biography frank lampard

Frank Lampard was born in Romford, Essex on the 20th of June 1978. He came from a very football orientated family, with his father, uncle and cousins all heavily involved within the game. He spent most of his early years playing football in his local park, garden and sea coast while on summer holiday’s with the rest of his family. Frank Lampard has always been seen as a very determined individual, and that characteristic was associated with him from an early age. It earned him a place in Heath Park’s youth team. Lampard then went on to have trials for Tottenham, Arsenal and West Ham - Frank followed his heart and signed a youth contract with the Hammers in 1994.
Frank_Lampard_Biography_WesthamHe was at West Ham for a year before he made the difficult decision to go out on loan to Swansea in 1995. Frank Lampard was a very family orientated man, however, he was determined to improve himself as a footballer and that’s what this move did for him. Although the training facilities at Swansea were of a considerably lower standard, Frank built up his strength and came back to Upton Park ready to fight for a first team place. It wasn’t until the 1998-99 season where he finally established himself as a regular first team player for West Ham. Frank Lampard appeared in every match that season for West Ham and he significantly helped his team push for a fifth place finish in the league. This though, attracted many of the key West Ham players to bigger clubs, Rio Ferdinand was first to leave Upton Park in 2000-01 from West Ham’s promising batch of youngsters. This, along with the fact that his uncle and father had quit their jobs as manager and assistant respectively meant a transfer to Chelsea Football Club in 2001 for a reported fee of £11 million pounds.
Frank_Lampard_Biography_EnglandRanieri, the Chelsea manager at the time, was a keen fan of Lampard’s style and he was immediately drafted into first team action. He made his debut on the 19th of August against Newcastle United. Frank Lampard then went on to appear in every league match for the Blues that season, netting a total of 8 goals. He was starting to create a name for himself as a goal scoring midfielder and Chelsea supporters were excited about the prospect of Frank Lampard playing in a blue shirt for seasons to come. Frank continued to steadily improve while playing for Chelsea, and for the first time in his career he finished the 2002-03 season with 10 goals to his name. By this time, Frank Lampard was already a regular in the England shirt and his scoring-form for Chelsea also carried over to England as he netted his first goal for Engand on the 20th of August 2003 against Croatia.
It was in the summer of 2003, when one of the richest men in the world, Roman Abramovich, bought Chelsea Football Club. It meant Lampard could finally show his true potential. He was at a side filled with quality players, and from that moment, he’s never been given a chance to look back. In the 2004-05 season, Lampard scored 19 goals in all competitions, followed by hitting the 20 mark the season after. Lampard was at his peak, and was picking up many personal trophies to prove this: Runner up in the World Player of the Year 2005 to an unstoppable Ronaldinho and the FWA player of the year. Lampard continued to make great progress at club and international level and it was in the 2007-08 campaign where he reached a major goal scoring land mark for Chelsea - 100 club goals. An extraordinary achievement for a central midfielder. He was given much world wide recognition for such an achievement.
Lampard has come along way from playing in his back garden with his father, and although now in his thirties, he still plays at the highest level of football and is recognised as one of the best midfielders in the world.

biography david villa

David Villa SÃnchez (born December 3, 1981 in Langreo, Asturias, Spain), is nicknamed El Guaje (The Kid) he is a Spanish football player, who currently plays for Valencia CF and the Spanish national side.

Early career
Born in the Asturias region in Northern Spain, he got his professional breakthrough at his local club Sporting de Gijón for whom he made his first-team debut in the 2000-01 season. The next season he was a first team regular, scoring 18 league goals, and scored 20 the next season. After over 50 goals in just three seasons at Gijón, he got his chance in Spain's top-flight the La Liga, when promoted Zaragoza bought him in the summer of 2003. He had no trouble adapting to the step up in class and scored 17 times in his first season at Zaragoza. Villa led Zaragoza to a Copa del Rey victory scoring the winning goal against Real Madrid.

Soon after he earned his first international call-up and cap, Valencia decided to take a chance on him and parted with over £8 million to secure his services in the summer of 2005.

Valencia
In the 2005-06 season, he scored 25 goals in 35 league matches for Valencia, to finish one goal behind the leagues top scorer Samuel Eto'o of Barcelona. He scored his first hat-trick for Valencia against Athletic Bilbao on the 23rd April 2006.

