SIRIUS XM Patriot is a conservative talk radio channel on SIRIUS Satellite Radio channel 144 and XM Satellite Radio channel 166. The channel features exclusive hosts such as Mike Church, Cam & Company from NRANews.com, Gary L. Bauer & Tom Rose, and Andrew Wilkow. It also features popular syndicated fare including Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, and Cigar Dave. The station is the result of a merger between former channels SIRIUS Patriot and America Right.

History of Sirius Patriot

SIRIUS Patriot was initially launched in July 2004 as a companion to the now defunct SIRIUS Right, which was dropped in 2006 in favor of the Fox News Talk channel. Patriot launched with a lineup that makes the channel unrecognizable from today. The complete lineup included Geoff Metcalf, Laura Ingraham, Bob Dornan, Cam & Company from NRA News, Joseph Farah’s Worldnet Daily, Michael Reagan, and The Pentagon Channel overnights. The following year, Sirius added exclusive hosts Mike Church to late mornings and Andrew Wilkow to afternoons. Cam & Company was moved to nights.

In 2006 and 2007, the Patriot lineup underwent many changes as sister conservative talk channels Sirius Right and ABC News & Talk were deleted. The channel added Bill Bennett's Morning in America program to mornings after Sirius Right was removed. Patriot absorbed both Sean Hannity and Mark Levin from the loss of the ABC channel and cleared both live, which forced Andrew Wilkow to move his live show to mid-days and eventually removed Michael Reagan from the lineup when Levin's show expanded to three hours.

Sirius Canada added the channel in the summer of 2008 (along with the now-defunct Hot Jamz and SIRIUS Left). The channel did not join the XM Satellite Radio lineup on November 12, 2008, like many Sirius channels.

History of America Right

America Right, originally known as Buzz XM, launched in 2001 under the control of Clear Channel, which kept it until March 2006.

Buzz XM (2001-2004)

Buzz XM started off on channel 166 during the launch of XM, and carried shows including The Phil Hendrie Show, The David Lawrence Show, Bill Handel, Matt Drudge, The Glenn Beck Program, Bill Cunningham, and The John and Ken Show. Many of these programs originated from KFI in Los Angeles, California, especially on the weekends. Since it was a Clear Channel satellite station, the lineup was dominated mainly by Clear Channel programming. Also, since XM had less than a million subscribers at the time, there wasn't a lot of concern over how local Los Angeles some of the programs were. Nonetheless, Buzz XM went on for a few years without any big problems, like the ones its sister Extreme XM suffered from.

There was one casualty, albeit a minor one on Saturday nights. The clinical sex talk show Sex with Dr. Natasha which aired Saturday nights from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. ET was pulled from the air in March 2004 as a reaction to the Super Bowl and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) crackdown on indecency. The show was syndicated on terrestrial AM and FM radio, but was never cited nor fined by the FCC. The only incident coming close to this was when Dr. Natasha appeared on another talk show. Complaints were filed, but the FCC rejected them, claiming that the show's sex talk was for clinical purposes, not obscene ones. Still, Clear Channel cancelled the show entirely and it was removed from any and all affiliates, including Buzz XM.

Conservative talk focus begins

Over time, the channel slowly began to become a bit more conservative focused. With XM launching a new channel for left-leaning talk shows, it looked as if Buzz XM would be a good choice to reformat, and so it was.

America Right (2004-2010)

The channel was renamed "America Right" in April 2004, and was retailored to include only conservative and Republican talk shows; though many of these shows were already on the lineup beforehand. Non-conservative hosts, such as Phil Hendrie and David Lawrence, were absorbed by Extreme XM. Some of the shows added to the America Right lineup included Rusty Humphries, Michael Savage and Michael Reagan. At the same time, the Air America Radio channel, was created for liberal talk programming, mostly from the Air America Radio network.

Michael Savage leaves

In March 2005, America Right talker Michael Savage stated that satellite radio should be censored by the Federal Communications Commission. Savage claimed that his lawyers were working on getting him off of both satellite services because he didn't want to be associated with the type of talk presented by hosts who frequently use obscene language. His show, "The Savage Nation" left the XM and Sirius lineups the following week.

In late 2005, after more lineup shuffling, Dr. Laura was added to America Right. Her presence on America Right was considered out of place by some listeners, as her show promotes conservative values, but is not political in nature.

XM takes control

In May 2006, Clear Channel decided to return the channel back to XM Satellite Radio. Several changes were made to America Right's lineup, including the swapping and shuffling of shows with sister station Talk Radio, still programmed by Clear Channel. Glenn Beck exchanged slots with G. Gordon Liddy's program. Matt Drudge's weekend program was also added, and The Wall Street Journal's hours were extended. America Right also debuted a show in the 1-5 a.m. slot, Advice Line with Roy Masters.

After sixteen months of a stable lineup, America Right announced in September 2007 that Dr. Laura would be moving to Take 5 to make room for Sean Hannity and Mark Davis, who were previously on the now-discontinued ABC News & Talk channel.

Controversy over advertorial

On September 15, 2007, America Right aired the first installment of Real Estate Wealth Myths Facts and Strategies, a brokered program featuring Fredric Dryer and Gary Eldred. The program was sponsored by Convergent Acquisitions and Development Inc. - a company that acquires rental properties for investors. The show was pulled after one show upon learning Dryer was indicted on 67 felony charges, including theft to securities, and fraud. XM spokesman Nathaniel Brown said XM pulled the show because it was "not aware of the legal issues surrounding one of the personalities that Convergent chose to use for the advertorials." He also added, "The advertorial aired once and it won't air again."

Merger effects

In February 2009, Andrew Wilkow's program was added to mid-days on America Right, which moved Laura Ingraham to a live slot and bumped G. Gordon Liddy off the weekday lineup. His show became a weekend best-of show. In addition, Mike Church was added to a tape delayed timeslot from midnight to 3 a.m. Eastern. To make room for sports preemptions, much of America Right's weekend programming wound up on sister channel Sirius XM Stars Too, as well as Clear Channel controlled America's Talk.

SIRIUS XM Patriot (2010-)

On May 12, 2010, Sirius XM announced that the Glenn Beck program would be added to a newly merged SIRIUS XM Patriot channel. This would be the first time a program produced by Clear Channel Communications would be heard on a Sirius XM produced channel. As a result, Mike Church's show was moved to morning drive, and the Rusty Humphries show, heard on America Right at the time, would move to overnights. The channel now features a live lineup from 6am to midnight Eastern time.

Lineup

NOTE: Programming is subject to preemption by special events.

