Even though he hit a home run off Hideo Nomo, who later won the rookie of the year award in the majors leagues as a Dodger, Ichiro was sent back to the farm system on that very day. In 1994, he benefited from the arrival of a new manager who played him every day in the second spot of the lineup. He was eventually moved to the leadoff spot for the Blue Wave, where his immediate productivity dissolved any misgivings about his uncoventional swing. He set a Japanese single-season record with 210 hits in 130 games for a then-Pacific League record .385 batting average and won the first of a record seven consecutive batting titles. He also hit 13 home runs and had 29 stolen bases, helping him to earn his first of three straight Pacific League MVP (Most Valuable Player) awards. It was during the 1994 season that he began to use his given name, "Ichiro" instead of his family name, "Suzuki" on the back of his uniform. Suzuki is the second most common family name in Japan, and his manager introduced the idea as a publicity stunt to help create a new image for what had been a relatively weak team, as well as a way to distinguish their rising star. Initially, Ichiro disliked the practice and was embarrassed by it; "Ichiro" was a household name by the end of the season and he was flooded with endorsement offers. In 1995 Ichiro led the Blue Wave to their first Pacific League pennant in 12 years. In addition to his second batting title, he led the league with 80 RBI, hit 25 home runs, and stole 49 bases. By this time, the Japanese press had begun calling him the "Human Batting Machine." The following year, with Ichiro winning his third straight MVP award, the team defeated the Central League champion, Yomiuri Giants, in the Japan Series. Following the 1996 season, playing in an exhibition series against a visiting team of Major League All-Stars kindled Ichiro's desire to travel to the United States to play in the Major Leagues. In 2000, Ichiro was still a year away from being eligible for free agency, but the Blue Wave were no longer among Japan's best teams. They would probably not be able to afford to keep him and would lose him without compensation in another year, and allowed him to negotiate with Major League clubs. Ichiro used the posting system, and the Seattle Mariners won the right to negotiate with him with a bid of around $13 million.[2] Ichiro signed a three-year, $14 million contract with the Mariners and became the first Japanese position player in the Major Leagues. In his nine seasons in Japan, Ichiro had 1,278 hits, a .353 career batting average, and in addition to his hitting achievements, won seven Gold Glove Awards. In January 2006, Ichiro played himself in Furuhata Ninzaburo, a Japanese Columbo-like TV drama that he loves. In the drama, he kills a person and is arrested. [edit] Career in Major League Baseball Career Hits & Avg in MLB Statistics as of July 26, 2008 Season Hits Avg 2001 242 .350 2002 208 .321 2003 212 .312 2004 262* .372 2005 206 .303 2006 224 .322 2007 238 .351 2008 126 .295 Total 1,718 .330 *MLB Single-Season Record Ichiro rounding the bases during a game against the Los Angeles Angels, 22 Sep 2007On November 9, 2000, Ichiro was acquired by the Seattle Mariners for a contract worth roughly $14 million. Ichiro's move to the United States was viewed with great interest because he was the first Japanese position player to play regularly for a Major League Baseball team. Up to that point, only pitchers from Japan had been playing in the United States and, in the same way that many Japanese teams had considered the 18-year-old Ichiro too small to draft in 1992, many in the US believed he was too frail to succeed against Major League pitching or endure the longer 162-game season. Ichiro made an auspicious debut his first week in the MLB, and revealed his tremendous throwing arm, by gunning down at third base the Oakland Athletics' Terrence Long, who had tried to advance from first to third after a teammate's base hit to right field. That play would be later remembered as "The Throw".[3] Ichiro wears the number 51 which he was issued by the Mariners as he had no preference for a number when he joined the club. He was initially hesitant when he was issued the number. To avoid insulting its former owner, Randy Johnson, Ichiro forwarded a personal message to the Big Unit promising not to “bring shame” to the uniform. Not only did he prove he belonged, Ichiro had a remarkable 2001 season, accumulating 242 hits (the most by any player since 1930 as well as a rookie record) and leading the league with a .350 batting average and 56 stolen bases. By mid-season, he had produced hitting streaks of 15 and 23 games, been on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and created a media storm on both sides of the Pacific. 2001 was also an exceptionally successful regular season for the Seattle Mariners as a team, as they matched the 1906 Chicago Cubs' Major League record of 116 wins.[4] In Seattle, ticket sales (and wins) were higher than ever, fans from Japan were taking $2,000 baseball tours to see the games, more than 150 Japanese reporters and photographers were clamoring for access, and "Ichirolls" were being sold at sushi stands in the ballpark. Flight agencies also benefited from Ichiro, as many Ichiro fans were flying in and out of the country just to see him play.[5] Aided by Major League Baseball's decision to allow All-Star voting in Japan, Ichiro was the first rookie to lead all players in voting for the All-Star Game. At season's end, he won the American League Most Valuable Player and the Rookie of the Year awards, becoming only the second player in MLB history (after Fred Lynn) to receive both honors in the same season. In addition to being a seven-time Gold Glove winner, Ichiro is also a eight-time All-Star selection from 2001 to 2008. His success has opened the door for other Japanese players like former Yomiuri Giants slugger Hideki Matsui and former Seibu Lions infielder Kazuo Matsui to enter the Major Leagues. During one 56-game stretch in 2004, Ichiro batted over .450. By comparison, Joe DiMaggio batted .408 during his record-setting 56-game hitting streak. Ichiro batted over .400 against lefties in 2004. Ichiro is noted for his work ethic in arriving early for his team's games, and for his calisthenic stretching exercises to stay limber even during the middle of the game. Continuing the custom he began in Japan, he uses his given name on the back of his uniform instead of his family name, becoming the first player in Major League Baseball to do so since Vida Blue. In addition these unique aspects of the Japanese baseball icon, Boston Red Sox's David Ortiz and 2008 MLB Home Run Durby Champion, Justin Morneau has only recently revealed that Ichiro knows more English words than his foreign impression leads on. During every All-Star game right after the manager's pre-game speech, Ichiro would proceed, in English, to what seems to be his version of pre-game speech in hope to lift any nervousness. This pre-game speech has become more or less a pre-game ritual that some may believe have helped in the American League consecutive wins. Ichiro's career is followed closely in Japan, with national television news programs covering each of his at bats, and with special tour packages arranged for Japanese fans to visit the United States to view his games. Between 2001 and 2004, Ichiro amassed more hits (924) than anyone in history over any four-year period. Bill Terry held the old record of 918. He would later surpass his own mark by putting up 930 hits from 2004-2007. [6] Ichiro resides with his wife Yumiko in nearby Medina, an affluent suburb across Lake Washington from Seattle (same neighborhood as Bill Gates). He is in the process of building a new home there

Bagwell was selected in the fourth round of the 1989 draft by the Boston Red Sox. On August 30, 1990 the Red Sox traded him to the Houston Astros for 36-year old relief pitcher Larry Andersen to gear up for their playoff run. That trade is now regarded as one of the most one-sided of all time. Although Andersen pitched well down the stretch in 1990 (allowing three runs in 22 innings of relief), and helped the Red Sox win the AL East division title on the last day of the season, Boston was swept in the American League Championship Series and then lost Andersen to free agency (in part because of a so-called collusion settlement). At the time, however, the trade appeared to make some sense from the Red Sox' perspective. Although Bagwell was considered a top prospect, he was blocked from third base by veteran Wade Boggs. He also had to contend with two other top prospects at the position, Scott Cooper and Tim Naehring. However, both Cooper and Naehring were out of baseball by 1997. [edit] Houston Astros Bagwell blossomed in Houston, becoming one of the best players in Astros franchise history. Bagwell spent his 15-year career in a Houston uniform and, along with teammate Craig Biggio, was synonymous with the Astros throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s. Bagwell hit and threw right-handed. His batting style was exaggerated and unusual; he actually stepped back with his front foot as he began his swing. Bagwell had a unique wide-open, crouched stance, which started in a low position with his knees bent, looking somewhat as if he were sitting on an invisible bench. Sliding his front foot backward, he would rise from his stance and swing. Developed as a third baseman, he was shifted to first base during spring training because the Astros already had an established third baseman in Ken Caminiti. Debuting on opening day, Bagwell hit .294 with 15 home runs and 82 RBI, and led the 1991 Astros in several offensive categories, and was named the 1991 National League Rookie of the Year. The best year in Bagwell's professional career was the strike-shortened 1994 season when he was unanimously named National League Most Valuable Player after batting .368 with 39 home runs, 116 runs batted in and 104 runs scored, in just 400 at-bats. He became the first National Leaguer to finish first or second in batting average, home runs, RBI, and runs scored since Willie Mays in 1955. His .750 slugging percentage in 1994 ranks as the 11th best single-season mark in Major League history and was the highest by a National Leaguer since Rogers Hornsby in 1925. Bagwell's hand was broken by a pitch on August 10, just before the players' strike began; had the season continued, he would likely have missed the remainder of the year and might not have won the MVP. But because of the timing of his "lucky break," Bagwell became just the fourth player in National League history to win the award unanimously. Bagwell was also the runner-up for the 1999 MVP, and was third in 1997. Bagwell's unique stance made him vulnerable to inside pitches. His left hand was broken by pitches in 1993, 1994, and 1995. But rather than change his successful style, he began wearing a heavily-padded protective batting glove. Bagwell's stance also allowed him to shrink his strike zone and walk more often. Bagwell had nine seasons with over 30 home runs, eight seasons with 100 or more RBI, and nine seasons with over 100 runs scored. In six consecutive years, from 1996 through 2001, he reached all three marks in every season. He drew at least 100 walks for seven straight seasons, and had six seasons with a .300 batting average. Bagwell was also considered a strong fielder, winning a Gold Glove award in 1994, and compiling a career .993 fielding percentage. He also exhibited above-average speed and baserunning skills for a first baseman, stealing 202 bases over his career, including two seasons (1997, 1999) in which he stole at least 30 bases, and five seasons (1994, 1996-99) in which he stole at least 15. In 1997, he became the first full-time first baseman to steal 30 bases while hitting 30 home runs. Bagwell was teammates with Craig Biggio for the entirety of his Major League career. While Derek Bell was on the team from 1995-1999, the trio was sometimes called "The Killer B's." The nickname also sometimes referred to Sean Berry and was later to include Lance Berkman and Carlos Beltran. In 2001, Bagwell signed a five-year extension with Houston. By 2005, Bagwell was the seventh highest-paid player in the sport, receiving $18 million in the fourth year of the deal. However, shortly after the 2005 season began, a persistent arthritic condition in his shoulder sidelined him for what turned out to be three-quarters of the season. This same condition, which began to affect him in 2001, turned the former Golden Glove winner into a defensive liability at first base, forcing him to "push" the ball instead of throwing it. Teams began taking advantage of Bagwell's defensive weakness caused by the arthritic condition. As the condition worsened, Bagwell's offensive production suffered as well, and pressure mounted on the Astros' managers to bench the perennial All-Star. Although unable to throw, Bagwell was reactivated in September 2005 as a pinch hitter and played a small but symbolic role in the Astros' successful drive to capture the National League pennant. Bagwell was the Astros' designated hitter in the first two games of the World Series versus the Chicago White Sox, and a pinch hitter in the two games played in Houston. [edit] Health issues On January 23, 2006, the Astros indicated that they would file a claim on an insurance policy on Bagwell's health, to collect approximately $15.6 million of the $17 million in salary Bagwell was owed for the 2006 season. Because of the language of the policy, the Astros could not release Bagwell without losing their settlement, nor could Bagwell take the field. The decision effectively eliminated Bagwell's chances of playing again in the Major Leagues. Nonetheless, Bagwell still reported to spring training hoping he could contribute in some way during the upcoming 2006 campaign, and to test his own injured shoulder. He wanted his play to determine his status, not the particulars of the Astros' insurance policy. Bagwell played several games with the Astros in spring training, batting .219 with two RBI. He never had to make any throws that were difficult enough to put notable stress on his shoulder, since the other infielders shifted toward him when they were playing. As expected, the Astros put him on the 15-day disabled list in late March. Bagwell said that he was only in good enough condition to play every several days, rather than every day. [1]Bagwell was paid the full amount of his contract, and that was never at issue. The Astros and the insurance company settled the claim the same day Bagwell announced his retirement.[2] The Astros declined to pick up the $18 million club option for 2007, instead buying Bagwell out for $7 million. Bagwell filed for free agency in November 2006, but announced his retirement one month later. Astros owner Drayton McLane and general manager Tim Purpura announced that Bagwell would remain in the Astros organization, in the player development department, as one of the Assistants to the General Manager. [3] Bagwell made his first public appearance at Minute Maid Park since the end of his career on June 28, 2007, when he was pulled out of the Astros dugout after the 7th inning by his former teammate and long-time friend Craig Biggio, who had just logged his 3000th career hit. Biggio wanted Bagwell to be with him "between the lines one more time" and to share the achievement and appreciation from the hometown Houston fans. [edit] Number retirement The Houston Astros retired his number 5 jersey on August 26, 2007, prior to the start of a game versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bagwell was the eighth player in Astros history to have his number retired. Most recently, Jimmy Wynn's No. 24 was retired in 2005. [4].

