Unknown Facts

10 Unknown Facts about Football World

March 16, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

10 Unknown Facts about Football World

One of the most popular sports is football, enjoyed by millions of people around the world. There are some football fans who just love to watch games, and there are some other fanatics who love the sport so much that they like to know about the trivia of the sport. Sure enough, football, with a history of glorious moments and fantastic players, has indeed got a record of many interesting and mind-blowing facts. These facts may be related to how the sport has undergone an evolution over a period of the many years of its prevalence, to players, coaches, managers or other people associated with the sport, etc. Some of these facts are not even known to us. So, let us look at 10 Unknown Facts about Football World.

10 Unknown Facts about Football World

10. The thunderbolt and an entire team

The game was a draw at 1-1 when thunderbolt struck and killed an entire 11-man soccer team from the Democratic Republic of Congo in the province of Kasai in the eastern region of the DRC in October 1998. 30 more people had burn injuries for that lightning strike, but the opposing team was completely unharmed. Many people of Congo still think that the team had been cursed and because of that the lightning strikes and took the life of the entire team. Something similar happened on the next week as a lightning strike the ground during a Premier League soccer match between the Jomo Cosmos and the Moroka Swallows in Johannesburg, South Africa. Several players from the team had minor injuries, but luckily no one was killed that time. This is the 10th fact in our list of 10 Unknown Facts about Football World.

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9. Score: 149-0

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After a 2-2 draw in a match in 2002 between rival teams Stade Olympique de L’emyrne or SOE and AS Adema of Madagascar, referee awarded a penalty against SOE, which caused SOE to lose the game. At the very next game, the players of SOE purposefully scored 149 goals into their own net as a form of protest for losing the title because of the penalty given by the referee in the previous game. After this amazing backfire, the spectators rushed into the ticket booth and demanded their money for the tickets back. 149-0 score broke the long-standing previous record of 36-0 from 1885. The coach, captain and several other players suspended due to this scenario from SOE. This is the 9th fact in our list of 10 Unknown Facts about Football World.

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8. The name “Football”

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The name association football was coined to distinguish the sport from the other forms of football such as rugby football played at the time. It was first established by the Football Association in 1863 as the Association football and the term soccer first appeared in the 1880s in England as an Oxford “-er” abbreviation of the word “association”. Association football now usually called football in the United Kingdom and by the English-speaking world whereas the game is called as Soccer in Canada and the United States. In other countries such as Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, both terms are used interchangeably. The official national football associations of both Australia and New Zealand now refers it as Football as the formal name of the Association football. This is the 8th fact in our list of 10 Unknown Facts about Football World.

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7. Governing bodies

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FIFA is the recognized international governing body of association football and its associated games such as beach soccer and futsal. The FIFA headquarter is located in Zürich, Switzerland, and it has its association with six regional confederations. Asian Football Confederation or AFC is the governing body of matches played in Asian continents. Confederation of African Football or CAF is the governing body of matches played in African continents. Union of European Football Associations or UEFA is one the most famous governing bodies besides FIFA in European continents. Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football or CONCACAF is the governing body of football matches in Central America & Caribbean. This is the 7th fact in our list of 10 Unknown Facts about Football World.

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6. Women’s Football

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The first officially recorded women’s football games were played in the late 19th century which was mainly associated with charity games and physical exercise in the United Kingdom. The growth in women’s football began rapidly during the early 20th century when both national and international level women’s football mirroring the male competitions started that time. The “golden age” of women’s football in the United Kingdom was during the early 1920s when crowds reached up to 50,000 at some matches of women’s football. England’s Football Association banned the women’s games from grounds on 5 December 1921 which was rescinded in December 1969. UEFA voted to officially recognize the women’s football in 1971. This is the 6th fact in our list of 10 Unknown Facts about Football World.

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5. War and Peace in Football

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The Football War or 100 Hour War was fought by El Salvador and Honduras in 1969 due to the issues concerning immigration from El Salvador to Honduras. A match between Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade degenerated into rioting in May 1990 which further exacerbated tensions at the beginning of the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s. On a more contrary, The Côte d’Ivoire national football team helped to secure peace in the country when the nation faced a true threat of civil war in 2006. The Côte d’Ivoire team also reduce tensions between government and rebel forces in 2007 as they played a match in the rebel capital of Bouaké, which brought both the rebel and ruling armies together peacefully for the first time. This is the 5th fact in our list of 10 Unknown Facts about Football World.

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4. The FA Cup

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After the foundation of original laws of association football and the formation of The International Football Association, C. W. Alcock founded world’s oldest football competition the FA Cup, which was contested by English teams since 1872. The first official international football match initiated by again the immortal kin of football C. W. Alcock and was played between Scotland and England in Glasgow in 1872. The very first officially recorded football league was also founded in England in Birmingham by Aston Villa director William McGrego in 1888. The original format of the first football league in England contained 12 clubs from the Midlands and Northern England. This is the 4th fact in our list of 10 Unknown Facts about Football World.

