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Palmer was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He learned golf from his father Deacon Palmer, who was head professional and greens keeper at Latrobe Country Club, allowing young Arnold to accompany his father as he maintained the course.[1] At age seven, Palmer broke 70 at Bent Creek Country Club.[citation needed] As a youngster, Palmer was only allowed on the Latrobe course (it was just nine holes then) in early morning or late afternoon, when the members weren't playing. He attended Wake Forest University, on a golf scholarship. He left upon the death of close friend Bud Worsham, and enlisted in the Coast Guard, where he served for three years and had some time to continue to hone his golf skills. Palmer gathered himself, and returned to competitive golf. His win in the 1954 U.S. Amateur Championship made him decide to try the pro tour for a while, and he and new bride Winifred Walzer (whom he had met at a Pennsylvania tournament) traveled the circuit for 1955. Palmer won the 1955 Canadian Open in his rookie season, and raised his game systematically for the next several seasons. With the help of his unfailing personality and lucrative business ventures, Arnold Palmer has almost single-handedly brought golf out of the elite country clubs and into the consciousness of mainstream America. Palmer's charisma was a major factor in establishing golf as a compelling television event in the 1950s and 1960s, setting the stage for the popularity it enjoys today. His first major championship win at the 1958 Masters cemented his position as one of the leading stars in golf, and by 1960 he had signed up as pioneering sports agent Mark McCormack's first client. In later interviews, McCormack listed five attributes that made Palmer especially marketable: his good looks; his relatively modest background (his father was a greenkeeper before rising to be club professional and Latrobe was a humble club); the way he played golf, taking risks and wearing his emotions on his sleeve; his involvement in a string of exciting finishes in early televised tournaments; and his affability.[2] Palmer is also credited by many for securing the status of The Open Championship (British Open) among US players. Before Palmer, relatively few American professionals attempted to play The Open due to its travel requirements, small prize purses, foreign environment, and the style of its links courses (radically different from most American courses). Palmer's successive Open wins in the early 1960s convinced many American pros that a trip to Britain would be worth the effort. Of course, the advent of transatlantic air travel by jet at about that time also contributed greatly to making The Open a more attractive tournament for American pros. He has won seven major championships: The Masters: 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964 U.S. Open: 1960 The Open Championship: 1961, 1962 Palmer's most prolific years were 1960-1963, when he won 29 PGA Tour events in four seasons. In 1960, he won the Hickok Belt as the top professional athlete of the year and Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award. He built up a wide fan base, often referred to as "Arnie's Army", and in 1967 he became the first man to reach one million dollars in career earnings on the PGA Tour. By the late 1960s Jack Nicklaus had acquired clear ascendancy in their rivalry, but Palmer won a PGA Tour event every year up to 1970, and in 1971 he enjoyed a revival, winning four events. Palmer won the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average four times: 1961, 1962, 1964, and 1967. He played on six Ryder Cup teams: 1961, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1971, and 1973. He was the last playing-captain in 1963 and captained the team again in 1975. Palmer was eligible for the Senior PGA Tour (now the Champions Tour) from its first season in 1980, and he was one of the marquee names who helped it to become successful. He won ten events on the tour, including five senior majors. Palmer won the first World Match Play Championship in England, an event which was originally organised by McCormack to showcase his stable of players. Their partnership was one of the most significant in the history of sports marketing. Long after he ceased to win tournaments, Palmer remained one of the highest earners in golf due to his appeal to sponsors and the public. Palmer gives President Bush golf tips before being awarded the Presidential Medal of FreedomIn 2004, he competed in The Masters for the last time, marking his 50th consecutive appearance in that event. After missing the cut at the 2005 U.S. Senior Open by twenty-one shots he announced that he would not enter any more senior majors. He retired from tournament golf on October 13, 2006, when he withdrew from the Champions Tours' Administaff Small Business Classic after four holes due to dissatisfaction with his own play. He played the remaining holes but did not keep score.[3] Palmer's legacy was reaffirmed by an electrifying moment during the 2004 Bay Hill Invitational. Standing over 200 yards from the water-laden 18th green, Palmer, who is known for his aggressive play, lashed his second shot onto the green with a driver. The shot thrilled his loyal gallery and energized the excitable Palmer. He turned to his grandson and caddie, Sam Saunders, and gave him a prolonged shimmy and playful jeering in celebration of the moment. Palmer has had a diverse golf related business career including owning "Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club and Lodge", which is the venue for the PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational (renamed from the Bay Hill Invitational effective 2007), helping to found The Golf Channel,[4] and negotiating the deal to build the first golf course in the People's Republic of China. This led to the formation of Palmer Course Design in 1972, which was renamed Arnold Palmer Design Company when the company moved to Orlando Florida in 2006. Since 1971 he has owned Latrobe Country Club, where his father used to be the club professional. Palmer's ability to win with boldness and charisma was the single biggest factor in the game's explosive growth after 1960. In 2000, Palmer was ranked the sixth greatest player of all time in Golf Digest magazine's rankings.[5] He now resides near his golf course, Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Country Club and Lodge, in Orlando, Florida

[edit] Minor league years Selected in the 5th round of the 2001 draft, Howard quickly ascended the Phillies' minor league system, earning consecutive MVP awards in the Florida State and Eastern leagues (2003 and 2004), respectively. While doing this, he impressed scouts enough that general managers of several teams tried to lure the Phillies' Ed Wade into trading him, as Jim Thome was blocking his path to the majors. [edit] 2004 – September call-up On September 1, Howard made his first Major League plate appearance, striking out against Jaret Wright in a pinch-hit at-bat (for Vicente Padilla) in a 7–2 loss to the Atlanta Braves. On September 6, Howard logged his first Major League hit in a single at-bat in a 3–1 loss to the Braves; on September 8, he recorded his first multi-hit game with a double and a single in a 4–1 win over the Braves. On September 11, Howard hit his first Major League home run off Bartolome Fortunato, driving in his first RBI and scoring his first run in an 11–9 win over the New York Mets. Ryan Howard had 42 plate appearances in 19 games with the Phillies in 2004. He posted a .282 batting average with two home runs and five RBI; he also hit five doubles, drew two walks, and was hit by a pitch. Between playing for the Double-A Reading Phillies, Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons and the Philadelphia Phillies, Howard hit 48 home runs, which was tied for the highest total in organized baseball in 2004 along with Adrián Beltré of the Los Angeles Dodgers. [edit] 2005 – Rookie of the Year On May 15, Howard recorded his first three-hit game, going 3-for-4 with a double, two singles, and a run-scored in a 4–3 win over the Cincinnati Reds. On August 23, he recorded his first four-hit game, going 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, two singles, three RBI and three runs-scored in a 10–2 win over the San Francisco Giants. In early July, Howard became the Phillies' everyday first baseman when slugger Jim Thome was sidelined for the season with an elbow injury. Howard, who led all major league rookies with 22 home runs, also posted a .288 average and 63 RBI in just 312 at-bats and 88 games. He hit eleven home runs and 27 RBI in September and October. Howard finished his rookie season with 17 doubles, two triples, 52 runs scored, and 100 strikeouts and 63 runs batted in as the Phillies battled the Houston Astros for the National League wild card until getting eliminated on the last day of the season. Howard was rewarded for his effort by being named NL Rookie of the Year, the fourth Phillie to win the award. After the 2005 season, the Phillies faced a dilemma involving Thome and Howard. Both were very talented and proven power-hitters; Thome was the biggest free agent player the Phillies signed prior to the 2003 season, but Howard was the reigning Rookie of the Year and a promising young player. Before the 2006 season, Thome was traded, along with $22 million cash, to the Chicago White Sox for outfielder Aaron Rowand, Gio Gonzalez, and Daniel Haigwood in order to make room for Howard. An example of Ryan Howard's signature stance he takes before taking a pitch. [edit] 2006 – Most Valuable Player On April 23, Howard became the first player to hit a home run into Ashburn Alley at Citizens Bank Park. The blast traveled 496 feet and was hit off Sergio Mitre of the Florida Marlins. It was the first of two Howard would hit in the game, the first multi-home run game of his career.[1] He also became the first player to hit a home run into the third deck of the park in right field when he connected off Mike Mussina on June 20, a 481-foot long-ball that was again his first of two home runs. To honor the home run, the Phillies painted a white H on the seat where the ball was caught. Howard collected seven RBI on the two home runs and a triple in the 9–7 loss, becoming the first Phillies batter to drive in seven runs since pitcher Robert Person on June 2, 2002. Howard was named to his first All-Star game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh as a reserve first baseman, by the player ballot. He participated in the Century 21 Home Run Derby prior to the game, and won the contest with a total of 23 home runs, defeating the New York Mets' third baseman David Wright in the final round. Howard was the second consecutive Phillie to win the Derby, with Bobby Abreu hitting a record 41 home runs in 2005. From August 25 to August 29, Howard hit home runs in four consecutive games; on the 29th, Howard hit his 48th home run of the season to tie Mike Schmidt for the Phillies single-season record. Two days later, on August 31, Howard hit a home run into the upper deck of Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium to surpass Schmidt as the Philadelphia Phillies single-season home run record holder. On September 3, Howard went 4-for-4 with three home runs and a single in an 8–7 win over the Atlanta Braves, to become the first Philadelphia Phillies batter and the 24th player in Major League history to hit 50 home runs in a season. Reaching 52 home runs in the game, Howard also broke Ralph Kiner's 1947 record for home runs in a sophomore season, becoming just the second batter to hit 50 home runs in a second season. On September 5, Howard was named the NL Player of the Month for August. His 41 runs batted in were the most any player had in one month since Frank Howard had 41 in July 1962. With 14 home runs, he also set new franchise records for both statistics in the month of August. On September 22, Howard became the 8th player in history to hit 58 home runs in a season, belting a three-run round-tripper off Florida Marlins pitcher Ricky Nolasco. The same day, Howard was awarded the third annual Mike Schmidt Most Valuable Player honor by the Philadelphia Baseball Writers Association of America[2] On October 2, Howard was named the NL Player of the Month for September. Howard, who also won the award in August, became the first player since Albert Pujols in May and June 2003, to win the award back-to-back. 2006 Season awards On October 10, Howard was named The Sporting News 2006 Player of the Year. On October 25, Howard was awarded the 2006 National League Hank Aaron Award. On November 8, Howard was named by his fellow Major Leaguers as the Player of the Year and the National League Outstanding Position Player in the 2006 Players Choice Awards balloting. He succeeded Atlanta Braves outfielder Andruw Jones, the 2005 winner of both awards. On the same day, following a 5-3 win over Nippon Professional Baseball that capped a five-game international sweep by the MLB in the Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series, Howard was named the Series MVP; he hit .558 with eight runs, three doubles, four homers and eight RBI. On November 10, Howard was awarded the National League Silver Slugger Award at first-base. On November 20, he won the National League MVP award, and became only the second player in baseball history to win the Rookie of the Year and MVP awards in successive seasons, joining Cal Ripken Jr. (Fred Lynn and Ichiro Suzuki are the only players to win both awards during the same season). [edit] 2007 On March 2, 2007, the Phillies renewed Howard's contract in a one-year deal for $900,000, the highest salary ever offered to a player not eligible for salary arbitration.