Ebook Notable Sports Figures 2: Part 2

I Miguel Indurain 1964- Spanish cyclist erhaps one of the most physically grueling of all sports, cycling requires incredible physical en-durance and the ability to withstand searing pain for hours on end. Miguel Indurain has the ability to endure this pain, and then some. In the world of cycling his name rests alongside those of Eddie Merckx, Jacques Anquetil and, in recent years, Lance Armstrong. In-durain’s unmatched feat of five consecutive Tour de France victories in the 1990s made him a hero in his na-tive country of Spain, and it has made him a legend in the world of cycling. Growing Up Miguel Indurain-Larraya was born July 16, 1964, in the small village of Villava, Navarre province, Spain. He grew up on a farm with a brother and three sisters, and were it not for his natural aptitude for the bicycle, he may well have been very happy as a farmer (he has since retired to a modest house and a quiet life in his home village). Though he would give cycling a try when he was eleven, he was not yet ready for the dedication the sport takes, and instead followed his interests in soccer and track. Less than five years later, however, he would get back on the bike. Indurain won the Spanish Amateur Road Champi-onship in 1983, and began his training program with Eusebio Unzue, who coached the local racing team. Indurain was nineteen at the time, and the next year he won 14 races, enough to convince him that it was time to turn professional. He joined a team in Pam-plona headed by the former Spanish national team coach. The training rides were grueling, and Indurain, as he prepared for the many races he would partici-pate in, logged tens of thousands of miles to increase his endurance. Though he would not make it into his first Tour until 1985, Indurain had the ability to become a competitor in the Tour, and his coach and teammates knew it as well. It Miguel Indurain would take time. The three weeks the Tour de France en-tails requires riders to sit on their bikes for five to seven hours a day nearly every day, often requiring years of cy-cling experience before a cyclist will even be able to com-plete his first race. Many riders drop out before the finish, and Miguel, in these early years, was no exception. In 1986 he pulled out of the race after the 12th stage. A Matter of Time But as the eighties progressed, so did Indurain’s strength and endurance. As he moved into the 1990s, he was now a veteran in the world of cycling and had rid-den in enough Tours to know how to compete. Indurain began his string of five consecutive Tour de France vic-tories in the 1991 race, defeating defending champion Greg LeMond of America. He stood on the podium in Paris wearing the yellow jersey. 729 Indurain Chronology Notable Sports Figures Awards and Accomplishments 1964 1975 1978 1983 1984-89 Born in Villava, Spain, on July 16 Takes up cycling, but then quits to play soccer and track Having returned to cycling in his teens, Miguel receives his official card as a “cadet” in the Spanish Cycling Federation Wins the Spanish Amateur Road Championship at age 19 Signs contract to ride for the Reynolds team 1992 Velo News Cyclist of the Year 1994 World Hour Record (53.040 km) 2000 Voted Spain’s Sportsperson of the Century 1986 1988, 1991-92 1989 1990 1990 1991 1991 1992 1992-93 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 Wins 1st place at Tour of Murcia; also takes first at Tour L’Avenir Winner of the Tour of Catalonia Wins first of two consecutive victories in Paris-Nice Signs contract with Banesto, the Spanish team with whom he will win 5 Tour de France victories Wins San Sebastian Classic Wins Tour of Valcluse Wins first of five consecutive Tour de France victories Wins the Spanish National Championships Wins the Tour of Italy Wins Castilla-Leon Trophy Wins Tour de L’Oise Wins Tour of Rioja, the Tour of Galicia and the World Time Trial Championship Wins Tour of Asturias and the Olympic Time Trial Championship Retires from the world of professional cycling in January to be considered among the true greats of the sport.” In-durain responded to this by saying, “I respect all opin-ions, but I cannot accept Guimard’s. After all, what have the French racers managed to do in recent years?” Many believe his accomplishment speaks