SB Nation User Blog: Evans

How the Klitschko Brothers can become more Popular in America?

Evans — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:00:08 -0000

Vitali Klitschko had another impressive performance on September 26th, 2009. He easily beat Chris Arreola. He did not even lose a round. However, Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko are still somewhat unknown in America. The average American sports fan does not even know who the heavyweight champion is today. Nevertheless, they are utterly dominating the heavyweight division. They are by far the best fighters in the heavyweight division. They are very popular in Germany. They sell out 50,000 seat arenas in Germany. But, how can the Klitschko brothers become more popular in America?

The Klitschko Brothers could become more popular in America if they changed their fighting style. They fight cautiously in their boxing matches. The Klitschko's play it safe in their fights. They fight tall and they fight from a safe distance. Klitschko Brothers wear down their opponents until they knock them out. If they fight a more aggressive style similar to Mike Tyson they would attract more fans. It would draw more interest than the wins their getting by using good technical boxing skills. American fight fans like boxers that fight aggressive and exciting styles such as Mike Tyson, Arturo Gatti and Manny Pacquiao. Likewise, most boxing fans like knockout artists.

If they could persuade a big name fighter to fight them that could make them more popular. They can try to persuade Lennox Lewis to come of retirement. They could also try to get a big name smaller boxer to fight them such as Bernard Hopkins, Tomasz Adamek or Roy Jones. Fighting a well know fighter would create tons of attention even if the boxer was smaller. It would be challenging because the Klitschko's look very hard to beat right now. Yet, the Klitschko's defeating a big name fighter would help give them more recognition for their talent and ability.

The Klitschko Brothers fighting each other would be a huge fight. The chance of the fight happening are very unlikely because they said at one time they would never fight each other. "As we've said countless times, it's just not realistic. We promised our mother Natasha that the two of us would never fight," said Vitali Klitschko (boxing.fanhouse.com). They have been paying attention to the huge demand for the fight. "When we first began in boxing, our first goal was to win an Olympic gold medal. Wladimir did that. Then, it was to both win heavyweight titles," said Vitali Klitschko. "But we didn't anticipate that there would be such an outcry for us to fight each other" (boxing.fanhouse.com).

It has gotten to the point where Wladimir Klitschko has actually seriously considered fighting Vitali Klitschko. "We are going to talk to our mother again, because we know how much interest such a fight would create, and it would mean that one of us would be the Supreme Heavyweight Champion. Of course, she would not be happy, and if we did fight, I would be very worried about the health of my brother because it would be very bloody and very bad. We are very competitive, and it would be for real. There would be no fix. I am the better technical boxer, but he is the stronger of the two of us. It would be interesting." said Wladmir Klitschko (russiatoday.com).

This boxing match could lead to the first unified champ for the first time since Lennox Lewis retired. It would draw tons of attention from the media. It would help the winner gets tons of attention because then, they would be considered the best heavyweight in the world. It still possibility could happen.

Works Cited

2 Oct. 2009 http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/09/30/vitali-klitschko-vs-wladimir-klitschko-never-say-never/

2 Oct. 2009 http://russiatoday.com/Sport/2009-06-08/Klitschko_brothers_to_fight_each_other_.html

Why Isn't Badminton Popular in America?

Evans — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:54:45 -0000

via www.nysun.com

"My definition of a free society is a society where it is safe to be unpopular" said Adlai E. Stevenson (quotationspage.com). Unfortunately, badminton has been unpopular for a long time in America the land of freedom. However, the United States of America (USA) Badminton team put in a good effort at the 2008 Summer Olympics. But, they went home empty handed without any medals. Part of the reason why the USA Badminton team lost was because they do not have a huge talent pool to pick from to develop a Olympic team. In addition, badminton is considered more of a backyard sport in America. It’s not a hugely popular sport in the USA such as in China, Malaysia, Denmark, and Indonesia. But, why isn't badminton popular in America?

First, badminton isn't even the most popular racquet sport in the USA. Tennis is the most popular racquet sport in America and its drawing tons of interest in young athletes that could be competing in badminton. No one really dreams about being a badminton star in America. One reason is because there has not been any star badminton players in America like there are tennis stars such as Serena Williams, Pete Sampras or Andre Agassi. Star athletes help bring exposure to the sport and that increases young people’s interest in playing it. There are a few good USA badminton players such as Howard Bach and Tony Gunawan. But, they do not get the media attention needed to become well known in America.

