Magic Johnson

Born Earvin Johnson, Jr. on August 14, 1959, in Lansing, Michigan. Earvin was from a large family, he grew up with nine brothers and sisters. Both of his parents worked, his father worked for general Motors plant in the town and his mother was a school custodian. Johnson would start practicing at his high school at 7:30 a.m. Johnson got his nickname, "Magic" after a sportswriter saw him score 36 points, 16 rebounds and 16 assists in a single game.



Johnson continued to play basketball in college for Michigan State University. Standing at 6 feet 9 inches tall, he made for an impressive point guard. Johnson helped the Spartans, clinch the Big Ten Conference title in his freshman year. The following year, he played an important role in taking the Spartans all the way to the NCAA Finals. There they faced off against the Indiana State Sycamores. Johnson went head-to-head with Indiana's star forward, Larry Bird. The Spartans proved victorious, and the Johnson-Bird rivalry would follow the players to their days with the NBA. Leaving college after two years, Johnson was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979.

Johnson's career achievements include three NBA MVP Awards, nine NBA Finals appearances, twelve All-Star games, and ten All-NBA First and Second Team nominations. He led the league in regular-season assists four times, and is the NBA's all-time leader in assists per game, with an average of 11.2. Johnson was a member of the "Dream Team", the U.S. basketball team that won the Olympic gold medal in 1992. During his career, Johnson scored 17,707 points and made 10,141 assists, 6,559 rebounds, and 1,824 steals. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.

In November 1991, Johnson retired from the Lakers after revealing that he had the AIDS virus. Which he believed he contracted through unprotected sexual activity. At the time he learned he had the disease, his wife Cookie was pregnant with their first child. Both his wife and son, Earvin III, turned out to not have HIV.

At the time, many people thought the virus mostly affected homosexuals or intravenous drug users. So Johnson's decision to go public with his medical condition helped raise awareness about the disease. That year he established the Magic Johnson Foundation to support HIV/AIDS research efforts and awareness program. In 1992, he wrote the educational guide What You Can Do to Avoid AIDS.

Johnson played in the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. Along with Michael Jordan and Larry Bird, he was part of the American "Dream Team" that won the gold medal. Magic had hoped to play professional basketball for the next season, but he dropped that plan after players protested because of concerns about competing against an AIDS-infected competitor.

Just as he had dominated the courts, Johnson became a powerful force in business. He created Magic Johnson Enterprises, which has a variety of holdings. Much of his efforts have focused on developing urban areas, bringing Starbucks coffee franchises and movie theaters into undeserved communities. In 2008, he shared his secrets for success with the book 32 Ways to be a Champion in Business.

Google

Google began by two guys studying at Stanford University in California. Larry Page and Sergery Brin started a project in 1996 to create a search engine that would rank websites according to the number of other websites that linked to that site. The name Google comes from the mathematical term for the number 1 followed by 100 zero's. This term reflects the organizations mission to form a seemingly infinite amount of information on the web.

In august of 2008, Sun co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim writes them a check for $100,000 to a company that didn’t even exist yet. It was at this very moment that they realized what they had and went and incorporated the name Google Inc. Their knowledge was great, but not great enough to impress the money boys or the major Internet portals. Oh how they wish they invested in them now! So they began struggling for financial support. Andy was one of the few to see true potential of what these boys had created. During their presentation to him, Andy said he had to duck out for another meeting and offered to write them a check. The check was for $100,000 and that indeed had got things moving for them. 

Andy Bechtolsheim, a co-founder of Sun writes a $100,000 check in August 2008. He wrote the check to Page and Brin to get the company moving in the right direction. Andy was one of the few to see potential of what these boys had created.

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan original name was Robert Allen Zimmerman. Robert was born on May 24, 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota. Son of Abraham Zimmerman and Beatrice Stone (Beatty Zimmerman). Six years after Robert was born his family moved to Hibbing. Hibbing, Minnesota was were Robert grew up. He lived on 2425 7th Avenue East, a street renamed named "Dylan Drive". Dylan graduated from the historic Hibbing High School in 1959.

