Heisman Trophy Update

After rivalry week the Heisman campaigns of some received a major boost while some took a step back. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, who exploded for 304 yards passing with 4 TDs and another 175 yards rushing in a hard-fought win over rival Texas A&M, saw his campaign roar back to life. He now stands as a serious contender when only a few weeks ago he was on the outside looking in. Clemson running back C.J. Spiller, who became the NCAA all-time leader in kickoff returns for touchdowns, accomplished little else in a 34-17 beatdown by the University of South Carolina. Spiller had a fumble, 18 yards rushing and 19 yards receiving. He did secure the kickoff returns record on an 88-yard return for a score in the first quarter but had little else go his way on Saturday. The same can be said for Alabama's Mark Ingram. He managed only 30 yards rushing on 16 attempts against Auburn as the Tide narrowly escaped the upset. Freshman running back Trent Richardson actually received the bulk of the work late in the game as the Tide clawed back to win the game.

Florida quarterback took advantage of the lowly Florida State defense in his last appearance at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, a.k.a. "The Swamp" in their 37-10 thwarting of the Seminoles. Tebow finished 17-21 for 221 yards passing and added 90 yards to go with 3 passing touchdowns and 2 rushing in the contest. Stanford tailback Toby Gerhart had a monster game to push the Cardinal past a pesky Notre Dame squad as well. Gerhart ran 29 times for 205 yards en route to finding the endzone three times.

After this past Saturday it's very long shot odds now for Spiller. He would have to come up huge in the conference championship game against Georgia Tech, who themselves were upset by rival Georgia. Even with a monster game against the Yellow Jackets, Spiller will still be on a 4 loss team in a mediocre conference. While no one questions his incredible ability and impact on the Tigers' success, few will give the award to a noteworthy player on just a "good" team. The same can be said for Tebow, in my opinion. While he plays on a great team he has only good numbers. He is projected to throw for only 18 touchdowns this year, which is certainly not a bad year but a far cry from a Heisman year. Nevertheless, when on an undefeated team a big performance in the SEC title game could put him back in the top 3. Especially since the winner of that game earns the right to play for the national title.

At this point my vote would go to Gerhart. He has put up huge numbers for a team that clearly would not be where they are without him. McCoy was also very impressive against the Aggies and can further add to his chances with a similar performance against fellow Heisman competitor Ndamukong Suh and Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship. If his undefeated squad wins, then they will face the SEC Champion for the BCS national championship. My order at this late juncture would be as follows:

1.) Toby Gerhart
2.) Colt McCoy
3.) Mark Ingram
4.) CJ Spiller
5.) Tim Tebow

Heisman Trophy Candidates

As the college football season comes to an end, the postseason award race begins to heat up. No award is bigger in college football than the Heisman Memorial Trophy. This year, unlike season’s past, the race is still somewhat up in the air and there is no clear-cut favorite or favorites. Oddly enough all three finalists for the award last season returned to school and it is very likely none will be returning this year. Sam Bradford, last year’s winner, suffered a season-ending shoulder injury and has been out of the race for some time. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy is having a very good season for the undefeated and 3rd-ranked Longhorns, but not a spectacular one. The same goes for Florida’s Tim Tebow who became the first underclassmen to win the award in 2007. Despite the Gators top-ranking and undefeated season, Tebow is not having the kind of individual statistics that usually accompany the winner of the Heisman.

This season it appears that the award may go to one of a bevy of talented running backs. Gene Menez of CNNSI.com has running backs as his top 3 spots as of November 16th. Leading the way for Menez, and many other pundits, is sophomore Mark Ingram of the 2nd-ranked (and undefeated) Alabama Crimson Tide. Ingram has rushed for 1,297 yards (6.6 ypc) and 10 touchdowns. He also has 25 receptions for 225 yards and 3 more scores. He has been the workhorse for the Tide who will play Tebow’s Gators for the SEC Championship in a game laden with subplots.