America is not one of the best countries in the world at badminton. Since USA is not dominating and consistently winning events this is keeping the media from providing any attention to American badminton. The 2008 Summer Olympics the USA team in Beijing did not end the competition ranked highly. To illustrate, the highest ranked teams were China, Indonesia, South Korea, and Malaysia. These countries that finished in the top ranking in the Summer Olympics is continually dominating the sport. American sports fan do not like to see their country gets beat by other countries. And until America gets more competitive at Badminton the USA will continually overlook the sport.

Another issue in drawing America interest in badminton is the salary for badminton athletes are substantially lower when compared to professional athletes in other sports. For example, Datuk Lee Chong Wei won the Super Series Finals on January 11th and he took home a 15,000 dollar check. The compensation for that win is a lots lower than the amount that other athletes get paid such as basketball players, football players or tennis players. For instance, Roger Federer and Pete Sampras both made over 30 million dollars in their careers. It’s very rare for a badminton athlete to make that much in their career. That has hurt the amount of American athletes that are drawn to the sport especially when most people equate a professional athletic career as a way to become wealthy.

Thus, badminton hardly draws any interests even though it’s a Olympic sport in America. But, if the USA team keeps improving and eventually starts winning medals in the Olympics. Then that will increase exposure and bring much needed attention to the fun and enjoyable sport of badminton. There are definitely young athletes that would make the needed sacrifices to become part of the USA badminton team so that they could possibility accomplish the great feat of becoming a gold winner for their country in the Olympics.

Works Cited

26 Sept. 2009 http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/1383.html

Is Winning the Heisman a Blessing or a Curse?

Evans — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:00:55 -0000

via dnews.isgreat.org

"Riches get their value from the mind of the possessor; they are blessings to those who know how to use them, and curses to those who do not" said Terence of the Roman Republic (thinkexist.com). The Heisman trophy award can be good to win it may be an indicator of future success. But, there, also have been many Heisman trophy winners that have had unsuccessful professional careers. This has led for many football experts and fans to believe that there is a Heisman jinx. Therefore, is winning the Heisman a blessing or a curse?

There have several Heisman winners that have had unsuccessful professional football careers. Jason White has been hit by the Heisman jinx. Jason White had a phenomenal college career. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2003 after he threw 40 touchdowns and he had only eight interceptions. He is currently the University of Oklahoma's all-time leader in career passing years with 8,012 and 81 touchdown passes. Jason White never had an NFL career despite his previous successful feats. He received a tryout from Kansas City Chiefs. They decided not to sign him. He was then signed by Tennessee Titans. However, he decided to quit football because of bad knees.

Likewise, Matt Leinart success in college has not transferred to success in the NFL. He had arguably one of the greatest college football careers ever. He won two national championships with USC. He won the Heisman trophy in 2004. Additionally, he led USC Trojans to a 34 game winning streak. He was a consistent winner at USC. He was 37-2 as a starter. He is USC's all time leader in career TD passes and completion percentage. He is only second behind Carson Palmer in completions and yardage. He entered the NFL as the 10th overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft. He did fall somewhat in the NFL draft. He was not the first Quarterback (QB) selected despite his great college career. Matt Leinart played in 11 games in 2006-07 NFL season. He had marginal numbers with 11 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. The Arizona Cardinals had the four wins and seven losses with him as the starter. But, his season was ended due to injuries. The 2007-08 season he started five games. Then his season was ended due to injury again. The 2008-09 NFL season began with a highly contested quarterback battle for the starting job between Matt Leinart and Kurt Warner. Kurt Warner officially won the job after Leinart threw three interceptions versus Oakland Raiders in the third preseason game. Now going into the 2009-10 season Leinart is in a highly contested battle for the backup QB job with Brian St. Pierre.

Similarly, Eric Crouch’s great college career did not lead to professional success. Crouch is Nebraska all- time total offense leader with 7,915 total yards. He also is the Big 12 all-time career rushing quarterback leader. He was very fast and he had a great athleticism. He was a game breaker. For instance, he had against Missouri a 95 yard touchdown run the longest in school history. He is also the 3rd player in Division one history to rush for 3,000 yards in his career and pass for 4,000 yards. He was drafted by St. Louis Rams as a wide receiver (WR). He still wanted to play QB. Although he was told his athleticism and his short build were better suited for WR. He decided to leave the Rams since he could not play QB. He was later signed as QB by the Green Bay Packers. But he quit and he asked to be released after the Packers choose to draft University of California QB Aaron Rodgers. He later signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a safety. He was sent to play in NFL Europe. He is now currently a free agent.