International career
Villa was included in Spain's 23 man squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, and was favoured over the more established striker Raúl, to line up alongside Fernando Torres in the opening match against Ukraine. Villa made his first World Cup finals appearance scoring twice against Ukraine. He added one more from the penalty spot in Spain's 1-3 defeat to France in a Round of 16 knock-out match. He finished joint top goal scorer for Spain along with Fernando Torres in World Cup 2006 with 3 goals.

biography valentino rossi

Valentino Rossi Biography

Valentino Rossi is a MotoGP motorcycle racer from Urbino, Italy who has won nine Grand Prix World Championships. Valentino Rossi is one of the most successful figures in motorcycle racing history, with a record seven premier class Grand Prix World Championships. Valentino Rossi's father, Graziano Rossi, was also a Grand Prix motorcycle racer.

Valentino Rossi's Vital Statistics

  • MotoGP Team: Ducati Team
  • Bike: Ducati Desmodeci GP 11
  • Number: 46
  • DOB: February 16th, 1979
  • Nationality: Italian
  • Nickname: "The Doctor"
  • Weight: 147 lbs
  • Height: 5ft 11in
valentino_rossi
Valentino Rossi

Valentino Rossi Biography

Valentino Rossi was born in Urbino, Italy, on February 16th, 1979, to Graziano and Stefania Rossi. He grew up about a half hour away in Tavullia, and due to his father's profession as a motorcycle racer, Rossi was riding dirtbikes around his back yard by the age of three. Rossi started racing go-karts, and in 1990 he won a regional title. Rossi won his first world title at the age of 18, and has been making history ever since.
The "Doctor," Valentino Rossi, has a new challenge in 2011. After 7 years and 4 world championships with the Yamaha team, Rossi will now begin a new chapter in his legendary career. Rossi will be riding a Ducati this year in an attempt to accumulate his 10th (8th in the premier class) World Championship.
Rossi claimed his first World Championship victory in 1997 with Aprilia. Since that first World title, Rossi has never finished a season off the podium. He was even able to find the podium last year, after breaking his leg and missing four rounds in the middle of the season. Rossi's place in the history books is already reserved, but its not yet written. The Doctor still has a lot of riding left to do.

Valentino Rossi and Yamaha

Valentino Rossi has gained world wide fame due to his 9 world titles, but so has his Yamaha M1 motorcycle. Rossi rode to four of his 7 premier titles with the help of the Fiat Yamaha team and his M1 motorcycle. Rossi gave a sad goodbye to the Yamaha team and his M1 motorcycle, but is ready to start a new chapter in his career with Ducati in 2011.

Valentino Rossi's Helmets

Rossi has always had some of the most creative helmets on the grid. Check out some of Rossi's helmets here.

Valentino Rossi's Move to Ducati

This garage ain't big enough for the two of us. At the end of the 2010 season, tension between Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi caused Rossi to seek out a new home. Rossi joines the Ducati Racing team for the 2011 season, and will go head to head with his former teammate during the 2010 season.

Valentino Rossi's 2010 Season

Rossi's 2010 season was a bit of a dissapointment. A broken leg and an injured shoulder kept Rossi from racing at 100%. Despite his injuries, he was still able to claim 2 victories, 10 podiums, and third place in the Championship.

Valentino Rossi's Crashes

When you've been racing as long as Rossi has, you're going to see some crashes. Amazingly, Rossi had 230 consecutive starts before the crash at Mugello forced him from the grid.

Valentino Rossi News

Valentino Rossi's Career Stats

  • MotoGP 2010 - Yamaha - 3rd
  • MotoGP 2009 - Yamaha - 1st
  • MotoGP 2008 - Yamaha - 1st
  • MotoGP 2007 - Yamaha - 3rd
  • MotoGP 2006 - Yamaha - 2nd
  • MotoGP 2005 - Yamaha - 1st
  • MotoGP 2004 - Yamaha - 1st
  • MotoGP 2003 - Honda - 1st
  • MotoGP 2002 - Honda - 1st