[3] On Wednesday, May 9, Howard hit his 4th career grand slam against Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Medders when he came into the game as a pinch hitter for Wes Helms. On May 13, Howard was placed on the disabled list with a left quadriceps strain after missing five straight games. Howard fielded grounders for about 45 minutes before the Phillies game with the Blue Jays on May 20. Howard returned to the lineup on May 25, after a rehabilitation assignment with the class A Lakewood team as a designated hitter. He hit a home run in his first at-bat there. On May 27, he hit two home runs in a win that helped the Phillies sweep the Braves. On June 27, Howard hit a 505-foot home run,[4] and became the fastest player in Major League Baseball history to hit 100 home runs. [5] The accomplishment was achieved in only 325 games, 60 games less than the 385 games that Ralph Kiner needed to hit his first 100 home runs from 1946 to 1948. Though Howard did not compete in the 2007 MLB All-Star Game, he was chosen to compete in the 2007 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby for the second straight year in order to defend his title. However Howard only hit 3 home runs in the first round and did not advance. After coming back from the DL, Howard had a "power surge," as he quickly climbed to second on the home run leaders list in the National League. On July 25, Howard hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 14th inning to give the Phillies a victory over the Washington Nationals. Howard had his first career stolen base on August 21, 2007 vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers. On September 27, he established a new major league record by striking out for his 196th and 197th time, breaking the old record of 195 (he tied it on September 23), set by Adam Dunn in 2004. He ended the season with 199 strikeouts, striking out an NL-highest 37.6% of the time.[6] His final 2007 season totals were a .268 average, with 47 home runs and 136 runs batted in, helping the Phillies win the National League East title on the final day of the season to earn their first postseason berth since the 1993 World Series. The Phillies were swept by the Colorado Rockies (who had won a one-game playoff against the San Diego Padres for the NL Wild Card) in the 2007 National League Division Series; Howard homered off Jeremy Affeldt in Game Two, but also struck out seven times in his other 11 at-bats. [edit] 2008 On February 21, 2008, Howard won an arbitration case against the Phillies, and was awarded $10 million, the most ever for a victorious player. The Phillies had offered $7 million to Howard in salary.[7] Howard began the 2008 season in a slump, finishing the month of April with a batting average of just .172 and going 2-for-25 to close out the month. He fared better in May, averaging .238 with ten home runs and 30 RBI for the month, and finishing out May just north of the Mendoza Line with an overall batting average of .205. Howard hit his 15th home run of the season in a 7–3 loss to the Florida Marlins on May 30; Chase Utley having hit his 15th longball on May 25, the two became the first pair of Phillies to hit 15 home runs each before June [8]. On June 13, Howard hit two home runs and drove in five in a 20–2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. This included the second of a first-inning set of back-to-back-to-back Philadelphia home runs. It was the seventh time that the Phillies had hit three consecutive home runs, the first since May 18, 2004 [9], and the fourth occurrence by any team in the 2008 Major League Baseball season.[10][11][12] On June 16, Howard again hit two home runs and drove in four in an 8–2 win over the Boston Red Sox for his 15th career multi-homer game; the four-day span between multi-homer games was the shortest of his career.[13] In stark contrast, Howard went 0-for-4 the next night with four strike outs in a 3–0 loss for his tenth career golden sombrero.[14] Ryan drove in his 100th run of the 2008 season on August 1 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, marking his third consecutive season with at least 100 RBI.[15] Personal SwingingHoward has a twin brother as well as an older brother and a sister. He claims to be the smallest of the Howard sons. His favorite baseball team growing up was the St. Louis Cardinals. He graduated from Lafayette High School in 1998, where he played trombone. While attending Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University) he became a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc and his line name was "Blue Hurt". Howard is a representative for a number of products including Adidas[16] and for the restaurant Subway. He is on the packaging of Topps 2007 Series 1 and 2008 Triple Threads baseball cards. He is also on the cover of MLB 08: The Show. He appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman along with teammate Jimmy Rollins on April 11, 2007.

White attended South Middle School in Aurora, Colorado. White played the 1999 and 2000 seasons at Denver (Colo.) South High, where he made the Rocky Mountain News All-Colorado first team in 2000 and the Rocky Mountain News Class 5A All-State first team both years. White then enrolled at Chatfield High School in Littleton, Colorado. As a junior in 2001, he earned Rocky Mountain News All-Colorado first team and Rocky Mountain News Class 5A All-State first team notice. He rushed for 1,850 yards with 30 TDs, plus had 185 receiving yards with 2 TDs in 2001. Chatfield went 14-0 in 2001 and was the Class 5A champion. His coach at Chatfield was Dave Logan, the former Colorado All-American wide receiver who played in the NFL. His 2002 honors included Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, Tom Lemming All-American, Super Prep Elite 50, Tom Lemming Top 100, Super Prep All-Midlands, Prep Star All-Midlands, Tom Lemming All-Midland, Orange County Register Fab 15 second team, Gatorade Colorado Player of the Year, Rocky Mountain News All-Colorado first team and Rocky Mountain News Class 5A All-State first team as a senior tailback at Chatfield High in Littleton (Colo.). He ran for 1,683 yards and 21 TDs in 2002. He played in the 2003 U.S. Army All-American Bowl with several of his USC Trojan teammates. He finished his career (starting all 4 years) as Colorado's career rushing leader, with 7,803 yards. [edit] College career White shared his playing time at tailback with Reggie Bush at the University of Southern California. White may have struggled academically.These rumors were never disproven, although they are believed to be untrue. Despite being the lesser known member of the Trojan backfield, White was a standout rusher who actually led the team in rushing in his first two seasons and was a 2005 All-America selection. White also rushed for three touchdowns against Oklahoma in the national championship and three touchdowns as well against Texas in the Rose Bowl. While Bush is an elusive back with a plethora of moves and astonishing speed, White is considered more of a power back who prefers to run over his defenders. This combination gave USC one of the most talented rushing tandems since Auburn's Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown. In just three years, White finished his USC career as the school's all time rushing touchdowns leader with 52. He also finished with 3,159 yards and a 5.9 average per rush. White showed his comedic skills in 2005 when he conspired with Trojan coach Pete Carroll and movie director and Trojan fan Spike Lee to play a Halloween prank on his teammates. White pretended to be upset with his coach over the lack of carries he was receiving during practice. He was subsequently kicked out of the practice and carted away from the field, while Carroll told the team to prepare to move on without White. As the team huddled to end practice, White stood on the roof of a building near the facility. White began shouting down at the field as his teammates looked on. He was soon joined on the rooftop by a team assistant, who began tassling with White. He is also extremely hefty for a running back. The assistant wrestled White to the ground out of the team's view, and, next thing the team knew, there was an object in a red #21 jersey thrown from the top of the building. Everyone watched in horror until they realized it was a dummy dressed in White's jersey. White's academic status also improved from a 1.5 GPA as a freshman to a 2.9 GPA as a junior; he majored in sociology. After the 2006 Rose Bowl, he declared himself eligible for the upcoming NFL draft. (citation needed) [edit] Pro career [edit] 2006 NFL draft Raised in poverty all of his childhood, one of the biggest reasons that he decided to declare himself eligible for the NFL draft after his junior year is because of his ill grandmother whom his mother takes care of on a daily basis. White's draft stock tumbled before and during the draft, mostly because he had not had a full workout before NFL scouts. During USC's workout day, he cited hamstring worries as a reason for not running or performing any workouts aside from the bench press, where he managed only 15 repetitions at 225 pounds. However, there were concerns that White had not done everything he could to prepare himself for the NFL Combine. Reportedly, there were audible groans when he bared his chest at a weigh-in. As one NFL general manager said after seeing White at the combine: “The guy needed a bra, it was ridiculous. You come to the combine looking like that and you want to be a first-round pick? Come on. The guy had obviously been doing nothing.” [1] On draft day, he also mentioned that he had weighed as much as 252 pounds at the Rose Bowl, but despite that, he managed to rush for three touchdowns. It was later confirmed that he had a torn hamstring, but surgery was not required to mend it. His injury did, however, keep him off of the football field until May, 2006. White's plummet in the 2006 NFL Draft was one of the first day's most interesting storylines, and ended when he was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round with overall pick number 45. [edit] 2006 NFL season White was used sparingly in his rookie year. On August 10th, during a Titans' practice, White was involved in a brief scuffle with one of his teammates. During the scuffle White allegedly spat in the face of safety Donnie Nickey, leading to a few tense moments in which several other players took out aggression on White. During his rookie season he carried the ball 61 times over 13 games, running at an average of 4 yards per carry, but failing to get into the end zone. His longest run was for 26 yards in week 13 of the 2006 NFL season, but was against the 32nd ranked run defense of the Indianapolis Colts. He also caught 14 passes in his 13 games, for a total of 60 yards. The game in which he had the biggest impact was the game early in the season in Indianapolis, where he ran for 48 yards and caught 3 passes for 7 yards, in a 14-13 loss. [edit] 2007 NFL season He began the 2007-2008 season as the Titans starting tailback, splitting time with Chris Brown. He was held for under 60 yards in the first four games. On October 21, with Chris Brown sidelined with an injury, White tallied his first 100 yard rushing game against the Houston Texans. He followed up that performance with a career high 133 yard rushing performance against the Oakland Raiders. Through 16 weeks he rushed for 1,110 yards and 7 touchdowns with a 3.7 yard average. White recently underwent arthroscopic knee surgery. The knee had bothered White during the last half of the 2007 season, but he is expected to be at full strength for offseason minicamps in May. On March 15, 2008 LenDale White received citations for destruction of property, disobedience to a lawful order/interference and resistance while in Denver, Colorado. He appears in Snoop Doggs music video "Life of the Party" at the 1:17 mark