There have been a few Heisman winners that have not been affected by the Heisman jinx. Most of the Heisman winners that have had success in professional ranks have played positions other than QB, such as HB and WR. There have been some exceptions where quarterbacks have not been affected by the Heisman jinx too. But, it is mainly positions such as HB and WR that have had the most success in the NFL after winning the Heisman. For instance, Tim Brown was not affected by the Heisman Jinx. He won the Heisman trophy award in 1987. He had an impressive professional career. He was named to the pro bowl nine times. He ended his career with 1.094 receptions, 14,934 receiving yards and 100 TDs. Likewise, Charles Woodson won the Heisman trophy in 1997. He is the only defensive player ever to win the Heisman Trophy. He has continued his success in football at the professional ranks. He has been named to five pro bowls. He has had over 643 tackles along with 36 interceptions. He in his prime was a shutdown cornerback. QBs were afraid to throw to his side of the field. Additionally, Barry Sanders won the Heisman trophy in 1988. He had both a brilliant career in college and the professional career. He is arguably the greatest running back in NFL history. He rushed for 15,269 yards in his career. He had his own unique style. He was too quick for defenders to hit on a consistent basis. He was an amazing football player. He routinely embarrassed defenders that made attempts to tackle him.

Another reason the Heisman jinx is continuing is because whoever is the QB on the best team in college football usually wins the Heisman. There have been exceptions where it was truly the best player. But, that is rarely the case. This is why a lot of Heisman winners are failing in the NFL. If the Heisman winner was selected on solely their individual feats and not also based on their teams success then this would happen less. But if a great player is on an average or bad team they have little chance to win the Heisman. Equally important, some Heisman winners fail in the NFL because they are not suited for the NFL style of play. For instance, Andre Ware had great success in college because he was good in the innovative run and shoot offense. Once he got to the NFL he could no longer play in that type of offensive system. He was not as good in the NFL pro style offense. There have been other Heisman winning QBs that were not suited for the NFL pro style offense such as Danny Wuerffel.

The Heisman jinx does exist in football today. It is going to continue. The only way it would stop is if the Heisman trophy was selected differently. It is doubtful that the selection process will ever change. Therefore, winning the Heisman will continue to be a blessing and a curse.

via www.geocities.com

Arturo Gatti: Definition of a Warrior

Evans — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:33:42 -0000

via image.examiner.com

"To be a warrior is not a simple matter of wishing to be one. It is rather an endless struggle that will go on to the very last moment of our lives. Nobody is born a warrior, in exactly the same way that nobody is born an average man. We make ourselves into one or the other" said Carlos Castaneda (thinkexist.com). Arturo Gatti choose to be a warrior in his boxing career. He refused to quit even when it looked obvious that he was going to lose. He did not win every fight. However, his opponents had to be to try to defeat a man that was willing to die in the ring. He was truly the definition of a warrior.

Gatti had many memorable fights in his boxing career. Gatti participated in Ring Magazine's fight of the year four times in 1997, 1998, 2002, and 2003. His trilogy with Mick Ward is considered one of the greatest trilogies in boxing history. He won two out of the three trilogies. His third boxing match against Mickey Ward was a tough fight. He did not let broken hands signal to him that it was time to quit his fights. He broke his twice repaired right hand in the fourth round. He overcame being knocked down in the sixth round. He prevailed after those trying experiences in the fight to beat Ward by decision. Gatti fought with a broken hand when he defeated Gianluca Branco by decision on January 24th, 2004. He also fought many times bloody and he fought with his eyes swollen and closed. His boxing match against Wilson Rodriguez he fought with his right eye closing and he came back in that fight to knock out Rodriguez.

He used a never say quit attitude in all his boxing matches. His was a throwback to the old era of boxers. Unlike many of today fighters that do not have the same heart. Many boxers today are quitting fights instead of finishing them. Arturo Gatti had a brawling style. Gatti had an all-out attacking style that led to bloody fights in the ring. In addition, he had good boxing skills too. He was given the nickname of Thunder for the power of his punches. His was a throwback to the old era of boxers.

Gatti was the people's champion in boxing. He had a special connection with his fans that most fighters could only dream of having. He is one of a few boxers that could lose a fight and he still would not lose his fans. For example, after he lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. Gatti said that his fans in the following weeks still showed their love for him. They were still anticipating his next fight and when he would get back in the ring again. His fans also loved him because he was a humble fighter. "Gatti was very humble, He always made sure that people around him felt important" said Stephen Larouche a Montreal trainer (ca.entertainment.yahoo.com). He was far from the best fighter. But, his fans could appreciate the passion he showed for the sport of boxing by giving a true full effort every time he stepped in the ring. He will truly be missed by boxing fans throughout the world.