Toby Gerhart is a 235 lbs. bruiser who is spearheading Jim Harbaugh’s Stanford team. His stock has soared in recent weeks as the 14th-ranked Cardinal have beaten then-number 8 Oregon and then-9th-ranked Southern California in consecutive weeks. He has rushed for 1,395 yards and with 19 trips to the endzone. His team has Rose Bowl hopes, which would only strengthen his case, and ends their regular season on the national stage on Nov. 28 against beleaguered Notre Dame.

CJ Spiller has done it all this season for the 18th-ranked Clemson Tigers. He has 836 yards rushing, 382 yards receiving, and a combined 734 on returns with a combined 15 total touchdowns after his touchdown pass this past Saturday. He is 3rd in the nation in all-purpose yards and had an incredible string of a big-plays early in the season where he had a play of 60 yards or longer in the Tigers’ first 6 games. Hindering his chances are the fact that his team is 7-3, but they control their own destiny in their division and can reach the ACC Championship Game with a win Saturday over Virginia. A big game to clinch the division followed by stellar performances against rival South Carolina and 7th-ranked Georgia Tech in the conference championship would bolster his chances.

Jordan Shipley is a player I am surprised is not higher on many lists. The senior wide receiver for the Longhorns is McCoy’s favorite target and roommate. After battling serious knee injuries throughout the early part of his career, the 23-year old has 81 receptions for 1,096 yards and 8 touchdowns. He also has 2 touchdowns this season from punt returns. I have to speculate that his chances are hurt by the fact that he is on the same team with McCoy and voters may speculate is he a fortunate recipient of a great quarterback?

Ndamukong Suh is the only defensive player on many lists. The Nebraska defensive tackle has been a dominant force upfront all season and has 13 tackles for loss to go along with 5 sacks and 56 tackles. He has also blocked 3 kicks this season. Ultimately, there is a very slim chance that any defense-only player will ever win this award, especially an interior lineman that may well dominate the game by tying up the opposing teams offensive linemen and allowing his linebackers free to roam and make plays. Those are not the kinds of plays that make Sportscenter’s Top 10.

Staying on the defensive side of the ball, Tennessee safety Eric Berry has had a fantastic season for the Volunteers. Berry, who is on pace for an 84 tackle season, who has 2 interceptions just won’t have eye-popping enough numbers for a defensive player to win the award on a team that is 5-5.

If I were voting, I would probably give it to Ingram but Spiller makes a strong case. Even without my Clemson bias I can see that he is the best overall football player in the nation. He has done it all and he has incredible physical talent. He is one of the fastest players in the country and is the biggest home run threat in the country. I ultimately give the nod to Ingram however due to his consistency and ability to step up and carry his team in big games this season when their passing game wasn’t getting the job done. The next month should be very interesting in how the Heisman race unfolds. If Ingram fumbles away the SEC Championship or Spiller runs away from the Cavaliers, Gamecocks and Jackets then we may have a different verdict. Same goes for a Gerhart-led Cardinal making its way to the Rose Bowl.

Greatest College Football Team Ever?

With the college football season less than one week away, the discussion has already begun as to where this year's Florida Gators stacks up historically. With virtually everyone of importance returning from last season's national championship team and a living college legend at quarterback, many are hailing them as the heirs to the 'greatest of all-time' throne. Obviously, this is all null and void if they do not defend their national championship in January, but it makes for interesting discussion presently.

In 2005, the University of Southern California Trojans were trying to win their third straight national championship. Heisman-winning quarterback Matt Leinart, all-everything tailback Reggie Bush and a bevy of talent on both sides of the ball earned them a preseason #1 ranking. The Trojans dashed through the regular season undefeated, surviving a scare from Notre Dame in South Bend and a feisty Fresno State team along the way. Bush went on to win the Heisman and helped lead the Trojans to the BCS National Championship game where they faced the Texas Longhorns and quarterback Vince Young, the Heisman runner-up. In an epic game that highlighted one of the great personal performances of all-time by Young, the Trojans were upset in the Rose Bowl, 41-38. While this loss forever kept them from being included in the pantheon of all-time greats, the Trojans did enjoy a run of success that included back-to-back national championships in 2003 (which they split with LSU) and 2004. This season's Florida team, much like USC previously, will be shooting for their third national title in the decade.