Weekdays

Saturday

Sunday

See also

SIRIUS XM Patriot Plus

Category:XM Satellite Radio channels Category:Sirius Satellite Radio channels Category:Digital only radio stations

Name	Andrew Wilkow
Birth date	August 18, 1972
Birth place	Hollywood Beach, Florida
Occupation	conservative political talk radio host
Education	University of Florida

Andrew Wilkow (born August 18, 1972 in Hollywood Beach, Florida) is a conservative political talk radio host on the Sirius XM Patriot channel on SIRIUS channel 144 and XM channel 166. Until July 2006, Wilkow had been on WGY in Schenectady, New York, (weekday mornings) and WABC in New York City (Sunday mornings). He calls himself the "next generation of great talk radio", a nickname given to him by Mark Levin. Wilkow also is one of the founders and a contributor to the Web site Conservative Punk.

Wilkow was raised in the Long Island town of Bellmore, New York. Wilkow's interest in radio began during his freshman year of college at SUNY Delhi at that college's campus station, WDTU. After transferring from Delhi to a local community college where he obtained his associates degree, he finished his college education at the University of Florida, graduating in 1996 with a degree in Communications. While there, he held an airshift at that school's commercially run WRUF-FM and was a member of Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity.

Before entering talk radio in 2002 (, he had stints as a disk jockey at WCLG-FM in Morgantown, West Virginia, (as "Andrew Steele") and at WMRQ in Hartford, Connecticut (as "Wilkow"). Wilkow became a regular Sunday morning host at WABC while keeping his air shift at WMRQ. When WMRQ switched format from alternative rock to hip hop, he moved into talk radio full time when he filled the 5-7 p.m. shift on WGY in October 2003. After becoming a ratings success, Wilkow moved to the 9-11:40 a.m. slot in May 2005, replacing Glenn Beck, when WGY wanted to clear the third hour of Sean Hannity. At WGY, Wilkow became known for being a vocal rival of the Democratic party in Albany (which he refers to as the "entrenched Democratic Machine.

In June 2006, Wilkow announced his departure from both WGY and WABC in order to host a talk show on Sirius Satellite Radio; his last show on WGY was July 14, and his last show on WABC was on July 30. Since August 9, 2006, Wilkow has hosted his own program on the Sirius Patriot channel on Sirius Satellite radio, "The Wilkow Majority." The advertising for the program claims it is rooted in "one thing and one thing only, and that is rational thought."

On August 23, 2006, Wilkow returned to the airwaves of WABC, where he filled in as a substitute for regular Mark Levin who hosts a three-hour program on WABC every weekday. On July 14, 2007 Andrew married, Brittany, the daughter of WABC program director, Phil Boyce.

He currently hosts a three-hour session beginning at 9 A.M. West/12 P.M. East Monday-Friday, with replays after Cam and Company in the evenings and on weekends.

References

External links

Andrew Wilkow:

:*Official Wilkow Majority Site :*Made In the USA Shopping Guide :*Myspace :*Facebook :*Conservative Punk - Andrew Wilkow was a founder and is a contributor.

Andrew Wilkow commentary:

:*Pelosi vs Lugosi 2010, by Andrew Wilkow, ParcBench, Jan 18, 2010. :*Obama missing a beat - Why not sell America to the Americans?, by Andrew Wilkow and Nick Rizzuto, Washington Times, Nov 4, 2009. :*Pelosi's Chickens Home to Roost; Her Attacks on the CIA's Credibility Have Damaged Her Own, by Andrew Wilkow and Nick Rizzuto, Washington Times, May 19, 2009. :*GE a Corporate Sponsor, by Andrew Wilkow and Nick Rizzuto, Washington Times, May 11, 2009.

Andrew Wilkow fans:

:*Unofficial Fan Site :*Tcunation.com Andrew Wilkow Fans

Andrew Wilkow videos:

:*Video: Wilkow rolling in mud at HIV/AIDS fundraising event :*Video: Andrew Wilkow on Glenn Beck Show - May 12, 2009 - about GE and Obama healthcare tie. :*Video: Save Jersey's Matt Rooney talks to Andrew Wilkow - May 17, 2009 :*Video: Andrew on Lou Dobbs Show, CNN - July 24, 2009 :*Video: Andrew on Joy Behar Show, CNN Headline News - 06 Oct 2009

Category:University of Florida alumni Category:American radio personalities Category:American talk radio hosts Category:Conservatism in the United States Category:Living people Category:1972 births Category:American adoptees

Vince Flynn (born April 6, 1966) is a best-selling American author of political thriller novels. He lives with his wife and three children in the Twin Cities. He is a frequent guest on the Glenn Beck news program on the Fox News Channel. He also served as a story consultant for the fifth season of the 24 television series.

Biography

Vince Flynn is a graduate of Saint Thomas Academy (1984) and the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) (1988). Post graduation, Flynn went to work for Kraft Foods as an account and sales marketing specialist. In 1990, he left Kraft to pursue a career as an aviator with the United States Marine Corps. One week before leaving for Officer Candidate School, he was medically disqualified from the Marine Aviation Program.

In an effort to overcome the difficulties of dyslexia, Flynn forced himself into a daily writing and reading regimen. Quotes Flynn: "I started reading everything I could get my hands on, Hemingway, Ludlum, Clancy, Tolkien, Vidal. I read fiction, nonfiction, anything, but I especially loved espionage."

His newfound interest in such novels motivated him to begin work on a novel of his own. While employed as a bartender in the St. Paul area, he completed his first book, Term Limits, which he then self-published. "I had just finished reading The Government Racket: Washington Waste from A to Z, by Martin L. Gross. It is without a doubt the most disheartening and enlightening book about politics that I've ever read. I was out jogging one day wondering what it would take to really change Washington, when my thoughts turned to a friend who had been shot and killed in Washington, D.C., several summers earlier. As I continued running, a story started to unfold."

Pocket Books published the hardcover edition of Term Limits in 1998, and the mass market paperback of Term Limits in 1999, which spent several weeks on The New York Times bestseller list.

Subsequent works, including Flynn's 1999 novel, Transfer of Power, his 2000 novel The Third Option and his 2001 novel Separation of Power, also appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, with Separation of Power reaching as high as #7.

Flynn's fifth novel, Executive Power, was published in hardcover by Atria Books in May 2003, followed by his sixth novel Memorial Day in 2004, his seventh novel Consent To Kill in October 2005, his eighth novel Act Of Treason in October 2006, his ninth novel Protect And Defend in 2007 and his tenth novel Extreme Measures in 2008.

With the exception of his first novel Term Limits, his works have centered around counter-terrorism agent Mitch Rapp. His 2008 release, Extreme Measures became the ninth novel in that increasingly popular series.

The level of specific detail displayed in the Mitch Rapp series at one point came under the scrutiny of the Department Of Energy. His sixth novel Memorial Day actually garnered a security review by the DOE due to concerns that the book contained classified material surrounding nuclear security. This security review was also mentioned in internal memos by the FBI and Secret Service.