Greg Maddux was born in San Angelo, Texas, but spent much of his childhood in Madrid, Spain, where the United States Air Force had stationed his father.[2] His father exposed him to baseball at a rather young age, and kindled his passion for the sport. Upon his return to Las Vegas, Nevada, Maddux and his brother Mike trained under the supervision of Rusty Medar, a former scout from the majors.[2] Medar preached the value of movement and location above velocity, and advised throwing softer when in a jam instead of harder; Maddux would later say, "I believed it. I don't know why. I just did." Though Medar died before Maddux graduated from Valley High School in Las Vegas, he instilled a firm foundation that would anchor Maddux’s future career.[3] Maddux currently lives in the same community. Mike Maddux was drafted in 1982. When scouts came to observe the older Maddux brother, their father Dave told them, "You will be back later for the little one." Despite having a successful high school career, Maddux did not receive many athletic scholarship offers to play collegiate baseball.[4] This prompted Maddux to declare eligibility for 1984 amateur MLB Draft after graduation. Some teams were underwhelmed by Maddux's skinny build, but Cubs scout Doug Mapson saw past the unimpressive physique. Mapson wrote a glowing review that read in part, "I really believe this boy would be the number one player in the country if only he looked a bit more physical." [edit] Professional career [edit] Chicago Cubs (1986-1992) Maddux was drafted in the second round of the 1984 amateur draft by the Chicago Cubs, and made his Major League debut in September 1986; at the time, he was the youngest player in the majors. Oddly, his first appearance in a major league game was as a pinch runner in the 17th inning against the Houston Astros. Maddux then pitched in the 18th inning, allowing a home run to Billy Hatcher and taking the loss. His first start, five days later, was a complete game win. In his fifth and final start of 1986, Maddux defeated his older brother, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Mike Maddux, marking the first time rookie brothers had ever pitched against each other. Mike Maddux was well used to his younger brother's competitive spirit, saying of their youth, "If Greg couldn't win, he didn't want to play, plain and simple."[5] In 1987, his first full season in the majors, Greg Maddux struggled to a disappointing 6-14 record and 5.61 ERA. But he flourished in 1988, finishing 18-8 with a 3.18 ERA. This began a streak of 17 straight seasons in which Maddux recorded 15 or more wins, the longest such streak in history. Cy Young ranks second with 15 straight 15-win seasons. A highlight of his 1988 season came on May 11, when he threw a three-hit, 10-inning shutout against the Padres. Maddux established himself as the Cubs' ace in 1989, winning 19 games, including a September game at Montreal's Olympic Stadium that clinched the Cubs' second-ever National League Eastern Division championship. Manager Don Zimmer tabbed him to start Game One of the National League Championship Series against the San Francisco Giants. It was a rough postseason debut for Maddux. He allowed eight runs and was relieved after surrendering Will Clark's grand slam home run with 2 outs in the fourth. Maddux believed that just before the grand slam, Clark was able to read Maddux's lips during a conference at the mound between Maddux and Zimmer. Since that incident, Maddux has always covered his mouth with his glove during conversations on the mound. Maddux took a no-decision in Game Four. After consecutive 15-win seasons in 1990 and 1991, Maddux won 20 games in 1992, tied for the NL lead, and was voted his first National League Cy Young Award. Free agency was pending for Maddux, but contract talks with the Cubs became contentious and eventually ceased. Both Chicago general manager Larry Himes and Maddux's agent, Scott Boras, accused the other of failing to negotiate in good faith. The Cubs eventually decided to pursue other free agents, including Jose Guzman, Dan Plesac and Candy Maldonado. After seven seasons in Chicago, Maddux signed a $28 million deal with the Atlanta Braves. [edit] Atlanta Braves (1993-2003) He made his Braves' debut as their opening day starter against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, beating his former teammates 1-0. It was a good start to another strong Maddux season. He led the NL in ERA for the first time while posting a 20-10 record. Maddux won his second straight Cy Young Award, and the Braves took their rotation of Maddux, 22-game winner Tom Glavine, 18-game winner Steve Avery, and 15-game winner John Smoltz to the postseason. Maddux won against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Two of the NLCS, but with Atlanta trailing 3 games to 2, took the loss in the decisive Game Six. During the strike-shortened 1994 season, Maddux posted an ERA of 1.56, the second lowest since Bob Gibson's historic 1.12 in 1968. (The lowest ERA since the mound was lowered five inches in 1969 is Dwight Gooden's 1.53, for the 1985 New York Mets). It pleased Maddux that his 1994 batting average, .222, was higher than his ERA (at least colloquially, if not mathematically).[citation needed] Maddux also led the National League in wins, with 16, and innings pitched, with 202, in his third Cy Young-winning year. Maddux also finished 5th in National League Most Valuable Player voting in (1994). In the following season, 1995, Maddux was 19-2 and posted the third-lowest ERA since Gibson's: 1.63. Maddux became the first pitcher to post back-to-back ERAs under 1.80 since Walter Johnson in 1918 (1.27) and 1919 (1.49); Johnson is the only other pitcher in history to do so. Maddux's 1.63 ERA came in a year when the overall league ERA was 4.23. Since the introduction of the live-ball era in 1920, there have only been five pitchers to have full-season ERAs under 1.65: Gibson and Luis Tiant in the anomalous 1968 season, Gooden in 1985, and Greg Maddux, twice. Maddux's 19 wins led the National League, for the third time in four seasons. On May 28, 1995, he beat the Astros, losing a no-hitter on an eighth-inning home run to Jeff Bagwell. In June and July, Maddux threw 51 consecutive innings without issuing a walk. Maddux pitched effectively in all three of the Braves' postseason series, winning a game in each. His Game One victory in the 1995 World Series was vintage Maddux: 9 innings, 2 hits, no walks. Maddux took the loss in Game Five, but the Atlanta Braves won their first World Series championship. Following the 1995 season, Maddux won his fourth straight Cy Young Award, and his second consecutive unanimous award. He also finished 3rd in National League Most Valuable Player voting in (1995). The Atlanta Braves also made good on a preseason promise to their pitching rotation, installing a putting green in the locker room at Turner Field following the World Series victory. From 1996-1998, Maddux finished fifth, second, and fourth in the Cy Young voting. In August 1997, Maddux signed a $57.5-million, five-year contract extension that made him the highest-paid player in baseball. In February 2003, he avoided arbitration by signing a one-year $14.75-million deal. Maddux's production remained consistent: a 19-4 record in 1997, 18-9 in 1998, 19-9 in both 1999 and 2000, 17-11 in 2001, 16-6 in 2002, and 16-11 in 2003, his last season as a Brave. From 1993 to 1998, Maddux led the National League in ERA four times, and was second the other two seasons; his career ERA of 3.12 is second among active starters, behind only Pedro Martínez2.83. On July 22, 1997, Maddux threw a complete game with just 76 pitches. Maddux allowed just 20 bases on balls in 1997, including six intentional walks. In 1998, Maddux carried a 1.65 ERA through late August, but a late-season slump caused his ERA to rise to 2.22 (still the lowest ERA in the NL). Only a spectacular year by Pedro Martínez prevented Maddux from winning what would have been his fifth Cy Young Award in six seasons. Maddux threw a complete game 2-1 win against Houston to open the NLDS. The NLCS was an assortment of extremes: Maddux posted a 1.38 ERA and had more strikeouts than baserunners, but suffered an 0-2 record. Five unearned runs cost him his first start, and he lost a bitter 2-1 decision in Game Five. Maddux struck out 200+ batters for the only time in his career in 1998. He outdueled the Cubs' Kerry Wood to clinch the NLDS, but the Braves were eliminated in the next round. The Braves returned to the World Series in 1999. Maddux was the Game One starter, and took a 1-0 lead into the eighth inning before a Yankee rally cost him the game. In June 2000, Maddux made his 387th putout to break Jack Morris' career record. In September 2000, he had a streak of 39 1/3 scoreless innings. He pitched poorly in his one playoff start of 2000. In May 2001, Maddux became the first Braves pitcher since 1916 to throw two 1-0 shutouts in the same month. In July and August of that year, Maddux pitched 72 1/3 consecutive innings without giving up a walk. In 2002, he won his 13th straight Gold Glove Award, an NL record; Maddux tied Jim Kaat's career record of 16 Gold Gloves after the 2006 season. Maddux was the jewel in the much-vaunted Braves triad of Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz, who pitched together for over a decade, as the core of one of the best pitching staffs in the history of the game. The three were the lynchpin of a team that won the National League East division every year that Maddux was on the team (1994 had no division champions). The three pitchers were frequently augmented by other strong starters such as Steve Avery, Kevin Millwood, Denny Neagle and Russ Ortiz. However, Atlanta never won another championship. In 29 postseason games with Atlanta, Maddux had a 2.81 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP, but just an 11-13 record. Maddux pitching for the Cubs in 2006 [edit] Back With The Cubs (2004-2006) Maddux returned to the Cubs as a free agent prior to the 2004 season. On August 7, 2004, Maddux defeated the San Francisco Giants, 8-4, to garner his 300th career victory. In April 2005, he beat Roger Clemens for his 306th win in the first National League matchup between 300-game winners in 113 years. On July 26, 2005, Maddux struck out Omar Vizquel to become the thirteenth member of the 3000 strikeout club and only the ninth pitcher with both 300 wins and 3,000 strikeouts. Maddux became one of the four pitchers to reach 3,000 strikeouts while having allowed fewer than 1,000 walks. The other three pitchers who have accomplished this feat are Ferguson Jenkins, Curt Schilling, and Pedro Martínez. Maddux's 13-15 record in 2005 was his first losing record since 1987, and snapped a string of seventeen consecutive seasons with 15 or more wins. (Cy Young had surpassed the 15-win total for 15 straight years; both Young and Maddux have reached 13+ wins for 19 consecutive seasons.) Maddux's second stint with the Chicago Cubs lasted until mid-2006, when he was traded for the first time in his career, to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Coincidentally, on September 28, 2007, Maddux would help the Cubs one last time, by beating the Brewers and therefore eliminating them from their playoff race against the Cubs. Maddux warming up in the bullpen [edit] Los Angeles Dodgers (2006) Maddux was acquired by the Dodgers, then in the thick of a playoff race. In his first Dodger start, Maddux threw six no-hit innings, before a rain delay interrupted his L.A. debut. In his next start, it took just 68 pitches for Maddux to throw eight shutout innings. On August 30, 2006, he got his 330th career win, passing Steve Carlton to take sole possession of 10th on the all-time list. On September 30, 2006, Maddux pitched seven innings in San Francisco, allowing two runs and three hits in a 4-2 victory over the Giants, clinching a postseason spot for the Dodgers and notching another 15-win season. It was Maddux's 18th season among his league's Top 10 for wins, breaking a record he'd shared with Cy Young and Warren Spahn, who did it 17 times apiece. Maddux in the dugout in 2008 [edit] San Diego Padres (2007-present) On December 5, 2006 Maddux agreed to a one year, $10 million deal with the San Diego Padres with a player option for the 2008, an option that Maddux has now exercised (at a reported $10 million). [6] Maddux earned his 338th victory in the game that Trevor Hoffman earned his milestone 500th save. He recorded his 340th win on June 27, 2007, becoming the tenth pitcher to do so. On August 24, 2007, he won his 343rd game to take sole possession of ninth place on the all time win list. He achieved another milestone with the same win, becoming the only pitcher in the Major Leagues to have 20 consecutive seasons with at least 10 wins and placing him second on the list for most 10-win seasons, tied with Nolan Ryan and behind Don Sutton, who has 21. Also in 2007, Maddux reached 13 wins for the 20th consecutive season, passing Cy Young for that major league record. He finished the season with a career total 347 wins. Further, through the 2007 season's end, Maddux is the winningest major league pitcher during the 2000s decade, with 126 victories between 2000 and 2007. Randy Johnson and Tim Hudson have two fewer, at 124. Maddux won a record 17th Gold Glove award in 2007. On May 10, 2008, Maddux became the ninth pitcher in history to win 350 or more games in his career. [edit] Talents and accomplishments The right-handed Maddux is known for his pinpoint accuracy, and his ability to psych out hitters. The speed of his pitches was never a strong suit, and has decreased with time, but Maddux's location has been peerless. Baseball Hall of Famer Wade Boggs said of Maddux, "It seems like he's inside your mind with you. When he knows you're not going to swing, he throws a straight one. He sees into the future. It's like he has a crystal ball hidden inside his glove." Maddux was also noted for the late movement on his pitches, which, combined with his superb command, made him one of the most effective groundball pitchers in history. While his strikeout totals were average, hitters were often unable to make solid contact with his pitches. Due to his longevity and skill, Maddux ranked eleventh all time in career strikeouts with 3,273 at the end of the 2007 season, and was third among active pitchers. Maddux's primary pitches have always been variations of the standard fastball and circle changeup, though he has gradually added other, more complex pitches to his repertoire, such as the split-fingered fastball and the screwball. His cut fastball has been in his repertoire since about 1995, though he still achieved great success and three Cy Young Awards before he learned it. Maddux has been credited by many of his teammates with a preternatural ability to outhink his opponents, and anticipate results. Braves catcher Eddie Perez tells the story of Maddux intentionally allowing a home run to the Astros' Jeff Bagwell, in anticipation of facing Bagwell in the playoffs months later. Maddux felt Bagwell would instinctively be looking for the same pitch again, which Maddux would then refuse to throw.[7] On another occasion while sitting on the bench, Maddux once told his teammates, "Watch this, we might need to call an ambulance for the first base coach." The batter, Los Angeles' Jose Hernandez drove the next pitch into the chest of the Dodgers' first base coach. Maddux had noticed that Hernandez, who'd been pitched inside by Braves pitching during the series, had shifted his batting stance slightly.[5] Early in the 2000 season, Maddux was asked by sportswriter Bob Nightengale what had been the most memorable at-bat of his pitching career. Maddux said it was striking out Dave Martinez to end a regular season game. Nightengale was surprised Maddux hadn't picked a postseason game, or a more famous player. Maddux explained: "I remember that one because he got a hit off me in the same situation (full count, bases loaded, two out in the 9th inning) seven years earlier. I told myself if I ever got in the same situation again, I'll pitch him differently. It took me seven years, but I got him."