Link Lyman

William Roy "Link" Lyman (November 30, 1898 – December 28, 1972), also sometimes known as Roy Lyman, was an American football player and coach.
Lyman was born in Nebraska and raised in Kansas. He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team in 1918, 1919, and 1921. He played professional football as a tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Canton/Cleveland Bulldogs (1922–1925), the Frankford Yellow Jackets (1925), and the Chicago Bears (1926–1928, 1930–1932, and 1933–1934). He won four NFL championships (1922, 1923, and 1924 with the Bulldogs and 1933 with the Bears) and was selected five times as a first-team All-Pro player (1923, 1924, 1925, 1930, and 1934).
Lyman was an assistant football coach at Nebraska from 1935 to 1941 and at Creighton University in 1942. He later had a career in the insurance business. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1964. He died in an automobile crash in 1972 while driving to Las Vegas.
Early years.
Lyman was born in 1898 in Table Rock, Nebraska. As an infant, his family moved to Rawlins County, Kansas, where his father, Edwin Lyman, was a farmer, raised stock and engaged in the real estate business. Lyman had four younger brothers (Edwin, Richard, Albert, and Louis) and three younger sisters (Anna, Margret, and Mildred).
Lyman attended high school in McDonald, Kansas, but he did not play football as there was no team with only "six or seven boys in the whole school".
Nebraska.
Lyman enrolled at the University of Nebraska in 1917 where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. After playing freshman football in 1917, he played at the tackle position for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team in 1918, 1919, and 1921. Lyman was married shortly after the end of the 1919 football season and did not return to the university in the fall of 1920. He returned in February 1921 to establish his eligibility to play in the fall of 1921.
Lyman later recalled: "From the first day, I just loved the game, and we had some pretty good teams, too." The 1921 Nebraska team compiled a 7–1 record, lost a close game against Knute Rockne's Notre Dame team, outscored opponents by a combined total of 283 to 17, and won the Missouri Valley Conference championship. The 1922 Nebraska yearbook noted the following about Lyman: "Lyman was, without doubt, our fastest lineman. Roy is a big man, weighing 200 pounds, and could get down under punts almost as quickly as the ends. Roy proved to be a ground gainer on tackle-around plays before the season was over."
Professional football.
Canton/Cleveland Bulldogs.
In September 1922, Lyman left Lincoln, Nebraska, to play professional football for the Canton Bulldogs. The Bulldogs were coached by Guy Chamberlin, an All-American out of Nebraska, who invited Lyman to join the team. With Lyman and Pete Henry as its star tackles, the 1922 Canton Bulldogs compiled a 10–0–2 record, shut out nine of twelve opponents, outscored all opponents 184 to 15, and won the NFL championship.
Lyman returned to the Bulldogs the following year. The 1923 team had another undefeated season (11-0-1), shut out eight of twelve opponents, outscored all opponents by a combined total of 246 to 19, and won its second consecutive NFL championship. After the season, Lyman was selected as a first-team All-Pro player by the "Canton Daily News" and a second-team All-Pro by "Collyer's Eye" magazine.
In August 1924, Cleveland jeweler Samuel Deutsch bought the Canton Bulldogs and moved the team to Cleveland where they became the Cleveland Bulldogs during the 1924 NFL season. The Bulldogs compiled a 7–1–1 record, outscored opponents by a total of 229 to 60, and won their third consecutive NFL championship. After the 1924 season, Lyman was selected as a first-team All-Pro by "Collyer's Eye" and a second-team All-Pro by the "Green Bay Press-Gazette".
In July 1925, Lyman and four of his teammates (Pete Henry, Rudy Comstock, Ben Jones, and Harry Robb) bought the team for $3,500 and moved it back to Canton. Lyman played seven games for the 1925 Bulldogs and then finished the season playing four games for the Frankford Yellow Jackets. Lyman was reunited with Guy Chamberlain who was then Frankford's head coach. After the 1925 season, Lyman was selected as a first-team All-Pro on the team selected by NFL Commissioner Joseph Carr; he was also selected as a second-team All-Pro by "Collyer's Eye".
Chicago Bears.
In December 1925, Lyman joined the Chicago Bears and took part in a winter barnstorming tour that featured football player Red Grange. He joined the Bears again in the fall of 1926. The 1926 Bears team featured five players who were later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (Lyman, Paddy Driscoll, George Halas, Ed Healey, and George Trafton), posted a 12–1–3 record, and finished second in the NFL.
Lyman remained with the Bears for the 1927 and 1928 seasons. He retired after the 1928 season but returned to the Bears in the fall of 1930. The 1930 Bears compiled a 9–4–1 and finished third in the NFL. Lyman was selected as a first-team All-Pro by "Collyer's Eye" magazine and the "Green Bay Press-Gazette".
Lyman again retired from playing football after the 1931 season. During his two retirements from the Bears, Lyman played semipro ball in Texas and worked in the ranching business.
Lyman returned to the Bears in 1933. The 1933 Bears featured six future Pro Football Hall of Fame players (Lyman, Bronko Nagurski, Red Grange, George Musso, and George Trafton), posted a 10–2–1 record, and defeated the Giants in the 1933 NFL Championship Game.
Lyman played his final year of professional football as a member of the 1934 Bears team that compiled a perfect 13–0 record in the regular season and won the NFL Western Division championship, but lost to the Giants in the 1934 NFL Championship Game. After the 1934 season, Lyman was selected as a first-team All-Pro by the United Press, "Green Bay Press-Gazette", and "Collyer's Eye". Bears' coach George Halas later observed that Lyman was "stronger and tougher during his last two seasons than when he first joined the team eight years earlier."
Shifting on defense.
Lyman was a pioneer in the use of shifting maneuvers to disrupt the blocking assignments of offensive linemen. According to his biography at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, "the constant shifting by defensive players before each play in modern professional football can be traced back to Lyman, who regularly resorted to similar ploys. His sliding, shifting style of defensive line play confused his opponents and made him one of the most respected players of his time. Lyman explained that the idea of shifting was an instinctive move to fool a blocker. He had a unique ability to diagnose a play and many times he would make his move just as the ball was snapped."
Steve Owen, who played with Lyman in 1925 and later served as coach of the Giants, recalled: "Link was the first lineman I ever saw who moved from the assigned defensive position before the ball was snapped. It was difficult to play against him because he would vary his moves and no matter how you reacted, you could be wrong."
Career accomplishments and honors.
Lyman received many honors for his contributions to the game, including being inducted into the Helms Foundation major league football Hall of Fame (January 1961) and the Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame and receiving the University of Nebraska's Distinguished Alumni Award in June 1961. His greatest honor came in February 1964 when he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the second class of inductees.
During his 11 years in the NFL, Lyman won four NFL championships and never had a losing season. (In 1929, following Lyman's first retirement, the Bears posted a 4–9–2 record.) He was selected five times as a first-team All-Pro and appeared in 133 official NFL games. He was known as one of the true "iron men" of iron man era. Counting unofficial games, he appeared in a total of 286 professional games and played 211-1/2 hours in those games. At the time of his retirement and for many years thereafter, he held the NFL records for games and playing time logged.
Coaching career.
In December 1934, Lyman was hired as an assistant football coach under Dana X. Bible with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He was the line coach at Nebraska from 1935 to 1941 under coaches Bible and Biff Jones. During his seven years as line coach at Nebraska, he was the position coach for All-American linemen Bernie Scherer, Fred Shirey, Elmer Dohmann, Ted Doyle, Charley Brock, Forrest Behm and Warren Alfson. In December 1941, the Nebraska Athletic Board voted not to renew Lyman as the football team's line coach. In 1942, he served as the line coach for the Creighton Bluejays football.
Family and later years.
Lyman was married in June 1920 to Grace "Dolly" Godwin (1901–1967). They had two daughters, Joanne and Ardis Mary. In 1942, Lyman accepted a job with the Equitable Life Assurance Society. He became an agency manager for the company in San Antonio, Texas, in 1948. Through the 1950s and 1960s, he worked as an insurance executive in Los Angeles.
His wife died in 1967 at a hospital in Pasadena, California. After his wife's death, Lyman lived with his daughter in San Gabriel, California.
Lyman died in 1972 at age 74 in an automobile crash. He was driving to Las Vegas on I-15 when his automobile crashed into the back of a semi-trailer truck 12 miles south of Baker. He was dead upon arrival at the Barstow Community Hospital. Baker was buried at the Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California.


George Young (Scottish footballer)

George Lewis Young (27 October 1922 – 10 January 1997) was a Scottish footballer who played as a defender. He is best remembered for his 16-year association with Rangers and for being the first player to receive more than 50 caps for the Scotland national team.
Career.
Club.
Born in Grangemouth, Young started his career with junior side Kirkintilloch Rob Roy before moving to Rangers in 1941. Although primarily considered a centre back, he was often played at right back during his 16 years in Govan, to accommodate Willie Woodburn in Rangers' renowned "Iron Curtain" defence.
Young won the League and League Cup in 1946–47 and the Scottish Cup the following season, before Rangers became the first side to win all three trophies in the same season in 1948–49. Young himself scored twice from the penalty spot in the 4–1 Scottish Cup Final victory over Clyde which wrapped up the "Treble".
Young won further League titles in 1950, 1953, 1956 and 1957, also collecting Scottish Cup winner's medals in 1950 and 1953 to take his senior medal haul to 12. The "lucky" Champagne cork he always carried earned him the nickname "Corky". In total, Young had 458 appearances, scoring 31 goals for the Ibrox club (not including 180 wartime games and 32 goals) when he departed in 1957.
International.
Young was selected for a string of 34 consecutive senior Scotland matches between 1948 and 1953. His total of 54 caps made him the first member of the Scotland Football Hall of Fame. Young was selected as captain on 48 of those appearances. He was also the first player to appear for Scotland as a substitute, when he replaced Billy Campbell of Morton in a Victory International against Switzerland in May 1946. (the Scottish Football Association have since classified the match as a full international, but it is not recognised by FIFA).
Young captained Scotland throughout the 1949–50 Home International tournament, which FIFA had decreed to be a British qualifying group for the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The top two teams in the Home Internationals would qualify for Brazil, but the SFA decided Scotland would only travel as British Champions. England's 1–0 win at Hampden relegated the Scots to second place and they did not travel. Four years later, Scotland again qualified as second-placed country in the Home Internationals, and this time the SFA decided they would travel to Switzerland. Rangers, however, had arranged a tour of North America at the same time and refused to release their players, including Young.
In the qualifying tournament for the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden, Scotland were placed in a group with Spain and Switzerland. The group began in May 1957, by which time Young had announced he would retire from playing at the end of that season. He led Scotland to a 4–2 victory over Spain in the opening game at Hampden on 8 May, and was again captain for their 2–1 victory over Switzerland, in Basle on 19 May. However, he sustained a thigh strain in that match and did not play in a 3–1 friendly win over then world champions West Germany in Stuttgart three days later. Young was not selected for the return match with Spain in Madrid on 26 May 1957, which Spain won 4–1, meaning his international career was over.
Young also won 22 caps for the Scottish League XI between 1947 and 1956, the second-highest all-time total for the team.
Later life.
After leaving Rangers, Young had a three-year spell as manager of Third Lanark between 1959 and 1962. Young was then a successful hotelier.
Young died at the age of 74 years old, on 10 January 1997.