for itself. Indurain chose to retire in 1997. Many fans were ex-pecting the announcement, since two weeks prior the Spanish press had leaked the news. With the money he earned from cycling, Indurain still leads a relatively simple life, choosing to live with his wife Marisa and family in his homeland in the Spanish Basque region. Spain voted Miguel Indurain their Athlete of the Century in 2000. CONTACT INFORMATION Address: Home—Villava, Navarre Province, Spain. Indurain’s tall and thin body was well suited for two parts of the three main aspects of the Tour, and he used them to full advantage. He was an excellent climber when the Tour reached the mountains, and he also had tremendous speed, which helped him take many of the individual and team-time trials in the Tour (the one as-pect he did not excel at, the sprints, is not a necessary requirement for being able to finish and win the Tour). In 1992, coming off a victory in the Giro d’Italia and the Spanish National Championship, Indurain repeated his Tour victory, as he would for the next three Tours. Each year he dominated the field. His fellow cyclists (and teammates) often hurt themselves as they tried to keep up with him in the mountains. End of an Era Though Indurain is not the only cyclist to have won five Tour de Frances, he is the first person to win five con-secutive Tour victories. He slipped back in the 1996 Tour and many of his fans waited for a comeback that never happened. His feat, however, is still considered by many to be one of the major performances in sporting history. Some of his detractors claim that Indurain, unlike Eddie Merckx or Jacques Anquetil, trained solely for the Tour and avoided the many other races in which Merckx and Anquetil consistently competed even as they amassed their five Tour victories. One of France’s top coaches, Cyril Guimard, was quoted in the Washington Post as saying that Indurain “never really accomplished any great individual physical exploits, other than a lot of winning races. For that reason, I don’t think he deserves FURTHER INFORMATION Books Abt, Sam. Champion: Bicycle Racing in the Age of In-durain. Bicycle Books, Inc., 1993. “Miguel Indurain.” Newsmakers 1994. Detroit: Gale Re-search, 1994. Periodicals Atlanta Journal-Constitution (August 4, 1996). The Austin American-Statesman (TX) (January 3, 1997). Bicycling (July 1992; September/October 1992; July 1993; November 1, 1996). Crothers, Tim. “End of an Era.” Sports Illustrated (July 29, 1996). “Indurain Retires From Pro Racing.” International Her-ald Tribune (January 3, 1997). Los Angeles Times (August, 4, 1996). Murphy,Austin. “A Test of Heart.” Sports Illustrated (July 31, 1995). “My Tour With Miguel.” Sports Illustrated (August 1, 1994). New York Times (July 20, 1994; July 25, 1994). Nicholl, Robin. “Matchless but Modest Miguel.” The Independent (London, England) (January 3, 1997). Outside (July 1995). Powell, David. “Indurain’s winning cycle draws to a halt.” The Times (London, England) (January 3, 1997). Sports Illustrated (August 3, 1992; August 2, 1993). 730 Notable Sports Figures Irvin USA Today (August 4, 1996). Washington Post (July 25, 1994). Sketch by Eric Lagergren Michael Irvin 1966- American football player uring his twelve-year career as a wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, Michael Irvin was one of the Na-tional Football League’s (NFL) most flamboyant players. Blessed with lightening speed and soft hands, he helped lead the Cowboys to three Super Bowl titles in a four-year span. Flashy both on and off the field, Irvin, often weighed down with diamonds and gold, led a free-for-all life of drugs and sex that resulted in his arrest on cocaine posses-sion in 1996. His is a see-saw story of rising fame, falling from grace, and searching for redemption. Always Hungry Michael Irvin was born on March 5, 1966, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Walter and Pearl Irvin. He was the fifteenth of seventeen children. His father brought two children from a previous marriage and his mother had six; together they added nine more. Irvin’s house on 27th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale only had two bedrooms until his father converted the porch and the garage into extra living space. Still, Irvin never had his own bed until he