Valentino Rossi's Bike - Ducati Desmosedici GP11

  • Manufacturer: Ducati
  • Make: Desmosedici GP11
  • Year: 2011
  • Engine: Liquid-cooled, 90 degree V4 four-stroke, desmodromic DOHC, four valves per cylinder
  • Capacity: 799 cc
  • Maximum Power: More than 200 HP
  • Maximum Speed: In excess of 310 kph / 192 mph

biography fernando torres


Fernando José Torres Sanz (born March 20, 1984) is a Spanish football player. He was born in the Fuenlabrada neighbourhood of Madrid and was the youngest player to play for Atlético Madrid and the youngest to become captain (at age 19). Nicknamed 'El Niño' (The Kid) for his youthful face, Torres is a striker for Spain and Liverpool. Torres scored 55 goals over 5 seasons in the Spanish top flight, with only Samuel Eto'o and David Villa scoring more in the same period. Torres also played two seasons in the second division where he scored 7 goals in 40 games.
In 1999, Torres signed his first contract with the club and at the end of the 1999–2000 season he was part of the first team. His next success was at the European Under-16 Championship in England in 2001, where he finished as the Player of the Tournament en route to Spain's victory.
At the time, Newcastle United manager Bobby Robson was apparently informed of Torres' talent by a Newcastle scout.Robson, however, decided against a move for the Spaniard. Torres made his début for Atlético Madrid in the Vicente Calderón Stadium against Leganes and he scored his first goal for the club the following week, in a game against Albacete.
2002 saw Atlético Madrid returning to the first division of Spanish football. In his first season playing in the top division, Torres did not find the transition from second tier football too much of a hindrance as he scored 13 goals. Torres has been the top scorer for Atlético in La Liga for the past four seasons.He is the youngest player to play for Atlético Madrid and the youngest to become captain (at age 19).
In 2003–2004 Torres made further strides as he scored 19 league goals in just 35 appearances. He was also named as Atlético's club captain aged just 19. Atlético also improved, but were pipped for a UEFA Cup place on the final day of the season as they finished 7th behind Sevilla due to goal difference in the two team's head-to-head record (2-1, 0-2).
In this season Torres made his debut for the full Spanish national team on September 6, 2003 in a friendly against Portugal. His first goal for Spain came against Italy on April 28, 2004. At the end of the season Torres was chosen as part of the Spanish squad for Euro 2004. He only appeared as a late substitute in Spain's first two group games, but made the first eleven for the deciding game against Portugal. Torres hit the post in the 62 minute after Nuno Gomes put Portgual ahead on 57 minutes. Spain lost 1-0 and were eliminated.
Atlético's 7th place finish in 2004 did qualify them for the Intertoto Cup, giving Torres his first taste of European club competition. They made the final, but agonisingly lost on penalties, this time to Villarreal.
At his first ever appearance in a World Cup finals at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, Torres scored the final goal in a 4-0 victory over Ukraine with a volley. In the second group match, Torres scored twice against Tunisia, in the 76th minute for Spain to take the lead 2-1 and then again from a penalty kick in the 90th. Torres was dropped from the team for a friendly versus Romania in November 2006, but returned to the national side for the friendly against England in February 2007, a 1-0 win for Spain. After the World Cup Torres admitted that he turned down the chance to join Chelsea after the end of the 2005-06 season.
Again in 2007, Torres's future at Madrid was the subject of much speculation after Atlético's inability to secure a UEFA Cup spot. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United were all linked with a move for the player. Following the end of the 2006-07 season, reports in the English media stated that Torres was the main transfer target of Liverpool.
The rumours reached such a fever pitch that Atlético president Enrique Cerezo made a statement saying "We've received no offer from Liverpool or any other club or player". However, a few days later new reports suggested that Atletico had agreed a deal with Liverpool for Torres, the fee rumoured was £20 million plus Luis Garcia. Then on 30 June Atlético announced agreeing a deal with Villareal to sign Diego Forlán (seen as a potential replacement for Torres).
On July 2 it was reported that Torres had cut short his holiday to fly back to Madrid to finalize the move. The next day Torres passed a medical for Liverpool and it was annouced that a farewell press conference would be held in Madrid the on 4 July to bid farewell to the Atlético Madrid fans. Later that day, Atlético officially confirmed his transfer to Liverpool on their website.
Torres will wear Liverpool's number 9 shirt, which has previously been worn by legendary Liverpool strikers Robbie Fowler and Ian Rush. It was revealed during the Liverpool press conference that the fee stood at £27 million. It has also been widely reported that Torres has taken a pay cut as part of the transfer. A drop from £103,000 a week in Spain, to about £90,000 according to The Times.
Torres made his official debut for Liverpool F.C. on July 17, 2007 during a friendly match against Werder Bremen. Torres scored his first goal for Liverpool F.C. on August 3, 2007 during a friendly match against Shanghai Shenhua, which was also his first start. Torres is Liverpool F.C.'s record signing. On August 11, 2007 Torres made his competitive debut for Liverpool F.C. against Aston Villa in a 2-1 win.
He scored his first English Premier League goal on his Anfield debut August 19th, in the 16th minute of the match against Chelsea running on to a Steven Gerrard pass he took the ball past Chelsea's defender Tal Ben Haim and slotted it into the Chelsea net, this silenced many critics including Aaron Williams, a biased Manchester United supporter and infamous media figure. The game ended 1-1 after a bad decision by Rob Styles who gave Chelsea a controversial penalty in the 62nd minute.