Why the 2009 Gators Could Be Great

It all starts with the man under center - Tim Tebow. CNNSI.com college football writer Stewart Mandel recently published an article about Tebow's place in history, and his numbers stack up to anyone's. A true dual threat, the 6'3" 245 lbs. Tebow can lower his shoulder and run over a linebacker or step up in the pocket and deliver a downfield strike. His leadership abilities have become the stuff of legend. Last season he threw 30 touchdowns against only 4 interceptions. He passed for 2,746 yards while rushing for 673 and 12 more scores en route to being the Heisman runner-up. The previous season, in which he became the first underclassmen to win the Heisman, he rushed for 23 TDs, threw for 32 and passed for over 3,000 yards. He is joined by a stellar offensive line and some of the speediest (albeit undersized) tailbacks in the nation with Chris Rainey (652 yards, 4 TDs last season) and Jeff Demps (605 yards, 7 TDs).


The receiving corps lost Percy Harvin to the Minnesota Vikings but returns stellar tight end Aaron Hernandez (34 receptions, 5 TDs). Riley Cooper, Deonte Thompson and a cast of former blue chip recruits will be on the receiving end of Tebow's tosses. The offensive line returns twin brothers Maurkice and Mike Pouncey at the guard spots and LT Carl Johnson.

The defense returns all 11 starters from last season, most notably MLB Brandon Spikes. Return man Brandon James, a diminutive scatback at 5'7", is a constant threat as well to take every return to the endzone.

The Gators will likely be favored in every game on their schedule, although there are some potential setbacks in the always brutal SEC. October 10th is a night game at LSU, which promises to be a tough, physical battle. On Halloween the Gators square off against the Georgia Bulldogs in one of the most heated rivalries in college sports. However, this year's Gators will be seen as a dissapointment if they are not playing in the Rose Bowl on January 7, 2010.

Who is the Greatest of All-Time?


Recent teams that are currently up for the crown have to start with the 2001 Miami Hurricanes. With safety Ed Reed, running back Clinton Portis, tight end Jeremy Shockey, wide receiver Andre Johnson, two-time All-American offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, and Maxwell Award-winning quarterback Ken Dorsey leading the way, the Hurricanes steamrolled through much of college football. Their only true challenge came against #14 Virginia Tech, which they defeated 26-24. They claimed the national championship by defeating 4th-ranked Nebraska in the Rose Bowl 37-14. Their explosive offense averaged 42.6 ppg while the defense allowed a stingy 9.7. This team produced an astounding 16 first-round NFL draft picks.

The 2004 USC Trojans were the second team in college football history to go "wire-to-wire", meaning that they entered the season ranked #1 and never faltered en route to a 13-0 season. Leinart won the Heisman and the world was introduced to Reggie Bush and his elusive moves in the open field. He was joined in the backfield by the bruising LenDale White. They averaged 38.2 ppg and allowed a paltry 13.0 ppg. They defeated #2 Oklahoma 55-19 in the Sugar Bowl, dominating the game from start to finish and leaving little doubt as to who the best team in the country was.

The 1999 Florida State team became the first team in college football history to go "wire-to-wire" in going 12-0. Quarterback Chris Weinke, who won the Heisman Trophy, passed for 25 TDs, many of which went to two-time All-American Peter Warrick. The Seminoles survived a few close calls against #10 Georgia Tech, #19 Miami, and unranked Clemson in the first ever meeting between father and son head coaches when Bobby Bowden narrowly beat son Tommy. They also defeated #3 Florida 30-23 at The Swamp to close out the regular season. The Seminoles offense averaged 38.2 ppg and the defense gave up 16.9.