Flynn has written six New York Times bestsellers for Atria Books, and has a contract for four more. He remembers deciding between following the path that was the most uncomfortable — continuing with what looked to be a promising career as a commercial real estate leasing agent — or take a big risk and start a new career as a writer. “ I look back on it now and I couldn’t be happier with my decision, but at the time I remember a lot of people thought I was nuts.”

In February 2008, Flynn agreed on film and book projects with CBS Corporation units CBS Films and Simon & Schuster/Atria Books. Lorenzo di Bonaventura is negotiating to produce Mitch Rapp films. Atria Books got worldwide rights to four books by the author.

Flynn has recently signed a two-book deal for a new series that he will co-write with Brian Haig, a retired Army Lt. Colonel.

Bibliography

Mitch Rapp Series

Mitch Rapp, as portrayed by the author, is an under-cover CIA counter-terrorism agent. The primary focus of the character is thwarting Middle Eastern terrorist attacks on the United States and he is presented as an aggressive operative who is willing to take measures that are more extreme than might be considered commonly acceptable. His constant frustration with procedures and red tape are a major theme throughout the entire series. Profanity and adult themes are common, so the series is recommended for mature audiences. #Term Limits (1997)** - ISBN 0-671-02317-9 (Contains some of the characters from the Mitch Rapp series, but Rapp himself does not appear) #Transfer of Power (1999) - ISBN 0-671-02319-5 #The Third Option (2000) - ISBN 0-671-04731-0 #Separation of Power (2001) - ISBN 0671047337 #Executive Power (2002) - ISBN 0-7434-5395-6 #Memorial Day (2004) - ISBN 0-7434-5397-2 #Consent to Kill (2005) - ISBN 0-7432-7036-3 #Act of Treason (2006) - ISBN 0-7432-7037-1 #Protect and Defend (2007) - ISBN 978-0743270410 #Extreme Measures (2008) - ISBN 0-7432-7042-8 #Pursuit of Honor (October 13, 2009) -- ISBN 978-1416595168 #American Assassin (October 12, 2010) -- ISBN 978-1416595182

References

External links

Official Web Site

Fantastic Fiction Author Page

Internet Book List Author Page

The World of Vince Flynn - TheThirdOption.net

Audio Interview with Dr. Blogstein's Radio Happy Hour

Transcript of interview with Hugh Hewitt

Audio interview with Hugh Hewitt - part 1 of 3

Audio interview with Hugh Hewitt - part 2 of 3

Audio interview with Hugh Hewitt - part 3 of 3

All about Vince Flynn Fan Site

Category:American novelists Category:American Roman Catholics Category:American thriller writers Category:American people of Irish descent Category:Living people Category:People from Minneapolis, Minnesota Flynn,Vince Category:Writers from Minnesota Category:Techno-thrillers Category:1966 births

Name	Rob Gronkowski
Currentteam	New England Patriots
Currentnumber	87
Currentposition	Tight end
Birthdate	May 14, 1989
Birthplace	Amherst, New York
Heightft	6
Heightin	6
Weight	265
College	Arizona
Draftyear	2010
Draftround	2
Draftpick	42
Debutyear	2010
Debutteam	New England Patriots
Pastteams
Status	Active
Highlights
Statseason	2010
Statlabel1	Receptions
Statvalue1	42
Statlabel2	Receiving yards
Statvalue2	546
Statlabel3	Receiving touchdowns
Statvalue3	10
Nfl	GRO135948

Rob Gronkowski (born May 14, 1989) is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Arizona.

Early years

Gronkowski was born on May 14, 1989 in Amherst, New York to parents Gordon Gronkowski and Diane Gronkowski. His father started for three years as an offensive guard at Syracuse. His great-grandfather, Ignatius, was a member of the 1924 U.S. Olympic cycling team in Paris. Rob has four brothers: Chris, who played football for two years at Maryland before transferring to Arizona; Chris is now the starting fullback for the Dallas Cowboys. Dan, who played as a tight end at Maryland and was selected in the 2009 NFL Draft, now a tight end for the Denver Broncos; Gordie, Jr., who played baseball at Jacksonville University; and Glenn, who is currently attending high school.

Rob Gronkowski was raised in Williamsville, New York near Buffalo and attended Williamsville North High School for three years. He played football as a tight end and basketball as a center. As a junior, he recorded 36 receptions for 648 yards and seven touchdowns, and 73 tackles and six sacks on defense. He was named an All-Western New York first-team and All-State second-team player. but that ruling was overturned and Gronkowski recorded eight receptions for 152 yards and four touchdowns at Woodland Hills. He was named a SuperPrep All-American, PrepStar All-American, Associated Press Class 4-A all-state, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Fabulous 22", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette first-team all-conference, The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, PA) "Platinum 33", and a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review "Terrific 25" player.

College career

Following high school, Gronkowski attended the University of Arizona. As a true freshman in 2007, Gronkowski recorded 28 receptions for 525 yards and six touchdowns. His 18.8 yards per reception average was the best on the team and his receiving yards were a then school record for a tight end. He was named a The Sporting News freshman All-American, Rivals.com freshman All-American, The Sporting News freshman Pac-10, and All-Pac-10 honorable mention player.

Professional career

Pre-draft

New England Patriots

Gronkowski was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract on July 25, 2010.

2010 season

During the preseason, Gronkowski was one of three NFL players to score four touchdowns, tying Victor Cruz, a rookie wide receiver for the New York Giants and Anthony Dixon, a running back for the San Francisco 49ers. On one of those touchdowns, a 14-yard pass from Tom Brady, Gronkowski dragged St. Louis Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis several yards before diving into the end zone. In the Week 1 game against Cincinnati, Gronkowski caught his first regular season touchdown in the fourth quarter on a one-yard pass from Brady.

In a Week 10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Gronkowski caught three touchdown passes from Brady, becoming the first rookie in Patriots history, and the youngest rookie in NFL history to accomplish the feat.

Returning to his home city of Buffalo in Week 16, Gronkowski caught two touchdowns against the Buffalo Bills, giving him nine touchdown catches on the season. He added a touchdown in the season finale, giving him 10 on the season, and making him the first rookie tight end since the NFL-AFL merger to score 10 touchdowns. In 16 games played (11 starts), Gronkowski caught 42 passes for 546 yards.

Gronkowski was nominated three times for Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week, in Weeks 10, 14, and 17, losing in Week 10 to Tim Tebow, and winning in Weeks 14 and 17. Gronkowski also finished fifth in fan balloting at tight end for the 2011 Pro Bowl, and fourth overall among rookies. He is a candidate for the NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year

References

External links

New England Patriots bio

Arizona Wildcats bio

Category:Living people Category:1989 births Category:People from Erie County, New York Category:Players of American football from New York Category:American football tight ends Category:Arizona Wildcats football players Category:New England Patriots players

Name	Nelson Richard DeMille
Birthdate	August 23, 1943
Birthplace	Jamaica, Queens, New York
Occupation	Novelist
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Hofstra University
Genre	Crime fiction, Thriller
Website	http://www.nelsondemille.net

Nelson Richard DeMille (born August 23, 1943) is an American author of thriller novels. His works include Word of Honor, The Charm School, The Gold Coast, Plum Island, and The General's Daughter, which was made into a movie starring John Travolta.

