Coordinates	38°37′38″N90°11′52″N
{{infobox|name	NBC Sports
Label2	Division of:
Data2	NBC
Label3	Key people:
Data3	Mark Lazarus
Label4	Headquarters:
Data4	GE BuildingNew York, New York
Label5	Major Broadcasting Contracts:
Data5	College footballNFLNHLOlympic GamesPGA TourTriple CrownTour de FranceMLS
Label6	Parent:
Data6	NBCUniversal
Label7	Sister networks:
Data7	NBC Sports Network''(Versus)''Golf ChannelUniversal SportsUniversal HD
Label8	Website:
Data8	NBCSports.com }}

NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others. Other programming from outside producers is also presented on the network under the NBC Sports branding (such as coverage of the Ironman Triathlon).

Upon NBC's merger with Comcast, Comcast's own sports channels were combined under the NBC Sports division, in an arrangement known as the NBC Sports Group, which also comprises Versus, Golf Channel, and the Comcast Sportsnet regional sports networks.

History

Early years

NBC Sports’ history can be traced back to May 17, 1939, when experimental television station W2XBS in New York (which would eventually become WNBC) televised an intercollegiate baseball game between Columbia and Princeton. That year, W2XBS would also televise a boxing match between former heavyweight champion Max Baer and Lou Nova at Madison Square Garden, a double header between the Cincinnati Reds and Brooklyn Dodgers from Ebbets Field, and a professional football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National Football League. All were firsts for the respective sports. After the war, sporting events were staples of the nascent NBC Television Network. NBC televised the Army–Navy Game in 1945, hailed by sports writers at the time as “The Game of the Century.” In 1946, the ''Cavalcade of Sports'', a primetime boxing program, debuted. NBC would televise boxing, usually on Friday nights, until canceling the program in 1960. In 1947, NBC televised Games 1 & 5 of the World Series in the New York Metropolitan Area (CBS televised Games 3 & 4, while DuMont televised Games 2, 6, & 7).

1950s

Beginning in 1950, NBC Sports became the exclusive broadcaster of the World Series for a quarter century. In 1957, the network began televising the ''Game of the Week''. Except for the 1965 season, NBC would televise Saturday afternoon games for the next three decades. The network expanded its sports lineup to include the NBA, college and professional football, as well as championship events. In 1952, NBC became the broadcast home of the Rose Bowl; a relationship that lasted for 37 years. In 1955, the network paid $100,000 to air the NFL Championship. An employee of NBC played a small part in “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” During overtime of the 1958 NFL Championship, NBC lost its feed from Yankee Stadium. A technician ran onto the field and stopped play long enough for the feed to be restored. The game was a watershed moment in the history of the NFL, establishing professional football as a nationally popular television property and beginning the upward surge of the league’s popularity.

1960s

CBS would take over the exclusive broadcast rights of the NFL, including the Championship Game, in 1964. The following year, NBC obtained the broadcast rights of the upstart American Football League. In 1966, the two leagues agreed to merge. As part of the merger, the two leagues’ champions would play a World Championship Game, eventually renamed the Super Bowl. Rather than award the broadcast rights of the game to either CBS or NBC, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle decided to have both networks televise the game. NBC commentators Curt Gowdy and Paul Christman called the game, while CBS produced the telecast that aired on both networks. In subsequent years, the Super Bowl would alternate between NBC and CBS. After the merger, NBC would broadcast games from the American Football Conference, composed of the former AFL teams plus three teams from the old NFL.

1970s

In 1971, at the behest of Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, NBC televised game 4 of the World Series in primetime. It was the first time a Series game had been played at night and the game attracted an audience of 61 million people. Starting the next season, all weekday Series games would be played at or after 8:00PM ET and NBC would begin broadcasting games on Monday nights, during the summer when reruns of other shows would otherwise be broadcast. On April 8, 1974, NBC televised a game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves in which Hank Aaron of the Braves hit his 715th career home run, breaking the career mark previously held by Babe Ruth. In 1972, NBC became the broadcast home of the National Hockey League. (NBC previously televised the 1966 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which marked the first time hockey games were televised in color.) Among the innovations introduced by NBC was Peter Puck, an animated character in the form of a hockey puck, who explained the rules of hockey to unfamiliar television viewers. Also, the network requested that players wear names on the backs of their jerseys for the ''NBC Hockey Game of the Week''. Nameplates would become standard in the NHL. Beginning in 1969, NBC televised college basketball, including the NCAA Tournament. In 1979, NBC televised the NCAA Championship that pitted future NBA rivals Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Johnson’s Michigan State Spartans defeated Bird’s Indiana State Sycamores 75-64. The game earned a 24.1 rating, the highest ever for a college basketball game.

1980s

By this time, NBC was mired in third place in the ratings. Sports remained a valuable television commodity for the network. In addition to the typically massive audience that watched the Super Bowl, NBC’s broadcasts of the 1978 and 1980 World Series each earned a 32.8 rating, with the former being watched by an average of 44 million people and the latter 42 million. This powerful sports lineup, coupled with a resurgent primetime schedule featuring hit shows like ''The Cosby Show'' and ''Cheers'', would put NBC back on top of the ratings by the middle of the decade. In December 1988, CBS obtained the exclusive broadcast rights of Major League Baseball, outbidding NBC and ABC. After 43 years, NBC’s tenure as the home of baseball came to an end. In 1989, former ABC Sports and ''Saturday Night Live'' producer Dick Ebersol became president of NBC Sports. Ebersol’s early tenure at NBC Sports was highlighted by a string of sports-property acquisitions and renewals, including the Olympics, NFL, NBA, & Notre Dame football.