The 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers and their triple option running attack pummelled the college football landscape despite being ranked #2 for most of the season. Heisman-winning quarterback Tommie Frazier rushed for 803 yards and 16 TDs while passing for 1,467 and 18 more scores against only 6 INTs. He was joined in the backfield by future NFL running backs Ahman Green (1,086, 13 TDs) and Lawrence Phillips. The defense was highlighted by defensive back Mike Minter, and defensive linemen Mike Rucker, Christian Peter and Grant Wistrom. This team averaged an unbelievable 52. 4 ppg and allowed only 12.1 ppg. Perhaps most impressively, the Huskers embarrassed the #2-ranked Florida Gators, 62 - 24. Their closest contest was a 35-21 win over Washington State. They defeated four top ten teams as well, the closest of which was a 44-21 win over #7 Colorado. This was their second consecutive national title.




Who Is the "Greatest"?

While it is pretty unimportant and impossible to prove, I believe that the greatest college football team ever (or at least in the past 25 years) is the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers. While the 2001 Miami team may have been more talented, no team has dominated their opponents the way that Husker team did. Coached by the venerable Tom Osborne, the Huskers ran the option with surgical precision. Frazier was a better runner than passer, but he did both with aplomb. Ahman Green and Lawrence Phillips were bullish runners with speed, and the way their defense absolutely shut down the Gators and the vaunted Steve Spurrier offense in the Fiesta Bowl was shocking. By the numbers this team was incomparable. Offensively, they averaged 556.3 yards per game while giving up only 294. They averaged a shade under 400 on the ground per game and allowed only 78.3. They forced 20 interceptions.

The 2001 Hurricanes are a close - and a very close - second. They may have had the greatest defense college football has ever seen. However, in my opinion, physically this Nebraska team was just more dominant. They didn't beat teams, as the other contenders for this crown did, they beat them up. Their offensive line was a punishing group of Midwesterners that left a collection of bodies in their wake. Ahman Green and Lawrence Phillips were lethal whether was running to the outside or up the middle. The only weakness of that Huskers team was their receivers, which was largely due to their lack of use - not talent. Likewise, Miami had a fantastic offensive line in 2001 that rarely allowed Dorsey to be touched while looking downfield. However, one big factor is that Osborne was a far better coach than Larry Coker of Miami. Should these two teams meet in some mythical, winner-take-all game for the ages, look for Osborne's team to be better prepared and win a bruiser over the 2001 'Canes.

Thoughts on Mark Sanford and Michael Jackson

The last full week in June was one of the most eventful in recent memory. Gov. Mark Sanford (R) admitted to having an extramarital affair and Michael Jackson died unexpectedly. First things first...

SC Governor Mark Sanford

Mark Sanford, who I had previously criticized for refusing federal stimulus money, was nowhere to be found early in the week. Early reports were that he was hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Then it was that he was writing, too. Either way he was clearing his mind and there was nothing to worry about, although leaving your state abruptly and not leaving any plans in place while you are away is bizarre. Then word came that he had been in South America and the proverbial cat was out of the bag. This was followed by a press conference in which he announced that he was actually engaged in an extramarital affair with a woman in Argentina. This was a stunning announcement by Sanford, who was considered one of the most conservative of all conservatives. He is a supporter of teacher-led prayer in public schools as well as displaying the Ten Commandments in them as well.