[5] Publicly, however, Maddux is dismissive of his reputation, saying, "People think I'm smart? You know what makes you smart? Locate your fastball down and away. That's what makes you smart. You talk to Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, or Tom Seaver. They'll all tell you the same thing. It's not your arm that makes you a great pitcher. It's that thing between both of your ears we call a brain." To this day Maddux maintains Koufax, Gibson, and Seaver are the three best pitchers of the "live ball" era of baseball. [8]. Informed by "The Sporting News" he had been voted best pitcher of the 1990s, in typical Maddux humility he replied, "It [the award] could have gone to Glavine or Smoltz just as easily and each would have deserved it. They're both great pitchers." Maddux has never walked more than 82 batters in any season of his career, averaging fewer than 2 walks per game. In 1997, Maddux allowed 20 walks in 232+ innings, or 0.77 per 9 innings. In 2001, he set a National League record by going 72 1/3 innings without giving up a walk. In addition to his pitching skills, Maddux is an excellent fielding pitcher. He has won 17 Gold Gloves, the all time record for any position. Of his 17 total awards, Maddux won 10 with the Braves, five with the Cubs, one with the Dodgers and one with the Padres. Maddux has also been a reliable hitting pitcher, with a career .172 Batting Average including four seasons batting .200 or better. Maddux pitched in 12 Division Series contests, 15 League Championship games and five World Series games.[1] He has a 3.34 ERA in 194 postseason innings, including an outstanding 2.09 ERA in 38.7 World Series innings.[1] He was chosen for the National League All-Star team eight times.[1] Maddux has won 20 games only twice, in 1992 and 1993.[1] However, he has won 19 games five times (including the 1995 season which was reduced to 144 games from the strike of 1994), 18 games twice, and 16 in the strike shortened 1994 season (which was reduced to 115 games).[1] He won four ERA titles (in 1993-1995 and 1998), and led the NL in shutouts five times.[1] He holds the major league record for seasons leading his league in games started (7).[9] He also holds the record for most seasons finishing in the top 10 in the league in wins (18).[10] In 1999, Maddux ranked 39th on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, the highest-ranking pitcher then active. He was also nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. However, when TSN updated their list in 2005, Maddux had fallen to number 51. Maddux was born on April 14, 1966, the same day as future Braves teammates David Justice and Steve Avery. The date was also the same day fellow 300-game winner Don Sutton made his Major League debut. Greg has 2 children; a daughter, Amanda "Paige", and a son, "Satchel" Chase Maddux

The Tekken series is one of the earliest 3D fighting game franchises, with the first game releasing less than two years after Virtua Fighter. There are five Tekken sequel games: Tekken 2, Tekken 3, Tekken Tag Tournament, Tekken 4, and Tekken 5. An update of Tekken 5, and a further update titled Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection have also been released. The most recent sequel, Tekken 6 was released in Japanese Arcades in November 2007, and is due to be released on PlayStation 3 console in 2008. The Tekken series also includes Tekken Advance, (a GBA version of Tekken 3) which was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2001. However, Namco did not release any other Game Boy Tekken titles subsequently, due to the franchise's exclusive deal on the PlayStation platform. A PSP version of Tekken 5 retitled Tekken: Dark Resurrection, was released in Japan and the U.S. in summer 2006. The European version was released September 15, 2006.. Tekken Cart was also released on the hand held Wonderswan. As with many fighting games, players choose a character from a lineup, and engage in hand-to-hand combat with an opponent. It is primarily a competitive two player series, but a human player can fight an AI-controlled character for practice or amusement. In the original Tekken game, the characters would fight on arenas. The name of the location was displayed in the bottom right corner of the screen. The locations included Angkor Wat, Szechwan, Monument Valley, Chicago, Kyoto, Fiji, Lake Windermere, Venezia, Akropolis, King George Island, and Chiba Marine Stadium. Subsequent Tekken games do not have the names of real locations displayed in-game during fights. Tekken differs from other hand-to-hand fighting games in some ways. Traditional fighting games are usually played with buttons which correspond to the strength of the attack, such as strong punch or weak kick. Tekken, however, dedicates a button to each limb of the fighter, making learning special attacks more of an intuitive process. The player could watch the animation on screen and figure out the appropriate command (if the character kicks low with their right leg, the move is likely to be executed by pressing down and right kick, or a similar variation). Traditional fighting games, such as Street Fighter, involve inputting commands as rapidly and accurately as possible, whereas Tekken slows the action down, emphasizing rhythm, strategy, and deception over speed. The Tekken games are popular within the martial arts community thanks primarily to the fact that most of the characters' fighting techniques can be found in real life martial arts. However, there are questions as to the accuracy of the style labels ascribed to certain characters. For example, in previous releases of the game, the character Paul Phoenix is listed accurately as fighting using integrated martial arts based on judo, despite judo not generally allowing punching and kicking, especially in competition. Similarly, the character Marshall Law is listed as being a practitioner of "martial arts", which is not a specific discipline. Similarities exist between Marshall Law and Bruce Lee, including Jeet Kune Do as well as appearance. The misunderstanding concerning Marshall Law's "martial arts" is commonly attributed to the fact that in the manual for the American PlayStation release of Tekken 2, the translator for the manual missed a small pun where Marshall Law practiced 'Marshall arts', a reference to his own name. Other Tekken characters also draw heavily from real life action heroes, such as Lei Wulong and Craig Marduk, video game analogues of Jackie Chan, and large wrestlers/mixed martial artists, such as Bill Goldberg, Nathan Jones, and Bob Sapp, respectively. Namco themselves have stated that the styles in Tekken are not supposed to accurately represent real styles, but merely give the impression of them. Paul Phoenix, Nina Williams, Yoshimitsu and Heihachi Mishima have been in all Tekken games. Apart from Yoshimitsu and Heihachi, there are many crossovers between Tekken and the Soul series, such as King's mask available for custom characters in Soulcalibur III, and Ivy's hairstyle for Anna in Tekken 5. Yoshimitsu and Heihachi, being originally Tekken characters, obtained many new moves when brought to the Soul series. In later Tekken games, some of these attacks were added to their moves lists. [edit] Gameplay Kazuya vs. King in Angkor Wat.The Tekken series uses separate buttons for right and left limbs, resulting in four buttons, while most other 3D fighting games used two buttons. Other trademarks include throw escapes, and starting from Tekken 2, autoblock. Each iteration was improved upon both graphically and technically. Tekken 3 introduced the ability to move into the foreground or away from the background, commonly referred to as "sidestepping." Also, Tekken 3 reduced recovery time after being knocked down then previous games and each game afterwards include rolls to recover instantly after hitting the ground; allowing the player to get back into the fight instead of pounding buttons. Tekken 4 gave characters even greater mobility by adding true 3D movement while simultaneously including geometrically complex arenas with unleveled ground, obstacles, and walls. This differed from previous Tekken games, where all of the arenas were level and contained no boundaries, meaning the player could walk forward or backward without limit. Tekken 5 saw the return of both walled and infinite arenas, with the fluid mobility of Tekken 4 being toned down to appease many players who felt it made the game more focused on evasion. Tekken Tag Tournament, released between Tekken 3 and Tekken 4, is not a part of the Tekken storyline. The game allowed each player to control one of the two selected fighters, who could be tagged in and out of the fight by the additional fifth button, which can be used for tag team attacks and juggles, amongst other tactics. Otherwise, Tag Tournament used much of the Tekken 3 gameplay engine and reintroduced characters who weren't available since Tekken 2. [edit] Rounds By default, there are two rounds of combat. However, the players have a choice from one to five rounds, as well as options for the time limit of each round. If the winning character retains all his or her health without the time limit expiring, the announcer will call, "Perfect!" If the winning character is near knock out, the announcer will call, "Great!" It is possible that both characters can be knocked out simultaneously, and the announcer will call "Double K.O." If the time limit for the round expires, the character with more health will be declared the winner. If both players have equal health remaining, the round will be a draw. In other cases, the announcer will call "K.O." when one character is triumphant. [edit] Characters Tekken is notable and praised for depicting its characters with visual flair and style. Players can choose from a diverse cast that hails from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and fighting styles. Many characters have supernatural origin, such as Devil, while others like Roger Jr. and Kuma provide comic relief. In the story mode of the game, each character generally has their own personal reasons for entering the tournament and competing for the prize. When a player selects a character, completion of the game would assume that particular character won the tournament and their ending is shown, hence there are multiple endings depending on which character is chosen by the player. The plot of subsequent games in the series, however, assumes only one of the endings to be correct. The overarching plot of the series revolves around the Mishima family (Heihachi, Kazuya, Jin and most recently Jinpachi), who together are the only characters to host and win the tournaments canonically in the series so far.

Palmeiro debuted on September 8, 1986 in a game between the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field, as a left fielder.[1] During his tenure with the Cubs, he normally played left field, though occasionally he would play other outfield positions or first base. Palmeiro was the runner up to National League batting champion Tony Gwynn in 1988 with a .307 batting average, only six points below Gwynn's. After the 1988 season, Palmeiro was traded by the Cubs to the Texas Rangers along with Jamie Moyer and Drew Hall in exchange for Mitch Williams, Paul Kilgus, Steve Wilson, Curt Wilkerson, Luis Benitez, and Pablo Delgado. Upon moving to the American League, Palmeiro was primarily used as a first baseman or designated hitter. Palmeiro blossomed as a hitter while with the Rangers, leading the league in hits in 1990 and doubles in 1991. In 1990, he was third in the American League in batting. Prior to Palmeiro's 1995 season, he had hit more than thirty home runs only once (37 in 1993). Starting in 1995, Palmeiro began a streak of 38+ home run years that continued through the 2003 season. He hit 373 home runs during this nine-season span, while also driving in over 100 runs in each of these seasons. However, Palmeiro never led the league in home runs, and is history's most prolific home run hitter to have never won the home run crown. Palmeiro's nine consecutive years with 38+ home runs set the record - breaking record of seven consecutive years by Babe Ruth (1926-1932). On May 11, 2003, Palmeiro hit his 500th home run off David Elder in a game against the Cleveland Indians. Two years later, Palmeiro joined Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Eddie Murray as the only players in major league history to get 3,000 hits and 500 home runs when he got his 3,000th base hit off Joel Pineiro during a game against the Seattle Mariners on July 15, 2005. Because most of Palmeiro's home runs came with the Rangers and Orioles, he is one of only four players in history to hit over 200 home runs for two different clubs. Palmeiro has played in 2,831 major league games, the most by any player who has never played in the World Series. His 1999 Gold Glove Award is regarded by many as controversial, because he won the award despite playing only 28 games at first base that season.[2] [3] He played most of his games that year as a designated hitter. Palmeiro filed for free agency on October 29, 2005, indicating he would attempt to play his 20th season in baseball. As of 2007, he has not signed or played with any team. Palmeiro currently resides in Colleyville, TX with his wife and two sons. [edit] Steroids Former Rangers teammate José Canseco identified Palmeiro as a fellow steroid user in his 2005 book, Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big, and claimed he personally injected Palmeiro with steroids. On March 17, 2005, Palmeiro appeared at a Congressional hearing about steroids in baseball and, while under oath, denied ever using steroids and stated, "Let me start by telling you this: I have never used steroids, period. I don't know how to say it any more clearly than that. Never."[4] On August 1, 2005, Palmeiro was suspended for ten days after testing positive for steroids.[5] In a public statement, Palmeiro disclosed that an appeal of the suspension had already been denied. He released a statement saying, "I have never intentionally used steroids. Never. Ever. Period. Ultimately, although I never intentionally put a banned substance into my body, the independent arbitrator ruled that I had to be suspended under the terms of the program."[6] It should be noted that all of his previous tests over several years were negative, and a test he took just three weeks after his positive test was also negative.[7] The Washington Post reported that the steroid detected in Palmeiro's system was a "serious" one.[8] According to The New York Times, Palmeiro tested positive for the potent anabolic steroid stanozolol, the same substance Olympic sprinter Ben Johnson of Canada took in 1988 when he was stripped of the gold medal at the Seoul Summer Olympics.[9] Palmeiro returned to Camden Yards following his 10-day suspension on August 11, 2005, although he did not play in the lineup until August 14. Coincidentally, this was the date that had been planned as "Rafael Palmeiro Appreciation Day" in celebration of his 500-home run, 3,000-hit milestone. It was canceled after Palmeiro's suspension. Palmeiro famously inserted earplugs in his ears to block out the loud boos of the fans during a subsequent game in Toronto against the Blue Jays.[10] The Baltimore Sun reported that Palmeiro never offered an explanation for his positive test to the MLB arbitration panel, which ran contrary to his public statements.[11] ESPN later reported that Palmeiro implicated Miguel Tejada to baseball's arbitration panel, suggesting a supplement provided to him by Tejada was responsible for his positive test. This supplement was simply vitamin B12, though it could have been tainted.[12] Miguel Tejada and two unnamed teammates provided B12 samples to the panel, and the samples did not contain stanozolol. However, the committee did say they found "substantial inconsistencies between Mr. Tejada's accounts and the accounts of players A and B." [13] Miguel Tejada, who said he received shipments of B12 from the Dominican Republic, was later implicated for steroid use in the Mitchell Report. [14] On November 10, 2005, ESPN reported that the House Government Reform Committee would not seek perjury charges against Palmeiro, although they were not clearing him.[15] Palmeiro continues to strongly deny ever using steroids, telling the Baltimore Sun in June, 2006, "Yes sir, that's what happened. It's not a story; it's the reality of what happened," and "I said what I said before Congress because I meant every word of it." [16] Palmeiro passed a polygraph test in which he was not asked if he ever used steroids, but in which he did state that he unknowingly ingested them via a B12 injection.[17][18] A 2005 New York Times article expressed one writer's belief that Palmeiro's story could perhaps be the truth. [19] In December of 2007, Palmeiro was included in the Mitchell Report in which it was alleged that he used performance-enhancing drugs during his career. The report did not provide any new evidence and only recapped allegations made by José Canseco, Palmeiro's appearance before congress and his subsequent failed drug test. The report also details a conversation Larry Bigbie alleges he had with Palmeiro where he claims "Palmeiro asked him about his source of steroids and human growth hormone (the source was Kirk Radomski) and how the substances made him feel". Bigbie also stated that "Palmeiro denied in those conversations that he had ever used performance enhancing substances himself".[20] On December 20, 2007 Palmeiro was also named in Jason Grimsley's unsealed affidavit as a user of amphetamines prior to them being banned by MLB.[21]