 
In November of 2001 Torres played in the Under-17 World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago. In July of 2002, he played in the Under-19 European Championships in Norway, a tournament Spain won. Torres was both top scorer and Player of the Tournament. He made his debut for the Under-21 national team in 2003. On September 6, later that year, Torres made his debut for the senior national team against Portugal. His first goal for Spain came against Italy on April 28, 2004.
It was widely expected that a good performance for Spain at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany would boost Torres' already significant demand among major European clubs. At his first ever appearance in a World Cup finals match, Torres scored with a spectacular volley helping Spain to a win over Ukraine. In the second group match Spain rallied from a 0-1 deficit against Tunisia to win 3-1. Torres scored in the 76th minute for Spain to take the lead 2-1 and then again from a penalty kick in the 90th minute.
He was subsequently given a much-needed rest in Spain's third group match against Saudi Arabia, entering the game only to substitute José Antonio Reyes in the 70th minute. Having managed to score three goals in the tournament, Torres was one of the leading goal scorers in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was also the first player to score three goals in the tournament. Torres started the round of 16 matches against France, but after initially taking the lead, Spain went on to lose 1-3 and were knocked out of the tournament.
The Spanish national team coach, Luis Aragonés, remarked that he "never scores two goals the same", highlighting Fernando's versatility as a player. Moreover he was Spain's best player at the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.
However, Torres was dropped from the team for a friendly versus Romania in November 2006, after having only scored 2 goals in 8 matches due to a slight drop in form. He was the youngest player ever to score for Spain.

biography david beckham

Synopsis

Professional soccer player David Beckham was born May 2, 1975, in London, England. A phenom almost from the moment he could first kick a soccer ball, Beckham began playing for Manchester United, England's legendary soccer team, at 18, and was a starter by the time he was 20. He's also played for Real Madrid. In 2007 he signed a five-year, $250-million contract with the L.A. Galaxy.

Early Years

Born May 2, 1975, in Leytonstone, Greater London, UK, to parents Ted Beckham, an appliance repairman, and his wife Sandra, a hair stylist, David Beckham was the family's only son. A middle child between two sisters, Beckham grew up with parents and siblings who were committed fans of Manchester United, England's legendary soccer franchise.
At an early age, Beckham showed his own promise as a footballer, winning the coveted Bobby Charlton Soccer Schools National Skills competition at 11 years old. His talent soon caught the notice of Manchester United team officials, who asked him to try out for the club's youth league. By the age of 16, Beckham had left home and was playing for United's training division. Two years later he made the club, and by 1995 he was a full-time starter.

World Wide Star

Beckham wasted little time in making a splash on the English soccer landscape. The talented goal scorer was named the Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year in 1997. A year later, he was one of the leading faces of England's World Cup team.
His bravado and good looks offered up plenty of off-field potential, too. In 1998, Beckham, who'd already signed a deal with Adidas, netted $13 million in endorsement deals. The Beckham brand only enhanced in value when he met Victoria "Posh Spice" Adams, in 1997. The two quickly fell in love, and on March 4, 1999, they had their first child, a son they named Brooklyn Joseph. Two months later, Beckham and Posh tied the knot at a lavish $800,000 wedding at a castle outside of Dublin, Ireland.
On the field, Beckham didn't miss a beat. In 1999 he led Manchester United to the Premier League title, the FA Cup championship, and the Champions League title. Thanks to a last-minute free kick against Greece in 2001, England qualified for the 2002 World Cup. That same year, Beckham signed a three-year $22 million contract to remain with Manchester United.
But Beckham's time with United proved to be shorter than anyone thought. In 2003, he was acquired by Real Madrid in a stunner of a deal that brought to light Beckham's growing rift with Manchester's manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.
Spanish soccer fans were thrilled to have their archrival join their team. Americans, meanwhile, were just getting to know him with the release of the movie, Bend it Like Beckham, a delightful movie that tells the story of a young girl who bucks her family's traditional ways, and falls in love with English soccer.