went to college. Irvin’s father was a hardwork-ing roofer who worked long hours six days a week. Irvin’s mother took care of the house full of children. Irvin’s family was poor, and he was often without shoes that fit, but his father refused to allow his children to complain. Irvin’s main problem as a growing boy was getting enough to eat. With little food in the house, Irvin would scheme to fill his rumbling stomach. He would often wait until everyone went to sleep and then sneak into the kitchen to polish off a whole box of cereal, usu-ally softened with tap water as milk was often not to be found in the refrigerator. When there was nothing else, he would eat mayonnaise or ketchup sandwiches. Christmases often passed with no presents, and Irvin dreamed of an easier life. By the time he was a teenager, he was determined to make things better for both him-self and his family. He began hanging out with a rough crowd and, by his own admission, made some poor choices. After he was suspended at the end of his sopho-more year at Piper High School, his father decided his son needed a more positive environment and in 1982 en- Michael Irvin rolled him at St. Thomas Aquinas, a private Catholic school. Piper High, which didn’t want to lose the school’s star athlete, protested the transfer. A court rul-ing determined that Irvin could attend St. Thomas but would be required to sit out of athletics his junior year because Piper had refused to sign a waiver allowing him to participate. The Playmaker Irvin lettered in football and basketball at St. Thomas. His football team went undefeated and won the state championship when he was a senior. However, his senior year was marred by the death of his beloved fa-ther from cancer. Staying close to home, Irvin attended the University of Miami, playing for the Hurricanes under head coach Jimmy Johnson. As Irvin began re-ceiving attention for his outstanding athletic abilities, he also began being noticed for his mouth and his ego. But Johnson and the Miami coaching staff gave Irvin a wide berth, knowing his background and correctly assuming that his ability and enthusiasm could lead the team to a national championship. During his three years as a starting receiver for the Uni-versity of Miami, Irvin, who had become known by the nickname “Playmaker,” set Miami records for most career catches (143), receiving yards (2423), and touchdown re-ceptions (26). He was selected as the eleventh overall pick in the 1988 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys. The Cow- 731 Irvin Chronology Notable Sports Figures Awards and Accomplishments 1966 1983-84 1984-88 1988 1989 Born March 5 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida Star football and basketball player for Saint Thomas Aquinas High School, Fort Lauderdale Star football player for the University of Miami Drafted by the Dallas Cowboys as the eleventh pick overall of the National Football League (NFL) draft Jerry Jones buys Cowboys, drafts quarterback Troy Aikman; finishes season with only one win 1991 1991-95 1993-94, 1996 Received National Football League (NFL) Alumni award as Wide Receiver of the Year Named to the NFL Pro Bowl Wins Super Bowl as member of the Dallas Cowboys 1993-94 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Wins back-to-back Super Bowl titles Loses Super Bowl to the San Francisco 49ers Wins third Super Bowl ring; arrested and charged with possession of cocaine; falsely accused of rape Cuts a teammate with a pair of scissors during a scuffle Announces retirement Arrested for possession of marijuana; charges later dropped Experiences religious conversion Hired by Fox Sports Net as an analyst on “NFL This Morning” 1994 Super Bowl XXVII by making two touchdowns on receptions in the span of just fifteen seconds, leading the Cowboys to a 52-17 romp of the Buffalo Bills. Follow-ing the team’s second storybook season, owner Jerry Jones shocked the sports world by announcing the firing of Johnson. Irvin, who was personally close to his coach, was livid and demanded to be traded. Yet in the end, he decided to remain committed to his teammates and stay in Dallas. boys had been struggling, finishing the previous season just 3-13. Despite Irvin’s reputation as an egomaniacal trash talker who was potentially trouble off the