Leinart was born with strabismus (“crossed eyes”), as his left eye was not aligned correctly with his right. He underwent surgery when he was three years old and was fitted with special glasses to correct the problem, but the eyewear combined with Leinart's already-overweight frame to make him an easy target for ridicule at the hands of other children.[1] “I used to get made fun of for being cross-eyed. It's just a terrible thing because kids are so cruel to the fat kid, to the kid with the glasses. So I turned to sports.,” he would later say.[2] Leinart attended Mater Dei High School and was a student and a letterman in football. In football, as a junior, he led his team to a California Interscholastic Federation Division I co-Championship, and was named the Serra League's Offensive Most Valuable Player. He was chosen as the Gatorade California high school football player of the year.[3] As one of the nation's top college football recruit, Leinart committed to USC under coach Paul Hackett, noting that a major factor was offensive coordinator Hue Jackson.[4] However, after Hackett and most of his staff were fired in 2000, Leinart considered other programs such as Georgia Tech and Arizona State and visited Oklahoma before USC eventually hired Pete Carroll.[5][6][7] [edit] College career Leinart redshirted his first year (2001) and saw no action. As a redshirt freshman the next year (2002), he was a backup to future Heisman Trophy winner and current Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, who was in his senior season at USC (one which would conclude with Palmer's Heisman victory). While Leinart appeared in a few plays during his freshman year, he threw no passes. In his sophomore season (2003), Leinart beat out Matt Cassel, a redshirt junior who backed up Palmer in 2002, and Purdue transfer Brandon Hance for the starting job at quarterback. Going into the 2003 season, Carroll and his coaching staff selected Leinart not because he had set himself significantly ahead of the pack in practice, but because they needed a starting quarterback.[8] When the coaching staff told Leinart he would be the starter, he replied that "You're never going to regret this."[9] There was some thought in the press that Leinart would merely hold the starting position until highly-touted true freshman John David Booty, who had bypassed his senior year in high school to attend USC, could learn the offense.[8] His first career pass was a touchdown against Auburn. Leinart would win the first three games of his career before the then-No. 3 Trojans suffered a 34-31 triple-overtime defeat at California on September 27 that dropped the Trojans to No. 10. Leinart and the Trojans bounced back the next week in one of Leinart's most famous college moments against Arizona State. Leinart injured his knee in the second quarter and was not expected to play again that day, but he returned to the game and finished 12-of-23 for 289 yards in a 37-17 victory. Leinart and the Trojans won their final eight games and finished the regular season 11-1 and ranked #1 in the AP and coaches' polls. However, USC was left out of the BCS championship game after finishing third in the BCS behind Oklahoma and LSU. The Trojans went to the Rose Bowl and played University of Michigan. Leinart was named the Rose Bowl MVP after he went 23-of-34 for 327 yards, throwing three touchdowns and catching a touchdown of his own. The Trojans finished #1 in the AP Poll despite not even playing in the national title game. In 13 starts, Leinart was 255/402 for 3,556 yards and 38 TDs with 9 INTs. He finished sixth in the Heisman voting (Oklahoma quarterback Jason White won the Trophy that year). [edit] Later years The Trojans started Leinart's junior season (2004) with victories in their first three games. On September 25, the Trojans played Stanford University. After Stanford took a 28-17 halftime lead, Leinart sparked the offense with a 51-yard pass to Steve Smith and scored on a one-yard sneak to cut the Cardinal lead to four points. Leinart and the Trojans were able to take the lead on a LenDale White touchdown rush and hold on for the victory, 31-28. Leinart completed 24 of 30 passes. He finished on a weaker note in the final regular season game against UCLA, as he was held without a touchdown pass for the first time in 25 starts. Nonetheless, Leinart was invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony, along with teammate Reggie Bush, Oklahoma's freshman sensation Adrian Peterson, incumbent Jason White, and Utah's Alex Smith. In what many had considered one of the more competitive Heisman races, Leinart became the sixth USC player to claim the Heisman trophy. Matt Leinart's Heisman TrophyIn 2004, USC went wire-to-wire at #1 in the polls and earned a bid to the BCS title game at the Orange Bowl against Oklahoma, which was also 12-0 and had been on USC's tail all season. A dream matchup on paper (including White vs. Leinart, which was to be the first time two Heisman winners would play against each other), the Orange Bowl was a thumping, as Leinart threw for five touchdown passes on 18-for-35 passing and 332 yards to lead the Trojans to a 55-19 victory. Leinart received Orange Bowl MVP honors and the Trojans claimed their first BCS national championship (2nd straight #1 finish in the AP), extending their winning streak to 22 games. Aside from a home game against Fresno State, the 2005 Trojans remained relatively unchallenged for the rest of the season, running their record to another 12-0 regular season and 34 wins in a row. Leinart and the Trojans completed a perfect regular season, finishing 12-0, during which Leinart threw for a career-high 400 yards against Notre Dame. After an incomplete pass and a sack led to a fourth-and-nine situation with 1:36 left--at the Trojans' own 26-yard line--Leinart called a gutsy audible fade route at the line of scrimmage and threw deep against the Irish's man-to-man coverage, where Dwayne Jarrett caught the ball and raced to the Irish' 13-yard line, a 61-yard gain. Leinart moved the ball to the goal line as time dwindled and scored on a controversial QB sneak that gave the Trojans a 34-31 lead with three seconds to go, giving the Trojans their 28th straight victory and one of the most memorable and dramatic finishes in the history of the USC-Notre Dame rivalry. Before his final home game at the LA Coliseum, Leinart was overcome by emotion after seniors were introduced before the kickoff; his play suffered for the first half as he overthrew receivers multiple times, though he ended up passing for three touchdowns in a 66-19 rout.[10] Leinart, who was having arguably a better season than in 2004, was again invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony along with teammate Reggie Bush and Texas quarterback Vince Young. As a former Heisman winner, Leinart cast his first-place vote for Bush and ended up third in the voting behind the winning Bush and runner-up Young. The Trojans advanced to the Rose Bowl to face Vince Young and No. 2 Texas in the BCS title game. The title game was considered another "dream matchup". Leinart himself had a great game, going 29-of-40 for a touchdown and 365 yards, but was overshadowed by Young, who piled up 467 yards of total offense and rushed for three touchdowns, including a score with 19 seconds remaining and two-point conversion to put the Longhorns ahead, 41-38. The Trojans lost for the first time in 35 games, and Leinart lost for just the second time in his 39 career starts. Leinart's #11 jersey has been retired at USC. [edit] Career Leinart finished his college career 807/1245 (64.8%) for 10,693 yards and 99 touchdowns with just 23 interceptions. He is USC's all-time leader in career touchdown passes and completion percentage, and is second at USC behind Palmer in completions and yardage. He averaged nearly 8.6 yards per attempt, and averaged only one interception every 54 attempts. He was 37-2 as a starter. [edit] NFL career [edit] 2006 NFL Draft Leinart was considered one of the top NFL prospects of the 2006 NFL Draft class. Standing 6'5" (1.96 m) and weighing 225 pounds (100 kg), this left-handed thrower has the prototypical size for a quarterback. And while much of his success has been predicated on the high level of talent that USC head coach Pete Carroll surrounded Leinart with (as well as the schemes of former Trojans offensive coordinator Norm Chow), Leinart has a very accurate arm, and, perhaps more importantly, he possesses rare football intelligence along with outstanding decision-making and leadership skills; however, has mediocre to average arm strength By returning to USC for his senior season in 2005, Leinart probably hurt his draft position, as he most likely would have been selected with the first overall pick of the draft. Instead of "going number one," Leinart was selected tenth overall in the 2006 Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. Ironically, Leinart was close to being drafted by the Denver Broncos, however the move didn't come to fruition after the Buffalo Bills refused to trade their 8th pick with Denver. Leinart wears jersey #7, the same number he wore when he played varsity football at Mater Dei. Pre-draft measureables Wt 40y 20ss 3-cone Vert BP Wonderlic 223 lb X X X 37"[11] X X (* represents NFL Combine) [edit] Arizona Cardinals Leinart was involved in a prolonged holdout with the Cardinals on August 8, 2006. He became the last first round draft pick without a contract in place. However, on Monday, August 14, 2006, Leinart agreed to a six-year, $51 million contract, becoming the very last member of the draft to sign a contract, and not before Cardinal Coach Dennis Green said that he had lost his patience.[12][13] Despite signing late, Leinart played in the second quarter of the exhibition game against the New England Patriots on August 19, 2006.[14] During the 4th week of the NFL season, unofficial sources projected that Matt would take over as the starting quarterback due to an abysmal performance by Kurt Warner in the previous game. During the week coach Green held a conference and specifically pointed out that Warner would still start that week's game. In a November 26th game, he set an NFL rookie record with 405 passing yards. His quarterback rating is 74.0. He suffered a sprained left shoulder (throwing arm) in a week 16 win over the San Francisco 49ers. In 11 starts, Leinart threw for 2,547 yards and 11 touchdowns. He finished the season with a 4-7 record. Leinart opened the 2007 season on Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers as the starting quarterback. After some poor plays, he began alternating with Warner. On October 10, 2007, Leinart suffered a fractured left collarbone after being sacked by St. Louis Rams linebacker Will Witherspoon. Three days later, he was placed on Injured Reserve, effectively ending his season. Warner took over the starting quarterback position from that point on.[15] In Leinart's 2nd season with Arizona, he started 5 games and completed 53.6% of his passes (60/112) and threw for 647 yards, 5.8 yards per attempt, 2 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. His passer rating was 61.9. He averaged 129 yards and 0.4 touchdowns per start. Kurt Warner, who started the final 11 games, threw 27 touchdowns and 17 interceptions and rushed for another touchdown, completed 62.3% of his passes (281/451), and threw for 3,417 yards. His yards per attempt was 7.6, and his passer rating was 89.8. With Warner finishing the 2007 season in the top 10 in most quarterback categories, and after having outplayed Leinart, it appeared that a quarterback controversy was well underway, but Leinart declared, "I'm the quarterback" and that the Cardinals is "my team" after the final game of the season. [edit] Television appearances Matt Leinart made an appearance on the show Punk'd (May 1st, 2006 episode) featuring Ashton Kutcher as the host. In his appearance, Leinart was questioned by police officers who noticed him interacting with a prostitute. (All characters acting specific roles except for the oblivious Leinart). He also has appeared in several commercials on television, most notably for ABC's hit-sitcom Desperate Housewives. He also appeared in Nike's "Football is Everything" commercial as the backup quarterback on the sidelines holding a clipboard. He also starred in an NFL Sunday Ticket commercial with the Manning family (Peyton and Eli are surprised that father Archie is helping him with his throwing, only to have Archie say that "he always wanted a lefty"). In 2007, he appeared in the NFL Shop commercial with Steven Jackson and Adam Vinatieri where he threw an Arizona Cardinals throw blanket to a fan who made a diving catch. Most recently, Leinart appeared in a commercial for ESPN the Magazine. [edit] Controversy On April 1, 2008, pictures surfaced of Matt Leinart at a weekend party that showed him having a good time with young women in a hot tub. The pictures also showed him with a beer bong. Arizona Cardinals officials were disappointed in these pictures, as were fans, expecting Matt to be working hard on his rehab assignments for the upcoming season, instead of partying. Others are not as upset about these picture, stating that Matt did not break any laws, and what he does in his own time is up to him, as long as it is legal. [16] Previously Leinart was alleged to have groped a girl, and received a slap, when in NYC for the 2005 Heisman Award.[17] However this was disputed by Leinart and others present and remains uncorroborated.[18] [edit] Other Cameo Appearances Appeared on Rome is Burning, 7 episodes (2006-07) Appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live after winning BCS title game (2005) [edit] Personal life Leinart's son, Cole Cameron Leinart, was born on October 24, 2006 in California. Cole's mother is USC women's basketball player Brynn Cameron.[19] Leinart had broken up with Cameron before the baby was born. Though they had a dispute over child support early on, they have since settled their differences and Leinart now has a regular schedule for seeing his son. [20] He has previously dated Laguna Beach's Kristin Cavallari. Most recently in 2008 they have been seen together.