1990s

After CBS had wrested baseball from NBC, the latter obtained the broadcast rights of the National Basketball Association in a four-year, $600 million deal. The '90s would be an era of unprecedented popularity for the NBA, spearheaded by the Chicago Bulls dynasty of Michael Jordan. In 1991, NBC obtained the rights to Notre Dame home games, the first time an individual college football team had its own broadcast agreement.

In 1994, after a four year hiatus, Major League Baseball returned to NBC as part of a new joint-venture with ABC called ''The Baseball Network'', a broadcast arrangement where the league produced its own telecasts and split advertising revenue with NBC and ABC. The two networks would televise regional games on Friday and Saturday nights, and would alternate coverage of the All Star Game, the newly created Division Series, League Championship Series, and World Series. The 1994 Major League Baseball strike disrupted the plan, which proved unpopular with fans, and it was abandoned after the 1995 season. NBC would continue broadcasting baseball, albeit on a reduced basis. It was during this period, with the broadcast rights of the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball, and the Olympics, that the network adopted the mantle of “America’s Sports Leader.”

During the 1995-96 television season, for the only time in history, the World Series, Super Bowl, NBA Finals, and Summer Olympics were telecast by the same network. It was following this run in 1996 that ''The Sporting News'' named Ebersol the Most Powerful Person in Sports. In 1998, CBS would take over the AFC rights from NBC, ending the network’s 38-year tenure with the NFL. CBS had previously lost the NFC rights to upstart network Fox, and was by that point struggling in the ratings.

2000s

In 2000, NBC declined to renew its broadcast agreement with Major League Baseball. In 2002, it was additionally outbid by ESPN and ABC for the NBA's next broadcast deal, ending the league's twelve year run on NBC.

During this era, NBC experimented with broadcasting emerging sports. In 2001, the network partnered with the World Wrestling Federation to establish the XFLa new football league which introduced modified rules and debuted to tremendous, but short-lived fanfare, only lasting one season. In 2003, NBC obtained the broadcast rights and a minority interest in the Arena Football League. The network televised weekly games on a regional basis, as well as the entire playoffs. The deal lasted four years, after which the league and NBC parted ways.

Beginning with the 1999 Pennzoil 400, NBC began its foray into NASCAR. NBC, along with Fox, FX, and TNT, obtained the broadcast rights of the top two series in a six-year deal, beginning in 2001. NBC televised the second half of the season and alternated coverage of the Daytona 500 with Fox. NBC announced in December 2005 that it would not renew its agreement. In 2001, NBC obtained the broadcast rights to horse racing's Triple Crown in a five year deal.

In 2004, NBC reached a broadcast agreement with the NHL. The revenue-sharing deal called for the two sides to split advertising revenue after the network recouped expenses. NBC televised regular season games at first on Saturday afternoons before moving the telecast to Sundays, Saturday and Sunday afternoon playoff games, and up to five games of the Stanley Cup Final. Additionally in 2008, NBC broadcast the first Winter Classic, an outdoor NHL game played on New Year's Day at Ralph Wilson Stadium, a success in attendance and television ratings. The following year's Winter Classic would become the most-watched regular season game in 34 years. In addition to this regular season success, Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final was watched by an average of 8 million viewers, the most for an NHL game in 36 years.

The NFL also returned to NBC in 2006 after a eight year hiatus, broadcasting the league's new flagship ''Sunday Night Football'' game, along with select post-season games and Super Bowls XLIII and XLVI.

2011: Comcast Merger and the NBC Sports Network

In January 2011, Comcast closed its acquisition of a majority share in NBC Universal. As a result of the merger, the operations of Comcast's existing sports networks, such as Golf Channel and Versus, were merged into a new division known as the NBC Sports Group. NBC Sports' senior vice president Mike McCarley additionally became Golf Channel's new head. NBC Sports' golf production unit was merged with Golf Channel, along with NBC's on-air staff, and that unit is now known under the branding of Golf Channel on NBC.

The merger also helped influence an extension of NBC Sports' contract with the NHL; the 10-year deal valued at close to $2 billion dollars covers rights for both NBC and Versus, introduces a new primetime "Black Friday" game, and national coverage for every game in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

On July 3, 2011, ESPN obtained the exclusive broadcast rights of Wimbledon, in a 12-year deal. NBC had televised The Championships since 1969.

On August 10, 2011, Major League Soccer signed a three-year deal with NBC to broadcast MLS matches on both the main NBC network and the NBC Sports Network, which will begin with the 2012 season.

As part of the merger, it was also revealed that Versus and the existing Comcast SportsNet regional sports networks would also be re-launched under the NBC Sports banner within the year. The new name for Versus as of the beginning of 2012, the NBC Sports Network, was revealed on August 1, 2011. NBC Sports will adopt a new logo as well. The re-launch will coincide with multiple major events in January to be aired on NBC, where the newly re-launched network will be aggressively promoted. Personnel from NBC Sports will be shared between the two channels, and the network's telecasts will be produced in a similar style to those aired by NBC.

However, despite now being a part of NBC Sports, and reports suggesting that this would occur, the Comcast SportsNet channels will not be re-branded under the NBC name, as was originally planned. However, they will eventually use graphics based off those used by NBC Sports..