Marlene Mathews

Marlene Judith Mathews AO (later "Willard"; born 14 July 1934) is a retired Australian Olympic sprinter. She has been described as 'one of Australia's greatest and unluckiest' champions.
Early career.
Mathews attended Fort Street High School in Sydney and began competing in athletics in the late 1940s.
At the 1950 Australian Championships, she placed fourth, behind Shirley Strickland, in the 80 m hurdles and ran in the winning state relay team, but was not selected for the 1950 British Empire Games team.
A few days after her 16th birthday at the NSW Championships, she ran a great race at the New South Wales Championships 100 yards final, placing second to world record-holder Marjorie Jackson and beating four members of the Australian Empire Games team, including Olympic medalist Strickland.
Mathews was considered a certainty to gain selection to the 1952 Summer Olympics before a leg injury forced her out of competition.
International career.
In 1954, recovered from her injuries, she ran second to Jackson in the National 100 yards championship (and third in the 220 yards) and was duly selected to run in her first international championships at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver. She was unlucky again, breaking down injured in her heat of the 100 yards.
At the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, she won two bronze medals, over 100 metres and 200 metres. In both races she was beaten by countrywoman Betty Cuthbert (gold) and German Christa Stubnick (silver).
In a controversial move, she was left out of the gold-medal winning Australian 4×100 metres relay team as she was 'not considered a good relay runner" but soon after the Games she assisted an Australian team to world records for 4×200 metres and 4×220 yards relay events.
She proved her versatility in the sprint events by setting a new world record at 400 metres with 57.0 seconds on 6 January 1957.
On 20 March 1958, at the Australian Championships, she set a new world record over 100 yards with 10.3 seconds, and two days later she ran 220 yards in 23.4 seconds and set another world record. In both races, she defeated world-record holder and Olympic champion Cuthbert.
At the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales, Mathews took out the 100 yards and 220 yards, again beating Cuthbert. She was ranked #1 in the world for both 100 metres and 200 metres in both 1957 and 1958.
Mathews' final competition was at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, where she was eliminated in the 100 metres semi-finals.
Personal details and honours.
Mathews married fireman Barry Willard in 1958 but they later separated. She was an assistant manager of the Australian Olympic Team at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. She became a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1979 for her services to athletics, and an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 1999. Mathews was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1985 and into the Athletics Australia Hall of Fame in 2010. In 1993, the State Transit Authority named a RiverCat ferry after Matthews. In 2018 a bronze sculpture of her (and one of Betty Cuthbert) was unveiled at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Australia. This makes them the first female athletes added to the bronze sculptures in the Sydney Cricket Ground precinct.
Statistics.
Personal bests
World Records
World Rankings – 100m and 200m – rankings commenced in 1956.
Australian Championships Record – prior to 1963 Championships were held every two years


Runaway Groom

Runaway Groom (1979–2007) was a Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse.
Background.
Bred by Gardiner Farms in Caledon, Ontario, Runaway Groom was sired by the prominent Nearco descendant Blushing Groom out of the mare Yonnie Girl. He was purchased as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton sale in Kentucky by New Yorker Albert J. Coppola, who only realized later that the colt's birthplace meant he qualified for the Canadian Triple Crown series.
Racing career.
Runaway Groom did not race at age two. Trained by New Yorker John DiMario, he began his career in the spring of 1982 at age three. Racing in Kentucky, he won two of his first four races, then was sent to Toronto's Woodbine Racetrack for the Queen's Plate, the most prestigious race in Canada and the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown series. Under jockey Robin Platts, the lightly regarded Runaway Groom surprised fans and bettors as he finished a solid second behind Son of Briartic. In the ensuing Prince of Wales Stakes, Runaway Groom turned the tables on the Plate winner, winning it as well as the third leg of the Triple Crown, the Breeders' Stakes.
Brought to New York to compete, Runaway Groom won an allowance race at Belmont Park before competing in Saratoga Race Course's premier event, the Grade I Travers Stakes. In a very strong field, bettors sent the colt off at 13-1 odds but under Canadian jockey Jeffrey Fell, Runaway Groom won the race, marking the second time in American racing history that a horse has beaten the Kentucky Derby winner (Gato Del Sol), the Preakness Stakes winner (Aloma's Ruler), and the Belmont Stakes winner (Conquistador Cielo) in the same race. The first took place when Sun Briar defeated Kentucky Derby winner (Exterminator), Preakness Stakes winner (War Cloud), and Belmont Stakes winner (Johren) in the 1918 Travers.
For his 1982 performances, Runaway Groom earned Canadian Champion 3-Yr-Old- Colt honors. When he raced at age four in California, his conditioning was taken over by Charles Whittingham. His best graded stakes race result before he retired to stud duty was a third in the 1983 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar Racetrack.
Stud record.
Sent to the Vinery breeding farm in Lexington, Kentucky, Runaway Groom had a long and successful stud career. He sired a number of Graded stakes race winners, including Cherokee Run (who won the 1994 Breeders' Cup Sprint), 2006 Sunshine Millions Oaks and 2007 Sunshine Millions Distaff winner Joint Effort, Japanese runner Machikane Hokushin, and multiple-stakes-winning millionaires Down The Aisle and Wekiva Springs.
In 2001, Runaway Groom was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. In February 2007, the 28-year-old horse was pensioned from stud duty, having sired sixty stakes race winners and twenty-seven graded stakes winners.
On June 8, 2007, Runaway Groom was humanely euthanized due to the infirmities of old age.


Tom Gorman (rugby league)

John Thomas Gorman (1901–1978) was an Australian rugby league footballer. He was a for the Australian national team. He played in 10 Tests between 1924 and 1930 as captain on 7 occasions.
Born in Charters Towers, Queensland, Gorman was the first Queenslander to lead a Kangaroo touring side to Britain. He has been named amongst the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century
Club career.
As an old boy of St Mary's Christian Brothers College Toowoomba, Gorman first played for the Past Christian Brothers Football Club in 1918 when the Club was still playing rugby union. The Toowoomba Rugby Union affiliated with rugby league in 1919 and he played with Brothers and the Toowoomba Clydesdales representative side from 1919 until 1925. In 1924–25, alongside Herb Steinohrt he was in the Toowoomba sides which beat all comers including Sydney premiers Souths, Brisbane, Ipswich and visiting representative sides including New South Wales, Victoria, Great Britain and New Zealand.
He moved to the Christian Brothers Football Club in Brisbane in 1926 becoming the club's first professional player. He played five seasons in Brisbane till the end of the 1930 season. Gorman played with the Christian Brothers Football Club from 1926 to 1928 and was one of the co-founders of the Past Brothers RLFC and played with them from 1929 to 1930.
Queensland representative career.
Gorman debuted for Queensland in 1921. He played in the champion Queensland teams that defeated New South Wales in five consecutive interstate series (1922–1926).
He captained Queensland to a series win over New South Wales in 1928, then through to his last playing season in 1930.
Australian representative career.
Gorman made his Test debut against England in the 1924 Ashes series as one of seven Queenslanders to appear in the 1st Test. From 1924 to 1930 he appeared in ten consecutive Ashes tests.
His first appearance as captain in the 1st test loss to Great Britain in Brisbane in 1928 marked the first occasion that the Kangaroos wore jerseys of green and gold. Previously they had worn the merged blue and maroon colours of NSW and Queensland. Gorman was the first Queenslander to be named captain of a touring side when he was announced as Australian captain for the 1929–30 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain. He is listed on the Australian Players Register as Kangaroo No. 130.
Post playing.
In retirement Gorman went into the hotel business in Brisbane. He served the Queensland Rugby League as an administrator. Gorman died in 1978 and was buried in Nudgee Cemetery.
In 2007 he was inducted into the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame. In February 2008, Gorman was named in the list of Australia's "100 Greatest Players" (1908–2007) which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia. In June 2008, he was chosen in the Queensland Rugby League's Team of the Century at centre.
In 2008, rugby league in Australia's centenary year, Gorman was named at centre in the Toowoomba and South West Team of the Century.


Tim Jorgensen

Tim Scott Jorgensen (born November 30, 1972) is a former professional baseball player and high school baseball coach. As a college baseball player for the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, Jorgensen set Division III all-time records for most home runs in a single season and for most career home runs. He played professional baseball until 1999 and was later inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame.
Career.
College baseball.
After graduating from Luxemburg-Casco High School, Tim Jorgensen enrolled at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, where he played college baseball for the Wisconsin–Oshkosh Titans of the National Collegiate Athletic Association in Division III. Jorgensen played shortstop. In 1994, his junior year, he was named the Division III player of the year by the American Baseball Coaches Association, and he was named a Division III All-American. UW-Oshkosh won the 1994 Division III national championship.
The San Diego Padres drafted Jorgensen in the 28th round of the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft. After considering San Diego's offer, Jorgensen opted to return to Wisconsin–Oshkosh for his senior season. In his senior season, Jorgensen set the Division III record for home runs in a season, with 39. He also set the career home run record with 70, surpassing the 58 of John Deutsch of Montclair State University. Jorgensen's 1995 campaign also set Division III single-season records in grand slams (6), runs batted in (121), slugging percentage (1.275) and total bases (218).
Professional baseball.
Jorgensen was an eighth-round selection by the Cleveland Indians in the 1995 Major League Baseball Draft. He played three seasons of minor league baseball before sustaining an injury in 1998. He finished his professional baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 1999.
Personal.
In 2012, Jorgensen became the first player from the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) elected to the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. He was inducted with a class that included Nomar Garciaparra and Lou Brock.
Jorgensen works for Associated Bank in Green Bay.He served as baseball coach for Ashwaubenon High School in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin for four seasons. His older brother, Terry Jorgensen, also attended UW-Oshkosh and then played in Major League Baseball.