Works Cited
24 July 2009 http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/warrior/
24 July 2009 http://ca.entertainment.yahoo.com/s/capress/090711/sports/box_gatti_obit

Maurice Clarett: A Man Trying to Change

Evans — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:07:19 -0000

via i.a.cnn.net

"Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become" said Mahatma Gandhi (thinkexist.com). Maurice Clarett is ready to surrender his old bad habits. He realizes that he made several poor decisions. He does not want to continue to live the wrong way. He is a man trying to change.

Maurice Clarett has made some mistakes. He started to make bad decisions in 2003. He filed a false police report claiming more, then 10,000 dollars in items were stolen from a car he borrowed from a local car dealership. He pleaded guilty to lesser criminal charges. He is currently serving a seven and a half years sentence in prison. But, he may apply for early release after three and half years. He filed a guilty plea to armed robbery charges regarding an incident in 2006 and he plead guilty to charges in regard to a police chase and resisting arrest.

Maurice Clarett realizes he needs to change. He is ready to use his celebrity in good ways. He wants to be a good role model for others going through harsh circumstances. "Instead of entertaining people with my life, I am using certain events to educate, inspire and help others make conscious choices so they can avoid circumstances like this (sports.espn.go.com)." There is a new found maturity in him. He is ready to be a new man that takes care of all his responbilities. He wants to maximize his opporunities instead of squandering them as he did in the past. He is no longer accepting anything but the best in life. "Understand my struggle so you can respect my hustle. I am never coming back here believe that. First class living from the day I get out I will never settle for less, ever again. That goes for communication, personal relationships, housing education, friendships, and travel arraigements. Everything I have the fire in my eyes said Maurice Clarett (mauriceclarett.wordpress.com)"

Maurice Clarett has a new pursuit toward excellence in his life. He has a daily blog about his prison life. He does not have a computer access. But, his family and friends post if for him. His blog shows his new goals. For instance, he enrolled in a distance learning program at Ohio University. He is trying to earn a bachelor's degree in Geriatrics and Gerontology. He also is interested in public speaking. He wants to be a motivational speaker and help people overcome tough times and obstacles in their life. In addition, he has hinted that he still loves football. He is considering coming back to the sport.

Works Cited
30 May 2009 <http://thinkexist.com/quotation/we_must_become_the_change_we_want_to_see/11442.html>
30 May 2009 <http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3948006>
30 May 2009 <http://mauriceclarett.wordpress.com/2009/04/09/conservation-to-myself-reflecting/>

Carl Froch: Still Needs to Improve

Evans — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:16:53 -0000

85373479NL001_CARL_FROCH_VS (via BoxingPlanet.net)

"When you are through improving you are through" said Proverbs (thinkexist.com). Carl Froch will not have a great career if he does not improve. Carl Froch defended his WBC Super Middleweight title against Jermain Taylor on April 25th, 2009. He knocked out Jermain Taylor in the 12th round. However, he struggled most of the fight. His last fight showed that he needs to work on his boxing skills.

Carl Froch is still undefeated. His last two fights he has shown several weaknesses. Carl Froch does not have a good defense. He boxes with his hands down at his waist. He does not guard his face correctly. This is why Jermain Taylor knocked him down in the 3rd round. Besides, he does not have a good speed. He looks slow in the ring. He fights flat-footed. The super middleweight division has a lot of boxers that have better hand and foot speed.

Carl Froch has many strengths. He has a very good chin. The only time he was ever knocked down in his amateur or professional career was against Jermain Taylor. He can take punches that the average boxer would get knocked out by. He is a very strong fighter at super middleweight. He never gets overpowered against other super middleweights. He is a strong puncher and he has a good power. He has won 20 out of his 25 fights by knockout. He will always have a puncher's chance to win regardless of whom he fights. You need good intangibles to be a long reigning champion. Carl Froch has many good intangibles. He has a great determination, and a strong will. This was displayed in many of his previous fights. For instance, Jermain Taylor knocked him down and beat him to the punch in the first six or seven rounds of the fight. But, Carl Froch's belief that he could win never was stopped. He stayed on Jermain Taylor until the end of the 12th round when he knocked him out.

Carl Froch has a bright future. Super Middleweight is a division that has many top level fighters. For example, Andre Ward, Mikkel Kessler, Lucian Bute, and Andre Dirrell are all young talented fighters. If Carl Froch improves he could beat any fighter in the super middleweight division. Yet, he currently is not good enough to the best fighters in the super middleweight division. His lack of defense creates problems for him against fighters with good offense and superior athleticism such as Andre Ward and Mikkel Kessler. They would beat him to the punch. It's up to Carl Froch on how good he wants to be. The sky is the limit if Carl Froch keeps getting better. He needs to realize that improvement is needed if he wants a legendary career.