Olympics

In 1964, NBC televised the Summer Olympics in Tokyo; in 1972, NBC televised the Winter Games for the first time. 1980 would prove to be a stinging disappointment for the network. After contentious negotiations, NBC won the broadcast rights to the Games in Moscow. After the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, the United States and 64 other countries boycotted. NBC substantially scaled back its coverage and lost heavily in advertising revenue. In 1988, NBC televised the Summer Olympics in Seoul. Since then, it has become “America’s Olympic Network,” televising every Summer Olympic Games since Seoul, as well as the Winter Games in 2002, 2006, and 2010. NBC has aired 12 Summer and Winter Olympics, more than any other network and the Games have become an integral part of the network. In 1998, Ebersol was named president of NBC Sports and Olympics. Recently, the 2010 Games in Vancouver were watched by a total of 190 million viewers, including 27.6 million viewers of the Gold Medal Game in men’s hockey.

Programs throughout the years

Current programs

''NFL on NBC'': 1955–1963 (NFL Championship Game), 1970-1997 (AFC), 2006–present (''NBC Sunday Night Football'')

*Super Bowls I (shared with CBS), III, V, VII, IX, XI, XIII, XV, XVII, XX, XXIII, XXVII, XXVIII, XXX, XXXII, XLIII, and XLVI

*Pregame: ''Grandstand'' (1975-1976), ''NFL {Insert Year}'' (1977–1986), ''NFL Live!'' (1987–1994), ''NFL on NBC'' (1995–1997), ''Football Night in America'' (2006–present)

*American Football League (1965-1969)

College football: (1946–1965, 1991–present)

*''Notre Dame Football on NBC'' (1991–present)

*Bayou Classic (1990–present)

*US Army All-American Bowl (2004–present)

''Olympics on NBC''

Olympic Summer Games (1964, 1980, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020)

*Olympic Winter Games (1972, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018)

''NHL on NBC'': 1966, 1972–1975, 1990–1994 (All Star Game), 2005-present

''Golf Channel on NBC'' (1964–present; coverage now produced by Golf Channel as of February 2011)

*Ryder Cup (1991–present)

*U.S.G.A. Championships (1995–present)

French Open (1983–present)

Kentucky Derby (2001–present)

Preakness Stakes (2001–present)

Belmont Stakes (2001–2005, 2011–present)

Santa Anita Derby (2005–present)

Hambletonian (2007–present)

U.S. Figure Skating Championships (2009–present)

Rugby World Cup (2011, 2015)

Major League Soccer (2012–future)

Additional programming

In 2011, NBC reaired Versus' coverage of the eighth stage of the Tour de France.

Former programs

''Major League Baseball on NBC'': ''World Series presented by The Gillette Company'' (1947–1965), ''NBC Game of the Week'' (1956–1964, 1966–1989), ''Baseball Night in America'' (1994–1995), ''Major League Baseball on NBC'' (1996–2000)

*1947 (Games 1 & 5), 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1995 (Games 2, 3, & 6), 1997, and 1999 World Series

*''Major League Baseball: An Inside Look'' (1979–1989)

''NBA on NBC'' (1955–1962, 1990–2002)

*''WNBA on NBC'' (1997–2002)

*2002 FIBA World Championship

''NASCAR on NBC'' (1983–1985, 1999–2006)

*2002, 2004, and 2006 Daytona 500

College football: Rose Bowl (1952–1988), Sugar Bowl (1959–1970), Orange Bowl (1965–1995), Fiesta Bowl (1978–1995), Cotton Bowl Classic (1953–1957, 1993–1995), Gator Bowl (1996–2006), Hall of Fame Bowl (1988–1992)

''College Basketball on NBC'' (1969–1998)

*NCAA Tournament (1969–1981)

Wimbledon (1969–2011)

Budweiser Million (1981–1986)

Breeders' Cup (1984–2005)

XFL (2001)

''AFL on NBC'' (2003–2006)

Champ Car: (1979–1988; Michigan 500, Pocono 500, Meadowlands Grand Prix 1989-1991; Toronto Grand Prix 1994, 2005–2007)

Canadian Football League (1954, 1982)

Michael Jordan Celebrity Golf Classic (1990s)

Wood Memorial Stakes (2005, 2008, 2010)

''PBA Fall Tour'' (1984–1991)

AVP Tour (1990-????) (2004–2009)

Notable NBC personalities

Marv Albert

Mel Allen

Tiki Barber

Len Berman

Jerome Bettis

John Brodie

Bill Clement

Bud Collins

Cris Collinsworth

Bob Costas

Don Criqui

John Davidson

Tom Durkin

Mike Emrick

Dick Enberg

Alex Flanagan

Mike Florio

Joe Garagiola

Gayle Gardner

Marty Glickman

Curt Gowdy

Jim Gray

Bryant Gumbel

Greg Gumbel

Pat Haden

Tom Hammond

Rodney Harrison

Dan Hicks

Lewis Johnson

Charlie Jones

Andrea Kremer

Tony Kubek

Jim Lampley

Bill Macatee

John Madden

Al Michaels

Lindsey Nelson

Don Ohlmeyer

Keith Olbermann

Merlin Olsen

Billy Packer

Bill Patrick

Dan Patrick

Ahmad Rashad

Jimmy Roberts

Vin Scully

Sterling Sharpe

Jim Simpson

O. J. Simpson

Ed Sneed

Marty Snider

Melissa Stark

Hannah Storm

Matt Vasgersian

Bob Wolff

Notable Telemundo personalities

Andres Cantor

Karim Mendiburu

Edgar Lopez

Leti Coo

Jessie Losada

Alejandro Blanco

Rene Giraldo

Main competitors

''ESPN on ABC''