Personally, after reading his personal e-mails to his mistress published by The State newspaper, he is in a relationship with this 'other woman' called Maria. There e-mails are very thoughtful and well-written, and appear to me to be more about just animal lust and the thrill of a new experience. However, the hypocrisy is almost too much to take. Sanford, as many of the more outspoken in his party, has thrived by riding a very high horse. He was the poster child of "values" and "conservative ideals". Newsweek hailed him as "The Last Conservative Standing". He was one of the most ardent accusers of Bill Clinton during his Lewinsky scandal. And here he is embroiled in the same thing himself. Certainly the damage to his family is significant and quite possibly impossible to repair. While it would be easy to take shots at him one must also remember that there are children involved in this and that they are all 'real people', not characters on a television show. I will whole-heartedly say that I disagree with many of Sanford's political decisions and cheating on a spouse is always wrong. I also will say though that I hope that some good comes out of this. If it is time for Sanford and his wife, Jenny, to split then they should do just that. When the trust leaves a relationship there is little else to stand on and I truly wish them well as they sort out their future.



Michael Jackson passed away surprisingly yesterday at 50 years of age. The cause of death, while still being investigated, is listed as cardiac arrest. While he has been no stranger to controversy, it's indisputable that he is one of, if not the, greatest performer and pop star of all time. Unfortunately he is a picture of tragedy. He was a household name as a child singing with his siblings in The Jackson 5. His father, who was emotionally and physically abusive, pushed his children and molded his children into a top-selling R&B group. Following the success of his time in The Jackson 5 (later The Jacksons) he went on to have unprecedented solo success.

In 1979 he released Off the Wall, which went on to sell over 20 million copies worldwide. This was followed in 1982 by Thriller. This album would become the best selling album of all-time and also ushered in the music video, as the video for the title track was nearly as legendary as the album itself. Thriller contained seven top 10 singles, won 7 Grammy Awards and, according to the Guinness Book of World Records had sold 65 million copies worldwide as of 2007.

Bad was released in 1987 and became the first (and only) album to have five number 1 singles. It was another mind-blowing success, netting sales of 30 million worldwide as of 2008. Shortly thereafter he purchased land in Santa Ynez, California where he built Neverland Ranch. In 1988 he released his autobiography entitled Moon Walk, which reached the top spot on the New York Times bestseller list. His next album, Dangerous (1991), went on to sell another 30+ million copies worldwide. This was followed by HIStory, the best-selling multiple-disc album of all-time, and his last studio album Invincible in 2001.

Despite his truly amazing album catalog, critical and commercial success, Jackson became a lightning rod for controversy throughout his career. His numerous rhinoplasty surgeries caused his facial features to change constantly over the years. It all began in 1979 when he broke his nose practicing a complex dance routine. His initial surgery left him with difficulty breathing and this lead to more surgeries thereafter. He was severely burned in 1984 by a pyrotechnics when filming a Pepsi commercial. He also grew more pale as the years passed and rumors swirled that he was bleaching his skin. These were ultimately untrue as it was discoveredd that he was diagnosed with a somewhat rare skin disease called vitiligo as well as the potentially life-threatening lupus. Treatments for both conditions lightened his skin, and the make-up applied to even out blotches in his skin made his apperance even more pale. Many speculated that he suffered from anorexia nervosa as well as body dysmorphic disorder. The former would explain his periods of weight loss and the latter was another sign of a distorted and overly critical self-image problem he had.

In 1993 he endured the greatest public image setback of his life. He was accused of molesting a 13-year old boy. Due to genitalia descriptions by the boy, Jackson was subjected to a strip search by investigators. The matter was settled out of court and the family of the boy refused to continue with criminal charges. The state closed its investigation thereafter siting lack of evidence. During this time Jackson became addicted to several pain killers and rarely ate. In 1994 he surprisingly married Lisa Marie Pressley, the daughter of the legendary Elvis Pressley. Their marriage lasted less than 2 years. He also had a pet monkey named Bubbles, which made him the butt of many jokes. In 2003 he was again accused of child molestation by another 13-year old. During this trial former child actor Macauley Culkin testified in Jackson's defense that despite spending considerable time together in his youth nothing inappropriate ever occurred. As before, he was acquitted of all charges. However, his preference for spending large amounts of time with children kept him under considerable scrutiny.