The Fleer Corporation, founded by Frank H. Fleer in the mid-19th century, was the first company to successfully manufacture bubblegum. Bought out by comic-book empire Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. in 1992, the company shut down in 2005. Upper Deck now uses its former brand names. Fleer originally developed a bubblegum formulation called Blibber-Blubber in 1906. Unfortunately, while this gum was capable of being blown into bubbles, in other respects it was vastly inferior to regular chewing gum, and Blibber-Blubber was never marketed to the public. In 1928, Fleer employee Walter Diemer improved the Blibber-Blubber formulation to produce the first commercially successful bubblegum, Dubble Bubble. Its pink color set a tradition for nearly all bubble gums to follow. Fleer became known as a maker of sports cards, and has also produced some non-sports trading cards. In 1995, Fleer acquired the trading card company SkyBox International and, over Thanksgiving vacation shuttered its Philadelphia plant (where Dubble Bubble was made for 67 years) and secretly moved all manufacturing equipment, effectively firing hundreds of union employees. In 1998, 70-year-old Dubble Bubble was acquired by Canadian company Concord Confections; Concord, in turn, was acquired by Chicago-based Tootsie Roll Industries in 2004. In late May 2005, news circulated that Fleer was suspending its trading card operations immediately. By early July, in a move similar to declaring bankruptcy, the company began to liquidate its assets to repay creditors. The move included the auction of the Fleer trade name, as well as other holdings. Competitor Upper Deck won the Fleer name, as well as their die cast toy business, at a price of $6.1 million. It should be noted that just one year earlier, Upper Deck tendered an offer of $25 million, which was rejected by Fleer based on hope that the softening sportscard market would revive. One negative aspect associated with Fleer's bankruptcy is that many sports card collectors now own redemption cards for autographs and memorabilia that may not be able to be redeemed; those fears were somewhat quenched in early 2006 when random memorabilia cards were mailed to the aforementioned collectors. Contents [hide] 1 Early attempts at sports cards 2 Legal battles 3 Key Trading Card sets 4 As an Upper Deck Company subsidiary [edit] Early attempts at sports cards Well established as a gum and candy company, Fleer followed some of its competitors into the business of selling sports cards. It began by signing baseball star Ted Williams to a contract in 1959 and sold an 80-card set oriented around highlights of his career. Fleer was unable to include other players because another company, Topps, had signed most active baseball players to exclusive contracts. Williams was nearing the end of his career and retired after the 1960 season. However, Fleer continued to produce baseball cards by featuring Williams with other mostly retired players in a Baseball Greats series. One set was produced in 1960 and a second in 1961. The company did not produce new cards the next year, but continued selling the 1961 set while it focused on signing enough players to produce a set featuring active players in 1963. This 67-card set included a number of stars, including 1962 National League MVP Maury Wills (then holder of the modern record for stolen bases in a season), who had elected to sign with Fleer instead of Topps. Wills and Jimmy Piersall served as player representatives for Fleer, helping to bring others on board. However, Topps still held onto the rights of most players and the set was not particularly successful. Meanwhile, Fleer took advantage of the emergence of the American Football League in 1960 to begin producing football cards. Fleer produced a set for the AFL while Topps cards covered the established National Football League. In 1961, each company produced cards featuring players from both leagues. The next year reverted to the status quo, with Fleer covering the AFL and Topps the NFL. In 1964, however, Philadelphia Gum secured the rights for NFL cards and Topps took over the AFL. [edit] Legal battles This left Fleer with no product in either baseball or football. The company now turned its efforts to supporting an administrative complaint filed against Topps by the Federal Trade Commission. The complaint focused on the baseball card market, alleging that Topps was engaging in unfair competition through its aggregation of exclusive contracts. A hearing examiner ruled against Topps in 1965, but the Commission reversed this decision on appeal. The Commission concluded that because the contracts only covered the sale of cards with gum, competition was still possible by selling cards with other small, low-cost products. However, Fleer chose not to pursue such options and instead sold its remaining player contracts to Topps for $395,000 in 1966. The decision gave Topps an effective monopoly of the baseball card market. In 1968, Fleer was approached by the Major League Baseball Players Association, a recently organized players' union, about obtaining a group license to produce cards. The MLBPA was in a dispute with Topps over player contracts, and offered Fleer the exclusive rights to market cards of most players starting in 1973, when many of Topps's contracts would expire. Since this was so far in the future, Fleer declined the proposal. Fleer returned to the union in September 1974 with a proposal to sell 5-by-7-inch satin patches of players, somewhat larger than normal baseball cards. By now, the MLBPA had settled its differences with Topps and reached an agreement that gave Topps a right of first refusal on such offers. Topps passed on the opportunity, indicating that it did not think the product would be successful. The union, also fearing that it would cut into existing royalties from Topps sales, then rejected the proposal. In April 1975, Fleer asked for Topps to waive its exclusive rights and allow Fleer to produce stickers, stamps, or other small items featuring active baseball players. Topps refused, and Fleer then sued both Topps and the MLBPA to break the Topps monopoly. After several years of litigation, the court ordered the union to offer group licenses for baseball cards to companies other than Topps. Fleer and another company, Donruss, were thus allowed to begin making cards in 1981. Fleer's legal victory was overturned after one season, but they continued to manufacture cards, substituting stickers with team logos for gum. [edit] Key Trading Card sets Fleer produced two benchmark trading cards in the 1980s. In 1984, Fleer was the only major trading card manufacturer to release a Roger Clemens card; they included the then-Boston Red Sox prospect in their 1984 Fleer Baseball Update Set. The 1984 update set also included the first licensed card of Hall Of Fame outfielder Kirby Puckett. Fleer also released factory sets of their baseball cards from 1986-92. Like the Topps factory sets, they came in colorful boxes for retail and plainer boxes for hobby dealers. The 1986 was not sealed, but the 1987-89 sets were sealed with a sticker and the 1990-92 sets were shrinkwrapped. In 1986 Fleer helped resurrect the basketball card industry by releasing the 1986-1987 Fleer Basketball set which included the Rookie Cards of Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley. This set is seen by many basketball card collectors as the "1952 Topps of basketball." 1991 saw the first release of their Ultra set, which in some years was actually been released earlier than their regular Fleer (Tradition) set. The 1991 set had an announced production of 15% of regular Fleer and this set was produced on higher quality card stock and used silver ink, just like Donruss' Leaf set starting the previous year. The 1992 set used UV coating on both sides and gold foil stamping on the front, which was among the most beautiful sets of that year. 1994's Ultra and regular Fleer sets began another tradition of offering an insert card in every pack and the next year started another tradition called "hot packs" (where about 1:72 packs contained only insert cards. An assortment of the easier to find insert cards and not the rare 1:36 100% foil cards). Still another tradition that continues today is the Ultra Gold Medallion parallel insert set, which started in 1995 and also included all the insert sets for the first two years. These are inserted one per pack. In 1997, Ultra introduced the Platnium Medallion insert set which is traditionally serial numbered to 100. The following year, 1998, saw the introduction of the purple Ultra Masterpieces, which are one of ones. 1998 also started the tradition of including short printed cards in the regular/Gold/Platnium sets. Fleer's super premium flagship set, called Flair, began production in 1993 with an announced production run as 15% of Ultra. Its trademark was that it was printed on very thick card stock (about twice the thickness of regular cards), used a unique glossy finish along with six color printing. The "packs" are done by shrinkwrapping the cards (usually ten in a "pack") and then placing them in a shrinkwrapped "mini-box" instead of the usual mylar foil packs used on virtually all trading card products today. The 1997 Flair Showcase set included the first one-of-one cards for any major sport, a spate of masterpiece parallels to the more common Row 2, Row 1 and Row 0 parallel sets. The 2007 Fleer Factory Set contains 440 cards. The set has rookies of very well known prospects. List of 2007 Fleer Rookie Cards [edit] As an Upper Deck Company subsidiary In early 2005, Fleer announced that it would cease all productions of trading cards and file for bankruptcy. In late 2005, Upper Deck began producing basketball, hockey, and football cards under its acquired Fleer name. In 2006, Upper Deck published baseball sets under the popular names Fleer, Fleer Ultra, Fleer Tradition, Flair, Skybox Autographics, and Fleer Greats of the Game. Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleer"

High school years Sanders attended North Fort Myers High School in North Fort Myers, Florida, and was a letterman in football, basketball, and baseball. He was an All-State honoree in all three sports. In 2007 Sanders was named to the Florida High School Association All-Century Team which selected the Top 33 players in the 100 year history of high school football in the state of Florida's history. [edit] College career Sanders was a star in three sports for the Florida State Seminoles, participating in football, baseball, and track. Beginning his freshman year, he started in the Seminoles' secondary, played outfield for the baseball team that finished fifth in the nation, and helped lead the track and field team to a conference championship. At Florida State, under head coach Bobby Bowden, Sanders was a two time consensus All-American cornerback in 1987 and 1988, and a third team All-American in 1986, intercepting 14 passes in his career, including three in bowl games, and managed to return one interception 100 yards for a touchdown. He won the Jim Thorpe Award in 1988. He was also a standout punt returner for Florida State, leading the nation in 1988 with his punt return average, and breaking the school's record for career punt return yards. His jersey at Florida State, #2, was retired in 1995. Sanders helped seal the 1988 Sugar Bowl for the Seminoles by picking off an Auburn pass in the last seconds. While playing baseball under head coach Mike Martin, at Florida State, Sanders hit .331 in 1986; he was known more for base stealing, swiping 27 bags in 1987. Sanders would go on to be drafted while in college by the New York Yankees (He also was selected by the Kansas City Royals out of North Fort Myers High School, though he did not sign.) On one occasion, Sanders played the first game of a baseball doubleheader, ran a leg of a 4x100 relay, then returned to play another baseball game. [edit] Family Sanders has been married twice — to Carolyn Chambers, with whom he has two children (Deiondra and Deion Jr.), and Pilar Biggers with whom he has 3 children (Shilo, Shedeur and Shelomi). [edit] Celebrity Family Feud Deion appeared with his family on NBC's new show Celebrity Family Feud which premiered on June 24th, 2008. [edit] MLB career Deion Sanders Outfielder Born: August 9, 1967 (1967-08-09) (age 40) Batted: Left Threw: Left MLB debut May 31, 1989 for the New York Yankees Final game June 14, 2001 for the Cincinnati Reds Career statistics AVG .263 Hits 558 SB 186 Teams New York Yankees (1989-1990) Atlanta Braves (1991-1994) Cincinnati Reds (1994-1995, 1997, 2001) San Francisco Giants (1995) Career highlights and awards Led NL in triples in 1992 with 14 Sanders played a nine-year, part-time baseball career, playing 641 games with 4 teams. During his most productive year, 1992, he hit .304 for the Braves, stole 26 bases, and led the NL with 14 triples in 97 games. During the 1989 season, he hit a home run and scored a touchdown in the NFL in the same week, the first (and only) player to do so. Sanders is the only man to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series. In four games of the 1992 World Series, Sanders batted .533 with 4 runs, 8 hits, 2 doubles, and 1 RBI while playing with a broken bone in his foot. Despite Sanders's performance, he and his Braves ultimately lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in six games. In 1997, Sanders finished 2nd in the NL with 56 stolen bases in 115 games. [edit] NFL career [edit] Atlanta Falcons Sanders's professional football career started the same year as his baseball career, 1989. He was the fifth pick overall in the 1989 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons, where he played until 1993. On Sanders' first career kick return, he returned it for a touchdown. During his time there, he intercepted 24 passes (including a career high 7 in 1993), three of which he returned for touchdowns. In 1992, he also led the league in kickoff return yards (1,067), yards per return (26.7) and return touchdowns (2). Over his five years with the Falcons, Sanders found his way to the end zone ten times (three defensive, three kick returns, two punt returns, and two receptions). During his stay in Atlanta, Sanders claimed that the Georgia Dome was his own house.