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3. The game- Cuju

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Ancient Chinese ball game Cuju is believed as the earliest form of football by FIFA for which there is evidence such as old manuscripts and paintings. The game Cuju was first mentioned in a military work as an exercise from 3rd-2nd century BC. It was originated in China and was also played in Korea, Vietnam and Japan. The first mention of Cuju was traced in a historical text in the section describing the state of Qi in the Warring States era Zhan Guo Ce. Cuju was also described in Sima Qian’s Records of the Grand Historian during the Han Dynasty. It was also traced that various forms of Cuju were played in wealthy cities like Linzi for entertainment and became widely popular during the Han Dynasty. This is the 3rd fact in our list of 10 Unknown Facts about Football World.

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2. Amendments in late 1800s

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As long as there are three defending players between the receiver and the goal Forward passes are permitted which was first amended in 1866. Consideration of forward passes was the first step from differentiating offside as seen in modern rugby towards the offside rule associated with soccer. The fair catch was also eliminated in 1866. The specific position of goalkeeper was first introduced in 1871. After 14 years of hard labor while constructing a proper set of rules, various features of the northern code were incorporated into the association football rulebook based on London and also started to get unified with the Sheffield Rules in 1877. The penalty kick was first introduced in 1891. This is the 2nd fact in our list of 10 Unknown Facts about Football World.

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1. The Laws of Football

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There were many attempts to codify the rules of football around the mid-19th century in England. Sheffield club announced their own set of ideas about the association football in 1857.The original Laws of the Game were codified in England and adopted by the newly formed Football Association in 1863. The original Laws were heavily influenced by the Cambridge rules and also took the guideline based upon the Sheffield Rules. 14 original mail laws were developed under the charge of one Ebenezer Cobb Morley, and 11 clubs reached an agreement to maintain the laws. The International Football Association Board met for the first time to guard the Laws of the Game on 2 June 1886. This itself deserves the top place in our list of 10 Unknown Facts about Football World.

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Football has remained an extremely loved sport, and will continue to do so, among sports fans, as well as those who like to be a part of the world of sports as players. Chances are, many more interesting things will continue to happen, and will find a place in the history and records of football.

10 Most Embarrassing Records in Sports

March 8, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

10 Most Embarrassing Records in Sports

Athletes and teams thrive to do the best they can every day. They try to save the honour of the country or place they represent, while simultaneously trying to make it to the history of sports with some new record. Every person wants to be remembered for their achievements, and for the contributions they have made in what they do, and so do these sports stars or teams. However, just like the records for the bests, there are also records for the worsts, as we all remember those who are at the lowest. Unfortunately, no one quite enjoys holding the record as the worst, as the lowest scorer, largest number of losses, etc. Yet, just like those who achieve the best in a sport or a specific factor of it, the embarrassing place at the bottom cannot be left empty either. Let us take a look at the 10 Most Embarrassing Records in Sports.

10 Most Embarrassing Records in Sports

1. Most Consecutive Losses

Prairie View A&M broke the record in nearly a double margin of Most Consecutive Losses of Columbia’s 44 straight defeats between 1983 and 1988. They achieved their last successful win in 1989, and after that they were not able to achieve a single victory since 1998. Prairie View made a historical record of most consecutive losses with their 80 straight defeats on that occasion. On a funnier note, the Prairie View A&M scored just 48 points in total in the 1991 season. On the other hand, they gave up an average of 56 a game on that same season which is another world record which many sports buffs believe will be intact after thousands of years. Panther’s running back Kevin Ball once stated, “One isn’t good enough for me. I don’t want people to think it’s a fluke.“

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2. Lowest Batting Average in Cricket

Broadcaster, journalist and retired English international cricketer Michael Andrew Atherton or famously known as Mike Atherton became the captain of England at the age of just 25. He also holds the record of appearing in 54 Test matches on that time. He served his duty as a right-handed opening batsman for Lancashire and England. Mike Atherton made 7,728 runs in 115 international test matches throughout his career which is decorated with sixteen centuries and forty six half centuries with a top score of 185 not out. But sadly, he retired with a batting average of just 37.69 which is the record of Lowest Batting Average in Cricket by any batsman who crossed the 7,000 runs boundary. He also has a batting average of 35.11 in One Day Internationals.

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3. Largest Ice Hockey Defeat

Some might think that the record is set by the New York Rangers who lost to the prestigious Detroit Red Wings by 15-0 in January of 1944. Nonetheless, the actual record of Largest Ice Hockey Defeat is light years beyond that small scale defeat. The record was set by South Korea in an Ice Hockey match against Thailand during the 1998 IIHF Asian Oceanic Junior U18 Championships. Team South Korea defeated the Thailand men’s team with a whopping record of 92-0 which is a record for the biggest win in the history of Ice hockey. On the other hand, Thailand remains the holder of Largest Ice Hockey Defeat while congesting 92 goals in a single game. Thailand did not participate in the Asian Oceanic Junior U18 Championship the next year, they created the record.