Jackson was both a living legend and mystery. He had a very damaging, abusive and stressful childhood if it can be considered as such. His father was overbearing and would allow nothing other than perfection from Michael and the rest of the Jackson 5. Michael also was subjected to listening to his older brothers have sex with women while he uncomfortably tried to sleep. It appears that Michael was always striving to recapture his lost childhood. This was further evidenced by his Neverland Ranch, named after "the boy who never grew up", Peter Pan. His self image was almost certainly negative, as he battled with frequent weight loss and suspected anorexia. His frequent plastic surgeries left him looking later in his life very little like the young boy that won over America's hearts in the 1960s. He undoubtedly had many strange characteristics, most notably his friendship with young boys. But one must ask was this a sexual attraction or a longing to compensate for something that he himself had not been afforded? It is indisputable that he was a once-in-a-lifetime musician and performer. His legacy in that regard will forever be cemented. Unfortunately his enduring legacy may well be one of a child trapped in a man's body. He lived an embattled adulthood rife with controversy, allegations, debt and strange actions. He did, after all, dangle his infant child over a hotel balcony and wore pajama pants to a court appearance.

The changing face of Michael Jackson from past to present.

Despite all of his eccentricities, I feel that Jackson was more malcontent than monster. He was forever chasing the impossible. He was never 'accepted' for a mortal child by his father but sought love by being the perfect performer. Being on stage was his outlet and also his torment. It was his place of refuge but there was also a level of success on it that even he could not reach. No one could. It is reported that he was dissapointed by the success of Off the Wall despite it's large record sales. His father begrudged him for his pug nose as a child and his acne. He was never allowed to have a Christmas or holidays due to his schedule and celebrity. He will most likely forever remain a difficult person to truly understand unless some revelations come out now that he has passed. I have heard people make jokes recently about him and that is to be expected, but I will forever remember him as the once seeminly invincible superstar he was when I was a child. He was larger than life on stage and on the charts. Professionally he had the "Midas Touch" and I hope that his legacy is one of awe-inspiring musical success and not one of mind-numbing personal struggle.

re: Lebron vs. Jordan first 6 seasons

ESPN erroneously stated in an article comparing Lebron James to Michael Jordan that Lebron has had a superior start to his career when you compare the two players first 6 seasons. Since I am not an ESPN Insider I could not read the article, just the beginning which stated the above comment. I do not know if ESPN came to reality and only had an attention grabbing start to their article before coming to their senses, but it is clear Jordan has been superior to Lebron. Compare the statistics of the two players (note: Jordan's second season, in which he only played in 18 games due to injury, is excluded) Statistical leaders are bold.

Jordan averages first 6 seasons:

32.9 PPG, 6.35 RPG, 6.0 APG, 2.8 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 3.16 TO
52.5 FG% , 24.2 3P%, 84.8 FT%, 39.15 MPG

James averages first 6 seasons:

27.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 6.68 APG, 1.75 SPG, 0.85 BPG, 3.28 TO
46.9 FG%, 32.5 3P%, 73.8 FT%, 40.5 MPG

Clearly, Jordan holds the advantage thus far. He shot a much higher percentage from the field and charity stripe, scored more points, collected more steals and blocked shots, and committed fewer turnovers while playing fewer minutes (essentially doing more in less time). Expectedly, Lebron has more rebounds and assists and a slightly better assist/turnover ratio. He is also a better outside shooter. However, the rebound and shot blocking are an eye-opener. Jordan, a 6'6" guard, had more blocked shots and nearly as many rebounds as the 6'8" James, who is a forward. Lebron is an amazing player, a certain Hall of Famer, and will be mentioned with the greatest of all-time. But to think he has surpassed Jordan at this juncture in their careers is certainly incorrect.