[2] [edit] San Francisco 49ers After five seasons Sanders signed on to play one season with the San Francisco 49ers, where he had arguably his best season as a professional football player, recording six interceptions and returning them for an NFL best 303 yards and three touchdowns. On October 16, 1994, Deion was the big story as he made his dramatic return to the Georgia Dome in a 49er uniform. After getting into a scuffle with his former Falcon teammate Andre Rison, Sanders intercepted a pass from quarterback Jeff George and proceeded to return it 93 yards while mockingly staring down the entire Falcons sideline before high-stepping into the end zone. Sanders was later voted the 1994 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and recorded an interception in the 49ers 49-26 win over the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. After the season, Jerry Rice and Sanders publicly feuded — Rice fumed at the idea that the media felt Sanders was the missing link to the 49ers Super Bowl run and that it was not giving credit to the other 52 men in the locker room[citation needed]. This ultimately resulted in Sanders feeling unappreciated by the 49ers organization and he opted to leave the team. [edit] Dallas Cowboys After his public dispute with Jerry Rice and not feeling valued with 49ers, Sanders with his agent Eugene Parker, proceeded to court numerous teams in need of an All-Pro cornerback. Several teams in the "Deion sweepstakes," as it was coined by the media that year, were the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins, and the Dallas Cowboys who ironically lost their starting cornerback Kevin Smith to injury for the rest of the season. On September 9, 1995, Sanders signed a lucrative contract with the Dallas Cowboys (seven years, $35 million with a $12.99 million signing bonus), essentially making him at the time, the highest paid defensive player in the NFL. Sanders later stated in his book "Power, Money & Sex: How Success Almost Ruined My Life", that the Oakland Raiders offered him more money than any other team, but he chose to play in Dallas because of his friendship with Cowboys' wide receiver Michael Irvin, more time on the offensive side of the ball, and a chance to win back-to-back Super Bowls. Arthroscopic surgery kept him sidelined until his debut in Week 9 once again, against the Atlanta Falcons, only this time, Sanders debut with his new team was not as dramatic as it was with the 49ers. He later went on to help the Cowboys win their third Super Bowl title in four years with a win in Super Bowl XXX against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he returned a punt for 11 yards and caught a 47-yard reception on offense, setting up Dallas' first touchdown of the game and a 27-17 victory. He is the only player in NFL history to catch a pass and make an interception in the Super Bowl. At the trophy presentation, Sanders stated, "I didn't even get to hold the trophy last year" in regards to his previous employer in San Francisco. Sanders proceeded to play 4 more seasons with Dallas earning Pro Bowl berths in all of them, although the Cowboys only won one playoff game (1996 against the Minnesota Vikings) in that time. [edit] Washington Redskins After five seasons with the Cowboys, new Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder pursued Sanders along with other high priced free agents Mark Carrier and Bruce Smith. Sanders played one season with the Redskins, having four interceptions before retiring in 2001. Late in the 2002 NFL season Sanders contemplated a return to the NFL, specifically to the Oakland Raiders. With his rights still the property of the Redskins, he lobbied and received his release from the team and was waived. The San Diego Chargers claimed Sanders' rights and placed him on their Reserve-Retired List. Sanders opted to stay retired. [edit] Baltimore Ravens In 2004, lured back to football by Ravens cornerback Corey Fuller, linebacker Ray Lewis and long time partner Joe Zorovich, Sanders announced that he was going to end his retirement. He signed a 1-year deal reportedly[citation needed] worth $1.5 million with the Baltimore Ravens to be a nickelback. Sanders chose to wear the number 37, which matched his age at the time, to preemptively let people know that he was well aware of his relative senior status for an NFL player (additionally, the number 21 used by Sanders throughout his career, was already in use on the Ravens by Pro-Bowler Chris McAlister). On October 24, Sanders scored his ninth career touchdown on an interception return against the Buffalo Bills, moving him into a tie for second place with Ken Houston and Aeneas Williams behind Rod Woodson (12) all-time in that category. In January 2006, Sanders once again retired from the NFL, becoming an analyst for the NFL Network. [edit] Legacy During his 14-year NFL career, Sanders was a perennial All-Pro and one of the most feared pass defenders to ever play the game. He ran a 4.18 in the 40 yard dash making him the second fastest in the NFL to Derek A. Stroud, who ran a 4.12. At the height of his career, his reputation was so great that opposing offensive coordinators almost always specifically accounted for him in their game-plan[citation needed]. He was widely known to shut down "his" half of the field, causing most quarterbacks to essentially ignore the receiver he was covering. Although critics argued that his tackling was poor and he was not much of a factor in run support, they could not deny his unparalleled closing speed. Sanders' speed and athleticism enabled him to blanket the best receivers while playing one of football's toughest positions. Sanders also occasionally lined up with his team's offense. During the 1996 season, Sanders skipped the baseball season by concentrating strictly on football and attended the first NFL training camp of his career to better familiarize himself with the nuances of the wide receiver position. He became the first two-way starter in the NFL since Chuck Bednarik for the first half of the season due to Michael Irvin serving a five game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. During his career, Sanders intercepted 52 passes for 1,331 yards (a 25.1 yards per return average), ran 56 times for 1,578 yards, recovered four fumbles for 15 yards, returned 155 kickoffs for 3,523 yards, gained 2,199 yards on 212 punt returns, and caught 60 passes for 784 yards. Sanders amassed 7,838 all-purpose yards and scored 22 touchdowns: nine interception returns, six punt returns, three kickoff returns, three receiving, and one fumble recovery. His 19 defensive and return touchdowns are an NFL record. He also allowed 2,842 extra yards rushing in plays called against his side of the field. He was selected to eight Pro Bowls in 1991--1994, 1996-1999. He was also awarded the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1994. College Football News named Sanders #8 in its list of 100 Greatest College Football Players of All-Time. The Sporting News named Sanders #37 in their Top 100 Football Players of the Century released in 1999. ESPN named Sanders #74 in its list of the 100 Great Athletes of the Century released in 1999. Sanders also had a rushing TD in the playoffs (against the Philadelphia Eagles in January 1996). This makes him (including post season) one of only two players in NFL history (Bill Dudley) to score a touchdown six different ways (interception return, punt return, kickoff return, receiving, rushing, and a fumble recovery). [edit] "Prime Time" persona Deion Sanders will mostly be remembered sporting his famous "do-rag or bandana" and for his "High-Stepping" into the end zone followed by his touchdown dance celebrations. At the same time, Sanders will also be remembered for being one of the most visible and outspoken football players to ever take the field due to his alter-ego, Prime Time. A marketing ploy every bit as much as an alternate personality as it was given to him by a friend and high school teammate, Florida Gators defensive back Richard Fain. The two played pickup basketball games together during the prime time television hour, and Sanders' athletic display during those games won him that title. Once in the NFL, Sanders felt he deserved to be paid every bit as much as NFL quarterbacks and in 1995 he used the "Prime Time" strategy to sign a seven-year, $35 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys (the contract was essentially five years, but was given a seven-year length for an easier cap hit and the signing bonus was $12,999,999.99, 1 cent under 13.0 million due to superstition by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.) At one point, he was the highest paid defensive player in the league and set the benchmark price-tag for future "shut-down corners". [edit] Other ventures In addition to his sports career, Sanders has moved on to other ventures after his retirement. In 2003, Sanders took interest in Devin Hester and DeAngelo Hall, two return specialists from the University of Miami and Virginia Tech. Sanders mentored Hester and Hall, counseling and advising them both during various points of their collegiate career. The Chicago Bears drafted Hester in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Since then, Hester has broken, tied, or approached many NFL return records. Hester has cited Sanders as one of his major inspirations and idols, and thanked him for his training and advice. Hester, also known as “Anytime,” occasionally performs Sanders’ signature touchdown dance and high-steps in homage to his mentor. DeAngelo Hall, on the other hand, was like a son to Sanders, who began teaching Hall everything he knew [3][4][5] Sanders also tried to adopt a high school running back, Noel Devine, who was one of the top recruits in 2007. Sanders was advised against this, but responded, "He doesn't have parents; they died. God put this young man in my heart. This is not about sports. This is about a kid's life." He now mentors Devine, and was a factor in Devine's extended wait to sign a letter-of-intent to West Virginia University. Devine eventually signed to play football for the Mountaineers. In January 2004, Sanders was hired as an assistant coach to the Dallas Fury, a women's professional basketball team in the National Women's Basketball League, even though Sanders had never played organized basketball either in college or the professional level, although he had originally been dubbed "Prime Time" due to his prowess as a basketball player in high school.[6] After retiring from the NFL, Sanders worked as a sports pre-game commentator for CBS' The NFL Today until 2004, when contract negotiations failed. He was replaced by Shannon Sharpe. During Sanders's run, he participated in several sketches. The first was "Primetime and 21st," a mock street corner where Sanders (not yet a regular panelist) would give his opinions. Another was his "Sanders Claus" persona, one of numerous sketches that involved young kids in football jerseys, representing NFL players, receiving a sarcastic gift from Sanders. "Sanders Claus" did Christmas while Halloween and Thanksgiving versions were also used. Deion actually debuted as "Sanders Claus" in a set of Nike commercials. Still to this day Deion takes presents at Christmas time to local children's hospitals in his area dressed as "Sanders Claus". Sanders frequently made guest appearances on ESPN, especially on the ESPN Radio Dallas affiliate, and briefly hosted a show called The New American Sportsman. He also hosted the 2002 Miss USA pageant. Sanders also was co-host of the 2004 GMA Music Awards broadcast, taped in late April 2004, slated for an airing on UPN in May 2004. When negotiations with fellow Viacom property CBS failed (see above) two weeks before the broadcast, and he signed a deal with ESPN, UPN promptly cancelled the broadcast, and the show aired on the i Network in December 2004 (both UPN and CBS are now owned by CBS Corporation). On September 2, 2005, in response to the after-effects of Hurricane Katrina, Sanders challenged all professional athletes in the four major sports to donate $1,000 each to relief efforts, hoping to raise between $1.5 and $3 million total. Sanders said "Through unity, we can touch thousands....I have friends and relatives that feel this pain. Help in any way you can." In April 2006, Sanders became an owner of the Austin Wranglers, an Arena Football League team.[7] On March 2, 2007, Deion, on behalf of "Sanders Clause," made an appearance at the PCW Arena in Arlington, Texas. He made his special appearance for a young adult with a physical illness. The boy's name is Jeffery Stallone. Alongside PCW Tag Team Champion’s Lance Hoyt (“Shadow”), Wally Darkmon, “Main Event” Mike Foxx, and “The Texas Legend” Action Jackson, they talked to a standing room only arena about Jeffery’s illness and Sanders made the announcement that he will hold a special benefit show for Jeffery “The Snake” Stallone on March 17, 2007 at the PCW Arena, which then occurred on the given date. Sanders currently works as a host with Rich Eisen and Steve Mariucci for the NFL GameDay show on the NFL Network. Sanders also appeared on the ESPN TV show Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith three times. Sanders currently stars in his own reality show -- Deion & Pilar: Prime Time Love -- centered around him, his wife, and their five children, all of whom live in the small town of Prosper, Texas

A Wichita, Kansas native, Sanders attended Wichita North High School. He did not play running back until the fourth game of his senior year in 1985. He rushed for 1,322 yards in the final seven games of the season, which earned him all-state honors. He was, however, overlooked by most college recruiters because of his 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) size. He chose Oklahoma State out of the few scholarship offers made to him. He was one of the top prospects in the college draft. [edit] College career Sanders played for the Oklahoma State Cowboys from 1986 to 1988, and wore the number 21. During his first two years, he backed up All-American Thurman Thomas. Thomas moved on to the NFL, and Sanders became the starter for his junior year. In 1988, in what has been called the greatest season in college football history,[1] Sanders led the nation by averaging 7.6 yards per carry and over 200 yards per game, including rushing for over 300 yards in four games. He set college football season records with 2,628 yards rushing, 3,249 total yards, 234 points, 39 touchdowns, of which 37 were rushing (also a record), 5 consecutive 200 yard games, scored at least 2 touchdowns in 11 consecutive games, and 9 times he scored at least 3 touchdowns. Sanders also ran for 222 yards and scored 5 touchdowns in his three quarters of action in the Holiday Bowl - a game that was not included with his season statistics.[2] Sanders won the Heisman Trophy as the season's most outstanding player.[3]. However, he left Oklahoma State before his senior season to enter the NFL draft. [edit] Professional career After his junior year, Sanders left Oklahoma State and entered the NFL draft. The Detroit Lions selected Sanders with their 1st-round (3rd overall) pick in the 1989 draft, thanks to the endorsement of then-coach Wayne Fontes. The Lions' management considered drafting another Sanders, cornerback Deion, but Fontes convinced them to draft Barry instead. Though there were concerns about his size, it turned out these concerns were mostly unfounded. Sanders was far too quick for defenders to hit solidly on a consistent basis, and too strong to bring down with arm tackles. Though short at 5'8", his playing weight was 203 lb (91 kg) and Sanders had a large portion this weight in his exceptionally large and muscular legs which provided him with a very low center of gravity; His weight was also the same as Walter Payton and only slightly under the NFL average for a back. Further, Sanders was able to dazzle onlookers at an ESPN slam dunk contest by jamming comfortably from a flat footed position[citation needed] demonstrating his other defining characteristic: explosiveness. His agility and quick acceleration combined with his low center of gravity made him very difficult to bring down. In contrast to many of the star players of his era, Sanders was also noted for his on-field humility. Despite his flashy playing style, Sanders was rarely seen celebrating after the whistle was blown. Instead, he preferred to hand the ball to a referee or congratulate his teammates. In his rookie year in 1989, Sanders missed training camp due to a contract dispute. Despite that, he ran for 18 yards on his first carry, and scored a touchdown on his fourth. He finished the season second in the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns, and won the Rookie of the Year Award.