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4. Shortest Premier League Career

It is widely regarded by many that the Senegalese footballer and attempted con artist Ali Dia holds the record of Shortest Premier League Career as he played 53 minutes against Leeds in 1996. Southampton manager Graeme Souness was spellbound with his playing style and later found that his new signing was a fraud. But the actual record of the Shortest Premier League Career was made by Joe Sheerin who spent just 60-second with team Chelsea. Joe Sheerin made his league debut as a last minute substitute for Gianfranco Zola in the 1–0 win against Wimbledon on 22 April 1997, but never played again for Chelsea. He was throughout with team till 2002 and finally left Chelsea in February 2002.

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5. Fastest Knockout of All Time

Boxers and MMA fighters took knockout as their personal glory as they want to achieve more and more knockout wins in their career. Many famous boxers achieved their victories with knockout but the record of Fastest Knockout of All Time is something more drastic. Takahiro Kuroishi proved that running toward your opponent at full speed to start the fight is not at all a decent strategy. Takahiro Kuroishi furiously rushed to his opponent Ryohei Masuda to start a match where Masuda punched him with one fierce blow. Due to that punch, Takahiro spun 180 degrees before hitting the canvas and was knocked out in less than 2 second. Another instance, Russell Rees and Des Sowden once came face-to-face in a turn-of-the-century match where Sowden was knocked out by Russell in a single blow.

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6. Most NHL Penalty Minutes by a Goalie

Every opposing player received a slash whenever they skated near the crease of the NHL goalie Ron Hextall which made him one of the most furious goalies of all time in the history of NHL. Ron Hextall spent most of his time playing for the Philadelphia Flyers. He achieved 296 career wins playing for the team. He is also famous for his ferocity, as he earns 113 minutes and set the world record for most penalty minutes by a goal keeper in the NHL season of 1988-89. Ron Hextall is noted for his aggressive approach toward the incoming players of the opposing team and to body check opponents. One of the very best goalies, Ron Hextall achieved more than 700 penalty minutes during his active career in the National Hockey League.

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7. Most NASCAR Races without a Win

American racing driver, John Delphus “J.D.” McDuffie, Jr., famously known as just J.D. McDuffie collected 106 top-tens during his career. He also holds the record of most starts in NASCAR’s top level without a win. During his active career from 1963 to 1991, J.D. McDuffie participated in 653 races but was unsuccessful for even winning a single race during that time. He won several small races which include a small dirt track near Rockingham, North Carolina, but never met with a big win on the track in his career. This famous NASCAR driver was killed in a motor accident during NASCAR Watkin’s Glen race in 1991. J.D. McDuffie ends his career in a tragic accident at the age of 52 but sadly never able to achieve a single race.

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8. Worst Single-Game Shooting Performance

Many wise basketball coaches advise their students that keep on shooting if the attempts aren’t falling and eventually the point will come on the bucket. But it seems that Tim Hardaway of the Golden State Warriors took this advice from his coach even in his professional career. Tim Hardaway is a retired American basketball player who currently serves his duty as an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association. On a funny note, Tim Hardaway did something hilarious on the forgettable December night in 1991. He made an attempt at scoring point 17 times but not able to achieve success even a single time. Tim Hardaway set the record of the worst Single-Game Shooting Performance at that time even though Golden State won the game.

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9. Most Career Fumbles

Two of the most famous American football player Michael Vick and Tom Brady have most fumbles in their career as reputed and active players. They both have 96 registered fumbles in their career. But the record for most career fumbles is registered in the name of former American football quarterback Brett Favre. He spent most of his life with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. His amazing career is decorated with 70,000 yards, over 6,000 completions, and over 10,000 pass attempts. Brett Favre is also known by his nickname “The Gunslinger”. Even though he has one of the most decorated careers in the NBA, he is not immune to making mistakes. Favre retired with 166 registered fumbles in his active NBA career which achieved him the record of Most Career Fumbles.

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10. Most Consecutive Super Bowl Losses

The record of Most Consecutive Super Bowl Losses is held by the Buffalo Bills based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. Buffalo Bills are a member of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League. The team was established in 1960 and from that time they proved themselves as one of the best team ever to participate in the American Football. But on a contrary, they are the record holder of most consecutive Super Bowl defeats as they were defeated by the opponent straight four times. Buffalo Bills was defeated by the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXV and was defeated by the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XXVII. The other two times they were defeated by the Dallas Cowboys.