The Anti-Tax Tea Parties

Earlier this month, 'patriotic' Americans engaged in tea parties to show their disagreement with the Obama Administrations spending. By any measure government spending has been unrestrained in Obama's first 100 days. Americans who are adamantly opposed to taxation have every right to voice that displeasure, as well. Obviously, this is the United States of America, where we have the ability to say what we feel. Unfortunately, this tea party is more hollow partisanship than the true exercising of Constitutional rights. I am sure there are many among the tea party participants who have harbored resentment toward the IRS, the government, the tax code, etc. for several years that were elated to have an avenue to protest. This is certainly their perogative and I cannot fault them. However, for the right-wingers in the crowd who are strictly anti-Obama this is just hypocrisy. Where were these whistle-blowing patriots for the last 8 years? If you are going to be against absurd government spending now then you should have been against it then, too. George W. Bush increased government spending more than any president since Lyndon Johnson (http://www.independent.org/newsroom/news_detail.asp?newsID=31) See also http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-04-02-federal-spending_x.htm.

It is impossible to argue that Obama's spending has not been unprecedented, and to be sure he has spent more than Bush. However, the circumstances are hardly similar. Obama came into office facing the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression with wars going on in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bush entered office 9 months prior to the September 11th attacks. Whether or not the Obama administration can salvage the financial system through its spending remains to be seen, but they have the luxury of the remainder of his term to right the ship. Bush is out after two terms of record spending. How did all of these tea party attendess suddenly realize the government was spending money it doesn't have? Is it because they suddenly started reading the Wall Street Journal or is it because they are upset their candidate lost in November?

Michael Jordan - The Greatest of All-Time

Yesterday Michael Jordan was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame and will be inducted in September along with David Robinson, John Stockton, Jerry Sloan and C. Vivian Stringer. This adds even more accolades to the man widely considered the best to ever play the game. Jordan displayed a mood ESPN morning show host Mike Greenberg aptly described as "melancholy" about the accomplishment. Always the consumate competitor, Jordan appeared almost upset that this signaled the true end to his basketball playing career. He even admitted as much at yesterday's press conference.



"I don't like being up here for the Hall of Fame because at that time your basketball career is completely over. I was hoping this day would be 20 more years, or actually go in when I'm dead and gone."

Jordan retired twice from professional basketball during his career. The first to try his hand at professional baseball after the tragic murder of his father. He had lead the Chicago Bulls to three consecutive NBA championships from 1991-1993 immediately before his shocking retirement. After his baseball career yielded dissapointing results, he announced famously "I'm back" on March 18, 1995. He rejoined the Chicago Bulls the next day and played against the Indiana Pacers, scoring 19 points. He then engineered the Bulls to three more consecutive championships in 1996-1998, and retired following their sixth and final title.





In 2000, Jordan became part owner and President of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards. His competitiveness and self-confidence would soon get the best of him, and in 2001 he suited up for the Wizards at the age of 38. While he was clearly not "Air" Jordan at almost 40, he did have an impressive season, averaging 22.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 5.2 apg and 1.4 spg. The final season of his career saw him average 20 points per game at 40 years of age.

The list of career accomplishments is astounding. For example:

- NCAA Champion (1982) - University of North Carolina

- John R. Wooden Award, Naismith College Player of the Year, The Sporting News College Player of the Year, and ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year (1984)

- 2-time Olympic gold medal winner (1984 & 1992)

- NBA Rookie of the Year (1985)

- 6 NBA championships, winning NBA Finals Most Valuable Player six times.

- Lead the NBA in scoring 10 seasons, including 7 consecutive

- 5 NBA MVP awards

- 10-time All-NBA First Team

- NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1988), 9-time NBA All-Defensive First-Team

- 14-time NBA All-Star, 3-time NBA All-Star game MVP

- 2nd all-time list in career steals

- Most career blocked shots by a guard

- 2-time NBA Slam Dunk competition champion

- Lead the Chicago Bulls to an NBA-best season record of 72-10 in 1995-96 season.

More accomplishments listed at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_career_achievements_by_Michael_Jordan