[4] In 1994, Sanders rushed for 1,883 yards, on a 5.7 yards per carry average. He also totaled 283 receiving yards, which gave him a combined 2,166 yards from scrimmage for the season. He was named the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year. In 1995, Sanders posted 1,500 yards rushing with 398 receiving yards, beating his rushing total alone of the '94 season. In 1996, Sanders rushed for 1,553 yards with a career-low 147 receiving yards. Sanders greatest season came in 1997 (see below), when he rushed for a career-high 2,053 yards. In Sanders last season in the NFL, 1998 he rushed for 1,491 yards, ending his four-year streak of rushing for over 1,500 yards in a season. Despite his individual success, the Lions never reached the Super Bowl while Sanders played for them. The closest they ever came was in the 1991 season. Aided by Sanders' 1,855 combined rushing/receiving yards and 17 touchdowns during the season, they recorded a 12–4 record and went on to defeat the Dallas Cowboys 38–6 in the divisional playoffs, the Lions only playoff win since 1957. They were beaten by the Washington Redskins 41–10 in the NFC Championship Game, and Sanders was held to 59 total yards. Detroit made the playoffs 4 more times during Sanders' career, but each time they were eliminated in the first round. In Sanders' career, he achieved Pro Bowl status in all of his 10 seasons as a pro. Sanders was named first team All-Pro eight times from 1989–1991 and 1993–1997 and was named second team All-Pro twice in 1992 and 1998. Sanders was also named All-NFC from 1989-1992 to 1994-1997. Sanders was named NFL Rookie of the Year in '89, Offensive Player of the Year in '94 and '97, NFL MVP in '97, and was named to the 1990s NFL All-Decade team. Sports Illustrated writer Paul Zimmerman wrote: "It doesn't matter where the play is blocked; he'll find his own soft spot...The scheme doesn't matter with Sanders. He can run from any alignment. While other people are stuck with joints, he seems to have ball bearings in his legs that give him a mechanical advantage...Sanders' finest runs often occur when he takes the handoff and, with a couple of moves, turns the line of scrimmage into a broken field...Nobody has ever created such turmoil at the point of attack as Sanders has...Knock on wood, he seems indestructible..." [edit] 1997 Season For Barry Sanders his greatest season came in 1997. After a start in which he gained 53 yards on 25 carries in the first two games of the season, Sanders ran off an NFL record 14 consecutive 100 yard games, including two 200 yard performances, en route to rushing for 2,053 yards. In reaching the 2,000 yard plateau, he became only the third player to do so in a single season and the first since O. J. Simpson to rush for 2,000 yards in a span of 14 consecutive games. He was the first running back to rush for 1,500 yards in five seasons and the only one to do it four consecutive years. At the end of the season, Sanders shared the Associated Press's NFL Most Valuable Player Award with Green Bay QB Brett Favre. Week Team Carries Yards Average 1 ATL 15 33 2.2 2 TAM 10 20 2.0 3 at CHI 19 161 8.5 4 at NOR 18 113 6.3 5 GNB 28 139 5.0 6 at BUF 25 107 4.3 7 at TAM 24 215 9.0 8 NYG 24 105 4.4 9 at GNB 23 105 4.6 10 at WAS 15 105 7.0 11 MIN 19 108 5.7 12 IND 24 216 9.0 13 CHI 19 167 8.8 14 at MIA 30 137 4.6 15 at MIN 19 138 7.3 16 NYJ 23 184 8.0 1997 TOTAL 335 2053 6.1 Other running backs have been compared to Sanders, for example Warrick Dunn. In the 1997 season, Sanders played twice against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dunn's team at the time. In the first game, Dunn ran for 116 yards in the first half, which helped the Buccaneers win the game and prompted sports writers to wonder whether Sanders had peaked and whether Dunn would take Sanders' position as a top-level running back. In the second game, Sanders ran for 215 yards, including touchdown runs of 80 and 82 yards, which helped Detroit win the game. At the end of the game, Sanders said "I do a pretty good Warrick Dunn impersonation, don't I?".[5] [edit] Retirement Sanders stunned many when he announced his retirement from pro football. His retirement was made public by faxing a letter to the Wichita Eagle, his hometown newspaper in July 1999.[6] He left football healthy, having gained 15,269 rushing yards, 2,921 receiving yards, and 109 touchdowns (99 rushing and 10 receiving). He retired within a one-season striking distance of Walter Payton's career rushing mark of 16,726 yards. Only Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith have rushed for more yards than Sanders. Sanders's retirement came somewhat unexpectedly and was a matter of controversy. Two years beforehand, Sanders had renewed his contract with the Lions for $35.4 million over six years with an $11 million signing bonus. When he retired with several years left on his contract, the Lions demanded that he return $7.3 million of the bonus.[7] Sanders refused, and the Lions sued and eventually won a judgment against him. On February 15, 2000, arbitrator Sam Kagel ruled that Sanders was in default of his bonus agreement and owed $5.5 million plus interest over the next three years.[8] Several years after retirement, and repeated refusals to discuss the abruptness of it, Sanders finally admitted that the culture of losing in the Lions' organization was too much to deal with even though he said that he could still play. He explained that it robbed him of his competitive spirit, and he saw no reason to believe things were going to improve. He also stated that there were tears in his eyes as the Lions lost the final game of his career the season before he left, because he knew in his heart he was never going to play another NFL game - "I sobbed for 3 months."[9] An alternate explanation for Sanders' unanticipated retirement was offered years later by one of his coaches, Bobby Ross. In June 2008, Ross—while also praising both Sanders' talent and work ethic—said that he [Ross] "didn't think Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders loved the game of football".[10] [edit] Personal life As of 2008, Sanders lives in suburban Detroit with his wife Lauren Campbell (a former weekend news anchor in Detroit) and four children. [edit] Career Highlights [edit] Collegiate He set 34 NCAA records during his Heisman Campaign. He holds the national college single-season rushing record with 2,628 rushing yards in 1988. In 1988, Sanders won the Heisman Trophy while attending Oklahoma State University. In 2008, Sanders was ranked #2 in ESPN's list of the Top 25 Greatest College Football Players Ever. [edit] Professional Barry also helped bring forth and revolutionize the spin move used by most running backs in college and pro. In the 1989 NFL draft, he was selected in the 1st round (3rd overall) by the Detroit Lions. As a receiver, Sanders had 352 receptions for 2,921 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Detroit Lions. Sanders led the NFL in rushing four times. 1990, 1994, 1996, and 1997. He rushed for over 1,500 yards in a season for an NFL record five times. In 1997, he set an NFL record by rushing for at least 100 yards in 14 consecutive games and became only the third player to reach 2,000 yards in a single season. He shared the NFL MVP award with Brett Favre. During the final 14 games of the 1997 season Sanders rushed for exactly 2000 yards on 310 carries (6.5 yd./carry), a figure which bears comparison with O.J. Simpson's 14-game mark of 2003 yards on 332 carries (6.0 yd./carry). Each of his 10 years from 1989 through 1998 he was first- or second-team All-Pro and selected to the Pro Bowl. Over his professional football career, he rushed for at least 100 yards in 76 games, just short of Walter Payton's 77 games and Emmitt Smith's 78 games (although Barry accomplished the feat in fewer games). NFL record 25 games in which Sanders gained 150 yards or more. Brown is second with 22 game(S). 15 career touchdown runs of 50 yards or more, most in NFL history. Brown is second with 12. At the time of his retirement, Sanders' 15,269 career rushing yards placed him second behind Walter Payton's 16,726 yards. At Sanders' then-current yearly yardage pace, he would have eclipsed Payton within one or two years. Payton died from liver cancer at age 45 just months after Sanders' sudden retirement. If Sanders had gained an additional 31 yards over the course of his 153 games, he would have been only the 2nd NFL runner to average 100 yards per game. (See Jim Brown) His 18,190 career yards from scrimmage place him fourth on the all-time list. In 1999, he was ranked number 12 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, making him the highest-ranking Lions player and the third highest ranked running back, behind Jim Brown and Walter Payton. On January 31, 2004, he was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. On August 8, 2004, he was inducted to the Hall of Fame along with Bob Brown, Carl Eller, and John Elway. Along with Gale Sayers, Sanders is one of the only members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to be inducted while still in his 30's. On November 25, 2004, his jersey number #20 was retired before the Lions' annual Thanksgiving Day game. (It should be noted that the number was shared with former running back Billy Sims and Hall of Fame defensive back Lem Barney, who also attended the event.) Sanders also holds the NFL record for the most carries for negative yardage. According to the SI Book of Football, these numbers totaled 336 carries for -952 Yards. [edit] Career Statistics [edit] Regular Season ¹Led league ²S

College years O'Neal first gained national attention as a star at Linton Middle School. He led his Robert G. Cole High School team, San Antonio, Texas, to a 68-1 record during his two years there, and helped the team win the state title his senior year.[3] After graduating from high school, O'Neal attended Louisiana State University, where he was a member of Omega Psi Phi and studied business. He had first met Dale Brown, LSU's men's basketball coach at that time, years before in Europe. With O'Neal's stepfather stationed on a U.S. Army base at Wildflecken, West Germany, and his godfather a First Sergeant at Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio, O'Neal attended Fulda American High School, a DODDS school. While playing for Brown at LSU, O'Neal was a two time All-American, two-time SEC player of the year, and received the Adolph Rupp Trophy as NCAA men's basketball player of the year in 1991. He also holds the NCAA record for shots blocked in a game with 17 blocks against Mississippi State on December 3, 1990. O'Neal left LSU early to pursue his NBA career, but returned to school in 2000 and received a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies.[4] He was later inducted into the LSU Hall of Fame.[5] [edit] Orlando Magic He was drafted as the 1st overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. (He would later be teammates on the Miami Heat with the second and third picks of that same draft: Alonzo Mourning and Christian Laettner.) During that summer, prior to moving to Orlando, he spent a significant amount of time in Los Angeles under the tutelage of Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. O'Neal had an exceptional rookie season, as he helped the Magic win 20 more games than the previous season, with the team ultimately missing the playoffs by virtue of a tie-breaker with the Indiana Pacers. O'Neal averaged 23.4 points and 13.9 rebounds per game for the season and was named the 1993 NBA Rookie of the Year. O'Neal played in the All-Star game and scored 14 points. On two occasions during that season, each during a nationally televised game, O'Neal dunked the ball so hard that he broke the backboard support units. On the first occasion, in a game against Phoenix, the force from his dunk caused the entire goal to bend backward and then slowly sink to the ground. On the second occasion, in a game in New Jersey, the force of the dunk brought down the backboard and shot clock with it. O'Neal's second season was even better than his first. Teaming with newly-drafted Anfernee Hardaway, O'Neal averaged 29.4 points and led the NBA in field goal percentage at 60%. He was also voted into another All-Star game and helped the Magic make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. On November 20, 1993, against the New Jersey Nets, O'Neal registered the first triple-double of his career, recording 24 points to go along with career highs of 28 rebounds and 15 blocks. He made the All-NBA 3rd Team also. In his third season, O'Neal led the NBA in scoring and was voted into his 3rd straight All-Star Game. Orlando won 57 games and won the Atlantic Division. The Magic made it all the way to the NBA Finals, but were swept by the Houston Rockets. O'Neal made the All-NBA 2nd Team and was secong in MVP voting. By O'Neal's own admission, he was badly outplayed during that series by Houston's more experienced superstar center Hakeem Olajuwon, despite putting up admirable numbers in the series. O'Neal has stated that this was one of only two times in his life that he ever cried (the other at the death of his grandmother). His father also used the loss as motivation, saying to his son that "maybe you shouldn't have shook Mr. Olajuwon's hand" (in congratulations for his win). O'Neal was injured for a great deal of the 1995–96 season, missing 28 games. He averaged 26.6 points per game, made the All-NBA 3rd Team, and he made his 4th All-Star Game. O'Neal scored a game-high 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. The Magic won 60 games and won the Atlantic Division again, but Orlando was swept by the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs. Now a free agent, O'Neal contemplated whether his future would be best served by remaining with the Magic or by moving on to a new team. By this point, O'Neal had shown an interest in things outside basketball, including recording several rap albums and acting in films. Summer of 1995 O'Neal was named to the United States Olympic basketball team, and was part of the gold medal-winning team at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. [edit] Los Angeles Lakers After the 1995–96 season, O'Neal left the Orlando Magic to join the Los Angeles Lakers after being enticed by a seven-year, $122 million contract. O'Neal joined a young Laker squad that had recently returned to the playoffs, but of which little was expected. O'Neal's arrival vastly changed expectations, but he missed a significant number of games due to injury in the 1996-97 season and several players had difficulty meshing with the new focal point of the offense. By 1997–98, key role players Rick Fox and Robert Horry had been added by Laker GM Jerry West. This group meshed well and won 61 regular season games. However, in both of his first two seasons in Los Angeles, O'Neal suffered a lopsided play-off defeat by the Utah Jazz. The Lakers lost the 1997 conference semifinals 4-1 and 1998 conference finals 4-0. During a shootaround prior to the season opener versus the Utah Jazz in 1997, O'Neal got into a spat with Utah center Greg Ostertag, slapping him and sending him tumbling to the floor. O'Neal was suspended for the incident. He did not play in the game, due to an abdominal injury. The Lakers were clearly a team on the rise with the tandem of O'Neal and teenage superstar Kobe Bryant. However, the 1998–99 season was marked by nearly constant change within the Lakers. Long-time Lakers point guard Nick Van Exel was traded to the Denver Nuggets after a dispute with O'Neal. His former backcourt partner Eddie Jones was packaged with back-up center Elden Campbell for Glen Rice to satisfy a demand by O'Neal for a shooter. Coach Del Harris was fired and former Chicago Bulls forward Dennis Rodman was signed, but Rodman only lasted 23 games before leaving. The result was no better as the Lakers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. The Spurs would go on to win their first league title that year. In 1999, the Lakers hired Phil Jackson as their new head coach, and the team's fortunes soon changed. Utilizing Jackson's triangle offense, O'Neal and Kobe Bryant went on to enjoy tremendous success on the court, as they led the Los Angeles Lakers to three consecutive NBA titles (2000, 2001, 2002). O'Neal was named MVP of the NBA Finals all three times and has the highest scoring average for a center in NBA Finals history. O'Neal was also voted the 1999–2000 regular season Most Valuable Player, coming just one vote short of becoming the first unanimous MVP in NBA history. Fred Hickman, then of CNN, was the sole voter who did not cast his first place vote for O'Neal, instead choosing Allen Iverson, then of the Philadelphia 76ers. O'Neal also won the scoring title that year while finishing second in rebounds and third in blocked shots. In the summer of 2001, holding a basketball camp on the campus of Louisiana State University, O'Neal was challenged by LSU alumnus and current Boston Celtics player Glen "Big Baby" Davis, then 15 years of age and attending high school, to a friendly wrestling match, in which O'Neal, weighing 350 lb (160 kg/25 st), was lifted and body-slammed to the ground, leaving an impression on him.