Coming to America

America's fascination with Beckham and his decade of dominance culminated in 2007, when the soccer great moved across the Atlantic to sign a reported five-year, $250 million deal with the L.A. Galaxy. The relocation was as much about giving Posh Spice's career a boost (she helped drive the decision to move to the States) as it was to give America's Major League Soccer a shot in the arm. Within 48 hours of the signing, the Galaxy sold more than 5,000 season tickets.
Beckham's career since moving to the US, however, has been a rocky one. He's been beset by injuries, spraining a knee ligament his first season in L.A., and later missed out on a chance to play in the 2010 World Cup because of an Achilles' tendon injury.
In July 2011, Beckham and Posh Spice, who already had three boys, welcomed a daughter, Harper Steven, into their family.

biography michael schumacher

Biography
Name Michael Schumacher
Nicknames Schumi, Schuey
Date of Birth 3rd January 1969
Place of Birth Hürth-Hermülheim, Germany
Height 1.74m
Weight 68kg
Residency Vufflens-le-Château, Switzerland
Marital Status Married
Wife Corinna Schumacher (nee Betsch) since Tuesday 1st August 1995
Children Gina-Maria, daughter (DOB 19/01/97) and son Mick (DOB 22/03/99)
Family Rolf, Father, Elizabeth, Mother and Ralf, Brother (DOB 30/6/75)
Interests Soccer, tennis, swimming, skiing
His Manager...
Michael's manager since 1989 has been Willi Weber. Schumacher was to receive a free drive in his WTS team for three years, Weber in return is reported to receive 20% of all income Michael earns from motor races. The initial agreement was to last 10 years, however it was later extended for a further several years.
His Helmet...
Michael explains how his helmet's paint scheme came about:
"From the area of the visor you see the traditional German black-red-gold. I chose the colours years ago with a friend of mine and I changed it only slightly, mostly to include sponsor decals. The blue circle with the white stars on the top was his idea. After joining Ferrari I added the prancing horse on the back. "
Since the European GP in 2000, Michael has raced with a modified helmet design. The blue circle on the top in now painted light red. The white Marlboro stripe around the top is also now red. The change was made to prevent confusion between himself and Barrichello, whose design was confusingly similar.
F1 Teams Driven for...
Year Team Teammates
1991 Jordan 1991 Andrea de Cesaris
1991-1995 Benetton 1991 Nelson Piquet
1992 Martin Brundle
1993 Riccardo Patrese
1994 Jos Verstappen/JJ Lehto/ Jonny Herbert
1995 Jonny Herbert
1996-2006 Ferrari 1996-1999 Eddie Irvine
2000-2005 Rubens Barrichello
2006-2007 Felipe Massa
Schuey entered only one race for Jordan - which was his F1 debut at Spa Francorchamps in 1991. He qualified 7th but in the race the clutch burnt out and he didn't make it off the grid. He was standing in for Bertrand Gachot, who had been jailed in London just before the GP for an assault with CS gas on a taxi driver!
Michael is Ferrari's most successful driver ever, ahead of Niki Lauda.

biographi Michael Jordan

Born: February 17, 1963
Brooklyn, New York

African American basketball player
Basketball superstar Michael Jordan is one of the most successful, popular, and wealthy athletes in college, Olympic, and professional sports history.