DeMille has also written under the pen names Jack Cannon, Kurt Ladner, and Brad Matthews.

Biography

DeMille was born in Jamaica, Queens and resides in Garden City, New York, a village on Long Island. He attended Elmont Memorial High School in Elmont, New York, and spent three years at Hofstra University.

DeMille served in the United States Army as a First Lieutenant and saw action in Vietnam.

He is a member of Mensa.

Writing style

Many of DeMille's books are written in the first person, and as such his books follow a linear plot line in which the reader moves along with the main character.

Although the tone of his writing varies with his books, he often includes a liberal dash of sarcasm.

Most DeMille novels, especially the more recent, avoid "Hollywood endings" and instead finish either inconclusively or with the hero successfully exposing the secret/solving the mystery while suffering in his career or personal life as a result. There are generally loose ends left for the reader to puzzle over, Night Fall being a perfect example.

Works

DeMille often uses Long Island as a setting in his novels, for example in The Gold Coast, Plum Island, Word of Honor, and Night Fall. His most recent novels have followed two main characters, John Corey and Paul Brenner. At first, the story lines were completely separate, but there have been hints in the novels that they are part of a larger "DeMille Universe" that references events and characters in earlier novels, such as The Gold Coast and The Charm School.

DeMille has written himself into Up Country and Wild Fire. He takes about two years to write books because of extensive research, and because he writes them longhand on legal paper with a number one pencil. }}

Bibliography

The Sniper (1974)

The Hammer of God (1974)

The Agent of Death (1975)

The Smack Man (1975)

The Cannibal (1975)

The Night of the Phoenix (1975)

Hitler's Children: The True Story of Nazi Human Stud Farms (1976) (as Kurt Ladner)

Killer Sharks: The Real Story (1977) (as Brad Mathews)

The Quest

By the Rivers of Babylon (1978), ISBN 0-15-115278-0

Mayday (1979, updated 1998) (with Thomas Block), ISBN 0-446-60476-3

Cathedral (1981), ISBN 0-440-01140-X

The Talbot Odyssey (1984), ISBN 0-385-29322-4

Word of Honor (1985), ISBN 0-446-51280-X

The Charm School (1988), ISBN 0-446-51305-9

The Gold Coast (1990), ISBN 0-446-51504-3

The General's Daughter (1992), ISBN 0-446-51306-7 (also a movie)

Spencerville (1994), ISBN 0-446-51505-1

Plum Island (1997), ISBN 0-446-51506-X

"Revenge and Rebellion", in The Plot Thickens, ed. by Mary Higgins Clark (1997), ISBN 0-671-01557-5

The Lion's Game (2000), ISBN 0-446-52065-9

Up Country (2002), ISBN 0-446-51657-0

Night Fall (2004), ISBN 0-446-57663-8

Wild Fire (2006), ISBN 0-446-57967-X

The Gate House (Sequel to The Gold Coast) (October 28, 2008), ISBN 0-446-53342-4

The Lion (Sequel to The Lion's Game) (2010), ISBN 0-446-58083-X

Recurring characters

Detective Sgt. Joe Ryker, a tired no-nonsense plains-clothes-man whose natural understanding of his environment gives him an instinct for finding criminals. Famed for being a loner, he carries two weapons, standard police special .38 in an ankle holster and a shouldered .357 Magnum. Keller bears a resemblance in attitude and appearance to Harry Callahan. He appeared in The Smack Man, The Cannibals, and two other novels.

John Corey, a retired New York City police detective on special assignment for the F.B.I. He was introduced in Plum Island and reappears in The Lion's Game, Night Fall, Wild Fire, and The Lion.

Paul Brenner, an investigator for the United States Army's Criminal Investigation Division. He was introduced in The General's Daughter and reappears in Up Country.

Kate Mayfield, an F.B.I. agent. Introduced in The Lion's Game. She marries Corey and reappears in Night Fall, Wild Fire, and The Lion.

Colonel Petr Burov/Boris Though not explicitly stated, DeMille hints that Burov, the antagonist in The Charm School, is the same person as the mysterious "Boris," a character in The Lion's Game and The Lion.

Ted Nash, a CIA agent and arch-rival of Corey, who is introduced in Plum Island and reappears in The Lion's Game, Night Fall, and Wild Fire.

Col. Karl Hellman, Brenner's superior officer at the CID. Appeared in The General's Daughter and Up Country.

John Sutter, Susan Sutter, Felix Mancuso, and several other characters of The Gold Coast reappear in the sequel The Gate House.

References

External links

The "official" DeMille webpage

Nelson Demille Bibliography

Military.com article on Nelson DeMille

Category:1943 births Category:Living people Category:People from Garden City, New York Category:People from Queens Category:Hofstra University alumni Category:American novelists Category:American military personnel of the Vietnam War

Alt	Head shot of Damon looking into the camera smiling slightly. He is wearing a black polo shirt.
Caption	Damon in 2009
Birth date	October 08, 1970
Birth name	Matthew Paige Damon
Birth place	Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Spouse
Occupation	Actor, screenwriter, producer
Alma mater	Harvard University (attended)
Years active	1988–present

Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon (born October 8, 1970) is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting (1997), from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck. The pair won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay for their work and Damon garnered multiple Best Actor nominations, including the Academy Award, for his lead performance in the film.

Damon has since starred in commercially successful films such as Saving Private Ryan (1998), the Ocean's trilogy, and the Bourne series, while also gaining critical acclaim for his performances in dramas such as Syriana (2005), The Good Shepherd (2006), and The Departed (2006). He garnered a Golden Globe nomination for portraying the title character in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) and was nominated for an Academy Award as a supporting actor in Invictus (2009). He is one of the top forty highest grossing actors of all time. In 2007, Damon received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was named Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine.

Damon has been actively involved in charitable work, including the ONE Campaign, H2O Africa Foundation, and Water.org.

Early life

Matt Damon was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the son of Kent Telfer Damon, a stockbroker, and Nancy Carlsson-Paige, an early childhood education professor at Lesley University. Damon is of English, Scottish, Finnish, and Swedish ancestry, and is a distant cousin of actors Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck. He has a brother, Kyle, who is an accomplished sculptor and artist. He and his family moved to Newton and lived there for two years. After his parents divorced, Damon and his brother moved with their mother back to Cambridge, where they lived in a six-family communal house. Damon grew up near Ben Affleck, a close friend since childhood and collaborator on several films, and historian and author Howard Zinn, whose biographical film You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train and audio version of A People's History of the United States Damon later narrated. As a lonely adolescent, Damon has described feeling "such pain in wanting to belong somewhere and not belonging."