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While it is a reason to be proud of when a player or a team manages to secure a place in the history with some record. But unfortunately, when this record is for being weak, it is nothing to be proud of. It embarrasses them, and that is quite understandable, considering the fact that they have to be associated with some failure.

10 Dishonest Players who Pay Huge Compensations

March 7, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

10 Dishonest Players who Pay Huge Compensations

Sports stars all over the world gain not just fame and money, but also the power to influence an unimaginable number of people with their actions and every single move they make. A number of times, these athletes offer a lot of inspiring things for the fans to follow, such as the dedication they show, the techniques they display in the sport, the amount of time they spend in training and healthy practices, and in case of many more issues. However, it often happens that they forget the power they hold, and do things that set a bad example for the world to follow. Punishment, however, is unbiased, and it finds every person with a bad action. They end up paying huge fines or compensations after being caught in the middle of their nasty acts. So let us take a quick look at 10 Dishonest Players who Pay Huge Compensations.

10 Dishonest Players who Pay Huge Compensations

1. Tiger Woods

American professional golfer Tiger Woods is counted among the most successful golfers of modern era and is also one of the highest-paid athletes in the globe. He maintained his reputation several years till he was couth in a scandal related to women. Tiger is the only player to have won 18 World Golf Championships since many international championships started in 1999. He was engaged with Elin Nordegren in November 2003, and the couple got married on October 5, 2004. Tiger’s wife Elin is a former Swedish model and daughter of radio journalist Thomas Nordegren and former minister of migration Barbro Holmberg. Elin, after a dozen women claimed to have had affairs with Tiger, filed for divorce. As a settlement, Tiger paid $100 million to his wife and moreover, he also lost $22 million worth of endorsements.

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2. Lance Armstrong

American professional road racing cyclist Lance Armstrong has won the Tour de France a world record of seven consecutive times from 1999 till 2005. He was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer in the 90s which in turn damaged his brain, lungs and abdomen. Armstrong fought with his disease and cured from cancer in just five months. He then participated in several international events and left his mark. But sadly, after the finding of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, the Union Cycliste Internationale banned Armstrong from competitive cycling for rest of his life in 2012. He first denied charges of doping and even sued those who charged him with cheating. In 2013, he finally admitted that he used PEDs which made him lost around $75 million due to endorsement drops.

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3. Michael Jordan

American former professional basketball player Michael Jordan is considered as the best basketball player of all time and is also an entrepreneur and principle owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets. Jordan spent 15 seasons of his career playing for the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards. He married Juanita Vanoy in 1991. He was then blamed for cheating with his wife the very same year. Jordan was also reported for paying $250,000 to a mistress to make her keep quiet about his secret relationship. On January 4, 2002, Jordan and Vanoy filed for divorce but opted for mutual settlement shortly after. Vanoy again filed for divorce and get it on December 29, 2006 for which he received $168 million as the settlement cost. It is also counted among the largest celebrity divorce settlements.

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4. Hulk Hogan

American professional wrestler Terry Gene Bollea is better known to the world as the Hulk Hogan and is currently signed with WWE. Besides being an active wrestler, he is also an actor, television personality, entrepreneur, and musician and is widely known for a reality show called “Hogan Knows Best”. Hogan was married to his wife Linda for 26 years but caught cheated with her when he started having an affair with his wife’s friend. Hogan’s wife Linda filed for divorce after she found about Hulk Hogan’s affair. As a settlement of this divorce, Hogan paid 70 percent of their liquid assets, 40 percent of his businesses, several of his luxury cars and also $3 million property to his wife Linda.

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5. Alex Rodriguez

American professional baseball third baseman and shortstop Alex Rodriguez nicknamed “A-Rod” is playing for the New York Yankees and also previously played for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball. Rodriguez admitted that he used performance-enhancing drugs to the Drug Enforcement Administration in January, 2014. He is now fighting for his charges of PED uses. On a more personal note, His wife Cynthia Rodriguez filed for divorce because of as “extra marital affairs and other marital misconduct” by her husband and also for “emotional abandonment” of her and their children on July 7, 2008. As a settlement Rodriguez gave $12-million marital home in Coral Gables, Florida, child support including private school tuition, life and health insurance and her cars.

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6. Jeff Gordon

American professional stock car racing driver Jeff Gordon is counted among the best drivers of NASCAR and currently drives the No. 24 Chevrolet SS for Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. His success on track led him to a chance of meeting with a former Ms. Winston Cup winner, Brooke Sealey whom he was married to, later on. His wife, then known by the name Jennifer Brooke Gordon, filed for divorce and demanded separation from Jeff Gordon due to his extra marital relationship with professional model Deanna Merryman. Brooke then asked on court paper for “exclusive use of the couple’s oceanfront home, valued at $9 million, as well as alimony, two cars and periodic use of their boats and an airplane” as a settlement.