Exceller

Exceller (May 12, 1973 – April 7, 1997) is widely considered one of the best horses to race in the United States not to win a year-end championship. Despite his exemplary achievements as a racehorse, and his unique accomplishment in being the only horse to ever defeat two U.S. Triple Crown winners in the same race (and only the second ever to do so in his career), Exceller is now remembered more for the tragic manner of his death and the horse rescue movement it helped inspire.
Background.
Exceller was foaled on May 12, 1973 in Kentucky. Bred by Mrs. Charles W. Engelhard, he was sold as a yearling for approximately $27,000 to Nelson Bunker Hunt. Hunt's advisors figured that a son of European champion stayer Vaguely Noble with long and upright pasterns, would be better suited to European racing and sent him to France.
European racing career.
Trained at first by François Mathet, who had been the trainer for François Dupré, and later by Maurice Zilber, Exceller didn't accomplish much racing as a two-year-old but blossomed as the distances got longer during his three-year-old season. While stablemates Empery and Youth were taking down the French and English Derbys, Exceller won in the grueling Prix Royal-Oak (run at 1 7/8 mile) and the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris. Shipped to England at age four, he wound up a half-length behind The Minstrel and Orange Bay in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and won the Coronation Cup. Sent to Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada, Exceller won the Canadian International.
American racing career.
In the middle of 1977, Exceller was shipped to California and placed in the care of Charlie Whittingham. At first, Whittingham didn't have high expectations for a horse who walked stiffly on arrival and seemed the worse for wear. However, a little time off and some of Whittingham's expertise soon had Exceller competing and winning against some of the best horses in America.
As a five-year-old in 1978, Exceller had his best season on the racecourse, winning 7 of 10 starts, all in top company, on both dirt and turf racetracks. After claiming the Hollywood Gold Cup, Hollywood Invitational Turf Handicap, San Juan Capistrano Handicap, Sunset Handicap, and Oak Tree Invitational Stakes, Exceller had his crowning moment. With Bill Shoemaker in the saddle, he came from 22 lengths back to beat Triple Crown winners Seattle Slew and Affirmed in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Affirmed's saddle had slipped, effectively taking him out of the race, and Seattle Slew had hung up almost suicidal fractions on the lead, but Exceller still powered through the Belmont Park mud to win by a nose.
Exceller came back again at age six and managed some placings, but was not quite the same horse.
In sum, he had won 15 of 33 starts, including 13 stakes races, and placed in 11 more in France, England, Canada, and the United States and had earned $1,654,003. He and Noor were the only horses in history to defeat two U.S. Triple Crown winners, and Exceller was the only one to pull off this feat in a single race. Most racing writers agree that, along with Gallant Man and Lure, he may have been the best horse to race in the United States and not win a year-end championship.
Exceller ran best, like many European horses, "covered up"—deep in the pack early. In the late stages of the race he produced a powerful burst of speed and caught the leaders in the stretch. His final quarter mile times are notable because he regularly sprinted this distance in under 25 seconds. His fractions of 23 2/5 seconds at the end of the Hollywood Gold Cup and Oak Tree Invitational is very fast, as 23 seconds is considered a quick first quarter in such a race.
Stud career.
Exceller was syndicated and retired to stud at Gainesway Farm in Lexington, Kentucky for the 1980 breeding season. He shared a small stallion barn with his sire Vaguely Noble and classic-winning champion stablemate, Youth. In 1986 (and probably before), he stood for a $50,000 stud fee, the second-highest listed fee at Gainesway at the time.
As time went on, however, it became obvious that Exceller was never going to be a leading sire. By 1991, his stud fee had plummeted to $2,500.
Death.
In 1991, the syndicate was bought out by a breeder from Sweden and Exceller was shipped back across the Atlantic Ocean. He sired a few crops of foals, then was diagnosed with a mysterious infection that forced his removal from stud service for several years. When Exceller's owner went bankrupt, the horse was moved to a small farm where he remained for a year before owner Göte Östlund ordered him killed. He was taken to a slaughterhouse and killed for meat.
Legacy.
Exceller left behind 16 crops of foals in the United States, including 19 stakes winners and 40 stakes horses, none of them of his quality. His runners were headed by the fillies Slew's Exceller and Squan Song.
Exceller was elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1999. Although the museum's website mentions the manner of his death, his plaque in the museum does not, stating only that he died in 1997. His fate, essentially unheard of for an American stallion of his racing class, generated debate over the proper treatment of race horses after their careers on the track were over.
Today, a number of grassroots organizations, such as The Exceller Fund, ReRun, The Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses (CANTER), and Old Friends, among others, take inspiration from Exceller's story as they work to purchase and retrain former racehorses for new careers. In addition, had the horse been in the United States, he may well have been given a proper home at the Kentucky Horse Park's Hall of Champions in Lexington as was done after the retired champion thoroughbred Cigar was found to be infertile at stud. Or, the owner might have been able to have handed him over to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, the world's largest and most respected organization devoted to equine rescue.
Like Exceller, Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand ended up in a slaughterhouse in Japan in 2002.
In the Blood-Horse magazine ranking of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th century, Exceller was ranked #96.


Fuzzy Vandivier

Robert P. "Fuzzy" Vandivier (December 26, 1903 – July 30, 1983) was a high school and collegiate basketball player during the 1920s. At Franklin High School he led a squad nicknamed "Franklin Wonder Five", a team that compiled an 89-9 record, won three state championships (1920, 1921, 1922) and is considered the greatest Indiana High School team of all-time.
Vandivier was named All-State three times (1920, 1921, 1922), becoming the first player ever to achieve this feat (since then, John Wooden, Oscar Robertson and George McGinnis also achieved this level of success). Hall of Fame coach John Wooden considered Vandivier the greatest high school basketball player of all time.
Following his outstanding high school career, Vandivier attended local Franklin College (1922–26). In each year he was named All-State, and in 1926 he was an All-Midwest College All-Star. Due to a painful back ailment in his senior year, Vandivier's playing career was cut short. After graduating from Franklin, he returned as basketball coach to his high school. Vandivier coached the Franklin High School basketball team from 1926 to 1944. In 1939, under his leadership, they earned a place in the Indiana state finals.


Mel Hein

Melvin Jack Hein (August 22, 1909 – January 31, 1992), sometimes known as "Old Indestructible", was an American football player and coach. In the era of one-platoon football, he played as a center (then a position on both offense and defense) and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963 as part of the first class of inductees. He was also named to the National Football League (NFL) 50th, 75th, and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams.
Hein played college football as a center for the Washington State Cougars from 1928 to 1930, leading the 1930 team to the Rose Bowl after an undefeated regular season. He received first-team All-Pacific Coast and All-American honors.
Hein next played fifteen seasons in the NFL as a center for the New York Giants from 1931 to 1945. He was selected as a first-team All-Pro for eight consecutive years from 1933 to 1940 and won the Joe F. Carr Trophy as the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 1938. He was the starting center on NFL championship teams in 1934 and 1938 and played in seven NFL championship games (1933–1935, 1938–1939, 1941, and 1944).
Hein also served as the head football coach at Union College from 1943 to 1946 and as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) from 1947 to 1948, the New York Yankees of the AAFC in 1949, the Los Angeles Rams in 1950, and the USC Trojans from 1951 to 1965. He was also the supervisor of officials for the American Football League from 1966 to 1969 and for the American Football Conference from 1970 to 1974.
Early years.
Hein was born in 1909 at Redding in Shasta County, California. His father, Herman Hein (1886-1940), was a California native of German and Dutch ancestry who worked as an electrician for a power house operator. His mother, Charlotte Hein (1887-1967), was a California native of English and German ancestry. As of 1910, the family was living at Round Mountain, about 30 miles northeast of Redding.
By 1920, the family was living in Glacier in Whatcom County, Washington, where Hein's father was working as a lineman on transmission lines. Hein had an older brother, Lloyd, and two younger brothers, Homer and Clayton. The family later moved to Fairhaven and Burlington, where Hein's father worked as an insurance agent and where Hein attended both Fairhaven and Burlington High Schools. He also played basketball as a center at Burlington High.
College career.
In 1927, Hein enrolled at Washington State College in Pullman and played center for the Cougars from 1928 to 1930. With Hein as the starting center, the Cougars compiled a 10–2 record in 1929 and 9–1 in 1930. The 1930 team won the Pacific Coast Conference championship and were undefeated in the regular season, but fell to Alabama in the Rose Bowl. Hein played all sixty minutes of the Cougars' victories over California and USC on October 4 and 11.
At the end of his senior year, Hein was selected by the Associated Press and United Press as the first-team center on the All-Pacific Coast team. He was also selected by the Central Press as the first-team center, and by the All-America Board in a tie for the first-team center position, on the All-American team.
While at Washington State, Hein also played for three years (freshman, sophomore, and junior years) on the basketball team and for one year on the Cougars track team as a freshman.
Professional career.
In 1931, Hein signed a contract with the New York Giants, married his college sweetheart, and packed all of their belongings into a 1929 Ford and drove from Pullman to New York. He played for 15 years as a center and a defensive lineman. Hein was a first-team All-Pro center eight straight years from 1933 to 1940. He was also selected as the NFL's most valuable player in 1938. He was the starting center on two NFL championship teams — in 1934 (NYG 30, Chicago 13) and again in 1938 (NYG 23, Green Bay 17). Hein was also a member of five Giants teams that lost NFL championship games — 1933, 1935, 1939, 1941, and 1944.
Hein had planned to retire after a dozen years in the NFL and become the head coach at Union College in Schenectady, New York. When Union's program went on hiatus due to World War II, Hein returned to the Giants on weekends for three more seasons and retired after the 1945 season.
Coaching and administrative career.
Hein worked as a football coach and league administrator for more than 30 years. He began coaching in 1943 as the head football coach at Union College in Schenectady, New York. For the next three years, he held that position, though the 1943 and 1945 Union College teams had their seasons cancelled due to the disruption of losing many players to World War II. In 1944, the team compiled an 0–5 record, as Hein coached the team on Saturdays and played for the Giants on Sundays. In 1946, Hein continued as Union College's head coach after retiring from the Giants. He led the 1946 team to a 3–5 record.
In March 1947, Hein was hired as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). He served initially under head coach Dudley DeGroot on the 1947 Dons team. However, on November 18, 1947, DeGroot was fired as head coach, and assistant coaches Hein and Ted Shipkey were appointed as co-coaches to lead the team for the final three games of the season. The 1947 Dons compiled a 5-6 record under DeGroot and a 2-1 record under Hein and Shipkey. Hein resumed his position as an assistant coach under Jimmy Phelan on the 1948 Dons team that again compiled a 7-7 record.
After two years with the Dons, Hein was hired in February 1949 as an assistant coach for the New York Yankees of the AAFC under head coach Red Strader. The 1949 Yankees compiled an 8-4 record and finished in second place in the AAFC. The Yankees' forward wall, which was coached by Hein, was rated as the toughest in the AAFC.
Hein returned to Los Angeles in 1950 as the line coach for the Los Angeles Rams. Under head coach Joe Stydahar, the 1950 Rams won the NFL National Conference championship with a 9–3 record but lost to the Cleveland Browns in the 1950 NFL Championship Game.
Hein left the Rams in February 1951 to join the USC Trojans football team as its line coach under head coach Jess Hill. Hein remained with the Trojans for 15 years through the 1965 season. During his tenure with the program, the Trojans won a national championship (1962) and four conference championships (1952, 1959 [co-championship], 1962, and 1964 [co-championship]).
In June 1966, Hein was hired by commissioner Al Davis as the supervisor of officials for the American Football League. He remained in that position from 1966 to 1969 and continued thereafter as the supervisor of officials for the American Football Conference from 1970 to 1974. He retired in May 1974 after more than 45 years in college and professional football.
Honors.
Hein received numerous honors for his accomplishments as a football player. His honors include the following:
Family and later years.
Hein was married in August 1931 to Florence Emma Porter of Pullman, Washington. They had two children, Sharen Lynn, born c. 1939, and Mel Hein, Jr. (1941-2020). Mel, Jr., once held the United States indoor record in the pole vault in the 1960s.
In his later years, Hein lived in San Clemente, California. By 1991, Hein was suffering from stomach cancer, and his weight dropped from 225 to 130 pounds. Hein died of stomach cancer in 1992 at age 82 at his home in San Clemente.