Bush grew up in the urban Skyline neighborhood of Southeast San Diego, which is currently one of the most notorious areas for gang activity, [1] and Spring Valley, California, an unincorporated community in San Diego he often memorialized with "619", San Diego's area code, or "S.E." (Southeast San Diego) written in silver on the black anti-glare tape under his eyes during USC games.[1] Bush's father abandoned him when he was born and his whereabouts are currently unknown. His stepfather was a campus security officer at Samuel F. B. Morse High School, and his mother was a deputy sheriff at the county jail.[1] In 8th grade, Bush played Pop Warner for the Grossmont/La Mesa Warriors, where he brought them a "Q" Bowl victory against Los Toros. Bush's freshman year at Helix High School, he came in at 5'9, 130 lbs. He ran a 4.6 forty and played running back for the JV team as a freshman. He attended Helix High School in La Mesa, a suburb of San Diego, also with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith. His tremendous 4.4 break-away speed and vision made him very successful at Helix. In a rivalry game against Granite Hills High School, he sprained his ankle getting tackled. He went to the C.I.F. Championship at Qualcomm Stadium, where then they played a tremendous football game against rival Oceanside Pirates, his senior year. Bush was named to the All-American team his senior year. He participated in the 2003 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. [edit] College career Bush studied political science at USC.[2] Bush often etched the number "619" on top of his black under eye markings as a tribute to the area code of central San Diego city / South San Diego county.[3] Before attending Southern California, Bush was the most highly recruited running back out of high school. His and others expectations during his college career were very high. When head coach Pete Carroll recruited Bush for Southern California, he envisioned using Bush as a five-way threat. The freshman quickly proved he could carry, catch, throw and return the ball with great skill. In 2003, he was a consensus Freshman All-American first-team selection and became the first Trojan since Anthony Davis in 1974 to lead the Pac-10 Conference in kickoff returns. His 1,331 all-purpose yards set a USC freshman record. ESPN's Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year amassed 521 yards with three touchdowns on 90 carries that year. Despite not having started any games in 2004, Bush finished fifth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, was named the team's MVP, earned consensus All-American honors and was a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. He finished second on the team with 143 carries for 908 yards (6.3 avg) and six touchdowns, adding on 509 yards and seven scores on 43 receptions (11.8 avg). He returned 21 kickoffs for 537 yards (25.6 avg) and 24 punts for 376 yards (15.7 avg) and a pair of touchdowns. He became the first Trojan since Marcus Allen to lead the Pac-10 in all-purpose yardage, totaling 2,330 yards. He also threw for one touchdown, tossing a 52-yard scoring strike.[2] Bush had an terrific 2005 season, as he was a unanimous All-American first-team pick and the winner of the Heisman Memorial Trophy. He was named the Associated Press 2005 Player of the Year, Pigskin Club of Washington D.C. Offensive Player of the Year, Touchdown Club of Columbus Player of the Year and was the recipient of the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and Doak Walker Award (nation's best running back). He led the nation with an average of 222.3 all-purpose yards per game and finished fourth in the NCAA Division 1-A ranks with an average of 133.85 yards per game rushing. One memorable moment, known as the "Bush Push", occurred against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. USC would then go on, undefeated, into a final Rose Bowl game loss.[2] Bush led the Trojans with 1,840 yards on 200 carries (8.7 avg) with sixteen touchdowns and ranked third on the squad with 39 receptions for 481 yards (12.9 avg), including a pair of scores as a junior. He returned 18 punts for 179 yards (9.9 avg) and a touchdown and gained 493 yards on 28 kickoff returns (17.6 avg).[2] In 39 games at Southern California, Bush started only fourteen times. However, he finished tenth in NCAA Division 1-A history with 6,541 all-purpose yards. He finished with 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns on 433 carries (7.3 avg) and 1,301 yards with thirteen scores on 95 catches (13.7 avg). Bush returned 67 kickoffs for 1,522 yards and a touchdown, adding 559 yards and three scores on 44 punt returns (12.7 avg). He also completed one-of-three passes for a 52-yard touchdown.[2] [edit] Awards On December 8, 2005, Bush was awarded the Walter Camp Award and the Doak Walker Award. On December 10, Bush won the Heisman Trophy, beating finalists Vince Young and former Heisman winner and teammate Matt Leinart. Additionally, he was named the 2004 AP Sportsman of the Year. [edit] Legacy By the end of the 2005 season, Bush had amassed 2,611 all-purpose yards and scored 18 touchdowns (15 rushing, 2 receiving, 1 punt return).[4] He was awarded the Heisman Trophy on December 10, 2005. He had 784 first-place votes while Texas quarterback Vince Young finished second with 79 first-place votes, with an overall edge in voting points of 2541 to Young's 1608. The 933 point margin-of-victory was the 17th highest of all time. Matt Leinart came in third with 18 first-place votes. Bush had the second most first-place votes in the history of Heisman voting at that time, only behind O.J. Simpson's 855 in 1968.[5] In the 2006 Heisman voting, Troy Smith of The Ohio State University passed Bush in number of first-place votes by 17, with 801, but Smith's 2,540 total points fell one short of Bush's mark.[6] Bush became the 71st winner of the Heisman Trophy, and the 7th USC player to receive the award. In addition to his Heisman Trophy, Bush also won the Doak Walker Award, Walter Camp Award, and was selected as the PAC-10's offensive player of the year. He and teammate Matt Leinart became the first pair of Heisman Trophy winners to play together in a single game in the Rose Bowl on January 4, 2006 against the University of Texas Longhorns since Charles White & Marcus Allen did so in both 1979 and 1980. USC lost 41-38. Bush had a decent performance, amassing a total of 279 all-purpose yards (82 rushing yards, 95 receiving yards, 102 kickoff return yards) and one touchdown scored, but he was overshadowed by his runner-up for the Heisman, Vince Young, and Bush's teammate LenDale White, who led USC in rushing with 123 yards and 3 touchdowns. Bush also attempted to lateral when he was tackled after a long run, but the lateral fell to the ground and was recovered by Texas. The bad lateral nullified a drive where USC may have scored, and set up a Texas scoring drive, potentially losing at least 10 points for the Trojans. This game gave Bush a total of 2,890 all-purpose yards for the season. In celebration of their stellar careers, Bush and Leinart appeared on the cover of the December 25, 2005 issue of Sports Illustrated; the magazine anointed the pair as the "Best in College Football" in 2005. Only 12th player in NCAA history to gain over 2,000 all-purpose yards twice (2,330 yards in 2004 and 2,890 yards in 2005). He was featured on the cover of NCAA Football 2007,[7] released on July 18, 2006. He was ranked #24 on ESPN's Top 25 Players In College Football History list. [edit] NFL career [edit] 2006 NFL Draft Pre-draft measureables Weight 40 yd 20 ss 3-cone Vert BP Wonderlic 201 lb (91 kg) 4.33 X X 40.5 in (102.9 cm) 24[8] X * represents NFL Combine On January 12, 2006, Bush elected to forgo his senior season at USC and declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft. Draft analysts predicted that he would be the first overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, held by the Houston Texans. However, in a surprising move on the night before the draft, the Texans signed Mario Williams, a defensive end from North Carolina State. The New Orleans Saints then selected Bush as the number 2 overall pick in the draft.[9] On January 3, 2007, Bush was 5th in the voting for Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. On April 23, 2006, a report surfaced raising questions about whether Bush's family received gifts in violation of NCAA policies. The school has requested that the conference investigate the matter. On April 26, 2006, three days prior to the 2006 Draft, he signed a multi-year endorsement with the athletic sportswear company Adidas, where he will promote football and training clothes and launched cleats in 2007.[10] On April 28, 2006, it was announced that Mario Williams signed a deal with the Houston Texans, meaning that Bush would not be the first draft pick.[11] Bush's representatives spoke that night with the New Orleans Saints, who said they intended to use their second overall pick to select the USC product. Bush was indeed drafted by the Saints with the second overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. The Houston Texans' decision to not take Bush was derided by many sports analysts. At the time, ESPN commentator Len Pasquarelli claimed that Houston selecting Williams ahead of Bush was one of the biggest mistakes made in NFL Draft history.[12] [edit] New Orleans Saints [edit] 2006 Season Bush's selection by the New Orleans Saints in the NFL draft generated excitement and celebration among New Orleans Saints fans. By the end of the week after the draft, Reebok reported receiving over 15,000 orders for Bush's Saints jersey, even though his jersey number with the Saints had not yet been determined.[13] Bush had petitioned the NFL to wear number 5 on his jersey, which he has worn throughout his high school and college careers. However, in order for him to wear #5, the NFL would have to revise its numbering regulations, which require running backs to wear a number between 20 and 49. Bush was allowed to wear the number 5 during the Saints' mini-camp practices pending the NFL's ruling. On May 23, the NFL competition committee officially rejected his request, and on May 25, it was officially announced that Bush would be wearing number 25, acquired from Saints running back Fred McAfee. Although Bush had earlier pledged to donate a quarter of the money he receives from jersey sales to Hurricane Katrina victims if allowed to wear #5, he later said he would make that donation no matter what number he wears.[14] As part of the deal with McAfee to wear #25, Bush agreed to allocate half of that money to charities of McAfee's choosing. McAfee pledged to donate his share to Katrina victims in his home state of Mississippi. Bush is second to Peyton Manning in the NFL in endorsement deals, amounting to roughly $5 million. He has signed contracts with Pepsi, General Motors, Adidas and Subway restaurants. Manning is worth $10 million. Amazed by the warm reception he received from the fans in New Orleans, as well as the magnitude of the devastation caused there by Hurricane Katrina, Bush expressed excitement about playing with the Saints and has pledged to help the city recover from the hurricane. On May 15, 2006, Bush donated $50,000 to help keep Holy Rosary High School, a local Catholic school for students with learning disabilities, from closing.[15] In training camp, Saints receiver Joe Horn dubbed him "Baby Matrix" because of his seemingly impossible evasive maneuvers (obviously comparing him to the movie The Matrix, which features characters who move faster than humanly possible to dodge bullets). Bush's rookie season had both ups and downs, although as the season wore on, he became more productive and integral to the Saints' surprising success. In the first game of Bush's NFL career, he amassed 141 total yards against the Cleveland Browns. He carried the ball fewer times than his counterpart Deuce McAllister, putting off any speculation that he would immediately supplant McAllister as the starter in New Orleans. The Saints won the game by a score of 19-14. This effort lowered his league-worst rushing average among running backs to only 2.55 yards per carry. However, he finished the midway point of the season with 46 receptions, the most by any running back in the NFL. At only 6.8 yards per reception, Bush ranked 20th out of 29 qualified running backs in the league. At the midway point of the season, Bush had yet to score a single touchdown either receiving or running the ball; however, on November 12, 2006, Bush rushed for his first touchdown from scrimmage on a reverse against the Pittsburgh Steelers.[16] On December 3, Bush tied the Saints' single game touchdown record, held by Joe Horn, by scoring 4 touchdowns against the San Francisco 49ers. He gained 168 all-purpose yards as he sparked the Saints to their 8th win of the season. On December 10, Bush scored a 62 yard touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys[17] in Dallas, contributing to the Saints' 42-17 drubbing of the Cowboys in what was expected to be a more competitive match up that would be important to the playoff race. On December 24, Bush scored a 1 yard touchdown on a reverse against the New York Giants. Bush also had a career high 126 rushing yards on the day. On December 31, Bush scored a 1 yard touchdown against the Carolina Panthers, but only carried the ball three times, even though backfield counterpart Deuce McAllister did not play. This was because the New Orleans Saints had already clinched the #2 NFC seed in the playoffs. On January 13, in the NFC Divisional Playoff game, Bush ran for 52 yards on 12 carries and scored a touchdown and added 3 catches for 22 yards as New Orleans edged Philadelphia, 27-24 to earn its first NFC Championship Game appearance in the team's 40-year history. The game was also notable for the vicious hit that Bush absorbed from Sheldon Brown while attempting to catch a swing pass on the Saints' first play of the game. On January 21, in the NFC Championship playoff game, Bush caught a pass on the 22 and ran 78 yards downfield (eluding the Chicago Bears safety) for an 88 yard touchdown thrown by Drew Brees. This comeback was the first score of the second half and closed the gap from 16-7 (in favor of Chicago) to 16-14.