[6] Shaquille O'Neal at the White House greeting President Bush with his fellow Lakers.After the Lakers fell to 5th seed and failed to reach the Finals in 2003, the team made a concerted off-season effort to improve its roster. They sought the free agent services of forward legend Karl Malone and aging guard Gary Payton, but due to salary cap restrictions, could not offer either one nearly as much money as he could have made with other teams. O'Neal assisted in the recruitment efforts and personally persuaded both men to join the team. Ultimately, each of them signed, forgoing larger salaries in favor of a chance to win an NBA championship, something neither had accomplished in his career (which neither would achieve with the Lakers). At the beginning of the 2003–04 season, with two years left on his contract at the time, O'Neal informed the team of his desire for a substantially larger extension to his contract. O'Neal remained persistently vocal about this desire, but Laker management was hesitant to meet his demands amid concerns about his work ethic, the possibility of further injuries, and a general decline in his game due to age. It is widely believed that there was also concern about O'Neal's relationship with Kobe Bryant, as the two had exchanged public barbs during the off-season. With Bryant scheduled to become a free agent at the end of that season, many believed he would not choose to remain with the Lakers as O'Neal's sidekick. The Lakers did eventually offer O'Neal a large contract in February 2004 (according to the book Madmen's Ball by Mark Heisler) under which he would have unquestionably continued to remain the highest paid player in the league, but he reportedly refused after feeling his services were not needed. After the Lakers' loss to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals, O'Neal was angered by comments made by Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak regarding O'Neal's future with the club, as well as by the departure of Lakers coach Phil Jackson at the request of Dr. Buss. O'Neal made comments indicating that he felt the team's decisions were centered on a desire to appease Bryant to the exclusion of all other concerns, and O'Neal promptly demanded a trade. The Dallas Mavericks and their team owner Mark Cuban were extremely interested in O'Neal and were willing to make a trade with the Lakers, but Kupchak wanted Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs' superstar, in return. Cuban refused to let go of Nowitzki and the Lakers ended trade talks with Dallas. However, Miami showed interest and gradually a trade agreement was made. [edit] Miami Heat On July 14, 2004, O'Neal was officially traded to the Miami Heat for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and a future first-round draft choice. O'Neal reverted from his Lakers jersey number 34 to number 32 which he wore while playing for the Orlando Magic. Upon signing with the Heat, O'Neal promised the fans that he would bring a championship to Miami. He claimed that one of the main reasons for wanting to be traded to Miami was because of their up-and-coming star, Dwyane Wade. With O'Neal on board, the new-look Heat surpassed expectations, claiming the best record in the Eastern Conference. Despite being hobbled by a deep thigh bruise, O'Neal led the Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals and a Game 7 against the defending champion Detroit Pistons, losing by a narrow margin. He also narrowly lost the 2004–05 MVP Award to Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash in one of the closest votes in NBA history. O'Neal going in for a layup with the Heat.In August 2005, O'Neal signed a 5-year-extension with the Heat for $100 million. Supporters applauded O'Neal's willingness to take what amounted to a pay cut and the Heat's decision to secure O'Neal's services for the long term. They contend that O'Neal was worth more than $20 million per year, particularly given that considerably less valuable players earn almost the same amount. Critics, however, questioned the wisdom of the move, characterizing it as overpaying an aging and often injured player. In the second game of the 2005–06 season, O'Neal injured his right ankle and subsequently missed the following 18 games. Many critics stated that Heat coach Pat Riley correctly managed O'Neal during the rest of the season, limiting his minutes to a career low. Riley felt doing so would allow O'Neal to be healthier and fresher come playoff time. Although O'Neal averaged career lows (or near-lows) in points, rebounds, and blocks, he said in an interview "Stats don't matter. I care about winning, not stats. If I score 0 points and we win I'm happy. If I score 50, 60 points, break the records, and we lose, I'm pissed off. 'Cause I knew I did something wrong. I'll have a hell of a season if I win the championship and average 20 points a game." During the 2005–06 season, the Heat recorded only a .500 record without O'Neal in the line-up. On April 11, 2006, Shaquille O'Neal recorded his second career triple-double against the Toronto Raptors with 15 points, 11 rebounds and a career high 10 assists. O'Neal finished the season as the league leader in field goal percentage; he joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only two players in league history to lead the league in field goal percentage nine times. In the 2006 NBA Playoffs, the Miami Heat would go on to win their first NBA Championship. Led by both O'Neal and star Dwyane Wade, the 2nd seeded Heat defeated the defending Eastern Conference Champion and top-seeded Detroit Pistons in a rematch of the 2005 Conference Finals, and then defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals. O'Neal holding the championship ball when the NBA Champion Heat visited the White HouseO'Neal put up considerably lower numbers compared to those he recorded during the 2005–06 regular season, but he twice delivered dominant games in order to close out a playoff series: a 30-point, 20-rebound effort in Game 6 against the Chicago Bulls in the first round, and a 28-point, 16-rebound, 5-block effort in Game 6 against the Pistons. It was O'Neal's fourth title in seven seasons, and fulfilled his promise of delivering an NBA championship to Miami. At the victory celebration O’Neal declared another championship was on the way, saying, "We will see you again next year!" In the 2006–07 season O'Neal missed over thirty games with a right knee injury. The Miami Heat struggled during his absence but with his return won seven of their next eight games. Bad luck still haunted the squad however, as fellow superstar Dwyane Wade dislocated his left shoulder, leaving O'Neal as the focus of the team. Critics were doubting if O'Neal, now in his mid thirties, was able to put the team on his shoulders and if he could carry them into the playoffs. The Heat went on a much needed winning streak to keep them in the race for a playoff spot, which the Heat finally secured against the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 5. In a rematch of the year before, the Heat faced the Bulls in the first round of the playoffs. The Heat struggled against the Bulls and although O'Neal put up reasonable numbers, he was not able to dominate the series. The Bulls outplayed the Heat, resulting in a sweep. It was for the first time in ten years that O'Neal did not advance into the second round. In the 2006–07 season O'Neal reached 25,000 career points, becoming the 14th player in NBA history to accomplish that milestone. Despite this milestone, the 2006–07 season was the first in his career in which O'Neal's scoring average dropped below 20 points per game. O'Neal experienced a rough start for the 2007–08 season, averaging career lows in points, rebounds and blocks. His role in the Heat offense diminished, as he attempted only 10 field goals per game, in comparison with his career average of 17. In addition, O'Neal was plagued by fouls, and during one stretch fouled out five consecutive games. As a result of his poor performance and lengthy court absences, O'Neal's 14 straight All-Star appearances ended that season, as he was neither selected as a starter nor as a reserve in the game at New Orleans. [edit] Phoenix Suns Shaquille O'Neal as a member of the Suns against the New Orleans Hornets, February 27 2008The Phoenix Suns acquired O'Neal from the Miami Heat in exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. O'Neal made his Suns debut on February 20, 2008 against his former Lakers team, scoring 15 points and grabbing 9 rebounds in the process. The Lakers won, 130-124. O'Neal was upbeat in a post-game press conference, stating: "I will take the blame for this loss because I wasn't in tune with the guys [...] But give me four or five days to really get in tune and I'll get it."[7] Nonetheless, in 28 regular season games, O'Neal averaged 12.9 points and 10.6 rebounds in his first year with the Suns,[8] reaching the playoffs. One of the alleged reasons for the trade was to limit Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs in case of a series during the postseason, especially after the Suns elimination in the 2007 NBA Playoffs.[9] O'Neal and the Phoenix Suns did face the San Antonio Spurs in first round of the playoffs, yet they were once again eliminated in five games. In the series, O'Neal averaged 15.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.[8] [edit] Player profile O'Neal's free throw shooting is regarded as one of his major weaknesses.In his career, O'Neal established himself as a formidable low post presence, putting up lifetime averages of 25.2 points on .581 field goal accuracy, 11.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game (as of May 2008). At 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m), 325 lb (147 kg/23.2 st)[10] and U.S. shoe size 23,[11] he is famous for his physical stature. His physical frame gives him a power advantage over most opponents, and for a man of that size, he is quick and explosive. O'Neal's "drop step", (called the "Black Tornado" by O’Neal) in which he posts up a defender, turns around and, using his elbows for leverage, powers past him for a very high-percentage slam dunk, has proven an extremely effective offensive weapon, though it has been limited in recent years. In addition, O'Neal frequently uses a right-handed jump hook shot to score near the basket. The ability to dunk frequently contributes to his lifetime field goal accuracy of .580; he is the second most accurate shooter of all time. [12] Opposing teams often use up many fouls on O’Neal, limiting the playing time of their own big men. O'Neal's physical presence inside the paint has caused dramatic changes in many teams' offensive and defensive strategies that can be seen over the course of his career. Trying to defend O'Neal, teams put two, or sometimes even three defenders on him, resulting in uncontested shot opportunities for his teammates. On his own half of the hardwood, O'Neal is considered to be a capable defender, and he was named three times to the All-NBA Second Defensive Team. His presence serves to intimidate opposing players shooting near the basket, and he has averaged 2.4 blocked shots per game over the course of his career. He is a less effective defender at the perimeter, sometimes targeted for pick-and-roll plays by opposing teams. O'Neal has been able to step up his performance in big games, having been voted three-times NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. However, because of his poor free-throw shooting (see below), often he is either placed on the bench, or not called upon to take shots, in the closing moments of games, when free throws become important. As a teammate, he is also noted for his ability to form symbiotic relationships with young, talented guards. Playing alongside O'Neal, talents like Penny Hardaway, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade blossomed into legitimate superstars. Eventually, his relationships with Hardaway and Bryant soured, however O'Neal has embraced his relationship with Wade, and the two have shown to be fully supportive of each other in their three years together. O'Neal's primary weakness is his free-throw shooting. His lifetime average is 52.4%. He once missed all 11 free throws in a game against the Seattle SuperSonics on December 8, 2000, a record.[13] In hope of exploiting O'Neal's poor foul shooting, opponents often commit intentional fouls against him, a tactic known as "Hack-a-Shaq". O'Neal is the fourth-ranked player all-time in free throws taken,[14] having shot 9744 in 971 games. [edit] Media personality Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Shaquille O'NealO'Neal is generally liked by the media for his playful tone in interviews and generally eloquent manner in comparison to other athletes. This has been the main contributing factor in O'Neal's lack of media criticism. He has been called "The Big Aristotle and Hobo Master", a name that was self-given, for his composure and insights during these interviews. O'Neal has several nicknames, some of which have been given by the media. Some of the most common ones are "Shaq", "The Diesel "Shaq Fu", "The Big Aristotle", "The Big Daddy"[citation needed], "Superman", "The Big Agave"[citation needed], "The Big Cactus"[citation needed], "The Big Shaqtus", "Wilt Chamberneezy", "The Big Baryshnikov"[citation needed], "The Real Deal"[citation needed] and most recently, after earning his MBA, "Dr. Shaq"[citation needed].[15][16][17] During the 2000 Screen Actors Guild strike, O'Neal performed in a commercial for Disney. O'Neal was fined by the union for crossing the picket line. [18] [19] O'Neal's humorous and sometimes incendiary comments fueled the Los Angeles Lakers' long standing rivalry with the Sacramento Kings; O'Neal frequently referred to the Sacramento team as the "Queens." During the 2002 victory parade, O'Neal declared that Sacramento will never be the capital of California, after the Lakers beat the Kings in a tough seven game series enroute to completing a three-peat of championship titles. He also received some media flak for mocking Chinese speech when interviewed about newcomer center Yao Ming, but he was able to downplay the media attention to the event. O'Neal told a reporter, "you tell Yao Ming, ching chong yang, wah, ah so". Yao himself stated he did not find it offensive, but could see how others might interpret the remark as a racist comment. Yao replied that Chinese is a difficult language to learn. O'Neal's supporters said it was a reaction to Yao being over promoted by marketers and the media. Some blame this hype for allowing Yao to edge O'Neal in fan voting for the starting position of center at the All-Star Game. During the 2005 NBA playoffs, O'Neal lamented of his poor play due to injury as being comparable to Erick Dampier, a Dallas Mavericks center who had failed to score a single point in one of their recent games. The quip inspired countless citations and references by announcers during those playoffs, though Dampier himself offered little response to the insult. The two would meet in the 2006 NBA Finals. On May 24, 2005, when Brian Hill was re-announced as head coach of his former team, the Orlando Magic, O'Neal was quoted as saying, "It's good that he's back. When I buy the team Magic in three years, he'll be working for me." Whether or not this will raise speculation of O'Neal's life after playing basketball remains to be seen.[20] He is very vocal with the media, and often jabs at former Laker teammate Kobe Bryant. In the summer of 2005, when asked about Kobe, he responded, "I'm sorry, who?" and continued to pretend that he did not know who Kobe was until well into the 2005-2006 season. He has also appeared in many other shows such as Saturday Night Live and in 2007 hosted Shaq's Big Challenge, a reality show on ABC where he challenged Florida kids to lose weight and stay in shape. When the Lakers faced the Miami Heat on January 16, 2006, O'Neal and Kobe Bryant made headlines by engaging in handshakes and hugs before the game, an event that was believed to signify the end of the so-called "Shaq-Kobe feud" that had festered since the center left Los Angeles. O'Neal was quoted as saying that he accepted the advice of NBA legend Bill Russell to make peace with Bryant.