''Fox Sports''

''CBS Sports''

References

External links

NBC Sports website

NBC.com news and sports webpage

With NFL On, NBC Sports Redoes Web Look

Category:1946 establishments

fr:NBC Sports id:NBC Sports ms:NBC Sports ja:NBCスポーツ fi:NBC Sports

Coordinates	38°37′38″N90°11′52″N
playername	Mark Lazarus
dateofbirth	December 05, 1938
cityofbirth	Stepney
countryofbirth	London
position	Winger
youthyears1	–1958
youthclubs1	Barking
years1	1958–1960
clubs1	Leyton Orient
caps1	20
goals1	4
years2	1960–1961
clubs2	Queens Park Rangers
caps2	37
goals2	19
years3	1961–1962
clubs3	Wolverhampton Wanderers
caps3	9
goals3	3
years4	1962–1964
clubs4	Queens Park Rangers
caps4	81
goals4	28
years5	1964–1966
clubs5	Brentford
caps5	62
goals5	20
years6	1966–1968
clubs6	Queens Park Rangers
caps6	88
goals6	29
years7	1968–1970
clubs7	Crystal Palace
caps7	63
goals7	17
years8	1970–1972
clubs8	Leyton Orient
caps8	82
goals8	14
years9	1972–1977
clubs9	Folkestone
caps9	164
goals9	17
totalcaps	606
totalgoals	151 }}

Mark Lazarus (born 5 December 1938) is a retired English professional footballer. He played as a right winger and made over 400 league appearances, scoring over 100 goals.

Biography

Lazarus was born on 5 December 1938 in Stepney, London, into a Jewish family. Two of his brothers were boxers, one of whom, Lew Lazar, fought for the British title at Welterweight and Middleweight.

Career

Lazarus began his career with Barking, before becoming a professional in 1958 with Leyton Orient. He also played for Queens Park Rangers, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Brentford and Crystal Palace, before playing non-league football with Folkestone. He scored the winning goal for QPR in the 1967 League Cup Final against West Bromwich Albion, the game finished 3–2 to QPR. Was transferred from Orient to Arsenal.

See also

List of select Jewish football (association; soccer) players

External links

Player profile at Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database

Category:1938 births Category:Living people Category:English Jews Category:Jewish footballers Category:People from Stepney Category:Barking F.C. players Category:Leyton Orient F.C. players Category:Queens Park Rangers F.C. players Category:Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. players Category:Brentford F.C. players Category:Crystal Palace F.C. players Category:The Football League players Category:Folkestone F.C. players

Coordinates	38°37′38″N90°11′52″N
name	Ara Parseghian
birth date	May 21, 1923
birth place	Akron, Ohio
sport	Football
overall record	170–58–6
bowl record	3–2
cfbdwid	1823
championships	2 National (1966, 1973)2 MAC (1954–1955)
awards	AFCA Coach of the Year (1964) Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year (1964)Sporting News College Football COY (1966)Amos Alonzo Stagg Award (1997)
player years	1946–19471948–1949
player teams	Miami (OH)Cleveland Browns
player positions	Running back, defensive back
coach years	19501951–19551956–19631964–1974
coach teams	Miami (OH) (assistant)Miami (OH)NorthwesternNotre Dame
cfbhof year	1980
cfbhof id	70005 }}

Ara Raoul Parseghian (born May 21, 1923) is a former American football player and coach of Armenian descent. He served as the head football coach at Miami University (1951–1955), Northwestern University (1956–1963), and the University of Notre Dame (1964–1974), compiling a career college football record of 170–58–6. During his 11 seasons as head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, known popularly as "the Era of Ara," Parseghian tallied a mark of 95–17–4 record for a .836 winning percentage. His teams of 1966 and 1973 won national titles. Parseghian was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1980.

Playing career

After serving in the United States Navy during World War II, Parseghian played halfback at Miami University. He was drafted in the 13th round of the 1947 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, but did not attempt to make the roster and later signed with the Cleveland Browns. He played running back and defensive back during 1948 and 1949 before an injury ended his playing career. With the Browns he had 44 carries for 166 yards, three receptions for 33 yards, scored two touchdowns, and intercepted one pass.

Coaching career

Miami University

Parseghian launched his coaching career as freshman team coach under Woody Hayes at Miami University in 1950, then was elevated to head coach the following year when Hayes left to assume the head coaching job at Ohio State University. Parseghian stayed at his alma mater through the 1955 season, compiling a 39–6–1 record, when he was hired by Northwestern University.

Northwestern

Parseghian was the 20th head coach for the Northwestern Wildcats football team and he held that position for eight seasons, from 1956 until 1963. His career coaching record at Northwestern was 36–35–1. This ranks him third at Northwestern in total wins and ninth at Northwestern in winning percentage. During his tenure at Northwestern, the Wildcats renewed their series with Notre Dame after a decade-long hiatus. Parseghian's teams defeated the Irish four straight times.

