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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.

Top 10 Coaches of Female Football Teams

March 6, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

Top 10 Coaches of Female Football Teams

Soccer is a sport that is highly popular all over the world. People have great fervor when it comes to the sport, irrespective of age and gender, and the fervor is not just in case of watching it, but in playing it, as well. Female soccer teams around the world have shown excellent performances, and they have had some very talented coaches to back them up and train them. Even though the achievements of the female teams are still not given as much attention as those of the male teams at international or club levels, their gameplay and talent deserve to be in the limelight, not only in case of the actual performance on the field but also in case of coaching. Here is a list of Top 10 Coaches of Female Football Teams. Let us take a look at these players and know a little about their achievements.

Top 10 Coaches of Female Football Teams

1. April Heinrichs

April Heinrichs was born on February 27, 1964, and first joined the United States women’s national soccer team in 1995 as an assistant coach. She was promoted as the head coach in 2000 and guided the women’s team from 2000 to 2004. She was also one of the pioneer players of the United States women’s national soccer team and led the team as a captain to win the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991. Heinrichs, during her coaching career, won the 2004 Summer Olympics, Algarve Cup and Gold Cup. She also led the United States team to win the Four Nations Cup. As a coach, she guided the team to achieve the Silver Medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics and the Bronze Medal in the 2003 Women’s World Cup. Heinrichs made the team victorious in 87 matches during her tenure as a coach. She was inducted in the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1998.

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2. Helena Costa

Portuguese football manager Helena Margarida dos Santos e Costa was born on 15 April 1978, and has a UEFA A License in soccer coaching. She served as the coach of the Benfica’s youth team from 1997 to 2010, and led the team to achieve the second place in the national championship in 2005. She served as a scout for Scottish club Celtic F.C. for two spells, from 2008 to 2011 and again from 2012 to 2013. Costa coached the Qatar’s women national team to their first ever victory in international level. She was appointed as coach of the Iran’s women’s national team on 22 October 2012. Costa started coaching French Ligue 2 club Clermont Foot since 2014. She became the first female coach ever of a professional football club for this feat. Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, France’s Women’s Minister, reacted on Twitter by writing, “Congratulations to Clermont Foot for understanding that giving a place to women is the future of professional football.”

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3. Jillian Ellis

Jillian Ellis was born on September 9, 1966, and is the current head coach of the United States women’s national soccer team. Besides coaching, she also serves her duty as a development director of the United States Soccer Federation. U.S. Soccer Federation fired Tom Sermanni and appointed her as interim head coach on April 6, 2014, after which she led the team to a victory against China. She currently has a USSF “A” coaching license. Ellis was then appointed as the national team’s head coach on a permanent basis on May 16, 2014. Before her recent start with the team, she previously also served as interim coach of the United States women’s national team in October 2012 during the departure of Pia Sundhage. Ellis currently takes care of the United States youth soccer teams development program as a development director.

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4. Becky Burleigh

Rebecca Lund Burleigh was born on October 13, 1967, and was a former college soccer player and current college soccer coach. She is currently serving as the head coach of the Florida Gators women’s soccer team of the University of Florida. Becky was first appointed as the head coach of the Florida Gators on June 28, 1994, and eventually led the team to win the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I national championship in 1998 while defeating the defending national champion North Carolina Tar Heels. Under her coaching, the Florida Gators teams qualified thirteen of the last fifteen seasons in the NCAA Championship. Becky, prior to her activity with the Florida Gators, also served as the head coach of Berry College from 1989 to 1993. During her tenure, the Berry’s Lady Fury team achieved two National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national championships.

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5. Silvia Neid

Retired professional football player Silvia Neid was born on 2 May 1964, and is the current head coach of the Germany women’s national football team since July 2005. She first started her career with the team as an assistant of former coach Tina Theune-Meyer. Silvia coached the German women’s national football under-19 team which achieved the 2004 World Championship. She started serving her duty as the head coach of the national team 20 June 2005. She led the German team to qualify for the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup where the team defeated Brazil in the final of the tournament. Silvia also led the women’s team to achieve the bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She has also been a successful player besides being successful as a coach, and won seven national championships and six DFB-Pokal trophies. Silvia became the first winner of the FIFA Ballon d’Or for Best Coach in 2010.