Works Cited
1 July 2009 <http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/improving/>

Allen Iverson: Rebel Without A Cause

Evans — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:04:32 -0000

via assets.espn.go.com

"I am what I am. Your going to love me or hate me. I don't want nothing in between. This is how I look. This is how I dress. This is how I act. These are my family. These are my friends. This is my life. I am what I am" said Allen Iverson (video.google.com/videoplay?). Allen Iverson is an individualist. He has the confidence to be himself. He is comfortable in his own skin. He refuses to be fake. He does not pretend that he is squeaky clean. He has been a lightning rod for controversy. Therefore, he has been labeled as an NBA bad boy. He also has had problems with authority figures throughout his career. He had problems with the NBA commissioner David Stern and a few of his past coaches. Thus, Allen Iverson is a rebel without a cause.

Allen Iverson is the anti-Michael Jordan. He is seen as an anti-hero. He does not have the squeaky clean or non-threatening image that Michael Jordan had in his career. He is one of the first NBA superstars to wear cornrows. His hair style was seen as too ethnic by the media and the corporate world. He likes to wear skull caps and doo rags too. The NBA did not like that he wore a skull cap to the rookie of the year award presentation. The NBA refused to make the pictures from the award ceremony public. He has over nine tattoos. There is a deep meaning behind every one of his tattoos. His tattoos have led to issues in his career. For instance, the official NBA magazine Hoops magazine put him on their cover of their magazine. But, they airbrushed his tattoos. He thought this was ridiculous. Allen Iverson said: "if they do not like my tattoos, why don't they just pick another player" (www.alleniversonlive.com/tattoos/). The tattoos are not about being a bad boy. It's another way for him to express himself.

Professional athletes are becoming more politically correct. Athletes are being groomed by their publicists and agents on what to say. Nonetheless, Allen Iverson keeps it real. He is politically incorrect. He speaks his mind. He addresses his critics directly. David Stern in 2005 issued a dress code in the NBA banning clothing associated with hip-hop culture." Iverson criticized Stern's dress code, saying that "It would not change a person's character regardless of what type of clothing they wore and that associating hip hop styles of dress with violent crime, drugs, or a bad image is racist"(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_iverson). He is sick of defending himself. He got to the point of realizing that you're going to accept him or you're not going to accept him. He recently explained why he was not having a great season with the Detriot Pistions. He recently said that "I'd rather retire before I do this again. I can't be effective playing this way. It's harder than I thought it would be. I take my hat off to the guys who can come off the bench and be effective. It's tough for me. I'm struggling with it. I'm not used to it. It's tough for me both mentally and physically. I just have to find a way to get it done" (sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4035415).

Allen Iverson playing style is relentless. He is a great penetrator and he attacks the perimeter. He is only six feet tall and about 165 pounds dripping wet. He plays fearlessly. He is not afraid to take it to the hoop against men twice his size. He is extremely bold on the court. He in a game during his rookie year against the Chicago Bulls challenged Michael Jordan to an one on one match-up. Iverson faked to his left, then crossed over to his right and blew past Jordan before sinking a jumper. This led to a standing ovation from the crowd. Besides, he is a very tough player. USA Today on February 18th, 2004 named him the No.2 toughest athlete in professional sports (/www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/sixers). Likewise, he is considered pound for pound toughest player in the NBA. He played in games with various injuries. He had over 30 different types of injuries throughout his career. His injuries include to name a but a few tailbone contusion, right shoulder dislocation, right kneed synovitis, and fractured left hand. He is also considered best scoring little men in the history of the NBA.

Iverson has always stirred up controversy because he refuses to be something he is not. He
does not want to be a puppet for the corporate world or the media. He believes in speaking the truth and he likes to stand up for his beliefs. He is a rebel and he is an NBA legend. Today's
generation of NBA fans will be telling stories about him to their kids. Iverson is a unique person. He will be missed when his career is over. No one knows what team he will be playing for next season. Nonetheless, he will be satisfied with his career when it's over because he did it his way.

Works Cited
9 May 2009 <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1536099151531505830>
9 May 2009 <http://www.alleniversonlive.com/tattoos/>
9 May 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_iverson>
9 May 2009 <http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4035415>
9 May 2009 <http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/sixers/2004-02-18-iverson-toughest_x.htm>

Tim Tebow: Mr. Perfect

Evans — Mon, 18 May 2009 22:52:19 -0000

via www.timtebowfans.org

"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence" said Vince Lombardi (quotationcollection.com). Tim Tebow has been chasing perfection in his career on and off the football field. He has accomplished a lot so far in his football career. He seems to be someone that always makes the right decisions. If his life was a movie the title would be "Did the Right Thing". It's good to have an athlete with good character especially since sports today have so many bad boy athletes that are involved in scandals such as Michael Vick, Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez. But, is Tim Tebow really perfect?