[18][19][20] Bush was fined by the NFL after the game for $5,000 for taunting: which consisted of wagging his finger at All-Pro linebacker Brian Urlacher and doing a somersault after the 88-yard reception score. Bush apologized immediately after the event.[21] [edit] 2007 Season In the season opener of the 2007 season, Bush and the Saints lost to the defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts 41-10. Bush was tied for a team-best 38 rushing yards on 12 carries. He also had seven yards on four receptions and a punt return for two yards in a disappointing opener for Bush and the Saints. The Saints following game was equally as disappointing as the Saints were beaten 31 to 14 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Bush averaged only 2.7 yards per carry and 27 yards from scrimmage, over a third of which came on one play. Bush scored 2 rushing touchdowns, both 1-yard runs, in the Saints week 3 loss to the Tennessee Titans. In that game Bush carried 7 times for only 15 yards in gains while catching 6 passes for only 20 yards. Bush finished the season with just 6 total touchdowns and 581 yards rushing, averaging 3.6 yards per carry. [edit] Media career and personal life Bush on the cover of NCAA Football 07French mobile game publisher Gameloft announced on November 21 that it had signed Bush as its cover athlete for Reggie Bush Pro Football 2007, which was made available in January 2007 across multiple wireless carriers and cell phones. This marks the second cover endorsement for Bush, who currently is on the box of Electronic Arts' NCAA Football 07, which is out now for Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation 2, and PSP. Gameloft did not secure the NFL license for this mobile game, which means that actual team names, logos and NFLPA players (aside from Bush) will not be incorporated into the gameplay. He recently appeared on the video for Ciara's song "Like a Boy" and in a Commercial for Madden NFL 08. The video and appearances Bush made with Ciara has then circulated rumors of a romance between the two. This was denied by Ciara. Bush has also dined with Condoleezza Rice at the White House correspondent's diner and made an appearance in Las Vegas during the 2007 NBA All-Star weekend. On June 26, 2007, David Beckham's first major U.S. ad campaign since finishing with Real Madrid made its debut via the web. Titled "Futbol Meets Football", it paired Beckham with Bush in a 13-part video series, with additional television, radio, and online promotion by Adidas.[22] In August 2007, he signed a deal with Sirius Satellite radio to be a weekly announcer for the 2007 season[23] In January 2008, the book Tarnished Heisman was released, saying ample evidence shows Bush and his family received more than $300,000 worth of cash and gifts while he attended USC -- a clear violation of NCAA rules. If these allegations are ever proven to be true, USC would have to forfeit at least the 2005 national championship season. Bush would also have to vacate the 2005 Heisman Trophy. Though the allegations had been talked about since his first year in the NFL, nothing has been proven and neither Bush nor USC have been penalized. Bush is currently in a relationship with socialite & reality television star, Kim Kardashian.

They've been counting down to this day for a while, and now the staff at Beckett Media has unveiled the beta version of the new Beckett.com. I had a chance to play around with it earlier today and found things I both liked and disliked about the new site. First the pros. The look is clean and simple, and the main page is fully customizable - as long as you don't mind signing up with an email address for a free account. The more interactive parts of the site, like Beckett's forums, have been given an increased presence and should be more popular than ever. Tools for organizing your collection also received improvements, and I know I'm not alone in occasionally needing some help in that area. As for the cons, I didn't find the new navigation to be very intuitive save for the large search bar at the top of the page. It also seems like the hobby news section (which is the part of Beckett.com I use most often) has been somewhat downplayed. Regardless of how you feel about Beckett's sometimes precarious balance of business and journalism, it's worth spending a few minutes investigating the new site. More than ever it is what you make of it, and collectors of all experience levels should find at least a few things that are useful or helpful.

Ben Roethlisberger (born March 2, 1982, in Lima, Ohio[1]), nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers 11th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Miami (Ohio) University. Roethlisberger earned the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2005. He became the youngest Super Bowl-winning quarterback in NFL history, helping to lead the Steelers to a 21-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL at the age of 23. He was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2007. Contents [hide] 1 Early years 2 College career 3 Professional career 3.1 2004-2005 season 3.2 2005-2006 season 3.3 2006-2007 Season 3.4 2007-2008 Season 3.5 Career statistics 3.5.1 Regular season 3.5.2 Playoffs 4 Motorcycle accident 5 Records 5.1 Miami RedHawks Records 5.2 NFL Records 5.3 Pittsburgh Steeler Franchise Records 6 Trivia 7 References 8 References 9 External links [edit] Early years At Findlay High School, , in Findlay, Ohio, Roethlisberger was captain of the football, basketball, and baseball teams. In baseball he batted .300. Roethlisberger did not play quarterback until his senior year, giving way to the coach's son, Ryan Hite. Instead, Roethlisberger played wide receiver because coach Cliff Hite explained to the Toledo Blade, "My son throwing to Ben was a better combination." [2] Roethlisberger threw for 4,041 yards, 54 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his one season as quarterback at Findlay. The younger Hite threw for 1,732 yards, 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in the year preceding Roethlisberger's quarterbacking debut. Hite told the Toledo Blade regarding the decision to start his son at quarterback over Roethlisberger: "I'm a nationally known knucklehead." [2] As for Roethlisberger, he has remained magnanimous. He told a reporter for the Findlay Courier at the NFL combine just prior to starting his NFL career, "I'm up here now. So no, there's not too many regrets." [3] [edit] College career In a twist of irony, Roethslisberger played college quarterback at Division I Miami (Ohio) University in Oxford, Ohio while Ryan Hite played college wide receiver at Division III Denison. At Miami, Roethlisberger got a chance to start as a redshirt freshman and started three years of Division I college football after starting just one year as a high school quarterback. [3] Roethlisberger holds every major passing record at the school and a number of passing records in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) despite playing just three years before joining the NFL. According to the Findlay Courier, in 2001, as a redshirt freshman, Roethlisberger threw for over 3,100 yards. In 2002, he threw over 3,200 yards, and in 2003, he threw for over 4,400 yards. In 2003, Roethlisberger led the Miami RedHawks to an unbeaten record in the MAC, a No. 10 ranking in the Associated Press poll and a 49-28victory over Louisville in the 2003 GMAC Bowl. [3] [edit] Professional career Roethlisberger takes a snap against the BengalsRoethlisberger was taken 11th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft. On August 4, 2004 Roethlisberger signed a six-year contract worth $22.26 million in salaries and bonuses, with an additional $17.73 million available via incentives. He was touted by former Steelers coach Bill Cowher in a press conference as a franchise quarterback. On March 3, 2008, the Pittsburgh Steelers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger agreed to an eight-year, $102 million contract. [4] Roethlisberger had two years left on the deal he signed with the team as the 11th overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft. He has stated that he wants to retire as a Steeler. [edit] 2004-2005 season Roethlisberger did not immediately step in as the starting quarterback, for the Steelers. He was the #3 QB behind Tommy Maddox and Charlie Batch. Though when Batch was injured in preseason, Ben moved up to #2. Maddox started the season opener against the Raiders and the next week against the division-rival Ravens. But after an ineffective outing and third quarter injury, Roethlisberger stepped in for his first NFL action. This injury to Maddox changed the Steelers original plan for Roethlisberger, which was for him to sit on the bench or play very sparingly during the first season or two in order to learn the team's system. Instead he was starting the third game of the season. As a rookie, he went 13-0 in the regular season (14-1 including playoffs) as a starting quarterback, helping the Steelers become the first AFC team to have 15 wins in a single season, surpassing former Steeler Mike Kruczek for the record for the best start by a rookie (6-0), and exceeding the mark for total wins as a rookie set by Chris Chandler and Joe Ferguson. On January 5, 2005 Roethlisberger was unanimously selected as the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press, the first quarterback in 34 years to be so honored. One of Roethlisberger's biggest games was when he led the Steelers to a 34-20 victory over the defending Super Bowl champion and previously undefeated New England Patriots, ending their NFL-record 21-game winning streak. He completed 18 of his 24 pass attempts for 196 yards, 2 TDs and no turnovers. The week after that game the Steelers defeated the also previously undefeated Philadelphia Eagles 27-3. Roethlisberger was 11 of 18 for 183 yards, 2 TDs, 1 interception. In his first nationally televised game on Sunday Night Football, he led the Steelers to a 17-16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was near perfect on the night, completing 14 of 17 passes for 226 yards and 2 TDs. A spike to stop the clock on the game-winning field goal drive he led was the only thing preventing him from a 158.3 rating on the night. Jeff Reed's 37 yard FG in the final minute gave the Steelers and Roethlisberger their 10th straight win. Two weeks later Roethlisberger faced off against the New York Giants and the #1 overall pick of the 2004 draft, Eli Manning. Roethlisberger outshined the QB that went 10 spots ahead of him in the draft, posting his first career 300 yard passing game. He completed 18 of 28 passes for 316 yards and a TD. He led his 5th game-winning drive of the season, capping a drive with a Jerome Bettis TD run for a 33-30 victory. An Eli Manning interception sealed the game for Pittsburgh. In the divisional playoffs against the New York Jets, Roethlisberger threw two interceptions. One interception was returned for a touchdown, and the other was thrown with 2:03 left in the fourth quarter, which set up a potential game-winning field goal by Jets kicker Doug Brien. Brien missed the kick as time expired (his second missed kick in the last 2 minutes of the game), and forced the game into overtime. In overtime, Roethlisberger led the Steelers down the field and put them in position for the game-winning field goal, a 33-yard attempt that was made by Jeff Reed, sending the Steelers into the AFC Championship for the 4th time in 10 years. On January 23, 2005 in the AFC Championship Game in Pittsburgh, Roethlisberger completed 14 of 24 pass attempts for 226 yards and 2 TDs, but he also threw 3 costly interceptions, one which was returned for a touchdown by Rodney Harrison. The Steelers lost the game to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots by a score of 41-27. [edit] 2005-2006 season Roethlisberger signs autographs at Super Bowl XL media day.In 2005, Roethlisberger led the Steelers on an improbable run, winning 3 straight playoff games on the road to put Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XL. What made the run remarkable was that the Steelers began the post season as the sixth seed in the AFC. Since the NFL's current playoff format began, no sixth seed had even made it to a conference championship game, let alone the Super Bowl. In the 2005 regular season, the Steelers finished 11-5 and secured an AFC wild card spot, en route to victory in the Super Bowl, where the Steelers pulled off upsets at Indianapolis and Denver in the AFC playoffs in addition to wins over higher-seeds Cincinnati and Seattle. During the course of the regular season, Roethlisberger generally played well when healthy, but missed four games due to various knee injuries. During the regular season, the Steelers were 9-3 with Roethlisberger at quarterback, and 2-2 without him. He led the league in Yards Per Attempt with an 8.90, and finished 3rd in passer rating behind Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer with a 98.6.