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6. Amy Griffin

Former American soccer player Amy Griffin was born on October 25, 1965, and is currently the goalkeeper coach for the United States under-20 women’s national soccer team and also the head coach at the University of Washington. She is one of the pioneer members of the United States women’s national soccer team as a player which won the 1991 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Amy became the goalkeeper coach of the under-20 national team in 2012 and guided the team to achieve the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. She was one of the first women to be qualified for a level “A” coaching license from the United States Soccer Federation. She became the staff coach for both the U.S. Soccer Federation and the NSCAA in 1998. Amy served as the head coach of Santa Clara University from 1989 to 1991, and then served her duty with the University of New Mexico in 1993.

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7. Tina Theune

German graduate sports teacher Christina “Tina” Theune was born on 4 November 1953, and was the former national coach of the German women’s national football team. She played for the Grün-Weiß Brauweiler from 1974 to 1986, and later became a player-manager of the team. She became the first woman in Germany to successfully acquire the DFB Fußball-Lehrer licence in 1985 upon her completion of coaching training. Tina first became the assistant coach of the German women’s national team in 1986, and later promoted to the head coach position as the successor of Gero Bisanz on August 1, 1996. She achieved three European championships as an assistant coach and three more as the head coach of the German team. Tina coached the team to win the 2003 Women’s World Cup and the UEFA Women’s Championship in 2005.

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8. Martina Voss-Tecklenburg

Retired German football midfielder Martina Voss-Tecklenburg was born on 22 December 1967, and is the current head coach of the Swiss national women’s team. She also served as the head coach of FCR 2001 Duisburg and FF USV Jena in club leagues. She started her coaching career as the team manager of the Oberliga club SV Straelen after her retirement as an active soccer player. Martina served her duty as the head coach of the FCR 2001 Duisburg from 12 February 2008 to 17 February 2011, where she led the team to win the UEFA Women’s Cup in 2009 and two consecutive national cups in 2009 and 2010. She then signed a one-year contract with the Bundesliga club FF USV Jena in June 2011 but left the position after her selection as the head coach of the Swiss national women’s soccer team in June 2011. Besides her coaching career, Martina is also the chief editor of the women’s football magazine “FF”.

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9. Lauren Gregg

American soccer coach Lauren Gregg was born on June 20, 1960, and previously played as a defender for the United States women’s national soccer team. She started her coaching career as the head coach of the University of Virginia’s women’s soccer team in 1986 which she carried till 1995. She led the university team to achieve the NCAA Final Four in 1991 and seven consecutive NCAA tournament bids from 1988 to 1994. Lauren became the first woman to receive the honor while being named as the NSCAA Coach of the Year in 1990. She is also the first ever female assistant coach of the United States’ national women’s teams and served as the head coach of the team in 1997 and 2000. Lauren coached the United States under-21 women’s national soccer team which won the Nordic Cup championship in 1997 and 1999.

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10. Marci Jobson

Former American soccer midfielder Marci Jobson was born on December 4, 1975, and currently serving as the head women’s soccer coach of the Baylor University. She played at the W-League for the Chicago Cobras for four seasons and then played at the women’s Bundesliga for 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam for a season. She also played at the WUSA for three seasons for the Atlanta Beat and at the W-League for the Charlotte Eagles and Atlanta Silverbacks. Marci became the second-oldest American player to made international debut during her first appearance with the U.S. women’s national team on June 26, 2005. She was selected as a squad member of the national team for the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Marci, after her retirement from professional soccer career, became the head coach of the Northern Illinois for the 2004 season and later moved to the Baylor University.