Notre Dame

Following a 5–4 season in 1963, a falling out with Northwestern athletic director Stu Holcomb prompted Parseghian to contact Father Edmund P. Joyce, vice president and chairman of the faculty board in control of athletics at the University of Notre Dame. Parseghian inquired about Hugh Devore's status as interim head football coach and when Father Joyce affirmed that the University was searching for a new coach, he expressed his interest in the job. Parseghian's candidacy for the head coaching job at Notre Dame was notable for two reasons. First, he was not a Notre Dame graduate, as every head coach since Knute Rockne had been. Second, Parseghian was Presbyterian and not Roman Catholic, although Rockne (who converted in 1923), Jesse Harper and Edward McKeever were not Catholics either. After an undisclosed initial disagreement, Parseghian was hired as Notre Dame's 22nd head coach, inheriting a team that had finished 2–7 in 1963 and taking it to within 1:33 of an undefeated season and a national championship in 1964.

Parseghian discovered talent in quarterback John Huarte and end Jack Snow. The tandem set numerous school passing and receiving records and Huarte won the Heisman Trophy in 1964. Parseghian did away with all ornamentation on his players' uniforms, eliminating the shamrocks and shoulder stripes, and switched the team's home jerseys to navy blue. During his tenure, the Irish never wore green jerseys.

During the Era of Ara, the Irish won two national championships in 1966 and 1973, and the 1964 team was also awarded the MacArthur Trophy. In 1969, the Notre Dame administration changed its policy that had forbidden the team from playing in bowl games. Parseghian led the team to its first bowl game since Rockne coached the team, the 1970 Cotton Bowl Classic, losing 21–17 to the eventual national champion Texas Longhorns. The Irish avenged that loss in the 1971 Cotton Bowl Classic, defeating the Longhorns, 24–11.

Parseghian's tenure also included a number of controversial episodes. He was accused of playing for a tie against Michigan State in 1966 in one of the most noted games in college football history. Parseghian defended his strategy by maintaining that several key starters had been knocked out of action early in the game and that he did not want to spoil a courageous comeback from a 10–0 deficit by risking a turnover deep in his own territory late in the game that could hand the game to the Spartans. When Parseghian's team beat USC, 51–0, the following week, critics alleged that he ran up the score, even though two of Notre Dame's touchdowns were the result of interception returns, to impress poll voters who had split the number one ranking between Notre Dame and Michigan State following the tie. Subsequent to the USC rout, the final wire service polls did in fact vote the national championship to Parseghian's team.

In 1973, Parseghian had the perfect season that had previously eluded him, topped off by a 24–23 win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. He considered retiring after that game, but later decided to stay on. The Irish were set to return most of their starters back in 1974 and were favored to repeat as national champions. Then six players were suspended for violating school rules and several other key players were injured. An upset loss to underdog Purdue all but derailed the team's hopes to repeat as national champions. All of this, combined with the ever-present pressure to win took its toll, and he privately decided after the eighth game to resign at the end of the season for the sake of his health. However, his resignation was not publicized until mid-December. With Notre Dame's 13–11 win in a rematch against Alabama in the Orange Bowl, Parseghian retired on a winning note. He was succeeded by Dan Devine.

Parseghian planned to take one year off from coaching and see if he still "felt the itch" to return afterwards. He ruled out taking a sabbatical leave from Notre Dame, feeling that it would be unfair to have an assistant run the program, only to have to step aside after one year. Since he regarded Notre Dame as the pinnacle of collegiate coaching jobs, he would only entertain offers from the pros. His last coaching appearance was with the College All-Stars against the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers on July 24, 1976 at Chicago's Soldier Field. The game was halted in the second half when a torrential thunderstorm broke out and play was never resumed. It was the last such game ever played.

During Parseghian's tenure at Notre Dame, the school's long-dormant football rivalry with Michigan was revived. Although the two schools are located within 200 miles of one another, and despite the fact that players from Michigan had introduced the game of football to students at Notre Dame in 1887, they had not met on the gridiron since 1943. While athletic directors Moose Krause and Don Canham were credited for reaching an agreement to resume the series, Parseghian's friendship with Wolverine head coach Bo Schembechler figured as well. Parshegian and Schembechler were teammates at Miami University and Schembechler served on Parshegian's staff at Northwestern in 1956 and 1957. Parseghian never coached against Schembechler since Michigan and Notre Dame did not meet on the field again until 1978.

Later life

After leaving Notre Dame, Parseghian entered private business. He also served as a color analyst for ABC Sports from 1975 to 1981 and for CBS Sports from 1982 to 1988.

Parseghian's career record was 170–58–6. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980, the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 1984, and the Cotton Bowl Classic Hall of Fame in 2007 and was named an honorary Notre Dame alumnus in 1974. He is also a member of the Miami University Athletic Hall of Fame.

He served as one of two honorary coaches along with Lou Holtz in Notre Dame's 2007 Spring Game. Holtz's Gold Team defeated Parseghian's Blue team, 10–6.

In 2007 Notre Dame unveiled a statue in his honor, which depicts players carrying him off the field in triumph following the 1971 Cotton Bowl Classic.

Personal life

Parseghian is married to the former Kathleen Davis. They are parents of three children.

Parseghian founded the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation which is seeking a cure for Niemann-Pick disease Type C (NP-C), a genetic, pediatric, neurodegenerative disorder responsible for the build-up of cholesterol in cells, resulting in eventual damage to the nervous system. Three of his grandchildren, Michael, Marcia, and Christa Parseghian, died from this disease. He is also active in the cause to find a cure for multiple sclerosis; his daughter, Karan, was diagnosed with the disease. He is portrayed by his late friend Jason Miller in the film ''Rudy''.