Early life

Michael Jordan was born on February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York, one of James and Deloris Jordan's five children. The family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, when Michael was very young. His father worked as a General Electric plant supervisor, and his mother worked at a bank. His father taught him to work hard and not to be tempted by street life. His mother taught him to sew, clean, and do laundry. Jordan loved sports but failed to make his high school basketball team as a sophomore. He continued to practice and made the team the next year. After high school he accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina, where he played under head coach Dean Smith.
In Jordan's first season at North Carolina he was named Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Rookie of the Year for 1982. The team won the ACC championship, and Jordan made the clutch jump shot that beat Georgetown University for the championship of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Jordan led the ACC in scoring as a sophomore and as a junior. The Sporting News named him college player of the year for both years. He left North Carolina after his junior year and was selected by the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) as the third pick of the 1984 draft. Before joining the Bulls, Jordan was a member of the Summer 1984 United States Olympic basketball team that won the gold medal in Los Angeles, California.

Early pro years

When Jordan was drafted by the Chicago Bulls they were a losing team, drawing only around six thousand fans to home games. Jordan quickly turned that around. His style of play and fierce spirit of competition reminded sportswriters and fans of Julius Erving (1950–), who had been a superstar player during the 1970s. Jordan's incredible leaping ability and hang time thrilled fans in arenas around the league. In his first season he was named to the All-Star team and was later honored as the league's Rookie of the Year.
A broken foot sidelined Jordan for 64 games during the 1985–86 season, but he
Michael Jordan. Reproduced by permission of Getty Images.
Michael Jordan.
Reproduced by permission of
Getty Images
.
returned to score 49 points against the Boston Celtics in the first game of the playoffs and 63 in the second game—an NBA playoff record. The 1986–87 season was again one of individual successes, and Jordan started in the All-Star game after receiving a record 1.5 million votes. He became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain (1936–1999) to score 3,000 points in a single season. Jordan enjoyed personal success, but Chicago did not advance beyond the first round of the playoffs until 1988. Jordan concentrated on improving his other basketball skills, and in 1988 he was named Defensive Player of the Year. He was also named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) and became the first player to lead the league in both scoring and steals. He was again named MVP in that year's All-Star game. By adding such players as Scottie Pippen, Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, and John Paxson around Jordan, the Bulls' management created a strong team that won the 1991 NBA title by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers. The next year, the Bulls repeated as NBA champions by beating the Portland Trail Blazers. In 1992 Jordan also played on the "Dream Team," which participated in the Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. The Olympic Committee had voted to lift the ban on professional athletes participating in the games. The team easily won the gold medal, winning their eight games by an average margin of 43.7 points.

Unexpected retirement

In 1993, after a tough playoff series with the New York Knicks, the Bulls met the Phoenix Suns for the NBA championship. When it was over, Jordan was again playoff MVP, and Chicago had won a third straight title. That summer Jordan's father, James, was murdered by two men during a robbery attempt. Jordan was grief stricken, and his father's death, combined with media reports about his gambling, led him to announce his retirement from professional basketball in October. Jordan had won three straight NBA titles, three regular season MVP awards, three playoff MVP titles, seven consecutive scoring titles, and he was a member of the All-Star team every year that he was in the league. In just nine seasons he had become the Bulls all-time leading scorer.
In 1994–95 Jordan played for the Birmingham Barons, a minor league baseball team in the Chicago White Sox system. Although the seventeen-month experiment showed that he was not a major league baseball player, the experience and time away from basketball provided a much-needed rest and opportunity to regain his love of basketball.

Return to glory

When Jordan returned to the Chicago Bulls during the 1994–95 regular season, people wondered, "Could he do it again?" He played well, but he was obviously rusty. The Bulls were defeated in the playoffs by the Orlando Magic. After a summer of playing basketball during breaks from filming the live-action cartoon movie Space Jam, Jordan returned with a fierce determination to prove that he had the ability to get back on top. The 1995–96 Bulls finished the regular season 72–10, an NBA record for most wins in a season, and Jordan, with his shooting rhythm back, earned his eighth scoring title. He also became the tenth NBA player to score 25,000 career points and second fastest after Chamberlain to reach that mark. The Bulls went on to win their fourth NBA championship, overpowering the Seattle Supersonics in six games. Few who watched will ever forget how Jordan sank to his knees, head bent over the winning ball, in a moment of bittersweet victory and deep sadness. The game had been played on Father's Day, three years after his father's murder.
The defending champions had a tougher time during the 1996–97 season but entered the playoffs as expected. Sheer determination took the Bulls to their fifth NBA championship. Illness, injury, and at times a lack of concentration hurt the team. In the fifth game of the finals Jordan carried the team to victory despite suffering from a stomach virus. In the 1997–98 season the Bulls were again in the playoffs, and again they faced tough competition. As before, they were able to clinch the NBA championship, and Jordan claimed his sixth NBA finals MVP award.
Jordan's other professional life as a businessman was never off track. Profitable endorsements (ads in which he voiced his support for certain products) for companies such as Nike and Wheaties, as well as his own golf company and products such as Michael Jordan cologne (which reportedly sold 1.5 million bottles in its first two months), made Jordan a multimillionaire. In 1997 he was ranked the world's highest paid athlete, with a $30 million contract—the largest one-year salary in sports history—and approximately $40 million a year in endorsement fees.