LeRoy Jolley

LeRoy S. Jolley (January 14, 1938 – December 18, 2017) was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred horse trainer. The son of horse trainer Moody Jolley, LeRoy Jolley had been around horses all his life and at age nineteen received a New York State trainer's license.
In 1961, the 24-year-old LeRoy Jolley was the trainer of the colt Ridan who at age two went undefeated in seven races including wins in the Arlington Futurity and the Washington Park Futurity. Owned by his family along with two other partners, at age three Ridan gave LeRoy Jolley victory in record time in the Hibiscus Stakes, plus the first of his three Blue Grass Stakes wins. He then earned the first of his two Florida Derbys while defeating the future Hall of Fame filly, Cicada. The heavy favorite going into the Kentucky Derby, Ridan ran wide throughout the race and wound up third in a hard fought race where he and Roman Line finished a neck behind upset winner Decidedly whom Ridan had easily beaten in the Blue Grass Stakes. In that year's Travers Stakes at the Saratoga Race Course, Ridan lost by a fraction of a nose to Jaipur in one of the most dramatic races in American Thoroughbred racing history and one that is still written and talked about today.
Jolley went on to train two Kentucky Derby winners, first with Foolish Pleasure in 1975 then with Genuine Risk in 1980. He won numerous other important American graded stakes races including the 1986 Breeders' Cup Turf and the 1987 Arlington Million with Manila plus the 1990 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies with Meadow Star.
In 1987, LeRoy Jolley was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.


Lionel Cox (cyclist)

Lionel Malvyne Cox OAM (5 December 1930 – 9 March 2010) was an Australian Olympic track cyclist.
Professional career.
Cox turned professional in 1956.
Return to amateur status and coaching.
In 1958 Cox applied to be reinstated as an amateur and this was granted. Cox coached at Camperdown and then Tempe, guiding riders to State, national and International success.
Honours and awards.
In 1993 Cox was inducted into the Sports Australia Hall of Fame in recognition of his achievements for cycling.
In 1999, Cox was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to cycling particularly as a coach and a former competitor.


Gene Makowsky

Gene Makowsky (born April 17, 1973) is a Canadian politician and former Canadian football offensive lineman who has been a member of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly representing the riding of Regina Gardiner Park since 2016 and prior to that representing the riding of Regina Dewdney.
Prior to his service in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan Makowsky played 17 seasons for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.
Early life.
Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Makowsky graduated from high school at Walter Murray Collegiate.
University of Saskatchewan.
During his 4 years at the University of Saskatchewan, Makowsky helped the U of S Huskies to two Hardy Cup Championships, as well as being named to the Canada West All Star team in 1994. He was selected 23rd overall by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 1995 CFL Draft.
CFL career.
Makowsky played 17 seasons in the CFL—all with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He earned the CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award in 2004 and 2005 and was a finalist for the award in 2008. He was a 5 time CFL All Star and a West Division All Star for seven consecutive years (2004 through 2010). On August 5, 2011, Makowsky made history, playing in his 272nd game, surpassing Roger Aldag for most games played by a Saskatchewan Roughrider.
After Saskatchewan defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 2007 Grey Cup game, Makowsky was presented the Grey Cup by Commissioner Mark Cohon.
Makowsky retired from the CFL on February 17, 2012, after playing in 16 playoff games, 4 Grey Cup games, and a Saskatchewan Roughrider record 284 regular season games. In 2015, he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
Political career.
Makowsky was elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in the 2011 provincial election, representing the constituency of Regina Dewdney. He was re-elected in the 2016 provincial election in the newly created electoral district of Regina Gardiner Park. Makowsky is a member of the Saskatchewan Party.
Popular culture.
Makowsky, along with his then teammate Matt Dominguez, made a cameo appearance in the Corner Gas episode
"Reader Pride".


Bobby Winkles

Bobby Brooks Winkles (March 11, 1930 – April 17, 2020) was an American baseball player and coach. After an eight-year career as an infielder in the minor leagues, he became the acclaimed college baseball coach at Arizona State University (ASU) in 1959. Then, 13 years later, he returned to professional baseball as a manager, coach, front-office executive and broadcaster in the major leagues.
Born in Tuckerman, Arkansas, and raised in nearby Swifton, Winkles was a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University, where he became a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. A right-handed-hitting and -throwing shortstop, he played minor league baseball in the Chicago White Sox organization between 1951 and 1958, hitting .270 with 890 hits in 858 games played before retiring to become Arizona State's head baseball coach at age 29.
Arizona State.
From 1959 to 1971 Winkles was the ASU Sun Devil baseball program's first varsity head coach. His overall record while head coach at ASU was 524–173, a winning percentage of .751, and he led ASU to its first three national titles (1965, 1967 and 1969). He also coached several notable players while he was at the helm of the Sun Devils, including Rick Monday, Sal Bando, Reggie Jackson, Sterling Slaughter and Larry Gura. Winkles was named the 1965 and 1969 NCAA Coach of the Year and The Sporting News Coach of the Year in 1965, 1967 and 1969. Winkles was inducted into the ABCA Collegiate Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. His No. 1 jersey was honored at Packard Stadium and the field was named in his honor.
Big league career.
In 1972, Winkles jumped from the Arizona State campus to the major leagues as a coach for the California Angels of the American League. In 1973, Winkles became the Angels' manager, succeeding Del Rice. His 1973 club won 79, lost 83 and finished fourth in the American League West Division. But in 1974, the Angels lost 44 of their first 75 games and Winkles was fired on June 26 and replaced with Dick Williams.
On July 8, two weeks after the Angels fired him, Winkles became third base coach for the Oakland Athletics and was a member of their 1974 World Series championship team as well as their 1975 AL West champions under skipper Alvin Dark. After Dark's firing, Winkles then spent 1976 through June 25, 1977, as a coach for the cross-bay San Francisco Giants.
On June 26, Winkles returned to the Athletics to manage Oakland for parts of the 1977 and 1978 seasons, as he replaced (in 1977) and then was succeeded by (in 1978) the same manager: Jack McKeon. The A's were then a struggling outfit in the final throes of the Charlie Finley era. But Winkles' 1978 team roared to a 19–5 start by May 5, and was still 24–15 after sweeping a doubleheader against the White Sox on May 21 when Winkles resigned with his club in first place in the AL West. Winkles was reported to have resigned because of Finley's micro-management style. His final managerial record: 170 wins, 213 defeats (.444).
A coaching stint with the White Sox immediately followed Winkles' 1978 resignation as the A's manager, and he was a member of the White Sox staff through 1981. Then, from 1982 to 1985, Winkles led the Chisox' player development department. He joined the Montreal Expos as a coach from 1986 through 1988, and then moved into the broadcast booth as an analyst on the Expos' radio network from 1989 through 1993. In 2006, he was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame.
External links.
, or Retrosheet, or SABR Biography Project


Tom Hooper (ice hockey)

Charles Thomas Hooper (November 24, 1883 – March 23, 1960) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played for the Kenora Thistles, Montreal Hockey Club, and Montreal Wanderers. Hooper was a Stanley Cup winner with the Thistles in 1907 and the Wanderers in 1908. Noted for his skating speed, checking and stick-handling ability, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1963.
Playing career.
Hooper was born in the village of Rat Portage, later renamed Kenora, in north-western Ontario, Canada. He first played organized hockey for a local high school. The high school team was very talented, good enough to defeat Rat Portage's senior ice hockey team. In 1896, at the age of thirteen, Hooper joined the Rat Portage senior hockey team where he would play until 1908. During his years with the club, the Thistles won three league titles and challenged for the Stanley Cup three times, in 1903 and 1905 against Ottawa, and 1907 against the Montreal Wanderers. The team won the Cup in January 1907, in part due to Hooper's three goals in the second game of the two-game total-goals series. The team went on to defend the Stanley Cup as league champions but lost the title in March 1907 to the same Wanderers. Hooper missed the March series rematch due to a fractured collarbone.
The Thistles folded after one game in January 1908 and Hooper joined the Montreal Wanderers. He only played two season games with the Wanderers and two Stanley Cup challenge games before he got his release from the team. He had been moved to the cover-point defence position by the Wanderers from his career forward position and lost the starting job to Walter Smaill. He signed with the Montreal Hockey Club for the rest of the season, where he played rover. Hooper's play in the 1907–08 season was considered by hockey writers to not be up to the standard of his previous years due to his fitness. He retired after the season.
After hockey, Hooper moved to Vancouver, British Columbia. He died in 1960 and is buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver.