Early Career
 Bob Dylan was a central architect of the 60s folk-rock movement. In his youth he absorbed the influences of country and folk traditionalists; as a teenager, he was swept up in the excitement of early rock & roll music and began performing on piano and guitar in bands with his schoolmates. Late in 1959 Dylan enrolled in the University of Minnesota, but his love of music soon overpowered any academic ambitions and the following year, after spending a summer in Denver honing his stage persona, he dropped out and moved to New York to immerse himself in its incipient folk-revival scene. While in New York he also sought out his hero Woody Guthrie, spending as much time as he could at the ailing musicians bedside.

Family
Son of Abraham Zimmerman and Beatrice Stone (Beatty Zimmerman).
Has a brother named David Zimmerman.
1985: Daughter Desiree Gabrielle Dennis-Dylan born. Mother is gospel-rock vocalist Carol Dennis, a backup singer who formerly worked with him and who he secretly married.
Spouse
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Carolyn Dennis	(4 June 1986 - October 1992) (divorced) 1 child
Sara Dylan	(22 November 1965 - 29 June 1977) (divorced) 4 children

Awards

• 1982: Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
• Awarded a 2008 Pulitzer Prize (Special Citation "for his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power"). He is the first rock or folk musical artist to win this prestigious honor.
• Voted the seventh greatest singer of the rock era in a Rolling Stone magazine poll in 2008.
• His Album "Modern Times" (2006) was voted the 8th Best Album of the Decade by Rolling Stone Magazine.
• His Album "Love and Theft" (2001) was voted the 11th Best Album of the Decade by Rolling Stone Magazine.
• He was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts on February 25, 2010 in Washington D.C. for his services and contributions to the arts.
• 1991: Awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammies.

When he inducted Bob Dylan into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, Bruce Springsteen recalled riding in the car with his mom and hearing "Like a Rolling Stone" for the first time.

It's Miller Time

Reginald Wayne Miller was born to Saul and Carrie Miller. He was born on August 24, 1965, in Riverside, California. Reggie was born with a hip deformity that caused severely splayed feet. The first four years of his life he wore leg braces to correct his birth effect. Doctors didn't think he would ever be able to walk without assistance. At the age of five the braces came off and made up for lost time in trying to keep up with his athletic brothers and sisters.




Reggie Miller grew up in a very athletic Family. His sister Cheryl Miller is may have been the greatest Women's basketball player ever.His brother Darrell has had a long major league
career as a catcher. Another sister, Tammy, played volleyball at Cal State-Fullerton.











Reggie played basketball at Riverside Polytechnic High School. He went to college at UCLA were he was a star and scored  2,095 points - second in that school's history to the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

In the 1987 NBA Draft the Indiana Pacers selected Reggie Miller. Indiana basketball were hugely disappointed. The fans wanted Steve Alford from Indiana University who had just led his school to a 30-4 season and the NCAA Championship. But Miller soon silenced his critics, becoming a starter in his rookie season and averaging 10 points per game. In his second season he averaged 16 points per game. In his third, he emerged as a star averaging 24.6 points per game.

In 1990, he was chosen for his first NBA All-Star game. He continued to improve his game. The Pacers granted him a seven-year, $18 million contract extension. By 1993, he had become the Pacers' all-time leading scorer.

Although regarded as one of the best shooters in the NBA, Miller did not receive much national attention until the 1994 playoffs. He led the Pacers to their first-ever playoff series victory against the Orlando Magic. The team then defeated the Atlanta Hawks in the second round.