field, Dal-las was desperate for an influx of fresh talent. As a rookie Irvin became the team’s starting wide re-ceiver. He used his $1.8 million contract to buy his mother a four-bedroom house with a swimming pool in Fort Lauderdale and supplied her with the first credit card she had ever carried. In his second year, Irvin was reunited with his college coach when the Cowboys’new owner, Jerry Jones, fired long-time coach Tom Landry and hired Jimmy Johnson. Irvin, who tore an anterior cruci-ate ligament in his left knee in the sixth game of the 1989 season, missed the remainder of the season. Returning to play in the fifth game of the 1990 sea-son, Irvin led the team in yards-per-carry, but the Cow-boys still finished with a losing record of 7-9. The following year the team started off 6-5 before winning the last five games of the season and earning a spot in the playoffs. The 1991 season proved to be Irvin’s break-out year. In his fourth season in the league he caught ninety-three passes for 1,523 yards, compared to a combined total of seventy-eight receptions for 1,445 yards during his first three seasons. As the leading receiver in the na-tion in 1991, Irvin was invited to his first Pro Bowl and selected as the game’s most valuable player. Typical of Irvin’s demeanor and emotion, he ranted on the sidelines of the Pro Bowl, which is commonly a laidback affair, because he felt he should be getting more receptions. His Pro Bowl teammates shrugged their shoulders, and Irvin ended up with eight receptions for 125 yards. The Cowboys’ powerful offense, led by Irvin, quar-terback Troy Aikman, and running back Emmitt Smith, rolled through the next two seasons, winning back-to-back Super Bowls. Irvin had seventy-eight receptions for 1,396 yards in 1992 and eighty-eight receptions for 1,330 yards in 1993. He thrilled Cowboy fans in the Hopes for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl ring following the 1994 season were dashed when the San Francisco 49ers beat the Cowboys, 38-28, in the National Football Conference championship. Irvin had outdone himself in the game, catching twelve passes for 192 yards, setting new championship game records, but the devastated wide receiver was crying on the sidelines at the end of the game. Despite his legendary showboat-ing, winning, not personal glory, was his main objective. Irvin posted the best statistics of his career in 1995, catching 111 passes for 1,603 yards and ten touchdowns. His eight straight 100-yard games and eleven 100-yard games overall tied the NFL records. Irvin’s numbers take on added significance considering many teams tried to stop him, or at least slow him down, with double cover-age. Although it wasn’t a perfect season for the Cow-boys, the team’s 12-4 record carried them easily into the playoffs, where they won a record third Super Bowl in four years by beating the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-17. Falls from Grace At the top of his game in 1995, Irvin’s world came crashing down in 1996. On March 3, 1996, two days be-fore his thirtieth birthday, Irvin was arrested in a room at a Residence Inn in Irving, Texas, where cocaine and mari-juana were found. Known for his heavy indulgence, Irvin was in the company of teammate Alfredo Roberts and two young women whose professions were noted as top-less “models.” Police found close to three ounces of mari-juana and nearly four ounces of cocaine on two dinner plates, along with rolling papers, razors, other drug para-phernalia and sex toys. According to Sports Illustrated, when the police officers pulled out the handcuffs, Irvin rebuffed them saying, “Hey, can I tell you who I am?” From that moment Irvin’s life became a media circus, with Irvin himself adding fuel to the fire by showing up to court in a full-length black mink coat and dark sun- 732 Notable Sports Figures Career Statistics Irvin Where Is He Now? Yr Team GP REC 1988 DAL 14 32 1989 DAL 6 26 1990 DAL 12 20 1991 DAL 16 93 1992 DAL 16 78 1993 DAL 16 88 1994 DAL 16 79 1995 DAL 16 111 1996 DAL 11 64 1997 DAL 16 75 1998 DAL 16 74 1999 DAL 4 10 Receiving YDS AVG TD 654 20.4 5 378 14.5 2 413 20.7 5 1523 16.4 8 1396 17.9 7 1330 15.1 7 1241 15.7 6 1603 14.4 10 962 15.0 2 1180 15.7 9 1057 14.3 1 167 16.7 3 Following retirement, Irvin was working on a deal with