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7. Marion Jones

Former world champion track and field athlete Marion Jones also known as Marion Jones-Thompson also played basketball for Tulsa Shock in the WNBA. Jones achieved 3 gold medals in Sydney, Australia, at the 2000 Summer Olympics. She was allegedly charged for using performance enhancing drugs and denied using those. Finally Jones was traced to have used PED for which she was jailed for six months and lost a million dollars in endorsements. Chairman of the US Olympic Committee Peter Ueberroth then stated Jones to “immediately step forward and return the Olympic medals she won while competing in violation of the rules”. Jones was then forced to sell two of her properties including her mother’s house to raise money to give fines and for living.

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8. Ryan Braun

American baseball right fielder Ryan Joseph Braun currently plays for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball. For his amazing ability to hit for power and average, excellent fielding and baserunning speed, he is considered as the five-tool player. He is also listed among the 50 best players of 2012 after he achieved the MVP award in 2011. Braun then charged for using performance enhancing drugs to further boosts his ability on the ground. He was failed in a testosterone test in 2011 and later also charged for his connection with the Biogenesis of America clinic in 2012. Braun was suspended for the remainder of the 2013 season totaling 65 regular season games on July 22, 2013, for his violation of drug policy. He was estimated to lose around $6.2 million due to this scandal.

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9. Manny Ramirez

Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder Manny Ramirez participated in Major League Baseball and the Chinese Professional Baseball League. He achieved 21 grand slams which is the third best all-time. Manny’s 29 postseason home runs is still a record in big league history. He participated in 12 All-Star Games which include a consecutive streak of eleven times since 1998. He established himself as a superstar for the Boston fans and also for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Manny was suspended for violating baseball’s drug policy for 50 games for using human chorionic gonadotropin. Manny chose his retirement over 100 games suspension on April 8, 2011. Manny lost around 8 million in salary due to his early retirement from active sports.

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10. Shaquille O’Neal

Retired American basketball player Shaquille O’Neal is currently serving as an analyst on the television program Inside the NBA and was known as a former rapper. With his 7 feet 1 inch height and 325 pounds weight, Shaquille is considered as one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA. The man who once said, “I’m Muslim, I’m Jewish, I’m Buddhist, I’m everybody ’cause I’m a people person,” was sue by his wife Shaunie as he was accused of cheating on his wife several times over the next seven years. Shaquille first filed a divorce case in a Miami-Dade Circuit court on September 4, 2007, which was mutually settled. His wife, Shaunie again filed for divorce on November 10, 2009. Shaquille is now subjected to pay $20,000 monthly for alimony and child support combined as a settlement.

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As we can see, the dishonest acts by the players set them back by a fortune that is not ignorable at all. However, these compensations they pay are in the form of money or assets, and it is worth questioning whether that can ever really be enough of a compensation for the harm they cause to the people who once rested their faith and love upon these players, be it the fans who get disappointed with them for their dishonesty, the teams who lose them, or the loved ones whom they leave to deal with their betrayal for years to come.

10 Race Drivers who are also Actors

March 4, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

10 Race Drivers who are also Actors

Car racers are among the most glamorous people on the earth. A part of it is because of the risk involved in the sport, since one single skid of the tires can send the racer off into the gaping mouth of death, or injure them severely, and the racers are brave enough to compete, anyway. Moreover, racers are among the wealthiest of all sportsmen, owing to the fact that they are heavily rewarded. The glamour and popularity of race car drivers are almost at par with the stars and actors. It is almost unimaginable how the popularity of a celebrity simply increases by several degrees if he is both, an actor and a car race driver. They have eyes of sports buffs, as well as Hollywood followers, upon them. Let us take a quick look at 10 Race Drivers who are also Actors.

10 Race Drivers who are also Actors

1. Rowan Atkinson

English actor, comedian and screenwriter Rowan Sebastian Atkinson was born on 6 January 1955 and hugely popular for his work on the sitcoms Mr. Bean and Blackadder. He started gaining reputations since his first introduction prominence in the sketch comedy show Not the Nine O’Clock News from 1979 to 1982. He is also noted for his participation in The Secret Policeman’s Balls from 1979. Rowan Atkinson is listed among the 50 funniest actors in British comedy by The Observer. He holds a category C+E lorry driving license. He raced a Renault 5 GT Turbo for two seasons for its one make series and also owns a McLaren F1. Atkinson appeared as the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car on Top Gear while driving the Kia Cee’d around the track in 1:42.2 in July 2011.