Damon attended Harvard University from 1988 to 1992 but did not graduate. While at Harvard, he studied English and lived in Lowell House. He took part in student theater, appearing in plays such as Burn This in Winthrop House and A... My Name is Alice (in one of the three male roles usually performed by women). Damon dropped out of the university to pursue his acting career in Los Angeles because he mistakenly expected to become a big success. "By the time I figured out I had made the wrong decision, it was too late. I was living out here with a bunch of actors, and we were all scrambling to make ends meet," Damon has said.

Acting career

Early years

Damon's first film role came in 1988 when he was eighteen, with a single line of dialogue in the romantic comedy Mystic Pizza. As a student at Harvard University, he continued to pursue acting and performed small roles in projects such as the TNT original film Rising Son and the ensemble prep-school drama School Ties. In 1992, he landed a big part in with Gene Hackman and Jason Patric. Damon next appeared as an opiate-addicted soldier in 1996's Courage Under Fire. He was required to lose in 100 days (for only two days of filming). After following a self-prescribed diet and fitness regimen to lose the weight, Damon was told after filming that he was fortunate his heart did not shrink. He took medication for several years afterwards to correct the stress inflicted on his adrenal gland. Courage Under Fire gained him some critical notice, as The Washington Post labeled his performance "impressive"; Damon has stated that it was worthwhile to risk his health in order to properly portray his character and show the industry how committed he was to his work as an actor. Damon was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for the same film, which also netted an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for co-star Robin Williams. The two later parodied their roles from the film in Kevin Smith's 2001 movie Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

Also in 1997, Damon was the lead in the critically-acclaimed drama The Rainmaker, where he was recognized by the Los Angeles Times as "a talented young actor on the brink of stardom." After meeting Damon on the set of Good Will Hunting, director Steven Spielberg cast Damon as the titular character in the 1998 World War II film Saving Private Ryan. to the low budget experimental film Gerry (2002), which he co-wrote with Casey Affleck and Gus Van Sant. Damon garnered generally positive critical reaction for his Golden Globe-nominated portrayal of Ripley, with Variety stating, "Damon outstandingly conveys his character's slide from innocent enthusiasm into cold calculation."

Damon's attempts at essaying leading characters in romantic dramas such as 2000's All the Pretty Horses and The Legend of Bagger Vance were commercially and critically unsuccessful. He was similarly deemed "uncomfortable being the center" of Robert Redford's The Legend of Bagger Vance.

From 2001 to 2007, Damon gained wider international recognition as part of two major film franchises. He co-starred as thief Linus Caldwell, alongside George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Julia Roberts, in Steven Soderbergh's 2001 remake of the Rat Pack's 1960 caper film Ocean's 11; the successful crime dramedy spawned two sequels, Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007). In August 2007, financial magazine Forbes created a list of actors who generated the best box office performance related to their salaries; the list placed Damon as the most bankable star of the actors reviewed, revealing that Damon had averaged U.S.$29 at the box office for every dollar he earned for his last three films.

in Berlin in February 2007 for the premiere of The Good Shepherd]] Damon played a fictionalized version of Wilhelm Grimm in Terry Gilliam's fantasy adventure The Brothers Grimm (2005), which was a critically panned commercial failure; Later that year, he appeared as an energy analyst in Syriana. In 2006, Damon joined Robert De Niro in The Good Shepherd as a career CIA officer, and played an undercover mobster working for the Massachusetts State Police in Martin Scorsese's The Departed, a remake of the Hong Kong police thriller Infernal Affairs. The Departed was a success amongst critics and audiences alike.

Damon had an uncredited cameo in Francis Ford Coppola's Youth Without Youth (2007) and another cameo in the 2008 Che Guevara biopic Che. He lent his voice to the English version of the animated film Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, which was released in the United States in August 2009. He also made a guest appearance in 2009 on the sixth season finale of Entourage as himself, where he tries to pressure Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) into donating to his charity OneXOne—a real foundation for which Damon is an ambassador—and gets increasingly irritated when Chase does not seem to comply.

Damon next appeared in Steven Soderbergh's dark comedy, The Informant! (2009), in which his Golden Globe-nominated work was described by Entertainment Weekly as such: "The star – who has quietly and steadily turned into a great Everyman actor – is in nimble control as he reveals his character's deep crazies." Also in 2009, Damon portrayed South Africa national rugby union team captain François Pienaar in the Clint Eastwood-directed Nelson Mandela film Invictus, which is based on the 2008 John Carlin book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation and features Morgan Freeman as Mandela. Invictus earned Damon an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The New Republic observed, "It is not a demanding role, but the ever-more-actorly Damon brings it off with low-key charm and integrity."

In 2010, Damon re-teamed with director Paul Greengrass, who directed him in the Bourne Supremacy and Bourne Ultimatum, for the action thriller Green Zone, which flopped commercially and received ambivalent reception from critics.

In motion pictures that feature him either as a leading actor or as a supporting co-star, his films have grossed a total of U.S.$1.94 to U.S.$2.42 billion (based on counting his roles as strictly lead or including supporting roles, respectively) at the North American box office, placing him in the top forty grossing actors of all time.

He has appeared as a guest star in an episode of Arthur, titled The Making of Arthur, as himself. During Season 5 of 30 Rock, he appeared as guest star in the role of Liz Lemon's boyfriend in the episodes "When It Rains, It Pours" and "Live Show".

Damon's 2010 projects included The Adjustment Bureau, Clint Eastwood's Hereafter, and the Coen Brothers' remake of the 1969 John Wayne-starring Western True Grit; the latter movie started filming in March 2010 and was released in December of that year.

Upcoming films

He will next work with frequent collaborator Steven Soderbergh on two projects: as the longtime Liberace love interest, Scott Thorsen, opposite Michael Douglas in an upcoming film centered on the pianist's life and as part of an ensemble cast in Contagion. The company produced and founded the short-lived mystery-hybrid series Push, Nevada, among other projects. Project Greenlight was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Reality Program in 2002, 2004, and 2005.

Humanitarian work

Damon has taken part in philanthropy since the age of 12, deciding what to do with his $5 allowance. Damon was the founder of H2O Africa Foundation, the charitable arm of the Running the Sahara expedition, which merged with WaterPartners to create Water.org in July 2009. He, along with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle, and Jerry Weintraub, is one of the founders of , an organization that focuses global attention and resources to stop and prevent mass atrocities such as in Darfur. Damon supports the ONE Campaign, which is aimed at fighting AIDS and poverty in Third World countries. He has appeared in their print and television advertising. Damon is also an ambassador for OneXOne, a non-profit foundation committed to supporting, preserving and improving the lives of children at home in Canada, the United States, and around the world. Damon is also a spokesperson for Feeding America, the largest USA-focused hunger-relief organization, and a member of their Entertainment Council, participating in their Ad Council PSAs.