[5] The Super Bowl run began on Sunday, January 8, 2006 as Roethlisberger helped lead the Steelers to a playoff win over the Cincinnati Bengals -- an AFC North rival that had beaten the Steelers by 7 points in the regular season, to win the division championship. The rematch featured two teams with identical records, having split their regular season series with each team winning on the road. Early in the game on Carson Palmer's first throw, a tackle by former Steeler Kimo von Oelhoffen resulted in Palmer's anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) being completely torn. The Bengals backup quarterback, Jon Kitna came in and led the Bengals to leads of 10-0 and 17-7. However, the 17-7 lead midway through the second quarter would be the last time in the 2005 postseason that the Steelers would trail an opponent by more than 3 points. After Kitna failed to produce the Steelers took advantage by taking the next 24 straight points, and the win in a 31-17 victory in Cincinnati. Their second road win came on Sunday, January 15, 2006. Roethlisberger led the 6th-seeded Steelers against the Indianapolis Colts, the NFL's top team throughout the season and a heavy favorite to represent the AFC in Super Bowl XL. Roethlisberger threw for 197 yards and recorded a game-saving tackle on Colts' defensive back Nick Harper, who had just recovered a Jerome Bettis fumble with under two minutes to play in the game. The tackle saved the season for the Steelers. Pittsburgh led early, but had to survive a Colts comeback to win 21-18, after an errant call that the NFL later admitted was a mistake [6] overturned a Troy Polamalu interception that would have secured the game for the Steelers. Roethlisberger's tackle on Harper, dubbed by many as The Tackle II or The Immaculate Redemption, was compared by many to "The Immaculate Reception" back in 1972 when Franco Harris made a miraculous reception and scored the game-winning touchdown against the Oakland Raiders. The victory marked the first time a sixth-seeded NFL playoff team defeated the top-seeded team in playoff history. On January 22, 2006, the Steelers defeated the Broncos 34-17 in Denver to advance to Super Bowl XL. Roethlisberger completed 21 of 29 passes for 275 yards, and threw two touchdown passes as well as scoring one himself on a four yard play-action bootleg. His run was the last touchdown of the game, and sealed the win for the Steelers. After losing the 2005 AFC Championship Game, Roethlisberger convinced veteran running back Jerome Bettis to delay retirement, after a tearful promise to him that he would get Bettis to his first Super Bowl. He lived up to his promise. The Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl XL 21-10 over the Seattle Seahawks in Detroit on February 5, 2006. Roethlisberger had one of the worst passing games of his career, completing just 9 of 21 passes for 123 yards and two interceptions; his passer rating of 22.6 was the lowest in Super Bowl history by a winning quarterback. Though he did convert eight different third down situations in the game to help the Steelers win, none of them bigger than his 37 yard pass to Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward on a 3rd and 28 that set up the Steelers' first TD (a 1 yd QB sneak by Ben on 3rd & goal). With the victory, Roethlisberger, at 23 years of age, became the youngest quarterback to win the Super Bowl, a record previously held by Tom Brady of the New England Patriots. [edit] 2006-2007 Season Roethlisberger drops back to pass in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2006.After a very serious off season motorcycle crash in which he was almost killed, Roethlisberger missed the 2006 kick-off game (the first game of the '06 season) after having an emergency appendectomy on September 3, 2006. Charlie Batch, the team's backup, started and lead the Steelers to a victory over Miami. Roethlisberger played in the following game against Jacksonville on Monday Night Football. However, he played sub-par that night, throwing two interceptions with no touchdowns (though neither the Steelers nor Jacksonville made a touchdown, then a record for Monday Night Football). The Steelers lost the game with a final score of 9-0. In week three, Roethlisberger completed less than half of his passes for three interceptions and no touchdowns in a 28-20 loss to the Bengals. The final interception came in the final seconds of the game, in the end zone, ending Pittsburgh's comeback attempt. In a week 5 game against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday Night Football, Ben Roethlisberger looked sharp throughout the first half, leading 3 scoring drives. However, he began to unravel in the 2nd half and threw two interceptions, both of which shifted momentum away from the Steelers and lead to the Chargers 23-13 win. In week 6 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Roethlisberger had his best game of the season so far. He completed 16 of 19 passes for 238 yards with two touchdowns (his first of the year) and no interceptions during a 45-7 rout of the Trent Green-less Chiefs. In week 7, Roethlisberger had another great game, going 16 of 22 for 238 yards, 3 touchdowns, despite a costly fumble. But during the third quarter, Roethlisberger was helped off the field after suffering a concussion following a controversial hit by Falcon's defensive end Patrick Kerney. Roethlisberger was replaced by Charlie Batch. Batch went on to throw two touchdowns and helped send the game into overtime, following a crucial false start call on Nate Washington that resulted in a 10-second clock penalty and ended regulation. The Falcons got the ball first in OT and drove down the field. 46-year old kicker Morten Andersen booted a 34-yard field goal to win the game for the Falcons. On October 29 against the Oakland Raiders, Roethlisberger threw 4 interceptions in an upsetting 20-13 loss. The loss was his fifth of the season--two more than he had in his first two seasons combined as a starter, and gave him a total of 11 INTs, versus just 6 TDs, on the season. In a Week 9 rematch of the 2005 AFC championship game, Roethlisberger threw for a career high 433 yards and 1 TD, but had 3 more INTs as the Steelers fell short, 31-20 to Denver. Roethlisberger and the Steelers got back on a winning track in a home game a week later against the New Orleans Saints. Roethlisberger threw for 264 yards on 17 of 28 passing and 3 touchdowns to help the Steelers beat the Saints, 38-31. In Week 11, Roethlisberger overcame 3 first half interceptions by throwing for 224 4th-Quarter yards and two touchdowns as the Steelers scored 21 points in the final quarter to come back to beat the Cleveland Browns, 24-20. Roethlisberger finished 25 of 44 for 272 yards to go along with the 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. The following week, Roethlisberger and the Steelers were held scoreless in 27-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Roethlisberger finished 21 of 41 for 214 yards and two interceptions. Roethlisberger bounced back the following game going 12 of 25 for 198 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception in a 20-3 victory over Tampa Bay. Pittsburgh kept their playoff hopes alive in a week 14 27-7 victory against the Browns. Roethlisberger went 11 of 21 for 225 with one touchdown and added another on the ground. In week 15, Roethlisberger went 11 of 18 for 140 yards and a touchdown in a 37-3 rout of the Carolina Panthers. The following week, Roethlisberger threw 2 interceptions and had a sub-500 completion percentage as Pittsburgh lost to the Baltimore Ravens 31-7. The loss ended Pittsburgh's playoff hopes. Roethlisberger ended the season on a good note by defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 23-17 in overtime. He was 19 for 29 passing with 280 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Roethlisberger's one touchdown came in overtime on a slant pass to Santonio Holmes who proceeded to take the ball 67 yards for the game clinching touchdown. The win knocked the Bengals out of the playoffs, much to the joy of the Steelers team. [edit] 2007-2008 Season Due to his subpar '06-'07 season, there were many questions surrounding Roethlisberger entering the season. In the first game of the season, Big Ben reached a personal milestone: his first career 4-touchdown game in a 34-7 rout of the Cleveland Browns. The 4 touchdowns went to Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes (a 40-yard strike), Heath Miller, and rookie TE Matt Spaeth. He followed that up with another solid performance against the Buffalo Bills. He was 21 of 34 passing for 242 yards and a 1-yard touchdown pass to rookie TE Matt Spaeth. He continued his solid season with a decent performance against the 49ers. He was 13 of 20 passing for 160 yards and another touchdown pass to the 3rd TE Jerame Tuman. In week five he had a good performance despite two top wide receivers Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes out due to injury completing 18 of 22 passes for 206 yards and touchdown pass to Heath Miller in the 1st quarter. Roethlisberger wearing a Steelers throwback jersey during their 500th franchise winIn Week 9 against the Baltimore Ravens, Roethlisberger threw for a career-high five touchdowns, which tied a team record held by Terry Bradshaw and Mark Malone in a 38-7 rout of the Ravens on Monday Night Football. All five touchdowns were thrown in the first half, making Roethlisberger one of two quarterbacks in the 2007 season (the other being Tom Brady) and only the fifth quarterback since the 1970 merger to accomplish such a feat. He also posted a perfect 158.3 passer rating in that game. The following Sunday, Roethlisberger continued to shine when he erased a 15 point deficit against the Browns. With the Steelers trailing 21-16 in the 4th quarter and facing a 3rd & 10 from the Cleveland 30, Roethlisberger scrambled up the middle of the field for a 30 yard TD run (the longest run of his career at that point). He then completed a 2-pt conversion pass to Hines Ward. After the Browns returned the ensuing kickoff for a TD, Roethlisberger again had to drive the offense with a 4 point deficit. This time he made three crucial plays on 3rd down: an 18 yd pass to Santonio Holmes on a 3rd & 6, a 20 yd pass to Heath Miller on 3rd & 18, and a 10 yd scramble on 3rd & 9. Roethlisberger capped off the drive with a short TD pass to Heath Miller that proved to be the game winner. In Week 12, Roethlisberger set a Steelers record, completing 85.7% of his passes (18 of 21) as the Steelers beat the Miami Dolphins 3-0, a feat made all the more remarkable given the weather conditions. Pittsburgh was hit with a torrential storm, delaying the game 30 minutes due to lightning, while turning the new sod on the field, laid earlier that week, into a quagmire. In many parts of the field, players sunk several inches with each step. During the Week 15 game versus the Jacksonville Jaguars, Roethlisberger threw his 29th TD pass of the season, to Nate Washington, breaking the team single season TD pass record previously held by Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw. During Week 16 in St. Louis against the Rams, Roethlisberger posted his 2nd perfect passer rating (158.3) of the season. He was 16 of 20 for 261 yards and 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. It was his third career 158.3 rating game, tying Peyton Manning for the most such regular-season games in NFL history. He also became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw two perfect games in a single season. To cap his comeback season, Roethlisberger was named to his first Pro Bowl, joining five other Steelers teammates on the AFC squad. Roethlisberger's 32 touchdown passes ranked 3rd in the NFL behind Tony Romo and Tom Brady, while his 104.1 passer rating was second only to Brady. On five different occasions during the season, Roethlisberger led the team back from a double-digit deficit to a lead or tie in the 4th quarter. However, the Steelers would lose four of those five games as the defense in the end could not hold off Denver, New York and Jacksonville twice. Roethlisberger also set a new Steelers single-season record with 32 touchdown passes in the 2007 season. The Steelers hosted the Jaguars in the AFC Wild Card game on January 5, 2008. It was a rematch of the Week 15 contest. With the injury to Willie Parker, the Steelers could never mount a rushing attack and Roethlisberger struggled a great deal in the first half, throwing three interceptions (one being returned for a TD by Rashean Mathis) as the Steelers trailed at the half by a score of 21-7. He pulled himself together and went 17 of 23 for 263 yards and 2 TDs in the second half alone. The Steelers were trailing 28-10 as the 4th quarter began, when facing a 4th and 12 at the Jaguar 37, Ben threw a quick pass against the blitz to Santonio Holmes, who broke one tackle and scored a TD to pull within 11. The Steelers scored two TDs on their next two possessions to take a 29-28 lead, but failed on 2-pt conversions on each TD. That would be costly as David Garrard would later scramble 32 yards on a 4th & 2 to set up the winning field goal. Jacksonville finally won the game 31-29 after Roethlisberger was sacked for a 6th time on the night and fumbled with a drive that started under the 0:30 mark. Having been sacked 47 times (2nd most in NFL), it must be speculated that his performances could have been even better given improved protection. He often showed great skill outside of the pocket, as well as being amongst the top rushing quarterbacks. While the team did not go as far as they would have liked, it was a successful comeback season for Ben. Roethlisberger finished 3rd in Comeback Player of the Year voting behind Patriots' Randy Moss and Dallas Cowboys' Greg Ellis, who won the award. In his first Pro Bowl, Roethlisberger played three series in the 2nd quarter, going 5 of 9 for 42 yards, a TD, and led the AFC team in rushing with an 18 yard scramble. The NFC won the game 42-30.