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2. Paul Walker

Former American actor Paul William Walker was born on September 12, 1973 and met with a tragic accident and died on November 30, 2013. The gained his reputation while appearing for several televisions shows such as The Young and the Restless and Touched by an Angel. He is widely known for playing the role of Brian O’Conner in the street racing action film The Fast and the Furious and later all its sequels. Paul Walker competed in the Redline Time Attack racing series. He drove that series with M3 E92 as a member of the AE Performance Team. Etnies, Brembo Brakes, Ohlins, Volk, OS Giken, Hankook, Gintani and Reach Out Worldwide are the major sponsors of his car. He also started preparing for an auto show before he was killed in a single-car accident on November 30, 2013.

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3. Patrick Dempsey

American actor and race car driver Patrick Galen Dempsey was born on January 13, 1966 and famously known for his role as neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd on the ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy. He acted in several films in his early 20s such as Buy Me Love and Loverboy. Patrick Dempsey competed in several prestigious pro-am events that include the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex 24 at Daytona sports car race, and Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 off-road race. He announced that he would “walk away” from acting if he could dedicate himself to motors-ports prior to the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans series. Dempsey was first introduced to racing at the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans and made a return in a Porsche 997 GT3 RSR at the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race four years later.

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4. Paul Newman

Former American actor, film director, entrepreneur environmentalist, social activist and philanthropist Paul Leonard Newman was also known as a professional racing driver and auto racing team owner. He achieved numerous awards during his lifetime that includes Academy Award for best actor for his performance in the 1986 Martin Scorsese film The Color of Money. He also achieved six Golden Globe Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Cannes Film Festival Award, an Emmy Award. Newman was first introduced as a professional racer at Thompson International Speedway in 1972. He later established himself as a frequent competitor in Sports Car Club of America. Newman also raced in the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans in Dick Barbour’s Porsche 935 and achieved the second place.

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5. James Garner

Former American actor, voice artist and comedian James Garner was born as James Scott Bumgarner on April 7, 1928, and starred in several television series over more than five decades. He played leading roles in more than fifty theatrical films such as The Great Escape and The Notebook, and also noted for his roles as Bret Maverick in the 1950s western comedy series Maverick. He is one of the owners of the “American International Racers” and participated in active racing from 1967 through 1969. James Garner made the racing documentary The Racing Scene with motorsports writer William Edgar and Hollywood director Andy Sidaris which was filmed in 1969 and released in 1970. The team later fielded racing cars at Le Mans, Daytona, and Sebring endurance races.

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6. Steve McQueen

American actor Terence Steven “Steve” McQueen was hugely popular for his anti-hero” persona and earned him the nickname “The King of Cool”. He was a top box-office draw at the height of the Vietnam War-era counterculture during the 1960s and 1970s. He achieved Academy Award nomination for his role in The Sand Pebbles and his major films include The Thomas Crown Affair, Bullitt, The Getaway, and Papillon. Steve McQueen raced in a BMC Mini at Brands Hatch in the British Touring Car Championship in 1961 where he finished 3rd. Peter Revson and McQueen won with a Porsche 908/02 in the 3 litre class in the 1970 12 Hours of Sebring race but missed winning the overall title just by 23 seconds to 5 litre Ferrari 512S.

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7. James Dean

Former American actor James Byron Dean, famously known as just James Dean, was born on February 8, 1931, and was regarded by many as the cultural icon of the United States and a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment. He is noted for his role in the film Rebel Without a Cause. He was ranked the 18th best male movie star by the American Film Institute on their “AFI’s 100 Years…100 Stars” list in 1999. James Dean first showed his interest in auto racing in 1954 and purchased various vehicles after filming for East of Eden had concluded. His collection included a Triumph Tiger T110 and a Porsche 356. James Dean competed in his first professional event at the Palm Springs Road Races on March 26–27, 1955 and won the first place in the novice class and second place at the main event.

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8. Gene Hackman

American actor and novelist Eugene Allen Hackman, famously known as Gene Hackman was born on January 30, 1930, and has had a successful career of five decades, during which, he has been able to acquire 3 Golden Globes and 2 BAFTAs, as well as nominations of 5 Academy Awards, winning 2. He is noted for his role in the film French Connection, for which he won the Academy Award as the best actor. At 16, he left home and joined the US Marine Corps, serving 4.5 years as a field radio operator. After his discharge, he moved to New York, working minor jobs. He partook in the Sports Car Club of America races, driving an open wheeled Formula Ford in the late 70s. In 1983, he drove a Dan Gurney Team Toyota in the 24 Hours of Daytona Endurance Race. He won the Long Beach Grand Prix Celebrity Race.

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9. Frankie Muniz

American actor, musician, writer and producer Francisco Muñiz IV, famously known as Frankie Muñiz, was born on December 5, 1985. He is primarily noted as the star of the FOX television family sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, for which he got an Emmy Award nomination and 2 Golden Globe Award nominations. In 2003, he was considered “one of Hollywood’s most bankable teens.” He began his career in car racing in 2005, when, as a celebrity participant, he won the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race. He signed a two-year deal with Jensen Motorsport as a driver. During the 2006 Formula BMW USA series, he entered 14 races, and failed to finish in a point-scoring position. In 2007, he partook in all 12 races of the more competitive Champ Car Atlantic Series. He earned a prize of $17,000, logging 351 season laps.