Retired again

Jordan retired for a second time in 1999, ending his career on a high note just after the official end of a labor dispute between NBA players and team owners. Many people saw him as the greatest basketball player ever, and his retirement was called the end of an era. In 2000 Jordan became part-owner and president of basketball operations of the Washington Wizards. This made him only the third African American owner in the NBA. He also gained an ownership stake in the Washington Capitals hockey team. Also in 2000, Jordan celebrated the first year of his $1 million grant program to help teachers make a difference in their schools.
In September 2001, after months of rumors, Jordan announced that he was ending his three-year retirement to play for the Wizards at age thirty-eight. At a news conference to discuss his comeback, he said, "Physically, I know I'm not twenty-five years old, but I feel I can play the game of basketball on the highest level." The Wizards, who had won only nineteen games the season before, improved with the addition of Jordan. After being voted to play in his thirteenth All-Star game (during which he missed a slam dunk), Jordan had the Wizards in the race for the playoffs until suffering a knee injury and missing the last part of the season. He was also distracted in January 2002 when his wife Juanita, whom he married in 1989, filed for divorce. (They have three children.) The next month the divorce was called off. Jordan said he planned to play one more season for the Wizards.

biography lionel messi

Profile:

Full name: Luis Lionel Andrés Messi
Birth day: June 24, 1987
Birthplace: Rosario, Argentina
Nationality: Argentinian
Other nationality: Spanish
EU passport: Yes
Height: 169 cm
Weight: 67 kg
Club: FC Barcelona
Position: Forward
Debut: 17 November 2003


Lionel Andrés Messi (born June 24, 1987 in Rosario) is an Argentine football (soccer) player.

Lionel Messi started playing football at a very early age in his hometown's Newell's Old Boys. From the age of 11, he suffered from a hormone deficiency and as Lionel's parents were unable to pay for the treatment in Argentina, they decided to move to Barcelona, Spain.

In the 2003-2004 season, when he was still only 16, Messi made his first team debut in a friendly with Porto that marked the opening of the new Dragao stadium. The following championship-winning season, Messi made his first appearance in an official match on October 16, 2004, in Barcelona's derby win against Espanyol at the Olympic Stadium (0-1).

With several first team players seriously injured, the services of several reserve team players were called upon, and Messi became a regular feature of Barça squads. On May 1, 2005, he became the youngest player ever to score a league goal for FC Barcelona - against Albacete when Messi was only 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old.

He was offered the chance to play for the Spain national football team, but declined, prefering to wait for the opportunity to play for the country of his birth. In June 2004 he got his chance, playing in a U-20 friendly match against Paraguay.
Lionel Messi wearing FC Barcelona's colorsIn June 2005 he starred for the Argentina U-20 team that won the Football World Youth Championship played in The Netherlands. Messi picked up the Golden Boot as top scorer with 6 goals, and the Golden Ball for the best player of the tournament. Despite his youth, Lionel has already drawn comparisons with Diego Maradona, arguably the best football player of all time.

On September 25, 2005 Messi obtained a Spanish citizenship and was finally able to make his debut in this season's Spanish First Division. He had previously been unable to play because FC Barcelona had filled up all of their quota of non-EU players.

Messi's first outing in the UEFA Champions League at the Nou Camp was on Sept 28 against Italian club Udinese. He impressed with some great passing and a seemingly telepathic relationship with Ronaldinho that earned him a standing ovation from the 70,000-odd Nou Camp faithful. On December of that year, the Italian newspaper Tuttosport awarded him the Golden Boy 2005 title for the best under-21 player in Europe, over Wayne Rooney and Lukas Podolski

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