Head coaching record

*Note: before the 1974 season, the final Coaches' Poll, also known then as the UPI Poll, was released before the bowl games, so a team that lost its bowl game could still claim the UPI national championship. This was changed as a result of Alabama winning the 1973 Coaches' Poll national championship despite losing to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl.

References

Sources

Pagna, Tom, "Notre Dame's Era of Ara" (Diamond Communications, Inc., South Bend, IN, 1976) ISBN 0-912083-74-3

ESPN College Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Game (ESPN Books, New York, NY, 2005) ISBN 1-4013-3703-1

External links

Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation

Category:1923 births Category:Living people Category:American football running backs Category:American military personnel of World War II Category:American Presbyterians Category:American people of Armenian descent Category:College football announcers Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees Category:Cleveland Browns (AAFC) players Category:Miami RedHawks football coaches Category:Miami RedHawks men's basketball players Category:Miami University alumni Category:Northwestern Wildcats football coaches Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football coaches Category:People from Akron, Ohio

Coordinates	38°37′38″N90°11′52″N
name	Ben Maller
birth date	April 29 1977
birth place	Irvine, CA
show	"Ben Maller Show"
station	Fox Sports Radio
timeslot	Weekend Nights
show2	"Blitz Package"
station2	Fox Sports Radio
timeslot2	Sunday's 1pm-6pm ET
style	Sports radio
country
prevshow	The Third Shift
web	http://benmaller.com }}

Benjamin "Big Ben" Maller is an American sports radio host, for Fox Sports Radio where he hosts a program on weekend nights, and previously ''The Third Shift''. Maller is also one of the original sports bloggers, with his popular website BenMaller.com, Ben has broken numerous stories over the years.

Italic title	no
Show name	The Ben Maller Show
Format	Talk, sports
Runtime	1-6 AM (Eastern), 10 PM-3 AM (Pacific), 1-7 AM on Fridays and Saturdays
Country	United States
Language	English
Home station	KLAC
Syndicates	Fox Sports Radio
Starring	Ben Maller
Creator	Ben Maller
Producer	Jeff Duray
Exec producer	Miranda Moreno
First aired	August 2009
Opentheme	"It's All About the Benjamins" by P. Diddy feat. Biggie Smalls
Website	BenMaller.com
Podcast	}}

Early life

Maller grew up in Irvine, California and attended Irvine High School. The young Irvine student began to fall behind in school and consequently was placed in S.E.L.F. (Secondary Education Learning Facility, now known as Creekside High School), the city's alternative education program. Nonetheless the S.E.L.F. enrolled student managed to play high school football for the town's University High School while enrolled at S.E.L.F. Aside from playing football, the S.E.L.F. high school student also had an interest in sports journalism and broadcasting. After finishing high school Maller enrolled in Saddleback College in the nearby city of Mission Viejo. The Saddleback student continued his interest in sports broadcasting doing Gaucho men's basketball and football games on KSBR before landing a job as an AM sports radio journalist.

Maller also gained attention in 1992 for his invention of Clip Nuggets, a popular brand of fridge magnets that make noise. The media attention that he drew from his invention has since died down.

Broadcasting career

Some of his career highlights include being a reporter for XTRA Sports 690am in San Diego in the mid-1990s and co-hosting the ''Ben & Dave Show'' on XTRA Sports 1150 in LA (late-1990s) and the host of ''Dodger Talk'' in 1996 thru 2000. Maller joined Fox Sports Radio for the launch of the network in August 2001 as an update anchor/ weekend morning co-host.

Maller was the first local Los Angeles sports radio host to interview Mike Piazza after his trade from the Dodgers on May 15, 1998.

Big Ben read the starting lineup of the visiting Padres at Dodger Stadium before a Dodgers game with San Diego on June 24, 1999, when PA announcer Mike Carlucci was stuck in traffic.

Ben has been on the air at FSR during every Super Bowl since 2001. (except 2009)

Worked on the Dodgers pre/postgame shows during the 1999 and 2000 seasons. Co-Hosted “Dodger Talk” with Ross Porter.

Maller has appeared in over 30 episodes of the "Sports List" on Fox Sports Net.

Ben is a supporter of Dale Murphy's, and Gorman Thomas' bid for the baseball hall of fame.

Ben's radio audience has picked his favorite NFL team since 2007. The record hasn’t been great, but they do better the following year. 2007 Titans (10-6), 2008 Jets (9-7), 2009 Chiefs (4-12) and 2010 Cowboys (6-10).

Cleveland Ray was voted best young caller by The Maller Nation. Cleveland Ray is a young caller but he knows Cleveland Sports like no one else does. He brings much to the Ben Maller show.

Maller hosted UCLA Bruins post-game football talk show after they blew a a ten point fourth quarter lead against Miami, FL on December 5, 1998 losing 49-45 as Edgerrin James ran for 299 yards and UCLA missed out on the BCS title game.

In 2003, Ben signed a contract to be the "sports gossip guy," for FoxSports.com, providing daily sports rumors and notes. Maller was credited with helping FoxSports.com overtake ESPN.com in unique visitors for the first time in February 2007, according to Nielsen Net Ratings.

In 2006, Maller became the host of The Third Shift on weeknights to replace Jorge Sedano, who left to do a show for WAXY, a local FSR affiliate in Florida.