Wendy Botha

Wendy Botha (born 22 August 1965) is a four-time world surfing champion. She won her first title as a South African citizen in 1987, then she became an Australian citizen and won three more titles in 1989, 1991, and 1992. She also posed nude for Australian Playboy for the September issue of 1992.
Botha married New Zealand rugby league international and television star Brent Todd in 1993.
They had two children, Jessica and Ethan, and split in about 2005.
Botha was inducted into the Surfing Walk of Fame in Huntington Beach, California in 2009 as that year's Woman of the Year. In October 2018, she was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.


Eight Thirty

Eight Thirty (March 27, 1936 – April 7, 1965) was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse. He was owned by George D. Widener, Jr. and bred by his Erdenheim Farm. Widener is one of only five people ever named an Exemplar of Racing. Eight Thirty was a descendant of Fair Play, who had been purchased from the estate of August Belmont, Jr. by Widener's uncle, Joseph E. Widener.
Racing at age two in 1938, Eight Thirty won two important graded stakes races but was overshadowed by William Ziegler Jr.'s Champion 2-Yr-Old Colt El Chico.
In 1939, Eight Thirty started his three-year-old racing season slowly and did not enter any of the American Classic Races. However, competing in the East Coast racing scene along with greats such as Johnstown and Challedon, in one month alone, Eight Thirty won four straight important stakes races. He ended his season with seven wins out of his ten starts. Racing at age four and five, he won six of ten starts while setting a track record in his win in the 1940 Massachusetts Handicap.
Retired to stud duty at his owner's breeding farm, Eight Thirty proved to be a successful Stallion. He sired 44 stakes winners and was the damsire of 1962 Belmont Stakes winner Jaipur. Eight Thirty died on April 7, 1965.
Eight Thirty was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1994.


Bill Frank

William B. Frank, Jr. (April 13, 1938 – June 26, 2014) was a Canadian football offensive tackle in the Canadian Football League for the BC Lions, Toronto Argonauts and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He also was a member of the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Colorado. He is a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
Early years.
Frank attended West High School. He enrolled at San Diego Junior College in 1959, where he was named to the junior college All-American team.
After his sophomore season he transferred to the University of Colorado, playing until he was declared ineligible when the school was placed on probation by the NCAA in 1962. He was named a member of Colorado's all-time all-star team. He was also practiced wrestling.
Professional career.
BC Lions (CFL).
Frank began his 15-year CFL career with the BC Lions in 1962 and was a part of the 1963 Grey Cup. He played both offense and defense.
Dallas Cowboys.
Frank was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 18th round (244th overall) of the 1963 NFL Draft and the San Diego Chargers in the 24th round (186th overall) of the 1963 AFL Draft. Because he still was under contract in the Canadian Football League, the Cowboys had to additionally trade running back Amos Bullocks to the BC Lions in exchange for Frank's playing rights. To complicate matters further, he signed a contract with the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League, who selected him in the 24th round (186th overall) of the 1963 AFL Draft. The deal was eventually voided by American Football League commissioner Joe Foss.
In 1964, he joined the Cowboys in the week of the ninth game and played in four contests as a backup. He was waived on September 7, 1965.
Toronto Argonauts and Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL).
In 1965, he was signed in middle of the season to play offensive tackle for the Toronto Argonauts. He played in his first game without any practice time and just hours after arriving from the airport.
In 1968, he held out during training camp and was traded to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, where he played until 1976. He was an All-star seven times. Frank was named to the Argonauts' quarter-century team, the Blue Bombers' all-time dream team, and in November 2006 was voted one of the CFL's Top 50 players (#49) of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN.
Personal life.
Frank spent four years in the Marines. On June 26, 2014, he died in his sleep while at his home in White Rock, British Columbia.


Gary McAllister

Gary McAllister MBE (born 25 December 1964) is a Scottish professional football coach and former player, who is the assistant manager of Rangers.
McAllister played primarily as a midfielder in a career spanning over nineteen years. He started his career at local side Motherwell before moving south of the border to Leicester City at the age of 20. He then went on to play for Leeds United, where he won the English league championship in 1991–92. McAllister later had spells at Premier League sides Coventry City, where he was credited with his role in helping the club avoid relegation repeatedly, and Liverpool, where he won a cup 'treble' in 2000–01 at the age of 36.
McAllister also represented his national side for nine years, winning 57 caps and scoring five goals. His leadership qualities were noticed, and he spent four years as Scotland captain in addition to two seasons as Leeds United captain. He was awarded an MBE in the 2001 New Year Honours in recognition of his contribution to football and was inducted to the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
He was appointed player-manager of Coventry City in April 2002. He resigned from this position in January 2004 and did not enter management again until he returned to Elland Road in January 2008, to replace Dennis Wise as manager. McAllister guided Leeds to the promotion playoffs, but was dismissed in December 2008. In April 2011, while working as assistant to manager Gérard Houllier at Aston Villa, he became caretaker manager at the Premier League club for a few months due to Houllier's ill health. He also had coaching roles at Middlesbrough and Liverpool, returning to Scotland with Rangers in 2018.
Club career.
Motherwell.
McAllister began his playing career at his local side Motherwell; he stated he supported the club as a child, but also had an affection for Manchester United as his family were acquainted with that of Matt Busby. His senior debut was away to Queen of the South on 1 May 1982. McAllister scored eight goals in 70 appearances, culminating in a fine performance in the 1985 Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic. With Motherwell he was more often a striker than a midfielder.
Leicester City.
McAllister's performances in the cup caught the eye of Leicester City manager Gordon Milne. He signed for the English club, along with Motherwell teammate Ally Mauchlen, for a combined fee of £350,000 in August 1985. Although Mauchlen's greater experience cast McAllister as the 'make-weight' in the deal, he soon rose to prominence as an attacking force in Leicester midfield, impressing manager and fans alike with his accurate passing to feet, and confident range of skills on the ball. During his first season at Filbert Street he adapted well to regular First Division football, and began to rise to prominence in creating chances for a team that included Steve Lynex and Alan Smith.
During Leicester's ultimately unsuccessful campaign to stave off relegation to Second Division that season under Milne's successor Bryan Hamilton, McAllister found himself employed in a variety of midfield and forward roles, which affected his form. After Hamilton was replaced by David Pleat, however, his stylish playmaking abilities began to flourish.
Over the following three seasons his reputation quickly grew into being one of the best players in the Second Division, boosted by a respectable goal tally from midfield that included an uncommon number of well-executed strikes from unfavourable positions. He was named in the Second Division PFA Team of the Year in both 1988–89 and 1989–90 and was the subject of constant transfer speculation and interest by several First Division sides throughout the following term. He turned down a heavily mooted £1.15 million move to Nottingham Forest to see out his contract with Leicester after Brian Clough apparently failed to impress him during an interview.
In five seasons with Leicester, McAllister played 225 games in total, scoring 52 goals.
Leeds United.
McAllister arrived at Leeds United on 2 July 1990 for a tribunal-determined fee of £1,000,000, and replaced the role vacated by Vinnie Jones when he left for Sheffield United. The club had just achieved promotion to Division One, the top tier of English football at the time. In McAllister's first season at Elland Road, Leeds finished fourth in the table and reached the League Cup semi-finals. He formed a midfield quartet that season with fellow Scottish international Gordon Strachan and relative youngsters David Batty and Gary Speed. In the 1991–92 season Leeds United were crowned League Champions.