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Although the awards and achievements of the female soccer teams may still be just a handful, but that doesn’t mean that these women can make any less contribution to the sport and their nations. The coaches have a big role to play in making these teams strong, and lay a foundation for better soccer by women in the near future.

Top 10 Female Football Referees in the World

March 5, 2015 by Khabir Uddin Mughal

Top 10 Female Football Referees in the World

In soccer, a referee plays an important role in making or breaking a game, just like in case of most team games. The referee is in charge of enforcing the Laws if Game during the match. As the final decision-maker of the game in association with all that is connected with the play, a referee is the only official on the ground. It is the referee who has the authority to start the play and stop it, and impose disciplinary action against the players. While a vast majority of referees are men, women have also started showing the knowledge and understanding of the sport to become referees. There are some great female referees in the world of sports today. Let us take a look at the Top 10 Female Football Referees in the World and read about the part they had to play in some memorable games.

Top 10 Female Football Referees in the World

1. Wendy Toms

Former English football referee Wendy Toms was born on 16 October 1962 in Broadstone, Dorset, and was inducted in the list of FIFA women’s international list. She is the first referee to officiate the Football League and the Premier League as an assistant referee, and became the first female official to achieve such feat. Wendy was named as the assistant referee at the Football League for the 1994-95 season, and later became a referee in the Football Conference in the 1997-98 season. She had officiated her first Conference match between Kidderminster and Nuneaton Borough on that season. Wendy then became the first female ever to be named as an assistant referee in the Premier League in the following year. She refereed the UEFA Women’s Cup quarter-final on 30 October 2003, and then the UEFA Women’s Championship in England in 2005.

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2. Amy Fearn

English football referee Amy Elizabeth Fearn was born on 20 November 1977 in Loughborough, Leicestershire, and became the first woman official to referee in The Football League in 2010. She started her refereeing career at the age of 14, and eventually became the second only female official to be named as an assistant referee in English professional football. Amy became the first ever female referee to act as the main referee in a Football League match on 9 February 2010. She had a full-time career in accountancy and later included in the FIFA assistant Referees’ list in 2005. Amy became the first female match referee of a Football League after the original referee Tony Bates suffered a calf strain on 9 February 2010 where Amy took over for the last 20 minutes of the match. She became the first female referee in a FA Cup Game in the Main Draw in 2013.

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3. Bibiana Steinhaus

German football referee Bibiana Steinhaus was born on 24 March 1979 in Bad Lauterberg, and was the first female referee in German professional football league. She was first chose to officiate in the Regionalliga and eventually became a professional referee in the Women’s Bundesliga in 1999. Steinhaus acted as the main referee of the Women’s DFB-Pokal final between 1. FFC Frankfurt and FCR 2001 Duisburg in 2002–03 season. She was then selected as an official for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2008, UEFA Women’s Euro in 2009 and FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2010. She was listed among the 16 referees for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup on 15 April 2011 and successfully officiated the final between Japan and United States. Steinhaus also refereed the women’s football gold medal match again between Japan and United States in the 2012 London Olympics.

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4. Kari Seitz

American professional soccer referee Kari Seitz was born on November 2, 1970, and is widely regarded as one of the most experienced female referees of all time. She was named as an official in three Olympic soccer tournaments i.e. 2004 Athens Olympics, 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics, and four FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments in 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011 thus becoming the only official ever to achieve such feat. She acted as a match official for the last 28 years which includes 14 years of international career. Seitz, about her own career, stated “It was less of a decision and more of an obligation. My youth coach in 1985 required everyone on the team to become a referee in order to better understand the laws and the game itself.” Kari Seitz recently announced her retirement from international soccer in October 2013.

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5. Sian Massey-Ellis

English football referee Sian Louise Massey-Ellis was born in October 1985, and currently officiates in the Premier League and the Football League as an assistant referee. She also refereed several matches of the Football League Trophy, UEFA Women’s Champions League and FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification rounds. Sian was included in the FIFA list of women assistant referees in 2010. She first became the fourth official of the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying match between England and Austria on 20 April 2006, then acted as an assistant referee in an international friendly between England and Denmark in September 2007. She is also a part of the match officials at the UEFA Women’s Euro 2009 in qualification stage. Sian refereed three matches in the qualification stage for the Women’s World Cup in 2011.