Damon is a board member of Tonic Mailstopper (formerly GreenDimes), a company that attempts to halt junk mail delivered to American homes each day. Appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show on April 20, 2007, Damon promoted the organization's efforts to prevent the trees used for junk mail letters and envelopes from being chopped down. Damon stated: "For an estimated dime a day they can stop 70 per cent of the junk mail that comes to your house. It's very simple, easy to do, great gift to give, I've actually signed up my entire family. It was a gift given to me this past holiday season and I was so impressed that I'm now on the board of the company."

In the media

Kimmel and Damon

Comedian Jimmy Kimmel at some point started stating near the end of his ABC television show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, "My apologies to Matt Damon, we ran out of time." The line is a gag lampooning instances where shows cannot feature their last guest due to time constraints. On September 12, 2006, after a segment highlighting the running gag and a lengthy introduction by Kimmel, Damon finally appeared on the show, only for Kimmel to apologetically cut his interview and head to credits, as Damon cursed him. It was later determined that the skit was entirely planned by Kimmel and Damon. Kimmel's girlfriend at the time, comedian Sarah Silverman, also used this line at the end of the 2007 MTV Movie Awards. Silverman then aired a clip of her singing a song entitled "I'm Fucking Matt Damon" on January 31, 2008, on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Damon appeared in the song with Silverman and at the end when she is apologizing to Jimmy, Damon interrupts her and says, "Jimmy, we're out of time. Sorry." Kimmel responded by airing his own music video in which he announced, through song, that he is "fucking Ben Affleck". The video aired on February 24, 2008, and featured Affleck along with a host of celebrities, including Don Cheadle, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Harrison Ford, and Robin Williams. After this Jimmy's sidekick, Guillermo, appeared in a spoof of The Bourne Ultimatum, which starred Damon. He was then chased down by Damon as Matt cursed about Kimmel being behind all this. Guillermo also stopped Damon on the red carpet one time and before he could finish the interview he said "Sorry we are out of time. The most recent encounter was titled "The Handsome Men's Club" which featured Kimmel, along with other "Handsome Men" including Matthew McConaughey, Rob Lowe, Lenny Kravitz, and many more, speaking about being handsome and all the jobs that come with it. At the end of the skit Kimmel has a door slammed in his face by none other then Matt Damon stating that they had run out of time and then Damon continues with a sinister laugh.

Political views

Damon appeared on Hardball with Chris Matthews in December 2006 and, while discussing the ongoing war in Iraq, he stated: "I don't think that it's fair, as I said before, that it seems like we have a fighting class in our country that's people who have to go for either financial reasons, or ... if you're gonna send people to war, then that needs to be shared by everybody."

On September 10, 2008, a video was released on YouTube by the Associated Press in which Damon criticized the Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, whom he found unready to lead the country in case John McCain were to not make it through his first term. Damon referred to Palin as a "...bad Disney movie... 'I'm just a hockey mom from Alaska here to take on the White House'," and added, "It's absurd ... I need to know if she really thinks dinosaurs were here 4,000 years ago. Because she’s gonna have the nuclear codes."

Damon narrated the audiobook version of historian Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, published in 2003.

Personal life

Damon dated his Good Will Hunting co-star Minnie Driver. He later had a two-year relationship with actress Winona Ryder. Damon met Argentine-born Luciana Bozán Barroso (born 1976) in Miami, where she was working as a bartender. They married in a private civil ceremony on December 9, 2005, at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau near New York City Hall. On August 20, 2008, Barroso gave birth to the couple's second child, Gia Zavala Damon, both girls born in Miami, Florida. On October 20, 2010, Barroso gave birth to their third daughter, Stella Zavala Damon, in New York. As of 2010, Damon and his family reside in Manhattan. After the team won the 2007 World Series, he narrated the commemorative DVD release of the event.

Damon enjoys playing poker and has competed in several World Series of Poker (WSOP) events including the 2010 World Series of Poker main event. He dropped $25,000 at the WSOP while researching his role as a professional poker player in Rounders (1998) and after filming the movie Damon was busted out of the 1998 WSOP by poker professional Doyle Brunson.

Awards and honors

Damon won multiple awards for Good Will Hunting, a film he co-wrote with Ben Affleck. He was nominated for the Academy Award as "Best Actor in a Leading Role" and won for "Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen". He reacted to the award by stating: "A few times in my life I've had these experiences that are just kind of too big to process and this looks like it's going to be one of those times." Damon has been nominated for four Screen Actors Guild awards and seven MTV Movie Awards for various films. Additionally, he has three Emmy nominations for his work as producer on three seasons of Project Greenlight. Damon was named People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive for 2007. Damon won 'Best Ass-Kicker' and 'Guy of the Year' at the Spike Guys' Choice Awards of 2008. On March 27, 2010, Damon received the 24th Annual American Cinematheque Award, which was presented to him by Ben Affleck at a ceremony comprising roasts from Damon's colleagues and friends in the entertainment industry.