Tim Tebow is a great college football player. But, he is more than just a football player. He is a devout Christian. His deep faith has led him to assist his father's missionary work in the Philippines since his sophomore year in high school. He also is visiting prisons throughout America to preach Christianity. He realizes that because of his fame and status as a great football player he has a chance to reach more people with his message because of the attention he draws. For instance, Tim Tebow said: "because of my name recognition and because of who I am, I've been given an opportunity to go places where most other people can't go. That's a platform the Lord has given me, and I think it's my responsibility to take advantage of it (sports.espn.go.com/ncf/)." He has made it one of his missions to change people lives by introducing them to Christianity especially disadvantaged people so that they can have hope for the future. He realizes his football career will not last forever. Tim Tebow said: "There are only four things that are going to last forever God, his word, people and rewards.(sports.espn.go.com/ncf/)"

The only controversy Tim Tebow has been involved with is the issue of homeschooling. He was homeschooled by his mother as a child. If you are homeschooled you can participate in sports in the school district in which you live. He lived in Jacksonville, FL and the coach at the local high school wanted him to play tight end and not quarterback. But, he wanted to play quarterback. So he moved to St. John's County with his mom to Nease High School because the coach wanted him to be a quarterback there. This led to a controversy because he was a homeschooled student that chooses which school he played for. Homeschooling actually only became legal in all 50 states in 1993. Besides, homeschool students could only participate in athletics as in 1996 because a legislation that was passed in Florida allowing homeschooled students to play high school sports. His popularity brought the controversial homeschool issue to the limelight. Now other states such as Alabama is trying to pass a bill in Alabama legislature called "Tim Tebow bill" which would allow home school kids to play sports for their local high school team (timtebowbill.com).

Tim Tebow uses his good character on the football field too. He never complained about being Chris Leak's backup his freshmen year even though he is a more talented quarterback than Chris Leak. He waited for his opportunity to start at quarterback. He maximized the opportunities that he did get to play his freshmen year. He doesn't quit or whine when he has injuries either. He quietly plays through the pain. For instance, he fractures his right hand during the third quarter against Florida State University on November 24th, 2007 (winknews.com/news). But, he still played the rest of the game and had an three touchdowns in a 45-12 win over Florida State (winknews.com/news). He is once again deciding to do the right thing by honoring his commitment with Florida Gators football. He is deciding to stay for his senior year and not declare for the NFL draft. He thinks that this is the right thing to do instead of leaving early for the NFL.

Tim Tebow is human like the rest of us. But, by making the right decisions on and off the field he is proving a good example for youth that looks up to him. Charles Barkley may have said that he is not a role model during his days as a professional athlete. But, we all know with all the adulation and fame athletes get that they are role models whether they want to be or not. So far, Tim Tebow has shown to be an exemplary role model and human being. If kids decide to follow his lead they will be influenced to do the right thing.

Works Cited
9 Apr. 2009 <http://www.quotationcollection.com/author/Vince_Lombardi/quotes>
9 Apr. 2009 <http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=3381810>
9 Apr. 2009 <http://www.timtebowbill.com/>
9 Apr. 2009 <http://www.winknews.com/news/local/11803806.html>

Best Multi-Sports Athletes from 80's to Present

Evans — Thu, 14 May 2009 00:36:33 -0000

via i37.photobucket.com

Greg Paulus is trying to become a two-sport athlete. Greg Paulus's collegiate basketball career has ended. He has decided to pursue a college football career. He is not the first athlete talented enough to play two sports at a high level. There have been several athletes whom have played two or more sports at the college or professional level. Yet, athletes are becoming more specialized and there are not many athletes that compete in more than one sport in college or the pros. However, there still has been many athletes from 1980s to the present that have played two sports or more? Who are the best multi-sports athletes in this era?

#5 Danny Ainge
Danny Ainge was a two-sport athlete. He is known more for his NBA career than his MLB career. But, he is still one of only a select few that have played in both the MLB and NBA. He played professionally for the NBA and MLB. He always was talented at a wide variety of sports. He is still only person to ever be a high school first time All- American in football, basketball and baseball. He was drafted in 1977 by Toronto Blue Jays. He made his MLB debut in 1979 with the Toronto Blue Jays. He had a short baseball career. Danny Ainge decided to retire from baseball after three years. He decided to pursue a career in professional basketball. He was drafted by Boston Celtics in 1981 NBA draft. He became an important part of the Boston Celtics championship teams. He played alongside NBA legends Larry Bird and Dennis Johnson. He was on the 1983-84 Boston Celtics that won the NBA title. Equally important, he was a great three point shooter. He is the second man ever to hit 900 three pointers in his career (http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=Danny_Ainge).