On Saturday September 22, 2006, Ben, with Julio Flores, moved his Ben vs The Coin segment online, debuting with week 3 of the NFL on his MySpace page. Nearly two weeks later, with help from his brother, he also started offering the segment as a podcast, and on October 5 it became available through iTunes.

Maller has hosted shows with Terry Bradshaw, Jim Lampley, Tony Bruno, Jim Mora, Chris Myers, Dale Brown, James Washington, Tommy Lasorda, Ross Porter, Kevin Kennedy and many other sports stars.

On January 20, 2009, Maller and the rest of the Third Shift staff was fired as part of Clear Channel Communications' layoff of 1850 employees. He was re-hired on August 11, 2009. Maller claims to be the first person to report his firing as it was happening on Twitter.

Maller became the first Southern California broadcaster to host a show on Boston's WEEI, Boston's No.1 rated sports radio station, when he filled in for Mike Adams on "Planet Mikey," in June 2009.

On July 13, 2009, Maller announced that he was hired to be the U.S. correspondent for Radio Sport in New Zealand.

On August 11, 2009, Maller announced that he was returning to Fox Sports Radio after six months and 26 days off the air. Ben's show re-debuted on the weekends during the times of 1-6 AM ET on Saturdays and 1-7 AM ET Sundays. Regular show features include Trivia After Dark, Sports Jeopardy, Insta-advice Line, Who Am I, Radio Roast, and Yankee Report.

In May 2010, Ben led a march at Staples Center with fellow Clippers fan Clipper Darrell in an unsuccessful attempt to woo free agent Lebron James to the Los Angeles Clippers, as James took "[his] talents down to South Beach."

In December 2010, Maller announced to his fans that the Brooksider Bar & Grill in Kansas City, MO had named its chicken fingers after him. The "Big Ben Maller Chicken Fingers" are on the menu for $7.49. Then a few weeks later Big Ben reported the debut of the "Malzone," (a philly cheesesteak style Calzone) at Vito's Pizzeria in Syracuse, NY

Today, Ben Maller & Steve DeSager work together on the show but DeSager is an updater for Fox Sports Radio, Jeff Duray is from Boston,& Miranda Moreno is a producer for 3 Fox Sports Radio shows, But no longer for Ben Maller.

References

External links

BenMaller.com

Fox Sports Radio profile

Ben Maller's Facebook page

Ben Maller's Twitter

Category:American radio personalities Category:Living people Category:People from Irvine, California Category:Saddleback College alumni Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Coordinates	38°37′38″N90°11′52″N
name	Daniel Clive Wheldon
nationality	British |
birth date	June 22, 1978
birth place	Emberton, Olney, England, United Kingdom
current series	IRL IndyCar Series
first year	2002
current team	Bryan Herta Autosport
car number	98
former teams	Chip Ganassi RacingAndretti Green RacingPanther Racing
starts	128
wins	16
poles	5
best finish	1st
year	2005
prev series	Indy LightsToyota Atlantic ChampionshipU.S. F2000 Championship Series
prev series years	200120001999
titles	IRL IndyCar Series Champion
title years	2005
awards	IRL IndyCar Series Rookie of the YearIndianapolis 500 WinnerIndianapolis 500 Winner
award years	200320052011 }}

Daniel Clive Wheldon (born 22 June 1978) is an English auto racing driver. He was the 2005 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champion, and winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 2005 and 2011. He currently resides in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Beginnings

Wheldon, who was born in Emberton, near Olney, Buckinghamshire, England, took up karting at the age of four with funding from his father, he progressed through the junior ranks of motor racing during his school years. Attending Bedford School until he completed his GCSEs at age 16, he frequently took time off to race. During his early career in open wheel racing, he developed a rivalry with Jenson Button before ultimately leaving the United Kingdom to race in America. The reasoning behind the move was that the level of investment needed to fund his racing career in the UK wasn't able to be provided by his family. Moving to the United States in 1999, he spent several years in lower open-wheeled circuits like the U.S. F2000 Championship Series, the Toyota Atlantic series and the Indy Lights series.

IRL IndyCar Series

In 2002, Wheldon moved up to the IRL IndyCar Series for two events, with Panther Racing as teammate to Sam Hornish, Jr.. The following year Wheldon joined Andretti Green Racing, taking the spot of Michael Andretti following his retirement, and collected league Rookie of the Year honours. In 2004, he won his first IRL race at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan, ultimately finishing as runner-up to teammate Tony Kanaan in the championship with three wins.

He won the 2005 Indianapolis 500 as well as that season's IndyCar Series championship. His six victories in 2005 also broke the record for most victories in one season (under IRL sanction), previously held by Sam Hornish, Jr. with 5. His win at Indy was the first for an Englishman since Graham Hill's triumph in 1966. In November 2005, it was announced that he would be driving for Chip Ganassi Racing in the IndyCar Series in 2006. Shortly after his first test with Ganassi, he won the 24 Hours of Daytona endurance sports car race with Ganassi teammates Scott Dixon and Ganassi NASCAR driver Casey Mears.

He began the IndyCar season by beating Hélio Castroneves by 0.0147 seconds at Homestead-Miami, a somber race due to the earlier death of Paul Dana in a practice session. Wheldon retired at St. Petersburg thanks to contact with Sam Hornish, Jr. during a caution period. At the end of the 2006 IndyCar season, Wheldon and Hornish were tied for the lead with each driver having 475 points. In the event of a tie, the driver with the most wins for that particular season is declared the champion. Hornish had four wins for the 2006 season, to Wheldon's two; therefore Hornish was declared the 2006 IndyCar champion.