Early years Favre was raised in the small town of Kiln, Mississippi and is of French and Choctaw ancestry; one of his paternal grandparents was a Native American affiliated with the Choctaw.[5] He was the second of four children and attended Hancock North Central High School where he played baseball and football. Favre started for the Hancock North Central baseball team as an eighth-grader and earned five varsity letters. He played quarterback, lineman, strong safety, placekicker and punter in a primarily option, run-oriented offense coached by his father, Irvin Favre. Irvin Favre said he knew his son had a great arm but also knew that the school was blessed with good running backs. As a result, in the three years Brett was on the team, his father ran a run-oriented offense called the wishbone. Favre rarely threw more than five passes in a game.[6] College career After high school, Southern Mississippi offered Favre a scholarship (the only one he received). Southern Miss wanted him to play defensive back but Favre wanted to play quarterback instead. Favre began his freshman year as the seventh-string quarterback and took over the starting position in the second half of the third game of the year against Tulane on September 19, 1987. Favre, despite suffering a hangover from the night before and vomiting during warm-ups, led the Golden Eagles to a come-from-behind victory with two touchdown passes.[7] In his junior season, Favre led the Golden Eagles to an upset of Florida State (then ranked sixth in the nation) on September 2, 1989. Favre capped a six-and-a-half-minute drive with the game-winning touchdown pass with 23 seconds remaining.[7] On July 14, 1990, before the start of Favre's senior year of college, he was involved in a near-fatal car accident. When going around a bend a few tenths of a mile from his parents' house, Favre lost control of his car, which flipped three times and came to rest against a tree. It was only after one of his brothers smashed a car window with a golf club that Favre could be evacuated to the hospital. In the ambulance, his mother was sitting with him. "All I kept asking [her] was 'Will I be able to play football again?'" Favre recalled later. Doctors would later remove 30 inches (760 mm) of Favre's small intestine. Six weeks after this incident, on September 8, Favre led Southern Miss to a comeback victory over Alabama. Alabama coach Gene Stallings said, "You can call it a miracle or a legend or whatever you want to. I just know that on that day, Brett Favre was larger than life."[8] Favre continues to hold various Southern Miss football records. As of the end of the 2007 season, he holds the career individual record in the following categories: most plays, most total yards gained, most passing yards gained, most completions made, and most passing attempts made. He had held the record for the most touchdowns scored (52), but it was later tied by quarterback Lee Roberts, who played for the school from 1995–98. Favre had 15 games over his career where he compiled more than 200 passing yards, making him the fourth all-time school leader in that category. Of those 15 games, 5 were 300-yard games, the most compiled by any of the school's quarterbacks. Additionally, he was the seasonal leader in total passing and total offense in all four of his seasons at Southern Miss.[9] Favre earned a teaching degree with an emphasis in special education from The University of Southern Mississippi.[10] Professional career Atlanta Falcons Favre was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round, 33rd overall in the 1991 NFL Draft.[11] Atlanta coach Jerry Glanville did not approve of the drafting of Favre, saying it would take a plane crash for him to put Favre into the game.[12] Favre's first pass in an NFL regular season game resulted in an interception returned for a touchdown. He only attempted four passes in his career at Atlanta, completing none of them.[3] The Green Bay Packers general manager Ron Wolf traded a first-round pick (19th overall, RB Tony Smith, Southern Miss) for Favre during the following offseason. Wolf, while an assistant to the general manager of the New York Jets, had intended to take Favre in the 1991 NFL draft, but Favre was taken by the Falcons on the previous pick.[12] According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and other sources, during the physical after the trade, Favre was diagnosed with avascular necrosis, the same degenerative hip condition that ended Bo Jackson's career, and doctors recommended he be failed. Wolf overruled them.[13] Green Bay Packers Brett Favre played 16 seasons in Green Bay. During his time in Green Bay, Favre has won three consecutive AP MVP awards, the first and only person in NFL history to do so.[14] He helped the Packers appear in two Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl XXXI. Favre also started every Green Bay Packers game from September 20, 1992 to January 20, 2008.[2] Beginnings in Green Bay In the second game of the 1992 season, the Packers played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers were leading 17-0 at half time when head coach Mike Holmgren benched starting quarterback Don Majkowski and Favre played the second half. On his first regular season play as a Packer, Favre threw a pass that was deflected and caught by himself. Favre was tackled and the completion went for -7 yards. The Packers lost the game 31-3, chalking up only 106 yards passing.[15][16] In the third game of the 1992 season, then-starting quarterback Don Majkowski injured a ligament in his ankle against the Cincinnati Bengals, an injury severe enough that he would be out for four weeks. Favre replaced Majkowski for the remainder of the contest. Favre fumbled four times during the course of the game,[16] a performance poor enough that the crowd chanted for Favre to be removed in favor of another Packers backup quarterback at the time, Ty Detmer.[17] However, down 23-17 with 1:07 left in the game, the Packers started an offensive series on their own 8 yard line. Still at the quarterback position, Favre completed a 42 yard pass to Sterling Sharpe. On the next play, Favre threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Kitrick Taylor with 13 seconds remaining.[16] The next week's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers began the longest consecutive starts streak for a quarterback in NFL history. The game ended in a 17-3 victory and his passer rating was 144.6. During the season, Favre helped put together a six-game winning streak for the Packers, the longest winning streak for the club since 1965. They ended 9-7 that season, missing the playoffs on their last game.[16] Favre finished his first season as a Packer with 3,227 yards and a quarterback rating of 85.3, helping him to his first Pro Bowl.[18] The following season Favre helped the Packers to their first playoff berth since 1982 and was named to his second pro bowl. After the season Favre became a free agent. General manager Ron Wolf negotiated Favre into a five-year, $19 million contract. The Packers finished the 1994 season 9-7, advancing them to the playoffs in back to back years, a feat the they had not accomplished since the Vince Lombardi era.[19] In 1995, Favre won the first of his three AP MVP awards. Favre led the Packers to an 11-5 record, Green Bay's best record in nearly thirty years.[20] Favre passed for a career high of 4,413 yards, 38 touchdowns, and recorded a quarterback rating of 99.5, the highest of his career.[21] The Packers advanced to the NFC Championship Game after upsetting the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Game. The Packers lost the NFC Championship game to the Dallas Cowboys, marking the third year in a row the Packers season was ended by the Cowboys in the playoffs. Favre helped the Packers advance farther in the playoffs than any other Packer team since 1967, the season the Packers won Super Bowl II.[22] While being treated for various injuries, Brett Favre developed an addiction to vicodin, which became publicly known when he suffered a seizure during a hospital visit. Amid an NFL investigation, he went public to avoid any rumors about his condition. In May 1996 he went into treatment and remained in rehabilitation for 46 days. Had he chosen not to go, the NFL would have imposed a $900,000 fine.[23][24] Super Bowl years Favre led the Packers to their best season in 30-years in the 1996 season, winning his second consecutive MVP award in the process. The Packers led the NFL in points scored as well as fewest points scored against. Green Bay tied the Denver Broncos for the NFL's best regular season record, 13-3, defeated the San Francisco 49ers and Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field in the playoffs. The Packers advanced to Super Bowl XXXI at the Louisiana Superdome, a short drive from Favre's hometown.[25] In Super Bowl XXXI, Favre completed 14 of 27 passes for 246 yards and 2 touchdowns. On the second play of the game, Favre threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to receiver Andre Rison. Favre also completed an 81-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Freeman in the second quarter (then a Super Bowl record). Favre rushed for 12 yards and another touchdown, as the Packers won Super Bowl XXXI over the New England Patriots, 35-21. In their 19 games of the season, the Packers had a turnover ratio of plus 24, and outscored their opponents 100-48 in the playoffs.[25] Favre and the Packers continued their dominance of the NFC during the next season. Favre was named AP co-MVP of the league along with Detroit Lions' running back Barry Sanders, his third straight award. Also, Green Bay advanced to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row. After being heavily favored, the Packers lost to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII by the score of 31-24 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. Favre completed 25 of 42 passes for 256 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 1 interception in the losing effort.[14] Post-Super Bowl seasons Favre scans the Bears' defense during the 2004 seasonFavre and the Packers continued posting positive results through the next few seasons. Through the 2004 season, the Packers had the longest streak of non-losing seasons (13) in the NFL, despite an 8-8 record under coach Ray Rhodes, a 9-7 season under coach Mike Sherman, and no playoff berths in either 1999 or 2000. The streak ended in 2005, with the Packers finishing 4-12 overall. Favre had not had much success in the postseason prior to the Packers' appearance in the 2007 NFC Championship Game versus the New York Giants; he is 3-5 in the playoffs since the 1998 season.[26] Two of those losses were at home in the wild-card game, and they were the first postseason losses ever at Lambeau Field. Since 1998, he has recorded 149 completions on 249 attempts for 1,804 yards, with 11 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions, leaving him with a quarterback passer rating of 70.1 in the playoffs.[27] On March 1, 2001, Favre signed a "lifetime" contract extension, which technically was a 10–year contract extension worth around $100 million dollars.[28] In the regular season finale of 2001, Favre was the target of minor controversy when, in a game against the New York Giants at Giants Stadium, he was sacked by the Giants defensive end Michael Strahan. It was Strahan's lone sack of the game and gave him the NFL's single-season sack record of 22.5, which topped Mark Gastineau's record of 22 set in 1984.[29] Some analysts, such as Mike Freeman of The New York Times, expressed opinion that Favre allowed himself to be sacked in order to allow Strahan to set the record.