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6. Jacqui Melksham

Australian female soccer referee Jacqui Melksham was born on 12 October 1978 in Australia and is regarded by many as one of the best female referees in the world. She also works as a graphic designer besides her international career as a soccer match official. She currently lives in Murarrie, Queensland, and is now included in the list of FIFA Match Officials. Jacqui officiated the opening match of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup between Germany and Canada at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on 26 June 2011. She was then selected as the match official in the quarterfinal between Brazil and the United States at the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion in Dresden on 10 July 2011 for the same international event. Ray Ratto stated she had a ‘bad day at the office’ when many media persons thought Melksham did not call the U.S.-Brazil international game well.

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7. Sandra Hunt

Former American soccer referee Sandra Hunt was born on June 14, 1959, and acted as a FIFA enlisted referee between 1999 and 2004. She served her duty as a match official in the FIFA Women’s World Cup twice in 1999 and 2003, and had officiated matches at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Sandra currently lives is Bellingham, Washington, and currently works for Professional Referee Organization as a referee coach. She became one of the first two women beside Nancy Lay to officiate in Major League Soccer matches in August 1998. She later also acted as a match official of the Women’s United Soccer Association. Sandra was included in the FIFA-sanctioned referee list as a representative of the United States in 1999. She took the role as an instructor-assessor at the FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship in 2004.

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8. Jenny Palmqvist

South Korean-born Swedish soccer referee Jenny Palmqvist was born on 2 November 1969, and acted as a match official for several major women’s soccer matches at domestic and international level. She has officiated the final of the 2004 Summer Olympics tournament and the final of the UEFA Champions Leagues twice in 2009 and 2012. She showed the only red card on the tournament to North Korea’s Choe Mi-gyong in a match between United States and North Korea at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Palmqvist also assigned the first penalty of the tournament in the opening match of 2012 Olympics between Brazil and Cameroon. She acted as the match official in the quarterfinal between Germany and Italy in the European Championship in 2009. Palmqvist refereed the final between The Olympique Lyon and Frankfurt at the 2012 UEFA Champions League.

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9. Dagmar Damková

Czech football referee Dagmar Damková was born on 29 December 1974, and is listed as an international referee since 1999. She made her debut as a match official in a game between Belarus and Moldova on 17 April 1999. Damková is the first woman to referee in the Gambrinus liga. She successfully refereed finals of the 2008 Olympics, the UEFA Women’s Euro 2009 and also the final match of the 2011 UEFA Women’s Champions League. She was also acted as a match official of three games at the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup in China, and became the first Czech woman to achieve such feat. Damková was also listed as an official at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany. She refereed her last match on 7 August 2011 in a game between Mladá Boleslav and Slovácko at the Gambrinus liga.

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10. Kirsi Heikkinen

Finnish women’s football referee Kirsi Heikkinen was born on 26 September 1978, and is considered as one of the most experienced female football referees in the world. She acted as a match official in several major international tournaments which include the 2009 European Championship, the 2011 World Cup and the 2012 Summer Olympics. She also became a part of the 2010 U–17 World Cup and the 2010 Algarve Cup, and also refereed the final of the Champions League in 2010. Heikkinen refereed three matches of the World Cup’s UEFA qualifier and three more matches in the final tournament in 2011. She was included as a match official of the Champions League twice consecutively in 2012 and 2013. Heikkinen is known as a strict referee on the international matches while showing several cards in her referring career.

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These women have walked into a field that has, for ages, been reserved primarily for men. A female soccer referee might still be an unlikely sight, even today. Yet, they are refereeing matches played by male soccer players, and they won’t stop until they become a common sight on the fields.

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.