During the close season he was offered a place in the BMW Sauber Formula One team, but declined on discovering he would not be assured a regular drive. "I do want to race in F1. When my contract expires with Chip, I’ll take a serious look at Formula One".

Commenting in 2007 on the perception of him as 'difficult', Wheldon said "I put everything into my racing, and I expect the same back. If I see people who aren't giving it I'm not afraid to say so, but that sometimes comes out a little brash. That could be improved a little bit."

On 22 June 2008, his 30th birthday, he took his 15th career victory in the IndyCar Series after winning the 2008 Iowa Corn Indy 250 over Hideki Mutoh and Marco Andretti. He donated his winnings to help the victims of the recent tornadoes and flooding which had occurred in Iowa.

Wheldon was released from his drive at Ganassi on 2 September 2008. He was replaced by Dario Franchitti; "I have enjoyed these last three seasons with Target Chip Ganassi Racing, but will be moving on to pursue a very exciting opportunity for 2009," Wheldon said. It would later turn out to be a return to former team Panther Racing. Wheldon drove the Panther car to a second place finish in the 2009 Indianapolis 500, the second Indy 500 runner-up finish in a row for the team. However, his strong start to the season faded and Wheldon failed to crack the Top 10 in 7 of the last 8 races of the year. The following year Wheldon again showed strong at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, finishing second at the 2010 Indianapolis 500. This gave Panther its third straight runner-up finish at Indy. This time, Wheldon remained competitive all year, challenging for wins on the oval tracks.

Despite strong showings in the Panther Racing #4 car, Wheldon still failed to win a race during his time with the team. This led to his being replaced at Panther Racing by the young American driver (and 2009 Indy Lights champion) J.R. Hildebrand. Wheldon attempted and won the 2011 Indianapolis 500 with Bryan Herta Autosport in stunning and ironic fashion after inheriting the lead with metres to go after Hildebrand wrecked going into the final turn trying to get around the decelerating Charlie Kimball with too much velocity, being the first driver in Indy history to win the race by leading a single lap. Wheldon was very emotional after the win, due to not having a ride for the rest of the season and concerning his mother who had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, to whom he partially dedicated his victory. It was Wheldon's first series win in three seasons.

Other appearences

Dan Wheldon was a guest star in the voice cast for the TV series ''Hot Wheels Battle Force 5''.

Personal life

Wheldon married his long-time personal assistant, Susie Behm, in 2008. They have 2 sons: Sebastian , who was born on 1 February 2009, and Oliver, born 19 March 2011. The family lives in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Motorsports career results

American open–wheel racing results

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IndyCar Series

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! 1

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! 17

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! 19

! Rank

! Points

! Panther Racing

HMS

PHX

FON

NZR

TXS

PPIR

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KAN

NSH

MIS

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STL

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! Andretti Green Racing

HMS

PHX

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! Bryan Herta Autosport

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: ''* Season still in progress.'' : ''^a Wheldon lost the title on the tiebreaker - he won only two races compared to Sam Hornish, Jr.'s four after the two tied on 475 points'' : ''¹ Run on same day'' : ''² Non-points race''

! Years	! Teams	! Races	! Poles	! Wins	! Podiums(Non-win)**	! Top 10s(Non-podium)***	! Indianapolis 500Wins	! Championships
9	4	129	5	16	25	48	2 (
! Year	! Chassis	! Engine	! Start	! Finish	! Team	! Summary
	[[Dallara">2005 Indianapolis 500

: ** Podium (Non-win) indicates 2nd or 3rd place finishes. : *** Top 10s (Non-podium) indicates 4th through 10th place finishes.

Indianapolis 500

! Year	! Chassis	! Engine	! Start	! Finish	! Team	! Summary
	[[Dallara	Honda			Andretti Green	Wrecked in turn 4, flipped
	Dallara	Honda			Andretti Green	Running
	Dallara	Honda			Andretti Green	Running; 157.603 mph
	Dallara	Honda			Chip Ganassi Racing	Running
	Dallara	Honda			Chip Ganassi Racing	Crashed on backstretch
	Dallara	Honda			Chip Ganassi Racing	Running
	Dallara	Honda			Panther Racing	Running
	Dallara	Honda			Panther Racing	Running
	Dallara	Honda			Bryan Herta Autosport	Running; 170.265 mph

References

External links

Official Site

IndyCar Driver Page

Audio Interview with Dan Wheldon Dan Wheldon talks about his karting days

Recent Audio Interview with Dan Wheldon Dan Wheldon looks forward to a new challenge

ESPN Profile

Category:1978 births Category:24 Hours of Daytona drivers Category:Atlantic Championship drivers Category:BRDC Gold Star winners Category:English racecar drivers Category:Formula Ford drivers Category:Indianapolis 500 drivers Category:Indy 500 winners Category:Indy Lights drivers Category:Indy Racing League drivers Category:Living people Category:McLaren Autosport BRDC Award nominees Category:Old Bedfordians Category:People from Olney, Buckinghamshire

de:Dan Wheldon es:Dan Wheldon fr:Dan Wheldon it:Dan Wheldon nl:Dan Wheldon ja:ダン・ウェルドン pl:Dan Wheldon pt:Dan Wheldon sv:Dan Wheldon