On May 7, 1995, Miller scored eight points in 8.9 seconds in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Knicks, leading the Pacers to a stunning 107–105 victory. With 18.7 seconds remaining and the Pacers trailing 105-99, Miller took the inbounds pass from Mark Jackson, made a 3-pointer, stole the inbounds pass from Anthony Mason, dribbled back behind the arc and tied the game with another 3, stunning Madison Square Garden. On the ensuing possession, Knicks guard John Starks was fouled by Sam Mitchell. Starks missed both free throws, and although Patrick Ewing managed to get the offensive rebound, his shot was just a bit long and hit the back rim. Miller got the rebound and was fouled with 7.5 seconds left. He made both free throws. Trailing by 2, New York had one last chance to win the game, but failed to get a shot off, giving the Pacers a shocking 1–0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Larry Bird

Larry Joe Bird was born on december 7, 1956 in West Baden Springs, Indiana. His parents Joe and Georgia were a working class couple. Larry was raised in French Lick. Bird exceled at
Like the state he hailed from, Indiana, the name Larry Bird is virtually synonymous with the game of basketball. He was born Larry Joe Bird on December 7, 1956, in West Baden Springs, Indiana. His parents, Joe and Georgia , were a working class couple who raised Larry in the nearby town of French Lick. Although his family faced economic hardship throughout his childhood, Larry began to excel at basketball at an early age.
Larry attended Springs Valley High School in French Lick, where he starred on the basketball team, becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer by the time he graduated in 1974.

Larry attended Indiana State University, where he helped bring around the basketball program and led the team to a 33–1 record in his senior season. That season finished with a loss to Michigan State University in the NCAA championship game in 1979. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics after his junior year at Indiana State in 1978  but did not play professionally until the 1979–1980 season. Bird was the first college player to be drafted by an NBA team that was not a senior.

Over the course of his 13 seasons with the Celtics, he cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players in NBA history. In his rookie year he won the Rookie of the Year award after contributing to one of the largest single-season improvement in NBA history (a 32-win improvement). Bird was a 12-time All Star and won three consecutive league Most Valuable Player awards (1984–86). Larry Bird led the Boston Celtics to three National Basketball Association (NBA) championships (1981, 1984, and 1986) and is considered one of the greatest pure shooters of all time. He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.

Bird retired in 1993 and moved to a front-office position with the Celtics. He became the head coach of the Indiana Pacers despite having no previous coaching experience.  In 1997 he was named Coach of the Year after his first season. Bird resigned in 2000 and became the Pacers' president of basketball operations in 2003. 

The Great One

Roberto Walker Clemente was born on August 18, 1934 in Barrio San Anton in Carolina, Puerto Rico. His parents Melchor and Luisa had seven children and Roberto was the youngest.  His father worked as a foreman on a sugar plantation and his mother ran a food store for the plantation workers. Their family was very poor and Clemente worked hard as a young kid in Puerto Rico delivering milk and taking other jobs to earn extra money for the struggling Clemente family.

In his early baseball career Clemente was eighteen years old in 1952 when he was offered his first contract. A scout spotted him playing professional hardball team in Puerto Rico. His first club he signed with giving him forty dollars per month, plus a five hundred dollar bonus. Clemente caught the attention of the major league scouts in 1954 and signed up with the Los Angeles Dodgers who sent him to their minor league team in Montreal.

On November 14, 1964, Roberto Clemente married Vera Cristina Zabala in Carolina, Puerto Rico. They had three sons: Roberto Jr., Luis Roberto and Roberto Enrique. He had each of them born in Puerto Rico to honor their father's heritage.

Roberto Clemente is one of only a few players to have collected 3,000 hits, He delivered his 3,000th hit on the last day of the 1972 regular season. He was also a powerhouse from the outfield too, throwing out players from over 400 feet.

His personal records included four National League batting championships, twelve Gold Glove awards, the National League MVP in 1966, and the World Series MVP in 1971, where he batted .414. Clemente was the first Latin American player elected to the baseball Hall of Fame. For his "outstanding athletic, civic, charitable, and humanitarian contributions," Roberto Clemente was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by the United States Congress in 1973.

 Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, had been shrunken by an earthquake that hit just days before Christmas. There were reports of up to 10,000 dead and hundreds of thousands more left without shelter in its aftermath. Roberto was commited in helping thousands by going on a plane bringing clothing, food and medical supplies. Shortly after takeoff the rickety plane went down off the coast of San Juan. Roberto Clemente died on December 31, 1972. His body was never found.

The History of the Green Monster

The Green Monster is a one of a kind wall that distinguishes Fenway Park from all other stadiums in the Majors. The wall stands a little over 37 feet tall and is 231 feet long. The Wall was originally built to keep spectators who did not pay to see the game from watching the game for free in 1912. The original wall was made out of wood til it was burnt down in 1934. It was rebuilt this time made out of tin. Today's Wall is made out of hard plastic and was assembled in 1976. Up until 1947 there were advertisements all over the wall, that year they painted it green hence the name Green Monster.

Fenway Park would not be Fenway Park without the Monster. Apparent doubles become “Fenway singles”, pop flies that would be outs in other ball parks graze the wall on their way down and become doubles, line drives with clank off of the wall for “wall ball doubles”, and long drives clear the Monster and end up on Landsdowne street. The position Left fielder is completely change when playing at Fenway Park with the Monster at your back. The Red Sox's have had many great players stand in front of the wall Ted Williams (9), Carl Yastrzemski (8)and Jim Rice (14). All played one after another and all there numbers are retired in Fenway Park.
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One of two scoreboards in the Majors that is man operated. This was originally meant to score the game but now it provides other score in the Majors as well as the AL East standings. A small door gives two scoreboard operators access to the inner sector of the wall. The operators make updates during the game and in between innings. There are a Overabundance of autographs with the inner bowls of the Monster. Over the years thousands of players have stepped inside and left their mark.

There is a ladder attached to the Monster, it was use up until 2002 to fetch home runs that were caught by the netting above the Green Monster. In 2003 they removed the net in put in place the famed "Monster Seats". There are now 274 seats above the Monster were fans sit to watch there beloved Red Sox's.

The Patriots Off-Season Moves

During the off-season the Patriots made outstanding moves to bring the big defensive lineman Albert  Haynesworth to the New England Patriots. The Washington Redskins traded Albert to New England for a 2013 fifth-round draft pick. Haynesworth was drafted in the 2002 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans. He was taken in the first round with the 15th overall pick. Albert played his first seven season with the Titans and his last two season with the Washington Redskins.

                                                

There is also a huge risk in getting Albert Haynesworth. Albert Haynesworths bad past from Road Rage, Sexual Abuse Allegations and The Stomp which was an incident that happened in 2006.  Albert Haynesworth stomp on Andre Gurode head, The league suspended Haynesworth for five games with no pay. In the 2010 season Haynsworth didn't get in shape for the season and didn't pass the Mike Shanahan conditioning test which was two 300-yard shuttle runs to be completed in 70 seconds and 73 seconds with a three and a half minute break in between.

This is not the first time the New England Patriots have taken a chance on a trouble some player. Bill Belichick has helped these players rejuvenate there reputations safety Rodney Harrison, running back Corey Dillon and wide receiver Randy Moss. Albert will be Belichicks toughfest challenge because Haynesworth did not see eye to eye with his last coach Mike Shanahan. Haynesworth was suspended by the team for the last fore games of the 2010 season.

The Patriots also picked up star wide out Chad Ochocinco from the Cincinnati Bengals. The Patriots traded two draft picks, a 2012 fifth-rounder and a 2013 sixth-rounder. Chad will help fill the deep threat after the pats lost Randy Moss. Ochocinco will help the already stack receiving core joining Wes Welker, Deion Branch, Aaron Hernandez  and Rob Gronkowski. Ochocinco was drafted by the Bengals in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He is a 10-year veteran and a six time pro bowler.