Fox Sports as a pre-game analyst; however, in August of 2000, he was found with a woman in a North Dallas apartment raided by police, who discovered mari-juana. Although Irvin insisted that he hadn’t touched drugs since 1996, Fox Sports terminated the talks. Then in early 2001, with his wife by his side, Irvin went to a church and underwent a religious conversion experience. Taking to Jesus with the same compulsive enthusiasm that he took to the football field, Irvin has professed to be a new man, spending a good deal of his time in his church and in prayer. Although Irvin continues to have detractors who doubt his sincerity, his spiritual rebirth has redeemed his image sufficiently for Fox Sports to find him a spot in front of the camera. After appearing as a regular panelist on Fox Sports’ “Best Damn Sports Show,” in June 2002 Irvin was given a permanent spot on the network’s studio show, “The NFL Show.” TOTAL 159 750 11904 15.9 65 DAL: Dallas Cowboys glasses. The whole ordeal became even more unbeliev-able when a Dallas police officer was arrested for con-spiring to murder Irvin. The officer’s common law wife was called before the Grand Jury to testify because her name had appeared in the motel’s log along with Irvin’s on numerous occasions. Another topless model, the woman testified at length about Irvin’s drug and sex habits. Irvin found out about the testimony and allegedly threatened the woman. The police officer in turn report-edly paid $3,000 down on $30,000 to put a hit on Irvin. Irvin went to trial on drug-related charges, but before the decision was turned over to the jury, he agreed to a plea bargain, pleading guilty to cocaine possession, a second-degree felony, that cost him $10,000 and 800 hours of community service. On July 17, 1996, the day the trial ended, Irvin held a news conference and was, for the first time, contrite. His wife was at his side al-though she had never appeared with him in court, and Irvin publicly apologized to his family, fans, teammates, and the Dallas organization. Suspended for the first five games of the 1996 season, Irvin spent time in Florida trying to make amends with his family. Irvin continued to make periodic headlines. In De-cember of 1996 he and a teammate were falsely accused of rape, and in 1998 he was involved in a bizarre inci-dent during training camp when he allegedly inflicted a two-inch cut in the neck of Dallas guard Everett McIver while some team members were getting haircuts. Whether it was assault or “horseplay,” McIver did not press charges, and rumors swirled that Jones brokered a six-figure settlement with McIver to drop the matter. Retires Irvin suffered a serious neck injury early in the 1999 season and was advised by doctors that returning to the field could be risky. After playing just four games in 1999, Irvin announced his retirement. Over the course of his twelve-year career in a Dallas Cowboys’ uniform, Irvin was the city’s biggest hero and its biggest villain. When asked whether he thinks he will make it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, according the Knight Ridder Newspapers, Irvin reflected, “I don’t know. The things I experienced off the field could be held against me. But the things I accomplished on the field cannot be taken away. Say whatever, but when you fix your mouth to talk about me as a football player, you will say, ‘He played football.’” CONTACT INFORMATION Address: Fox Sports, PO Box 900, Beverly Hills, CA 90213. FURTHER INFORMATION Books Newsmakers, Issue 3. Detroit: Gale Group, 1996. Sports Stars 1-4. Detroit: U·X·L, 1994-98. Who’s Who Among African Americans, 14th ed. Detroit: Gale Group, 2001. Periodicals Bamberger, Michael. “Dropping the Ball.” Sports Illus-trated (April 1, 1996): 36-37. “Big D, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?” Esquire (Sep-tember 1997): 66-71. Dent, Jim. “Air Traffic Controller.” Sporting News (Sep-tember 1, 1997): 34. Galloway, Randy. “Television Show Captures Irvin’s Glory,Agony.” Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service (August 31, 2002). Hill, Clarence E., Jr. “The Transformation Isn’t Com-plete, but Michael Irvin has Gone from Partying Hard to Praying Hard.” Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service (November 30, 2001). 733 ... - tailieumienphi.vn