In the rest of McAllister's time at Leeds, the highest the club finished was fifth in the 1993–94 and 1994–95 seasons. The lowest was 17th in the 1992–93 Premier League – one of the lowest-placed finishes of a defending league champion in English football history. He captained the side for two seasons. During the 1992–93 season, McAllister made his debut in the UEFA Champions League. He scored in matches against VfB Stuttgart and Rangers, but Leeds were knocked out by the latter in a match hyped as the "Battle of Britain". In McAllister's final season Leeds finished 13th. He captained the team at Wembley Stadium in the 1996 League Cup Final, where they were beaten 3–0 by Aston Villa.
In his six seasons with Leeds United, McAllister played 294 games in total, scoring 45 goals.
Coventry City.
Aged 31, McAllister left Leeds for Coventry City on 26 July 1996, for a fee of £3million. His move to the Midlands club came less than a year after he had scored a hat-trick against them for Leeds. He stayed there for four seasons and played firstly under Ron Atkinson and then former Leeds teammate Gordon Strachan. The side including Noel Whelan, John Salako and Darren Huckerby were in a relegation battle. Atkinson went upstairs to become 'Director of Football' in late 1996 in order to make way for Strachan. Strachan's team continued to struggle until a late season recovery. With McAllister captaining the side, the Sky Blues secured an away draw against Arsenal and wins against Chelsea, Liverpool (away) and Tottenham Hotspur (away) to secure salvation.
In Strachan's first full season as manager in 1997–98, McAllister played alongside George Boateng in midfield behind Darren Huckerby and Dion Dublin in attack finishing 11th and reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals in 1998. His final Coventry season they had a poor start including defeat by Tranmere Rovers in the League Cup and finished 15th in the league. The line-up included the likes of Robbie Keane, Mustapha Hadji, Carlton Palmer, Mo Konjić and Youssef Chippo.
During his initial time at the "Sky Blues" he played 140 games and scored 26 goals.
Liverpool.
Aged 35, on 1 July 2000, McAllister moved to Liverpool in a Bosman transfer. Though serving for a relatively short time at Anfield, he played an integral role in the team that won a treble of cups in the 2000–01 season. Houllier described McAllister as his "most inspirational signing".
He scored a penalty winner against Barcelona in the UEFA Cup semi-final and a 44-yard free-kick that won the Merseyside derby against local rivals Everton in the fourth minute of stoppage time. He scored in the run-in against Coventry City and Bradford City. helping Liverpool to qualify for the Champions League.
Liverpool's first trophy of the season came in the Football League Cup Final. After replacing Steven Gerrard as a 78th minute substitute, McAllister scored the team's opening penalty kick in a 5–4 shootout win over Birmingham City. He again came on as a substitute in the FA Cup Final, as Liverpool came from behind to win 2–1 against Arsenal. Four days later, he was named in the starting line-up in the UEFA Cup Final against Alavés. McAllister scored one, and had a hand in three, of the five Liverpool goals in a memorable 5–4 victory. In the 117th minute, McAllister's free-kick was deflected by Alaves' Delfi Geli into his own net for the winning golden goal. He was awarded the man of the match award for his efforts, with BBC pundit and former Liverpool defender Alan Hansen stating, "Gary McAllister was outstanding. At 36, to keep going the way he did, keep taking those free-kicks and producing it when it counted, was sensational. He fully deserved his man of the match award."
McAllister began the following season by scoring a penalty in Liverpool's 2–1 win over Manchester United in the Charity Shield. He started the club's opening Champions League fixture, a 1–1 draw with Boavista at Anfield. McAllister left Anfield on 13 May 2002 to take up the role of player-manager of Coventry City. He ended his Liverpool career with a substitute appearance in a 5–0 win over Ipswich Town. At Liverpool for two years he featured 87 times and scored nine goals. McAllister was named as number 32 in the 100 Players Who Shook The Kop survey.
International career.
After scoring the equaliser on his debut for Scotland B against France in April 1987, McAllister debuted for Scotland in a friendly against East Germany in the buildup to the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Though he was included in the squad for the tournament, he did not make an appearance as Scotland were eliminated in the first round.
In October 1990, McAllister scored his first goal for Scotland in a UEFA Euro 1992 qualifier against Switzerland. He appeared in all three of Scotland's group stage matches at the tournament, scoring in a 3–0 win over the CIS. However, Scotland did not qualify from their group.
Scotland failed to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup but did qualify for UEFA Euro 1996 in England, with McAllister the captain of the team. Scotland's second match of the group stage was against England at Wembley Stadium. In the second half Scotland, trailing 0–1 to an Alan Shearer goal, were awarded a penalty. McAllister's kick was saved by David Seaman and Scotland lost 0–2. The team won their next match against Switzerland but were eliminated on goals scored.
McAllister earned his 50th cap in a 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier with Sweden. The team ultimately qualified for the tournament, finishing second to Austria. McAllister scored an important penalty kick in a match away to Belarus in qualifying, but he missed the finals through injury.
On 31 March 1999, McAllister returned to the Scotland team, captaining the side in a UEFA Euro 2000 qualification game against the Czech Republic. McAllister was booed by a section of Celtic Park crowd and announced his retirement from international football soon after. Despite later attempts by manager Craig Brown to convince McAllister to return, the playmaker did not add to his 57 caps.
Coaching career.
Coventry City.
McAllister left Liverpool in May 2002 to take up the role of player-manager at Coventry City, replacing his former teammate Roland Nilsson in the job. He resigned on 12 January 2004. McAllister's former assistant, Eric Black, replaced him three days later. He selected himself in 60 matches and scored 12 goals before retiring as a player.
Leeds United.
After almost four years out of the game, McAllister was appointed manager of another of his former clubs as a player, Leeds United, on 29 January 2008 with an initial contract until the end of the season. The club was sitting in sixth place after former boss Dennis Wise's surprise departure to Newcastle. McAllister's first game came four days after his appointment, a 1–0 away defeat to Southend United. Leeds lost their next game 2–0 to Tranmere Rovers and slipped to eighth. The new manager bagged his first win at the fifth attempt, in a 1–0 away victory over Swindon Town, before following it up with his first home victory against Bournemouth, in which Leeds beat the relegation-threatened side 2–0.
Leeds chairman Ken Bates rewarded McAllister for his hard work and the team's good form – just two defeats in 12 games – by offering him a new 12-month rolling contract on 3 April 2008. Bates cited McAllister's general improvement of team performances and his planning for the club's future as reasons for offering him the new contract. Leeds secured a spot in the play-offs with a 1–0 at Yeovil Town on 25 April 2008, but they lost 1–0 to Doncaster Rovers in the play-off final. During his second season as manager, McAllister was sacked on 21 December 2008 after a poor string of results; these included an FA Cup defeat to part-time club Histon and culminated with a 3–1 loss to MK Dons.
Assistant roles.
Middlesbrough.
On 22 September 2009, it was revealed that McAllister was in talks with Scotland about replacing Steven Pressley as Scotland's third coach; however, on 25 September 2009, it was revealed that he rejected the opportunity as he was holding out for a job at club level. On 29 September 2009, it was reported that he would become Portsmouth assistant manager, but he couldn't agree a deal with the club.
On 20 May 2010, he was appointed as Middlesbrough first-team coach, where he teamed up again with Gordon Strachan. He made a return to the field to take part in Jamie Carragher's testimonial match.
Aston Villa.
On 18 September 2010, it was announced on the official Aston Villa website that McAllister had accepted an offer from Gérard Houllier to become the next assistant manager at Villa Park; McAllister had previously played under Houllier when the Frenchman was in charge of Liverpool. After Houllier was rushed to hospital in April 2011, McAllister was made caretaker manager for a Premier League game against Stoke City, which ended in a 1–1 draw. After he led Aston Villa to a 2–1 away win against Arsenal and a 1–0 home win over Liverpool, McAllister continued as caretaker for the remainder of the 2010–11 season. With Houllier having to step down to due ill health, it was announced on 17 June 2011 that after the appointment of Alex McLeish as manager that McAllister would not return to the club as part of the new coaching team.
Liverpool.
McAllister was appointed first team coach at Liverpool in July 2015. He left the position on 8 October 2015 after the sacking of Brendan Rodgers, but was appointed to an ambassadorial position at the club.
Rangers.
When Rangers announced on 4 May 2018 that Steven Gerrard would be appointed as the club's new manager, it was also confirmed that McAllister would become his assistant.
Honours.
Motherwell
Leeds United
Liverpool
Individual