#4 Brian Jordan
He was a multi-talented professional athlete. He played in the MLB and the NFL. He was drafted into the MLB in 1988 by the St. Louis Cardinals. Then, the Atlanta Falcons signed him. He played for the Falcons from 1989 to 1991. He had an five sacks and four interceptions in his short NFL career. He was third in the NFL in tackles in 1990. He also was named to the NFL's All-Pro team in 1990. He was a good football player. But, he decided to quit football to focus on baseball. He thought that he would have a longer career in baseball then in football because there is a lower risk of serious injury in professional baseball. (findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_11_54/ai_55553256/). He made his MLB debut in 1992. He made the all-star team in 1999. He also had a great year in 1997-98 season. The 1997-1998 season he had a .316 batting average, 25 home runs and 91 RBIs (findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_11_54/ai_55553256/). Equally important, he had his only World Series appearance in 1996.

#3 Charlie Ward
Charlie Ward played basketball and football at Florida State University. Yet, he chooses
a professional basketball career over a professional football career. But, no one will ever forget his exploits on the football field. He had a phenomenal college football career. He led the 1993 Florida State football team to the national championship as their quarterback with their victory over Nebraska. He also won the 1993 Heisman trophy award too. He had a great senior year with 3,032 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, 4 interceptions and 69.5 completion percentage (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Ward). His collegiate career has led him to be inducted into the college football hall of fame in 2006. However, he never pursued a professional football career. He did still get an offer from the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs to play backup for Joe Montana during his NBA career. But, he declined the offer. He decided to quit football and to pursue a professional basketball career. Even though many thoughts that his best sport was football. But, this also happened because he would not consider playing in NFL if he was not chosen in the first round of the NFL draft. Teams did not want to take a chance on someone that may decide to choose the NBA over the NFL. Thus, he was drafted in 1994 by New York Knicks with 26th overall pick in the first round. He also actually was drafted by NY Yankees in MLB draft too (www.usafootball.com/articles/displayArticle/6644/7359). He declined the Yankees offer. He was known in the NBA for his good three point shooting skills, excellent ball handling skills and being a good floor leader. He finished fourth in the 1998 NBA three point competition. He had a decent 11 year NBA career.

#2 Bo Jackson
Bo Jackson was a great athlete. He dominated any sport that he played. He was the first athlete ever to be an all-star in two major sports. He played professional football and baseball. He was a very good football player. He rushed for 1,786 yards his senior year for the Auburn Tigers (sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college). His senior rushing total of 1,786 was second in SEC history behind Herschel Walker's 1,891 yards (sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college). He also won the Heisman trophy in 1985. Likewise, he was ranked as the eighth best college player in football history by ESPN. He was an amazing athlete that ran the 40 yard dash in a record time of 4.14. His 40 yard dash time of 4.14 is the fourth fastest in NFL history. Ted Ginn Jr. 4.06, Alexander Wright 4.09 and Michael Bennett 4.13 are the only men to run faster times (wiki.answers.com/Q/What_was_the_the_fastest_40_yard_dash_time). He had a few good seasons for the LA Raiders in the NFL until he had a serious hip injury that ended his football career. However, he continued his baseball career after rehabilitation for the injury. He had a good baseball career too. He made the MLB American League all-star team in 1989. He also was named the all-star game's MVP. He was named comeback player of the year in 1993. There were other sports that he had some success too. He had a successful track career in high school. He was a two time state champion in decathlon. He also played semi-pro basketball for a team in Los Angeles for a couple of months. He possible could have been the greatest multi-sport athlete ever if he did not injury his hip.

#1 Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders has many talents. He was always an eclectic athlete. ESPN SportsCentury named him the 74th greatest athlete of the century in 1999. He played professional football and baseball. He is still the only man ever to play in both the Super Bowl and the World Series. He once scored a touchdown and home run in the same week. He had several interesting feats as an athlete. For instance, he once played the first game of a baseball doubleheader, ran a leg of 4 X 100 relay, then returned to play the rest of the doubleheader in the same day. Equally important, he had a great football career. He is considered one of the greatest cornerbacks of all-time. He was a shutdown corner. Quarterbacks were afraid to throw to his side of the field. He had many accomplishments in his football career. He won two Super Bowls in his career. He won a Super Bowl in the 1994-95 season with San Fransciso 49ers. He also won a Super Bowl in the 1995-96 season with the Dallas Cowboys. Likewise, he was the first two-way starter in the NFL since Chuck Bednarik in 1949. He also was a good kick returner and punt returner. He had the great speed. He ran the fifth fastest 40 yard dash time ever at 4.16. He had loved playing baseball. He was drafted by the NY Yankees. He also played for the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds in his baseball career. He had a batting average of .533 in the 1992 world series with the Atlanta Braves (www.baseball-almanac.com). He was great at stealing bases. He had 56 stolen bases in 115 games in the 1997 season (http://www.allsports.com/players/deion-sanders)