Filmography

{|class="wikitable" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes |- |rowspan="2"| 1988 | Mystic Pizza | Steamer | |- | The Good Mother | Extra | |- | 1989 |Field of Dreams | Fenway Park extra | |- | 1992 | School Ties | Charlie Dillon | |- | 1993 | | 2nd Lt. Britton Davis | |- |rowspan="2"| 1996 | Glory Daze | Edgar Pudwhacker | |- | Courage Under Fire | Specialist Ilario | |- |rowspan="3"| 1997 | Good Will Hunting | Will Hunting | Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay with Ben AffleckGolden Globe Award for Best ScreenplayNominated — Academy Award for Best ActorNominated — Golden Globe Award for Best ActorNominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Best CastNominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Best ActorNominated — Writers Guild of America Award with Ben Affleck |- | The Rainmaker | Rudy Baylor | |- | Chasing Amy | Shawn Oran | Cameo |- |rowspan="2"| 1998 | Rounders | Mike McDermott | |- | Saving Private Ryan | Private James Francis Ryan | Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast |- |rowspan="2"| 1999 | The Talented Mr. Ripley | Tom Ripley | Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor |- | Dogma | Loki | |- |rowspan="4"| 2000 | Finding Forrester | Steven Sanderson | Cameo |- | All the Pretty Horses | John Grady Cole | |- | The Legend of Bagger Vance | Rannulph Junuh | |- | Titan A.E. | Cale Tucker | Voice |- |rowspan="3"| 2001 | The Majestic | Luke Trimble | Voice only |- | Ocean's Eleven | Linus Caldwell | |- | Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back | Himself | Cameo |- |rowspan="5"| 2002 | Confessions of a Dangerous Mind | Matt, bachelor #2 | Cameo |- | The Bourne Identity | Jason Bourne | |- | | Spirit | Voice |- | Gerry | Gerry | Also co-writer |- | The Third Wheel | Kevin | Cameo |- | 2003 | Stuck on You | Bob Tenor | |- |rowspan="5"| 2004 | Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train | Narrator | Voice |- | Ocean's Twelve | Linus Caldwell | |- | The Bourne Supremacy | Jason Bourne | |- | Jersey Girl | PR Exec #2 | Cameo |- | EuroTrip | Donny | Cameo |- |rowspan="2"| 2005 | Syriana | Bryan Woodman | |- | The Brothers Grimm | Will (Wilhelm) Grimm | |- |rowspan="2"| 2006 | The Good Shepherd | Edward Wilson | |- | The Departed | Colin Sullivan | Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast |- |rowspan="4"| 2007 | Ocean's Thirteen | Linus Caldwell | |- | The Bourne Ultimatum | Jason Bourne | |- | Youth Without Youth | Ted Jones, Life Magazine Reporter |Cameo |- | Arthur | Himself |Voice |- | 2008 | Che: Part Two | Fr. Schwarz |Cameo |- | rowspan="3"| 2009 | Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea | Koichi | Voice (English version) |- | The Informant! | Mark Whitacre | Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best ActorNominated — Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best ActorNominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or ComedyNominated — San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best ActorNominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |- | Invictus | Francois Pienaar | Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting ActorNominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActorNominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion PictureNominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role |- | rowspan="5"| 2010 | Green Zone | Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller | |- | 30 Rock | Carol | TV series (episodes: "I Do Do," "The Fabian Strategy," and "Live Show") |- | Inside Job | Narrator | |- | Hereafter | George Lonegan | |- | True Grit | La Boeuf | Nominated — Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor |- | rowspan="2"| 2011 | The Adjustment Bureau | David Norris | post-production |- | Contagion | Thomas Emhoff | pre-production |}

References

Further reading

Altman, Sheryl and Berk, Sheryl. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck: On and Off Screen. HarperCollins Publishers, 1998. ISBN 0-06-107145-5.

Bego, Mark. Matt Damon: Chasing a Dream. Andrews Mcmeel Pub, 1998. ISBN 0-8362-7131-9.

Diamond, Maxine and Hemmings, Harriet. Matt Damon a Biography. Simon Spotlight Entertainment, 1998. ISBN 0-671-02649-6.

Nickson, Chris. Matt Damon: An Unauthorized Biography. Renaissance Books, 1999. ISBN 1-58063-072-3.

External links

Matt Damon on Moviefone

Category:1970 births Category:American film actors Category:American screenwriters Category:Best Original Screenplay Academy Award winners Category:Harvard University people Category:Living people Category:Actors from Massachusetts Category:People from Cambridge, Massachusetts

Name	Glenn Beck
Caption	Beck at the Time 100 Gala, 2010
Birth name	Glenn Edward Lee Beck
Birth date	February 10, 1964
Birth place	Everett, Washington, U.S.
Hometown	Mount Vernon, Washington
Education	Sehome High School
Nationality	American
Occupation	Political commentator, author, media proprietor, entertainer
Salary	US$ 32 million (2009–10)
Spouse	Claire (1983–1994)Tania (m. 1999)
Children	4
Website	http://www.glennbeck.com/
Religion	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon)
Residence	New Canaan, Connecticut
Home town	Mount Vernon, Washington

Glenn Edward Lee Beck (born February 10, 1964) is an American conservative radio and television host, author, entrepreneur and political commentator. He hosts The Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks; and also a cable news show on Fox News Channel. As an author, Beck has had six New York Times-bestselling books, with five debuting at #1. Beck is the founder and CEO of Mercury Radio Arts, a multimedia production company through which he produces content for radio, television, publishing, the stage, and the Internet.

Beck has received wealth and fame, as well as controversy and criticism. His supporters praise him as a constitutional stalwart defending traditional American values from secular progressivism, while his critics contend he promotes conspiracy theories and employs incendiary rhetoric for ratings.

Personal life

Early years

Glenn Lee Beck was born in Everett, Washington, to William and Mary Beck, who lived in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. The family later moved to Mount Vernon, Washington, where they owned and operated City Bakery in the downtown area. He is descended from German immigrants who came to the United States in the 1800s. Beck was raised as a Roman Catholic and attended Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Mount Vernon.

Glenn and his older sister moved with their mother to Sumner, Washington, attending a Jesuit school in Puyallup. On May 15, 1979, his mother drowned in Puget Sound, just west of Tacoma, Washington. A man who had taken her out in a small boat also drowned. A Tacoma police report stated that Mary Beck "appeared to be a classic drowning victim", but a Coast Guard investigator speculated that she could have intentionally jumped overboard.

After their mother's death, Beck and his older sister moved to their father's home in Bellingham, Washington, where Beck graduated from Sehome High School in June 1982. In the aftermath of his mother's death and subsequent suicide of his stepbrother, Beck has said he used "Dr. Jack Daniel's" to cope. At 18, following his high school graduation, Beck relocated to Provo, Utah, and worked at radio station KAYK. Feeling he "didn't fit in," Beck left Utah after six months, taking a job at Washington D.C.'s WPGC in February 1983. The couple divorced in 1994 amid Beck's struggles with substance abuse. A recovering alcoholic and drug addict, Beck has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

By 1994, Beck was suicidal, and imagined shooting himself to the music of his fellow Washingtonian, Kurt Cobain. Beck would later claim that he had gotten high every day for the previous 15 years, since the age of 16.

This was followed by Beck going on a "spiritual quest" where he "sought out answers in churches and bookstores." Beck would be baptized by his old friend, and current-day co-worker Pat Gray.

Beck announced in July 2010 that he had been diagnosed with macular dystrophy, saying "A couple of weeks ago I went to the doctor because of my eyes, I can't focus my eyes. He did all kinds of tests and he said, 'you have macular dystrophy ...you could go blind in the next year. Or, you might not." The disorder can make it difficult to read, drive or recognize faces.

Career

]] As an author, Beck has reached #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List in four separate categories : Hardcover Non-Fiction, Paperback Non-Fiction, and Children's Picture Books.