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10. Bruce Jenner

Former U.S. track and field athlete and current television personality William Bruce Jenner was born on October 28, 1949. He won the gold medal in the decathlon at the 1976 Summer Olympics held in Montreal. After his Olympic win, he reached new heights of success in professional career in television. By 1981, he had worked in various made-for-TV movies and briefly starred in Erik Estrada’s place on TV series CHiPs. In the 80s, he was a successful race car driver in the IMSA Camel GT series (International Motor Sports Association). His first win was in the 12-hour Sebring in the IMSA GTO class, 1986, driving the 7-Eleven Roush Racing Ford Mustang with co-driver Scott Pruett. He won the class, finishing 4th overall in the 12-hour endurance race. In his most successful year, he finished 2nd in the championship.

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The race car drivers who are also actors have the best of both worlds. From famous red carpet events, to fun sports brand endorsements, they have it all. And with a greater reach, they are also followed by a greater number of people all around the world.

Top 10 Players with Premature End of Career

March 3, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

Top 10 Players with Premature End of Career

An athlete needs years of training and diligence, and several great performances to gain the position of a star in the eyes of the patrons, or be regarded as a great player with his name written in gold in the history of sports. But, however skilled they might be, they are mere mortals, to, and have no way to deal with what is on their fate. The careers of many of the players meet an untimely end. There might be several reasons for this to happen. For some, it might be a medical or physical condition that incapacitates them. Some players lose their interest in the sport and often move to other career options. The reasons are many, but the end consequence is the same: a premature retirement of a bright sports star from the industry. Let us take a look at Top 10 Players with Premature End of Career.

Top 10 Players with Premature End of Career

1. Jim Brown

James Nathaniel Brown, popularly known in the world of sports as Jim Brown, is a former American football player. He was born on February 17, 1936 in St. Simons of Georgia, and played as a running back for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League. He debuted for the team in 1957, and continued till 1965 until he had a premature ending to his football career. He played only for nine season in the NFL, which is an exceptional record. He is considered one of the greatest professional athletes in the history of the US, and was declared the greatest professional football player ever by Sporting News. When he retired at the age of 29, he was the NFL’s rushing leader. He acted in a western action film called Rio Conchos before the 1964 season, and entered the field of acting after the end of his sporting career, much to the frustration of Browns owner Art Modell.

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2. Björn Borg

Björn Borg is a former Swedish tennis player. He was born on June 6, 1956, in Södertälje of Sweden, and became a professional tennis player in the year 1873. After a brief but successful career, he retired in April, 1983, and had another short failed stint from 1991 to 1993. Retired when he was just 26 years old, and within that age, he had already achieved the position of the World No. 1. He achieved 11 Grand Slam singles titles, with 5 consecutive Wimbledon titles and 6 French Open titles. He is considered as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He won 41% of the Grand Slam singles tournaments in which he participated. He has several other feathers in his hat, and is the first player to have earned more than one million dollars in the form of prize money from his participation in a single season, which was in the year 1979. Yet, he surprised the world of tennis by retiring at the prime of his career, which is believed to be because his passion for tennis dwindled.

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3. Sandy Koufax

Sanford Koufax, popularly known in the world of sports as Sandy Koufax, is a retired American baseball player. He was born on December 30, 1935, in Brooklyn of New York. He was a left-handed pitcher for the Brooklyn/ Los Angeles Dodgers in the Major League Baseball. He debuted in the MLB in June 1955 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and then retired after a brief career in October 1966. In 1963, he was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player, and in 1972, he became the youngest player to ever be inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame at the age of 36 years and 20 days, both of which went his way several years after his premature retirement. He was at the peak of his career when he decided upon giving up the sport, since he had a chronically arthritic left arm. Due to lack of surgical solutions for baseball players at that time, he could have lost the ability to use it.

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4. Barry Sanders

Barry Sanders is a former American football player. He was born on July 16, 1968, in Wichita of Kansas, and he played as a running back in the Detroit Lions in the National football League. He debuted in 1989 and retired in 1998. He was ranked as the most elusive runner in NFL history by NFL Top 10, topped the list of the greatest players never to reach the Super Bowl, and was also a member of both the college and professional football halls of fame. With an average of more than 1,500 rushing yards in each season, Sanders retired from the sport when he was only 1,457 yards short of holding the first place on the list of players with NFL all-time rushing records at that time. His retirement came as a shock to the entire world of sports. He retired out of frustration with the lack of success of the Lions, when he himself had neither medical conditions, nor any other problem.