Works Cited
3 May 2009 http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=Danny_Ainge
3 May 2009 http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_11_54/ai_55553256/
3 May 2009 http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_was_the_the_fastest_40_yard_dash_time>
3 May 2009 http://www.baseball-almanac.com/ws/yr1992ws.shtml?
3 May 2009 http://www.allsports.com/players/deion-sanders/
3 May 2009 http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college/heisman/news/2000/11/04/bo_jackson/
3 May 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Ward
3 May 2009 http://www.usafootball.com/articles/displayArticle/6644/7359

The New Faces of American Boxing

Evans — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 22:16:12 -0000

via www.boxnews.com.ua

Out with old and in with the new is how its works in professional sports. Specially in boxing where older fighters get beaten into retirement. The 2008 year in boxing was the end for a generation of future Hall of Fame American boxers. The most popular and best American fighters are now mostly past their prime and near retirement such as Roy Jones Jr., Evander Holyfield, Bernard Hopkins, and Oscar De La Hoya. So who are the new faces of American boxing?

The old American boxing stars time in the limelight is over. But, there are several young, talented, and hungry American boxers ready to fill the void left by the older American legends. Chad Dawson recently after beating former light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver said:"There is a new king in town." The new king of light heavyweight boxing is the talented Chad Dawson that is undefeated at 27-0. He is only 26 years old. He is the best light heavyweight in the world not named Bernard Hopkins. Likewise, it will be extremely hard for anyone to beat him because he is a 6-3 southpaw. He also has the good athleticism and great hand speed. Equally important, he has the toughness to remain champ, he already has beaten two very tough fighters in current cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek and ex-light heavyweight champion Glen Johnson. Therefore, he seems ready to dominate the light heavyweight division for many years to come. He wants to fight the best too. He has made offers for fights with Bernard Hopkins and Joe Calzaghe. But they both turned him down.

Paul "The Punisher" Williams is a welterweight boxer that fights out of South Carolina. He has taken Winky Wright's and Antonio Margarito's title as the Most Avoided man in boxing. He is a 6-1 Southpaw that throws an alost inhuman amount of punches in his fights. He has great offense and averages around 1,000 punches a fight. He is extremly tall for a welterweight at 6-1. Equally important, he recently has been moving back and forth from welterweight to middleweight. He will be fighting ex-light middleweight champion Winky Wright on April 11th. Besides, he is fearless fighter that isn't afraid too fight anyone. His main problem is just trying to get people to fight him. The big name boxers keep ducking him. But, eventually he will be able to prove he is the best because if he keeps winning they will have no choice but to fight him.

Kelly Pavlik is somewhat similar to Arturo Gatti because of his boxing style and popularity. He is only 26 years old. He is the most popular young American boxer. Kelly Pavlik has a crowd pleasing style come forward style where he keeps throwing punches until he knocks his opponent out. He did in 2008 get taken to school by future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins. Nonetheless, that was a fight ten pounds above his best weight. Equally important, no one looks well against Bernard Hopkins. But, he is still middleweight champion of the world. He already bounced back from his lost to B-Hop by beating Marco Antonio Rubio on February 21st. Pavlik also has a good chin. In his fights with Jermain Taylor and Edison Miranda he took very hard shots. However, he still kept coming until he overwhelmed his opponent and knocked them out. Likewise, he showed he had a heart by getting off the canvas in his first fight with Jermaine Taylor. He evens ended the fight by knocking out Taylor. In a fight that was a fight of the year candidate in 2007. He now has the opportunity to take Oscar De La Hoya's place as the most popular America fighter. He is also likable because he is very humble and he has not forgotten where he came from. He always shows love to his hometown of Youngstown, OH.

Regardless of how many people say that boxing is dying in America that is far from the truth with good young boxers such as Pavlik, Dawson, and Williams. Besides, there are other boxers to that will continues the American boxing tradition such as James Kirkland, Andre Berto, and Andre Ward. It is sad to see legends like Roy Jones, Evander Holyfield and Oscar De La Hoya move out of the limelight. But, boxing is a young man's games so these young American boxers will use their talent to continue the long tradition of American excellence in boxing.