Wayne Gardner

Wayne Michael Gardner (born 11 October 1959) is an Australian former professional Grand Prix motorcycle and touring car racer. His most notable achievement was winning the 1987 500 cc Motorcycle World Championship, becoming the first Australian to win motorcycling's premier class. His success on the world motorcycle road racing circuit earned him the nickname "The Wollongong Whiz". Both of Gardner's sons, Remy and Luca, are motorcycle racers.
Motorcycle racing career.
Gardner was born in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. He began his racing career in 1977 at the age of 18, riding a second-hand Yamaha TZ250 bike in the Australian championship and finishing second on debut at Amaroo Park. He went on to record his first win a few weeks later at Oran Park Raceway. In 1981 Gardner was hired by Mamoru Moriwaki to race in the Australian Superbike championship aboard the Moriwaki Kawasaki Kz1000s. Gardner and co-rider John Pace qualified their Moriwaki Kawasaki on pole position at the prestigious 1981 Suzuka 8 Hours, ahead of all the major factory racing teams.
Fellow racer, Graeme Crosby gave Gardner his first opportunity to race in Europe. Although Crosby was contracted to ride for Suzuki, he decided to sponsor Gardner to compete in the British Superbike championship riding Kawasakis run by the British Moriwaki concession owned by Crosby. On the way to Europe, Gardner rode the Moriwaki Kawasaki to an impressive fourth-place finish at the 1981 Daytona Superbike race behind Yoshimura Suzuki riders Crosby, Wes Cooley and Honda's Freddie Spencer. Moriwaki and Gardner proceeded to compete in the British championship, winning their first race in England. Gardner entered the final race of the season with a chance to win the title but, an engine misfire relegated him to third place overall in the championship.
Gardner's impressive results on the Moriwaki Kawasaki eventually earned him a contract with the Honda Britain racing team. He rode a Honda to a fourth-place finish in the 1982 Formula TT championship. Gardner made his 500 cc Grand Prix debut with the Honda Britain team at the 1983 Dutch TT during which he was involved in an accident with reigning world champion, Franco Uncini. Uncini fell off his bike as he was exiting a corner and as he tried to run off the track, he was struck on his helmet by Gardner's bike. Uncini went into a coma but, subsequently recovered from his injuries. Gardner failed to score any points in the two Grand Prix races he had entered in 1983. In 1984, he won the British 500cc national championship for Honda and was able to compete in five Grand Prix world championship races. He scored points in all five of the Grand Prix races in which he was able to compete in during 1984, including an impressive third-place finish at the Swedish Grand Prix, earning a seventh place in the final championship standings.
Gardner's performance earned him full support in 1986 from the Honda-HRC factory racing team alongside teammate Freddie Spencer. He won his first Grand Prix race at the Spanish Grand Prix, before going on to win two more races and finish second in the championship behind Eddie Lawson. In 1987, Gardner became the first Australian to win the 500 cc World Championship, winning seven of sixteen races and wrapping up the title with a win in the penultimate round in Brazil at Goiânia. Gardner's race engineer in 1987 was fellow Australian Jeremy Burgess who had previously worked with 1985 World Champion Freddie Spencer.
In defense of his title in 1988, Gardner was hampered by the Honda NSR500 not being easy to ride. He finished second in the championship behind American Eddie Lawson who rode for the factory Marlboro Yamaha team. He still managed wins in the Netherlands, Belgium, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia, and would have won at the Paul Ricard Circuit in France had he not suffered mechanical problems only a third of a lap from the finish while holding a 2-second lead.
Gardner's 1987 World Championship saw a sharp rise in the popularity of Grand Prix Motorcycle racing in Australia, with increased television and print media coverage. This led to the inaugural running of the Australian motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island in 1989. The Wollongong Whiz gave the home crowd something to cheer as he won his home race in 1989, just edging out Wayne Rainey and Christian Sarron. Unfortunately his season came unglued at the next round at Laguna Seca where he crashed and broke his leg, causing him to miss half of the season. From the 1985 season, Gardner raced for the factory Rothmans Honda team and was joined on that team by fellow Australian Michael Doohan in 1989. Ironically, Eddie Lawson also joined Rothmans Honda in 1989 and went on to win his fourth World Championship.
Gardner had a frustrating season in 1990. After winning at Jerez in Spain, he missed three rounds through injury and only managed 5th in the World Championship. He did finish the season on a high note though, winning his second straight Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island from teammate Mick Doohan and World Champion elect Wayne Rainey. For over half the race, Gardner had to contend with the faring of his Honda threatening to part company with the bike after some of the front mountings had broken.
Gardner also won four Suzuka 8 Hours races in 1985, 1986, 1991 and 1992. Gardner retired from motorcycle racing following the 1992 season but stayed closely involved with the sport, helping various riders like Daryl Beattie early in their careers. He rode at special events like the "Goodwood Festival of Speed" on classic Honda motorcycles and raced again at the Goodwood race meeting against fellow bikers James Whitham, the late Barry Sheene and ex-Formula One driver Damon Hill.
Four-wheel racing career.
Wayne Gardner's first foray into car racing came when he was to race a Formula Holden in the final round of the 1990 Australian Drivers' Championship which was run as a support race to that years Australian Formula One Grand Prix, driving a Shrike 002 built and developed for the category by the students of the Croydon Park Institute of TAFE in Adelaide where the race was held. After only arriving in Adelaide on the opening day of practice having spent the previous week in Japan testing his 1991 NRS500 Grand Prix bike, Gardner had qualified in a credible 11th place for his first competitive drive in an Open-wheel car. However, a crash into the wall just past the chicane at the end of the pit straight when he spun on coolant that had been dropped by the Ralt RT20 of Drew Price, heavily damaged the front of the car. He was hopeful that the car could be repaired for the race, but his chances ended when another car also spun on the coolant and crashed into the Shrike damaging it beyond immediate repair.
Following his retirement from the 500 cc championship at the end of 1992, Gardner turned his interests to four-wheeled motorsport. He began his touring car career in 1992, driving the Raider Motorsport built Bob Forbes Racing Holden VN Commodore SS Group A, leased by Graham Moore for the 1992 Tooheys 1000 at Bathurst. The Moore/Gardner Commodore finished the crash shortened race in 26th place after qualifying 21st. Gardner's first drive in the race happened to be soon after the circuit was hit by rain which lasted for almost two hours, and his cause was not helped by the Commodore's windscreen de-mister not working which saw the screen fog up making visibility, already poor due to the heavy rain and fog on The Mountain, almost impossible. Also in 1992, Gardner raced 4 events in the German DTM for the Jagermeister-sponsored Linder Team running the #20 BMW E30 M3 Sport Evolution alongside team mate Armin Hahne, with little success.
In 1993, Gardner was recruited to drive a VP Commodore for the Holden Racing Team in the 1993 Australian Touring Car Championship, the first year of the 5.0 litre touring cars which later became the V8 Supercars. In November 1993, Gardner won one of the Group A support races at the Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide, after earlier in the year finishing third Tooheys 1000 co-driving with Brad Jones. Many incidents while driving for the Holden Racing Team in 1993 led to him being given the nickname "Captain Chaos", and it was thought that his continued on-track clashes was what had led to his brief suspension from the team for that year's Sandown 500, though the real reason was that Gardner had been openly talking to both Holden and Coca-Cola about starting his own team.
For the 1994 season, Gardner formed his own team, Wayne Gardner Racing (sponsored by Coca-Cola), where he raced for three seasons with teammate, Channel 7 commentator Neil Crompton. The team's low point came at the Bathurst round of the 1995 ATCC in March. Soon after the start of the first heat, Crompton was hit by the VP Commodore of Phil Ward. This pushed him straight into Gardner's car and both of the Coke sponsored cars ended their race in the wall before they got to Hell Corner on the first lap (Ward continued on with little to no damage). The team recovered though and Gardner sensationally won the start and led the opening laps of the 1995 Tooheys 1000, before he and Crompton went on to finish 3rd in the race, while their teammates Brad Jones and former Bathurst winner Win Percy finished 5th, only a few seconds behind.
Gardner's ATCC highlight was winning the 1997 Calder Park round, held under lights at Calder Park Raceway. Following the withdrawal of their major sponsor Coca-Cola who chose instead to invest in the upcoming Sydney Olympics in 2000, thus losing a rumoured $2 million a year in sponsorship which made it basically impossible for the team to function financially, the team folded after a partial 1999 season with a leased car from Perkins Engineering, but he continued racing V8 Supercars until 2002, with the highlight of taking pole position for the FAI 1000 at Bathurst in 2000, in appalling conditions. Wayne Gardner also took a surprise win in the first round in the V8 Supercar Championship's inaugural season in 1997, at Calder Park Raceway. It was surprising, as Gardner had announced that due to a lack of available funds, it was unlikely that he would race the full 1997 season, and he wasn't considered a race or championship favourite.
Gardner also made a foray into the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship, racing a works Toyota Supra in 1996, and raced in this competition until his retirement from motorsport in 2002. He won a round of the championship in 1999 (at Fuji Speedway) and 2001 (at Sportsland SUGO). He also had the distinction in 2001 of being the only Toyota driver to finish every race that season, and he also finished every race in the points.
Gardner made a one-off appearance at the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans. Gardner was entered in the Riley & Scott with Philippe Gache and fellow ex-motorcycle rider Didier de Radiguès. They qualified 26th, but failed to finish due to engine problems after completing 155 laps.
Grand Prix career statistics.
Points system from 1969 to 1987:
Points system from 1988 to 1992:
Car racing results.
In part sourced from


Willie Wallace

William Semple Brown Wallace (born 23 June 1940) is a Scottish former football player and coach. He won the European Cup with Celtic in 1967 along with several domestic honours. His other clubs included Stenhousemuir, Raith Rovers, Heart of Midlothian and Dumbarton in the Scottish leagues, and Crystal Palace in English football.
Wallace played for Scotland seven times and was inducted into the national Hall of Fame in 2017 for his club achievements.
Club career.
Early career.
He started his senior playing career with Stenhousemuir as a teenager in 1958 (having played alongside Jim Storrie at Kilsyth Rangers), moving to Raith Rovers a year later. It was in Kirkcaldy that "Wispy", as Wallace was nicknamed, developed his reputation as a top-class goal poacher, his skills being rewarded with a first Scottish League cap.
Hearts.
Wallace's form attracted attention from larger clubs, Heart of Midlothian eventually spending £15,000 to take him to Edinburgh in April 1961. The increased pressure for success at Tynecastle initially curtailed his scoring exploits, for he was expected to replace no less a figure than Alex Young, the "Golden Vision", whom Hearts had sold to Everton a couple of months earlier. By season 1962–63, however, Wallace was fully settled into the tactics of manager Tommy Walker, and he would become Hearts' top scorer for the next four seasons through to 1965–66. In doing so, he helped Hearts win the Scottish League Cup in 1962 and come within a goal of winning the 1964–65 Scottish Football League title, while gaining full international recognition for Scotland.
In 1966, however, his form plummeted and his goalscoring ceased and, amid rumours that he had been "tapped" up by another club, his departure from Tynecastle was widely anticipated. The surprise was that his destination wasn't boyhood favourites Rangers but their nemesis Celtic, for whom Jock Stein paid £30,000 to secure his services. He played a total of 248 matches for Hearts in all competitions, scoring 131 goals.
Celtic.
Within six months of joining Celtic, Wallace was to attain Scottish footballing immortality, as one of the "Lisbon Lions", the famous team who won the European Cup in 1967. He was later part of the team that reached the 1970 European Cup Final but was defeated 2–1 by Feyenoord. He also won the league championship in each of the four seasons he was at the Glasgow club, plus the Scottish Cup in 1967, 1969 and 1971 and the League Cup in 1968 and 1968 during an era widely considered the greatest in the club's history. In total, he scored 140 goals for Celtic in 239 games.
Later career.
After five fruitful years with Celtic, Wallace and team-mate John Hughes were sold to Crystal Palace in October 1971 for a combined fee of £30,000. Neither enjoyed great success in Croydon and Wallace was back in Scotland with Dumbarton less than a year later. As his career wound down, he moved to Australia in March 1975 to play for APIA, where he won two league titles before returning to Scotland in March 1977, first to Partick Thistle for a week, before becoming player-coach at Ross County for the rest of the 1976–77 season.
International career.
In total, Wallace was capped seven times for Scotland and four times for the Scottish Football League XI. He was part of the Scotland team that defeated England at Wembley in 1967.
Career after retirement.
Retiring as a player in June 1977, he joined the coaching staff at Dundee. When this role ended he returned to APIA as a coach, eventually settling in Sydney and starting his own sports shop.
In 2008, Tommy Burns, a former Celtic player and manager, died; Wallace helped organise a tribute match played on 31 May 2009 at Celtic Park, attended by over 35,000 people. The Celtic squad of the time defeated the 'Tommy Burns Select' team 11–4. In July of the same year, Wallace arranged a friendly match in Australia (where he had lived for the past 30 years) between Celtic and the local professional club Brisbane Roar; Celtic won 3–0.