[30] 2003 Oakland Raiders game One of the defining moments of Favre's career and arguably his greatest game ever took place on December 22, 2003, in a Monday Night Football game against the Oakland Raiders. The day before, on Sunday, December 21, 2003, Brett's father Irvin Favre ran into a ditch near Kiln, Mississippi, where years earlier Brett Favre had nearly died in a car accident. Sergeant Joe Gazzo of the Mississippi Highway Patrol stated, "It didn't appear that the accident was serious enough to cause him to be unconscious, so that leads us to believe that a medical condition was what caused him to go off the road." Irvin Favre went off the road at 5:23 p.m., according to eye-witness reports, and was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. An autopsy performed the following day showed that Irvin Favre died of a sudden heart attack.[31] Favre elected to play the day after his father's death, and passed for four touchdowns in the first half and 399 total yards in a 41-7 victory over the Raiders on international television (even receiving applause from "Raider Nation"). Afterwards, Favre said, "I knew that my dad would have wanted me to play. I love him so much and I love this game. It's meant a great deal to me, to my dad, to my family, and I didn't expect this kind of performance. But I know he was watching tonight."[32] He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.[33] He then went to his father's funeral in Pass Christian, Mississippi. Favre won an ESPY Award for his Monday Night Football performance.[34] 2004-2006 From 2003-2005, a series of events related to Favre's family were reported in the media. In October, 2004, ten months after the death of Favre's father, his brother-in-law, Casey Tynes, was killed in an all-terrain vehicle accident on Favre's Mississippi property.[35] Soon after in 2004, Favre's wife, Deanna Favre, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Following aggressive treatment through 2004, Deanna made significant progress and was expected to make a complete recovery. She created The Deanna Favre Hope Foundation which supports breast cancer education and women's breast imaging and diagnosis services for all women, including those who are medically underserved.[36][35] Brett Favre, third from the left, his wife Deanna, second from the left, and First Lady Laura Bush, third from the right, attend a ribbon cutting ceremony in Kiln, MS after Hurricane KatrinaIn late August 2005, Favre's family suffered another setback: Hurricane Katrina blew through Mississippi, destroying his family's home there; however, none of his family members were injured.[37] Brett and Deanna's property in Hattiesburg, Mississippi was also extensively damaged by the storm.[38] Favre elected to continue to play in the 2005 season. For the 2005 Green Bay Packers season, despite throwing for over 3,000 yards for a record 14th consecutive time, Favre had a below average season with only 20 touchdown passes and a league-leading 29 interceptions. The loss of guards Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle to free agency along with key injuries to Javon Walker, Ahman Green, Bubba Franks, among others, hampered Favre and the team. His passer rating was 70.9, 31st in the NFL and the worst single season rating of his career.[39] After the disappointing season, many speculated that Favre would retire.[40] However, on April 26, 2006, Favre announced that he would remain with the team for the 2006 season. Despite earlier comments that the 2006 season would be his last, Favre announced in a press conference on May 6, 2006 that he had not ruled out the possibility of returning beyond the 2006 season.[41] For the 2006 Green Bay Packers season, Favre suffered his first career shutout against the Chicago Bears. Later in the season, the New England Patriots shut out the Packers in a game where he was injured before half time and could not complete the game.[42][43] On September 24, 2006, he became just the second quarterback in NFL history to record 400 touchdown passes (Dan Marino being the first). He connected with rookie wide receiver Greg Jennings on a 5-yard pass that Jennings turned into a 75-yard touchdown play during a win against the Detroit Lions.[44] He also became the first player ever to complete 5,000 passes in his career. On December 31, 2006 the Packers played their last game of the season, winning 26-7 against the Chicago Bears. It was his 22nd career win versus the Bears, moving him to an all-time record of 22-8. 2007: A Career milestone season On February 26, 2007, Brett Favre underwent minor arthroscopic ankle surgery in Green Bay, Wisconsin to remove a buildup of bone spurs in his left ankle.[45] Favre broke Dan Marino's touchdown pass record on September 30, 2007, at the Hubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeFavre began the Packers 2007 season trailing in a number of career NFL passing records. On September 16, 2007 Favre and the Packers defeated the New York Giants to give Favre his record setting 149th win, passing John Elway. On September 30, Favre threw a 16 yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings in a game against the Vikings. This was his 421st NFL touchdown pass, and set a new all time record, surpassing Dan Marino's 420. Breaking this record received high praise from around the NFL, with congratulations coming from people such as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, former Packers head coach Mike Holmgren, and colleague quarterbacks Steve Young and Joe Montana. On November 4, 2007, after the Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 33-22, Favre became only the 3rd quarterback to have defeated all thirty-one other current NFL teams. He joined Peyton Manning and Tom Brady as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to do this, just the week after the two of them achieved the accomplishment.[46] On Thanksgiving, 2007, Favre led the Packers to a 37-26 win over the Lions, and brought Packers to a 10-1 record. He won the Galloping Gobbler award, given by the broadcasters at Fox to the game MVP. Favre threw three touchdown passes for his 63rd career game with at least three TDs, surpassing Marino's former record of 62.[47] Favre led the Packers to a 13-3 regular season record, the NFC North championship, and the second seed in the NFC playoffs. Prior to the Packers' playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks, Favre stated his desire to continue playing football for another season.[48] In the Divisional Playoffs, Favre threw three touchdowns as the Packers cruised to a 42-20 victory over the Seahawks at a snowy Lambeau Field. The Packers' season ended the following week when they suffered a 23-20 overtime loss in the NFC Championship Game to the eventual Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. Negotiating subzero temperatures, Favre amassed 236 passing yards and two touchdowns, but also threw an interception in overtime that setup the Giants' game-winning field goal. Favre's 90-yard touchdown pass to Donald Driver in the second quarter was the longest pass in Packers playoff history, and it extended Favre's NFL record for consecutive postseason games with a touchdown pass to 18.[49] Favre stated after the game that he would make a decision more quickly than he has in the past regarding whether he would return for another season. Favre's milestone 2007 season culminated with his selection to the 2008 Pro Bowl as the starting quarterback for the NFC. Favre was forced to withdraw, however, due to an ankle injury.[50] Retirement Brett Favre during the pre-game warm-ups against the Chicago Bears.On March 4, 2008, Favre formally announced his retirement.[51][52][53][54] Favre's agent, Bus Cook, stated "Nobody pushed Brett Favre out the door but then nobody encouraged him not to go out that door either. I don't think he had a lot of encouragement to stay, but nobody told him to leave either."[55] Cook also believed that Favre had not gotten the impression from the Packers that they wanted him back. Although Favre stated that he had been willing to play another year, he felt that another season would only be successful if he led his team to another Super Bowl victory. He added the chances for a Super Bowl win are small, and that he wasn't up for the challenge. At his press conference, Favre openly wept about leaving the NFL. He stated that his decision, regardless of what was being said in the media, had nothing to do with what the Packers did or didn't do. He said, seemingly contradictory to Cook's statements, that his decision to retire was based on the fact that he didn't want to play anymore. He said during the conference, "I know I can play, but I don't think I want to. And that's really what it comes down to." If Favre stays retired, he will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013. The Packers plan to retire Favre's No. 4 jersey during their regular season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on September 8. Favre will appear on the cover of the Madden NFL 09 video game, due to be released on August 13, 2008.[56] Favre stated that if the Packers asked him to return in an emergency situation, that "it would be hard to pass up." He stressed, however, that he would only return if he was in shape.[57] Return On July 2, 2008, it was reported that Favre was in contact[clarify] with the Packers about a possible return to the team.[58] On July 11, 2008, Favre sent a letter to the Packers asking for his unconditional release to allow him to play for another NFL team.[59] Packers general manager Ted Thompson announced he would not grant Favre an unconditional release[60] and reaffirmed the organization's commitment to Aaron Rodgers as its new quarterback.[61] Complicating matters is Favre's unique contract giving him the the leverage to void any potential trade by not reporting to the camp of the team he might be traded to if the Packers elect to go that route.[62]Brett Farve announced that he would report to Packers training camp on Monday, August 4, 2008.[63] Favre spoke publicly for the first time about his potential comeback in a July 14, 2008 interview with Greta Van Susteren on the Fox News Channel's On the Record with Greta Van Susteren. In the interview, Favre said he was "guilty of retiring early," that he was "never fully committed" to retirement, and that he was pressured by the Packers to make a decision before the NFL Draft and the start of the free agent signing period.[64] Favre disputed the notion that he doesn't want to play for Green Bay and said that while he understands the organization has decided to move on, they should now allow him to do the same. He made clear that he would not return to the Packers as a backup and reiterated his desire to be released rather than traded, which would allow him the freedom to play for a competitive team. Favre also accused the Packers of being dishonest, wishing the team would have been straightforward with him and the public.[65] In the second part of the interview, which aired on July 15, Favre expressed his frustration with Packer management, spoke of his sympathy for successor Aaron Rodgers' predicament, and affirmed he is 100 percent committed to playing football in 2008.[66] FOXSports.com's Jay Glazer reported on July 16, 2008, that the Packers have filed tampering charges against the Minnesota Vikings with the league office, alleging improper communication between Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and Favre,[67] although one source suggested that Favre may have been in contact with Vikings head coach Brad Childress.[68] After formally filing for reinstatement with the NFL on July 29, 2008, Favre's petition was granted by Commissioner Roger Goodell, effective August 4, 2008.[69]

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].