[21] However, on June 22, 2008, O'Neal freestyled a diss rap about Bryant in a New York club. While rapping, O'Neal blamed Kobe for his divorce from his wife Shaunie and claims to have receive a vasectomy, as part of a rhyme. He also taunted Bryant for not being able to win a championship without him. O'Neal led the audience to mockingly chant several times "Kobe, tell me how my ass tastes."[22] O'Neal justified his act by saying "I was freestyling. That's all. It was all done in fun. Nothing serious whatsoever. That is what MC's do. They freestyle when called upon. I'm totally cool with Kobe. No issue at all."[23] Although even other exponents of hip hop, such as Snoop Dogg, Nas and Cory Gunz, agreed with O'Neal,[24] Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio has expressed his intention to release O'Neal from his Maricopa County sheriff posse badge, due to use of a racially derogatory word and other foul language. The quote from his song was "it's like a white boy trying to be more nigga than me." In addition, he repeatedly asked Kobe how his buttocks tasted, saying "How my ass taste Kobe?" on numerous occasions. [25] [edit] Personal life O'Neal was born in Newark, New Jersey. He remains estranged from his biological father, Joseph Toney of Newark. Toney has struggled with drug addiction and was imprisoned when O'Neal was an infant. Upon his release, Toney did not resume a place in O'Neal's life and instead agreed to surrender his parental rights to O'Neal's stepfather, Phillip A. Harrison, an army sergeant.[26] O'Neal and Toney have never spoken, and O'Neal has expressed no interest in a reconciliation.[27] On his 1994 rap album, Shaq Fu: The Return, O'Neal voiced his feelings of disdain for Toney in the song "Biological Didn't Bother", referring to Harrison with the verse, "Phil is my father." In his mansion in Orlando, Florida, O'Neal has a homemade movie theater with two rows of five retractable chairs, Superman lights, another Superman symbol on the floor, a big screen, another superman symbol on his blanket, and 5.1 surround sound. O'Neal also has an inside basketball court where he says he knows he's not good at free throws so any down time he has he practices shooting free throws. O'Neal, whose mother, Lucille (née O'Neal), is a Baptist and stepfather a Muslim, has not formally announced affiliation with a specific faith though in 2002, the Los Angeles Times identified O'Neal as being Muslim. The newspaper quoted him as saying, "It's a Muslim thing", with regard to the greetings he exchanged with opposing player Hedo Turkoglu before each game of that year's Western Conference Finals series. The newspaper also quoted Turkoglu as saying that he was not surprised at the gesture from O'Neal "because Muslim people support each other."[28] O'Neal married Shaunie Nelson on December 26, 2002. The couple has four children (Shareef, Amirah, Shaqir, and Me'arah, ages ranging from 6 to 1, in order), and Nelson has one child from a previous relationship (Myles, 8). O'Neal also has a daughter from a previous relationship (Taahirah, 9), making him the father of six. The family currently resides on Star Island in Miami, Florida. On September 4, 2007, O'Neal filed for divorce from his wife Shaunie in a Miami-Dade Circuit court. According to the petition, "The marriage between the parties is irretrievably broken", and that Shaunie was "secretive about her assets ... particularly with respect to certain properties owned or titled in either [her] name alone or in other entities" and requests that the court require Shaunie to give a "correct accounting of all money, funds, stocks, bonds, and other securities (including bearer securities)" [edit] Off court O'Neal left LSU for the NBA after three years. However, he promised his mother he would eventually return to his studies and complete his bachelor's degree. He fulfilled that promise in 2000, earning his bachelor of arts in general studies.[29] Coach Phil Jackson let O'Neal miss a home game so he could attend graduation. At the ceremony, he told the crowd "now I can go and get a real job". Subsequently, O'Neal earned a MBA online through the University of Phoenix in 2005. He has stated his intentions to begin work on his doctoral degree in criminology or art history in 2006. It's just something to have on my resume for when I go back into reality. Someday I might have to put down a basketball and have a regular 9-to-5 like everybody else.[30] — Shaquille O'Neal, in reference to his completion of an MBA degree Also, Shaquille O'Neal has maintained a high level of interest in the workings of the police department and has become personally involved in law enforcement. O'Neal went through the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Reserve Academy and became a reserve officer with the L.A. Port Police. He is seen in a commercial for ESPN in Miami Police garb climbing up a tree to rescue LSU mascot Mike the Tiger. On March 2, 2005, he was given an honorary U.S. Deputy Marshal title and named the spokesman for the Safe Surfin' Foundation; he served an honorary role on the task force of the same name, which tracks down sexual predators who target children on the Internet.[31] Upon his trade to Miami, O'Neal began training to become a Miami Beach reserve officer; on December 8, 2005, he was sworn in as a reserve officer (he elected a private ceremony so not to distract the other officers from their special moment). Shortly thereafter, in Miami, O'Neal was a witness to a hate crime and called Miami-Dade police, giving them a description of the suspect and helping police, over his cell phone, track the offender. O'Neal credits this as his first "arrest". O'Neal is looking to expand his business ventures with real-estate-development projects aimed at assisting Orlando homeowners facing foreclosure. His plans involve buying the mortgages of those who have fallen into foreclosure and then selling the homes back to them under more affordable terms. He would make a small profit in return, but overall, O'Neal is looking to make an investment in Orlando and help out the homeowners of the city. [32]

Sidney Patrick Crosby (born August 7, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was the first pick of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, and was one of the most highly regarded draft picks in hockey history, leading many to refer to the 2005 Draft Lottery as the "Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes."[4] In his first season, he finished sixth in scoring with 102 points (39 goals, 63 assists). By his second season, he led the NHL with 120 points (36 goals, 84 assists) to capture the Art Ross Trophy, becoming the youngest player and the only teenager to win a scoring title in any major North American sports league.[5] That same season, Crosby won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player as determined by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, and the Lester B. Pearson Award as the most valuable player as determined by the NHL Players Association. He is the seventh player in NHL history to earn the three highest honours, which are the highest individual awards for an NHL forward.[6] Contents [hide] 1 Playing career 1.1 Early career and junior hockey 1.2 NHL career 2 International play 3 Jerseys 4 Personal life 5 Career statistics 5.1 Regular season and playoffs 5.2 International statistics 6 Records 7 Awards 7.1 Midget AAA 7.2 QMJHL 7.3 CHL 7.4 NHL 7.5 Ice Hockey World Championships 7.6 Other 8 See also 9 References 10 External links Playing career Early career and junior hockey Sidney Crosby began playing hockey on his own in his basement at two years old, where he badly damaged the family's clothes dryer by constantly shooting pucks at it.[7] He learned to skate at three.[8] At the age of seven, he gave his first newspaper interview.[9] At thirteen, the Nova Scotia Minor Hockey Council refused to allow him to play Midget hockey, alongside seventeen year olds. His family sued and lost.[10] At fourteen, he appeared on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Hockey Day in Canada,[8] and scored 217 regular season points to lead his Midget AAA team, the Dartmouth Subways, to second place in the Air Canada Cup.[11] He won both the MVP Award and the Top Scorer Award after scoring 18 points in five games. Sidney attended Shattuck-Saint Mary's Boarding School in Minnesota for the 2002–2003 hockey season. While there, he led the Sabres to the U.S. National Championship. Crosby was selected first overall in the midget draft by the Rimouski Océanic of the QMJHL.[9] In his first game in the QMJHL, he scored one goal and added two assists.[12] He was named Player of the Week for two consecutive weeks at the start of the season, and eventually won the honour four more times as the season progressed. He was named Player of the Month three times, and CHL Player of the Week three times.[13] By the end of the season, he had been named Player of the Year, Top Rookie, and Top Scorer- the first QMJHL player to earn all three honours at once.[13] He also led the QMJHL with 54 goals and 81 assists in only 59 regular season games.[13] In August 2004, Crosby turned down $7.5 million over three years to play for the Hamilton franchise of the World Hockey Association, claiming that he was not ready to leave the junior league yet.[14] In 2004–05, the Oceanic, led by their top line of Crosby, Marc Pouliot, and Dany Roussin dominated the QMJHL, setting the record for the longest undefeated streak (28 games) and losing only two games in the entire playoffs. The team also went to the Memorial Cup finals, but fell in the last game to the London Knights. Despite the physical wear of the tournament, and the certainty of his 1st overall selection, Crosby attended the NHL prospect combine and impressed scouts, particularly with his personality and self-assurance.[15] During his amateur years, Crosby caught the attention of several journalists and other players, including Wayne Gretzky. When Gretzky was asked if he thought anyone could break his records, he answered that Sidney Crosby could, and added that Crosby was the best player he had seen since Mario Lemieux.[16] Crosby was only the fifth player to represent Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships as a sixteen year old (in 2003). This feat was also accomplished by Jay Bouwmeester, Jason Spezza, Eric Lindros, and Wayne Gretzky, previously. Crosby stated that his most memorable hockey moment was winning the 2005 World Junior Championship.[17] NHL career Sidney Crosby was selected first overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins on July 30, 2005. Due to the labour stoppage in the previous season, the 2005 draft was conducted via a weighted lottery based on each team's playoff appearances and draft lottery victories in the last four years. This lottery system led to the draft being popularly referred to as the Sidney Crosby Lottery or the Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes.[4] Crosby played his first professional NHL game on October 5, 2005 against the New Jersey Devils, and registered an assist on the team's first goal of the season, scored by Mark Recchi in a 5–1 loss.[18] Upon entering the NHL, Crosby played alongside Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux. Unfortunately, Lemieux was forced to retire after being diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat.[19] On December 16, 2005, Michel Therrien named Crosby as an alternate captain for the Penguins. The move drew criticism from some hockey pundits, including Don Cherry, who claimed that Crosby did not have the experience for the position. He stated, "An 18-year-old kid says he's going to give us ideas. What, from the Quebec League, he's going to give them ideas? Come on. That's ridiculous."[20] Crosby finished his rookie season with the franchise record in assists (63) and points (102) for a rookie, both of which had been previously held by Mario Lemieux. Crosby is the youngest player in NHL history to score 100 points in a single season, and only the seventh rookie ever to hit the benchmark.[21] Overall, Crosby finished sixth in the NHL scoring race and seventh in the NHL in assists. Among Canadian NHL players, he trailed only Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley. While both Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals had solid rookie campaigns, Crosby finished second behind Ovechkin for the Calder Memorial Trophy. Through his first season, Crosby was accused by opposing players and coaches of taking dives and complaining to officials, which has been attributed to his youth.[22] He became the first rookie to earn 100 penalty minutes and 100 points in the same season, which magnified his reputation for complaining to NHL officials.[21] Hockey analyst Kelly Hrudey compared Crosby to Gretzky, who had a similar reputation as a "whiner" in his youth, and suggested that as Crosby matured, he would mellow out and his reputation would fade.[21] Crosby during the 2007 playoffsIn his second NHL season, Crosby built on his rookie success. On October 28, 2006, Crosby scored his first NHL hat trick in an 8–2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.[23] His success against the Flyers continued as just over six weeks later, on December 13, he recorded his first six point game of his career (one goal, five assists).[24] After that game, he led the NHL in scoring for the remainder of the season, becoming the first teenager to lead the NHL in scoring since Wayne Gretzky in 1980. Crosby finished the 2006–07 NHL season with 36 goals and 84 assists in 79 games. Being only nineteen years old at the time, he became the youngest player in NHL history to win the Art Ross Trophy and the youngest scoring champion in any major North American professional sport.[5] On May 31, 2007, he was named Pittsburgh's team captain, making him the youngest captain in NHL history.[25][26] During the season, the Penguins had offered him the captaincy, but he had turned it down. In the press conference naming him the team captain, he explained: “I just thought it wasn't right for me. As a team, we were playing great and you don't want to disrupt things like that. Individually, I was not ready to accept that responsibility quite yet. Going through the playoffs and having that experience has probably given me more confidence. I understand there is going to be a lot more responsibility on my shoulders with this, but it's something I'm ready for, I feel very comfortable with it and I'm just excited to get things going.”[27] At the NHL's annual awards show in June 2007, Crosby completed a rare off-season hat trick, winning the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Lester B. Pearson Award in addition to his previously awarded Art Ross Trophy. He became the youngest player in NHL history to win the Lester B. Pearson,[28] and only the second youngest player ever to win the Hart (after Gretzky).[29] Crosby also became the youngest player ever to be named to the NHL's First All-Star Team.[30] Crosby signed a five-year $43.5 million dollar contract extension with the Penguins on July 10, 2007, ensuring he will stay with the Penguins through the 2012–13 season.[31] Crosby recorded his first Gordie Howe hat trick on December 20, 2007 in a game against the Boston Bruins. His first assist came 55 seconds into the first period. At 8:26 of the same period, Crosby scored to give the Penguins a 2–0 lead. Five minutes and nine seconds into the second period, Crosby fought Andrew Ference to complete the hat trick.[32] On January 18, 2008, he suffered a high ankle sprain crashing leg-first into the boards in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He missed the 2008 All-Star Game.[33] After missing 21 games, he returned on March 4 against the Lightning and earned an assist.[34] He also played in the two games following the win over the Lightning. After these games, he felt his ankle was not up to shape and decided that he needed more time for it to heal.[35] Crosby sat out of the Penguins' next seven games and returned on March 27, 2008 to help the Penguins defeat the New York Islanders 3–1.[36] In the 2008 playoffs, the Penguins reached the final round for the first time since 1992, but lost in six games to the Detroit Red Wings. Crosby finished the playoffs with 27 points (6g, 21a in 20 games), tying Henrik Zetterberg (13g, 14a in 22 games) for first place.