Norm Stewart

Norman Eugene Stewart (born January 20, 1935) is a retired American college basketball coach. He coached at the University of Northern Iowa (then known as State College of Iowa) from 1961 to 1967, but is best known for his career with the University of Missouri from 1967 until 1999. He retired with an overall coaching record of 731–375 in 38 seasons. The court at Mizzou Arena (and previously at the Hearnes Center) is named in his honor.
Early life.
Stewart was born in Shelby County, Missouri. He grew up the son of a gas station owner around the small farming community of Shelbyville, and graduated from high school there in 1952. After high school Stewart enrolled at the University of Missouri, becoming a standout in both basketball and baseball for the Tigers. Stewart was a two-time team captain, and all-Big Seven selection in basketball. His 24.1 scoring average per-game in 1956 ranks fourth in school history and earned him a spot on the 1956 Helms Foundation All-American team. It was while at MU he met the love of his life, Virginia (Zimmerley) Stewart. Following graduation from Mizzou, Stewart was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in the 1956 NBA draft, playing one season at forward. He also signed a contract with Major League Baseball's Baltimore Orioles, pitching in 1957 for the Class C Aberdeen Pheasants, but never played at the big-league level.
Coaching career.
Following his brief career as a professional athlete, Norm Stewart returned to the University of Missouri in 1957 to earn his master's degree. He also served as an assistant basketball coach under Sparky Stalcup and an assistant baseball coach under Hi Simmons. In 1961 Stewart and his family made the move to Cedar Falls, Iowa as Norm took over as head basketball coach at the State College Of Iowa (now University of Northern Iowa). In six seasons Stewarts' Panthers compiled a record of 97 wins, 42 losses, and two conference championships. On March 10, 1967, Stewart was named head basketball coach at his alma mater. In 32 seasons as Missouri head coach, Stewart had a 634–333 overall record. Stewart's Missouri teams also won 8 Big Eight Conference regular-season championships, 6 Big Eight Tournament titles, made 16 NCAA Tournament appearances (including two Elite Eight appearances), 5 NIT post-season tournament appearances, and 1 CCA post-season tournament appearance. Stewart also was UPI Coach of the Year (1982) and Associated Press Coach of the Year (1994).
NCAA penalties and probation.
In 1990, the NCAA placed Missouri's basketball program on probation for two years and banned the team from that season's post-season tournaments for major violations of rules regarding recruiting, benefits for athletes and irregularities in academics that occurred under Stewart from 1985 through 1989. The NCAA also imposed limits on the Tigers' recruiting practices and the number of scholarships that could be offered in the 1991–92 and 1992–93 academic years. Two of Stewart's assistant coaches, Rich Daly and Bob Sundvold, were forced to resign over the scandal, but Stewart was able to remain as Missouri's coach. Stewart's legal attorney was future Missouri interim president Steve Owens.
Health issues and retirement.
In 1989, Stewart was diagnosed with colon cancer, missing the final 14 games of the 1988–89 season. He underwent invasive surgery and chemotherapy and was able to return to coaching the following season. Stewart's assistant, Rich Daly, took over as interim coach for the rest of the season, but Missouri credits the entire season to Stewart.
The 1990s were a time of both highs and lows for Mizzou basketball, with the highlight being 1994 when the Tigers went a perfect 14–0 in conference play. For that special season, Norm Stewart was named College Coach of the Year by the Associated Press and five other leading organizations. Following another winning 1998–99 season, the Stewart Era came to an end as he announced his retirement on April 1, 1999. At his retirement, he'd had a hand in over half of Missouri's wins.
Although retired from coaching, Stormin' Norman continues to storm through life with a busy itinerary of meetings, speaking engagements, travel, and color commentary on Mizzou basketball broadcasts. Stewart is also a member of the council of Coaches Vs. Cancer, a program he founded following his own cancer battle. After collapsing at a Dallas, Texas restaurant in May 2007, Stewart had a pacemaker installed. In late July 2008 Stewart underwent successful open-heart surgery, an aortic valve replacement, at a Columbia, Missouri hospital.
Halls of Fame.
Norm Stewart's achievements on the basketball court and baseball diamond were recognized in 1990 as he led the inaugural class of the MU Athletics Hall of Fame. He was again given special recognition by the Hall for his coaching career in February 2008. In 2014 Stewart was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.
His highest honor came in November 2007 as Stewart was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.


Fred Lynn

Fredric Michael Lynn (born February 3, 1952) is an American former professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1974 through 1990 as a center fielder with the Boston Red Sox, California Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres. He was the first player to win MLB's Rookie of the Year Award and Most Valuable Player Award in the same year, which he accomplished in 1975 with the Red Sox.
Lynn was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2002 and to the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.
Early years.
Lynn was born in Chicago, and graduated from El Monte High School in eastern Los Angeles County in 1969. He was drafted by the New York Yankees but chose to attend the University of Southern California, where he was a member of the USC Trojans baseball teams that won the College World Series in 1971, 1972, and 1973. He represented the United States at the 1971 Pan American Games, where he won a silver medal. He was selected by the Red Sox in the second round of the 1973 MLB draft, with the 41st overall pick. Lynn played in Boston's minor league system during 1973 (with the Double-A Bristol Red Sox) and during 1974 (with the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox).
Major league career.
Boston Red Sox.
Lynn made his major league debut on September 5, 1974, in a Boston loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. He appeared in 15 games through the end of the seasons, batting 18-for-43 (.419).
Lynn had an outstanding 1975 season; in 145 games with the Red Sox, he batted .331 with 21 home runs and 105 RBIs. He led the American League (AL) in doubles, runs scored, and slugging percentage, finished second in batting (Rod Carew of the Minnesota Twins hit .359), and won a Gold Glove Award for his defensive play. Lynn won both the Most Valuable Player Award and Rookie of the Year Award, becoming the first player to win both in the same season; the feat was later duplicated by Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki in 2001. In a game on June 18 at Tiger Stadium, Lynn hit three home runs, had 10 RBIs, and 16 total bases in one game. Lynn and fellow rookie outfielder Jim Rice were dubbed as the "Gold Dust Twins". In the 1975 World Series, which Boston lost in seven games to the Cincinnati Reds, Lynn batted 7-for-25 (.280) with a home run and five RBIs.
Lynn won three more Gold Gloves (1978, 1979, and 1980), and in 1979 won the AL batting title with a .333 average and finished fourth in MVP voting. He was elected to the All-Star team each season from 1975 through 1980 with Boston. On May 13, 1980, he hit for the cycle.
In seven seasons with the Red Sox, Lynn batted .308 with 124 home runs and 521 RBIs in 828 games played.
California Angels.
In January 1981, Lynn and Steve Renko were traded to the Angels for Frank Tanana, Jim Dorsey, and Joe Rudi. Lynn was limited to 76 games in his first year with the Angels, 1981, due to a knee injury. For the season, he batted just .219 with five home runs and 31 RBIs. He played three more seasons with the Angels, batting .299 in 138 games during 1982, .272 in 117 games in 1983, and .271 in 142 games in 1984. His .299 average in 1982 would be the closest he would come to batting .300 again.
In 1982, Lynn and the Angels won the AL West division and made the playoffs, but lost in the 1982 ALCS to the Milwaukee Brewers in 5 games. Even so, Lynn was selected as MVP of the ALCS, becoming the first player from a losing team to be so honored. Lynn batted an astounding .611 (11 hits in 18 at-bats), with a home run and 5 RBI's. Lynn was an All-Star in his first three seasons with the Angels, bringing his total number of selections to nine; he was the MVP of the 1983 All-Star Game. Overall, in his four seasons with the Angels, Lynn appeared in 473 games, batting .271 with 71 home runs and 270 RBIs.
In 1981, Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig included Lynn in their book, "The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time".
Baltimore Orioles.
A free agent following the 1984 season, Lynn defied expectations that he would continue his career with a West Coast team by accepting the best offer and signing a five-year $6.8 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles on December 11. His signing, along with that of Lee Lacy and Don Aase, cost the ballclub three of its top five picks in the 1985 MLB Draft and was part of Edward Bennett Williams' ill-fated attempt to buy championships which only resulted in last-place finishes in 1986 and 1988. Lynn's time in Baltimore was most noted for his complaints about the Orioles' caps which he called "the hat with the funny little duck on it" due to the smiling cartoon bird on the front. Lynn played for the Orioles from the start of the 1985 seasons through August 1988, appearing in a total of 434 games while batting .265 with 87 home runs and 232 RBIs.
Detroit Tigers.
On August 31, 1988, the Orioles traded Lynn to the Detroit Tigers for Chris Hoiles, Cesar Mejia, and Robinson Garces. Detroit traded for Lynn for their 1988 pennant drive, and there was some initial controversy about his postseason eligibility. His acquisition was made on the day of the MLB trade deadline, and Lynn did not arrive in Chicago (where the Tigers had played that day) until after the deadline had passed; he was initially declared ineligible for postseason play. MLB commissioner Peter Ueberroth later overruled this decision, declaring that as long as the transaction was completed by the deadline, the player did not need to physically "report" to their new team before the deadline. The controversy later proved to be moot, as Detroit finished one game behind Boston in the AL East.
Lynn appeared in 27 games with Detroit through the end of the 1988 season, batting .222 with seven home runs and 19 RBIs. In 1989, he appeared in 117 games, batting .241 with 11 home runs and 46 RBIs. In November 1989, Lynn became a free agent.
San Diego Padres.
In December 1989, Lynn signed with the Padres, his first and only National League team. He played 90 games during the 1990 season, batting .240 with six home runs and 23 RBIs at age 38. After the season, he again became a free agent. He was not invited to spring training by any team in 1991, and although he kept in shape in case an opportunity to join a team arose, he did not play in the major leagues again.
Career statistics.
In his 17-year career, Lynn batted .283 with 1,111 RBIs, 1,960 hits, 1,063 runs, 306 home runs, 388 doubles, 43 triples, and 72 stolen bases in 1969 games. From 1982 to 1988, he had seven consecutive seasons of hitting more than twenty home runs (his totals were 21-22-23-23-23-23-25). His 306 career home runs place him, through the end of the 2017 seasons, in 13th place among center fielders. Defensively, Lynn recorded a career .988 fielding percentage at centerfield, his primary position.
In 15 career postseason games, Lynn batted 22-for-54 (.407) with two home runs and 13 RBIs. Lynn was a nine-time All-Star, batting an overall 6-for-20 (.300) in All-Star Games with four home runs and ten RBIs, including the first (and to date, only) grand slam in All-Star Game history, which he hit in the 1983 game. His four home runs in All-Star Games is second only to Stan Musial with six.
Lynn's career was hampered by some injuries caused by fearless play, such as a broken rib from crashing into an outfield wall, or knee injuries from breaking up double plays, and playing all-out defensively. He never played more than 150 games in a season, and only topped 140 games four times.
Lynn played for five different teams, but considers himself a member of the Red Sox family. "I'm a Red Sock. I didn't want to leave the Red Sox.", said Lynn, further noting, "I came up with them and from 1973 to 1980 I was their property. I thought I'd end up spending my entire career in Boston. It was tough, even though I was going to a great team [the Angels] and playing for a great owner in Gene Autry."
Post-playing career.
Lynn worked as a baseball color analyst for ESPN from 1991 to 1998, doing some College World Series games and some west coast MLB games. He has also been a spokesman for Gillette and MasterCard, and occasionally entertains clients at Red Sox games from the Legends Skybox at Fenway Park.
Lynn has raised thousands of dollars through charity work for Childhaven, a home for abused and neglected children, and FACE Foundation, an animal charity. He has been a frequent participant in the All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game, held annually since 2001 in the days leading up to the MLB All-Star Game.
Lynn was inducted into the USC Hall of Fame in 1994, and was selected by fans to the Red Sox' All-Fenway Team in 2012.
As of 2012, Lynn resides in Carlsbad, California, with his wife, Natalie. He has two children from a first marriage.
External links.
, or Retrosheet