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5. Magic Johnson

Earvin Johnson, Jr., popularly known as in the world of sports as Magic Johnson, is a retired American basketball player. He was born on August 4, 1959, in Lansing of Michigan, and played as the shooting guard with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association. His professional career began in 1979 and continued till he retired in 1991, only to have a brief stint in the year 1996 again. He achieved a championship, as well as a NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his rookie season. In 1991, he announced his retirement, an abrupt decision, and shocked the world with the declaration that he had contracted HIV. His participation in the 1992 All-Star Game, after which he won the All-Star MVP Award, was met with protests from fellow players. He retired for 4 years, and returned in 1996, to play 32 games for the Lakers, after which he retired.

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6. Thurman Munson

Thurman Lee Munson, popularly known in the world of sports as just Thurman Munson, was an American Major League Baseball player. He was born on June 7, 1947, in Akron of Ohio, and was a catcher for the New York Yankees. His MLB debut was in the year 1969 and was a part of the season for 11 years, till his sudden demise in the year 1979. He was a perennial All-Star, and was the only Yankee to achieve not just the Rookie of the Year but also the Most Valuable Player awards. He was considered the ‘heart and soul’ of the Yankees, and became the team captain for the first time since Lou Gehrig. He led his team to three World Series appearances between 1976 and 1978, of which, the Yankees won two in 1977 and 1978. But, in 1879, he was practising landing his Cessna Citation at Akron-Canton Airport, and crashed the vehicle. He died of asphyxiation from a broken neck.

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7. Steve Prefontaine

Steve Roland Prefontaine was an American runner. He was born on January 25, 1975, in Coos Bay of Oregon. He competed in the 1972 Olympics in the middle and long-distance divisions in which he specialized. He, along with Bill Rogers, Frank Shorter and Jim Ryun, generated enough media coverage to inspire the “running boom”, i.e. he helped build the popularity of running back in the 1970s. He is still a record holder as an American for the 2,000 meter and 3 mile races. His prowess in the events of 10,000 meters, 5,000 meters, 2 miles, 1 mile and 1,500 meters led him to the Summer Olympics in the year 1972, though he was unable to win a medal there. He was also noted for his moustache and his locks. At just 24, his career was cut short by a car accident in 1975. He crashed his car, and there is a disputed theory that he was under the influence of alcohol while driving.

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8. David Duval

David Robert Duval, popularly known in the world of sports as David Duval, is a former American World No. 1 Golfer. He was born on November 9, 1971, in Jacksonville, Florida, and competed in the PGA Tour. He became a professional golfer in the year 993, and has achieved 19 victories. This quiet man ascended to the position of World No. 1 in the year 1999, and in 2001, when he was 29 years old, Duval won in the Open Championship. But, after that, his career started to plummet, as he dropped out of top 200 on the money list of PGA Tour in the year 2003. He had had to go through the sectional qualifying as well, just so that he could get a spot in the 2009 US Open, where he tied for second. There are several theories about his back and wrist problems, vertigo and personal issues to which his deteriorating performance is attributed. He declared his retirement in 2014.

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9. Andrés Escobar

Andrés Escobar Saldarriaga, popularly known in the world of sports as Andrés Escobar, was a Columbian football player. He was born on March 13, 1967, in Medellin of Columbia, and played as a defender for Atlético Nacional, BSC Young Boys, and the national football team of Colombia. He was only 27 years of age when his career, and everything else, came to a stop due to his death in the year 1994. It is sad enough when a youthful person’s dreams are shattered by death. But this, time, it was no natural death, or illness or accident that took him. Escobar was murdered. In the FIFA World Cup of 1994, Columbia faced the United States in the group stage. Escobar made the mistake of scoring own goal. Columbia got eliminated from the competition, and upon returning, he was murdered, despite his efforts to change the image of the country in the world of football.

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10. Pat Tillman

Patrick Daniel Tillman, popularly known in the world of sports as Pat Tillman, was an American football player. He was born on November 6, 1976, in Fremont of California, and he played the safety position for the Arizona Cardinals in the National Football League. He debuted for the Cardinals in the year 1998, and played for the team till 2001. Tillman was a man of principles, which is why he had the capability to turn down a 5 year contract offer of $9 million from St. Louis Rams, all out of his loyalty for the Cardinals. It was his principle that once again came in the path of his football career, because in 2002, he turned down an offer of $3.6 million over 3 years, but this time, it was the Cardinals’ offer that he refused. Having finished the 2001 season with the Cardinals, he retired from football to join the US Army, after the 9/11 attack. He died in a friendly fire incident.

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Thus, we have seen that the players have had several reasons for retiring from the game. For some, the decision was justifiable, bout for many, it was not, at least in the eyes of the fans or the teams they were a part of. Many had no choice but to retire. Whatever be the reason, it is these premature retirements have only meant one thing: the deprivation of the world of sports from some potentially great moments.