The Real America: Messages from the Heart and Heartland, Simon & Schuster 2003. ISBN 978-0-7434-9696-4

An Inconvenient Book: Real Solutions to the World's Biggest Problems, Simon & Schuster 2007. ISBN 978-1-4391-6857-8

The Christmas Sweater, Simon & Schuster 2008. ISBN 978-1-4165-9485-7

America's March to Socialism: Why We're One Step Closer to Giant Missile Parades, 2008 (Audiobook) An Unlikely Mormon: The Conversion Story of Glenn Beck, Deseret Book 2008 (Audiobook). ISBN 978-1-59038-944-7

The Christmas Sweater: A Picture Book Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing 2009. ISBN 978-1-4169-9543-2

America's March to Socialism: Why We're One Step Closer to Giant Missile Parades Simon & Schuster Audio 2009 (Audio CD). ISBN 978-0-7435-9854-5

Glenn Beck's Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government, Simon & Schuster 2009. ISBN 978-1-4391-6857-8

Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government, Simon & Schuster 2009. ISBN 978-1-4165-9501-4

Idiots Unplugged, Simon & Schuster 2010 (Audio CD). ISBN 1-4423-3396-0

The Overton Window, Threshold Editions 2010. ISBN 1-4391-8430-5 Idiots Unplugged, 2010 (Audiobook) , Simon & Schuster 2010. ISBN 1-4423-3457-6.

Stage shows and speeches

In 2009, the Glenn Beck show was one of the highest rated news commentary programs on cable TV. For a Barbara Walters ABC special, Beck was selected as one of America’s "Top 10 Most Fascinating People" of 2009. In 2010, Beck was selected for the Times top 100 most influential people under the "Leaders" category.

Beck has referred to himself as an entertainer, and a "rodeo clown".

Time Magazine described Beck as "[t]he new populist superstar of Fox News" saying it is easier to see a set of attitudes rather than a specific ideology, noting his criticism of Wall Street, yet defending bonuses to AIG, as well as denouncing conspiracy theories about the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) but warning against indoctrination of children by the AmeriCorps program. (Paul Krugman and Mark Potok, on the other hand, have been among those asserting that Beck helps spread "hate" by covering issues that stir up extremists.) What seems to unite Beck's disparate themes, Time argued, is a sense of siege. One of Beck's Fox News Channel colleagues Shepard Smith, has jokingly called Beck's studio the "fear chamber", with Beck countering that he preferred the term "doom room." The progressive watchdog group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting's (FAIR) Activism Director Peter Hart argues that Beck red-baits political adversaries as well as promotes a paranoid view of progressive politics. Howard Kurtz of The Washington Post has remarked that "Love him or hate him, Beck is a talented, often funny broadcaster, a recovering alcoholic with an unabashedly emotional style."

Critical biographies

In June 2010, investigative reporter Alexander Zaitchik released a critical biography titled , with a title mocking Beck's work, Common Sense. In an interview about the book, Zaitchik theorized that "Beck’s politics and his insatiable hunger for money and fame are not mutually exclusive", while stating: "Beck’s true religion is not Patriotism, Mormonism, or Conservatism. His true religion is cross-platform self-marketing ... According to Beck’s worldview, there’s no inherent contradiction between his sophisticated instinct for self-promotion, his propagandist rodeo clown act, his self-image as a media mogul, and his professed belief system. I think he actually believes that God wants him to make a ton of money and become this huge celebrity by fear mongering and generally doing whatever it takes in the media to promote right-wing causes."

In September 2010, Philadelphia Daily News reporter Will Bunch released The Backlash: Right-Wing Radicals, High-Def Hucksters, and Paranoid Politics in the Age of Obama. One of Bunch's primary theses is that Beck is nothing more than a morning zoo deejay playing a fictional character as a money-making stunt.

Satire, spoof and parody of Beck

Beck has been the subject of mockery and ridicule by a number of humorists. In response to Beck's animated delivery and views, he was parodied in an impersonation by Jason Sudeikis on Saturday Night Live. The Daily Shows Jon Stewart has spoofed Beck's 9-12 project with his own "11-3 project", impersonated Beck's chalk board-related presentation style for an entire show, and quipped about Beck "finally, a guy who says what people who aren't thinking are thinking." Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report satirized Beck's "war room" by creating his own "doom bunker." Through the character Eric Cartman, South Park parodied Beck's television program and his commentary style in the episode "Dances with Smurfs". The Onion, a satirical periodical and faux news site, ran an Onion News Network video "special report" where it lamented that the "victim in a fatal car accident was tragically not Glenn Beck." Meanwhile, the Current TV cartoon SuperNews! ran an animated cartoon feature titled "The Glenn Beck Apocalypse", where Beck is confronted by Jesus Christ who rebukes him as the equivalent of "Sarah Palin farting into a balloon." Political comedian and satirist Bill Maher has mocked Beck's followers as an "army of diabetic mallwalkers", while The Buffalo Beast, named Beck the most loathsome person in America in 2010, declaring "It’s like someone found a manic, doom-prophesying hobo in a sandwich board, shaved him, shot him full of Zoloft and gave him a show."

Public disputes

Several incidents involving Beck and President Barack Obama have resulted in notable public controversy. In response to Obama's remarks on the Henry Louis Gates controversy, Beck argued that Obama has repeatedly shown "a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture," saying "I'm not saying he doesn't like white people. I'm saying he has a problem. This guy is, I believe, a racist." These remarks drew criticism, and resulted in a boycott promulgated by Color of Change. In 2009, the boycott resulted in at least 57 advertisers requesting their ads be removed from his programming, to avoid associating their brands with content that could be considered offensive by potential customers. He later apologized for the remarks, telling Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace that he has a "big fat mouth" and miscast as racism what is actually, as he theorizes, Obama's belief in black liberation theology.

In July 2009, Glenn Beck began to focus what would become many episodes on his TV and radio shows on Van Jones, Special Advisor for Green Jobs at Obama's White House Council on Environmental Quality. Beck was critical of Jones' involvement in STORM, a left wing non-governmental group, and his support for death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal, who had been convicted of killing a police officer. Beck spotlighted video of Jones referring to Republicans as "assholes", and a petition Jones signed suggesting that George W. Bush knowingly let the 9/11 attacks happen. In September 2009, Jones resigned his position in the Obama administration, after a number of his past statements became fodder for conservative critics and Republican officials. Time magazine credited Beck with leading conservatives' attack on Jones.

In 2009, Beck and other conservative commentators were critical of Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) for various reasons, including claims of voter registration fraud in the 2008 presidential election. In September 2009, he broadcast a series of heavily edited undercover videos by conservative activists James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles, which seemed to portray ACORN community organizers offering inappropriate tax advice to people who said they were engaged in illegal activities. Following the videos' release, the U.S. Census Bureau severed ties with the group while the U.S. House and Senate voted to cut all of its federal funding. Beck's lawyers argued that the site infringed on his trademarked name and that the domain name should be turned over to Beck. The WIPO ruled against Beck, but Eiland-Hall voluntarily transferred the domain to Beck anyway, saying that the First Amendment had been upheld and that he no longer had a use for the domain name.

Websites

As of 2009, GlennBeck.com was estimated to receive 5-million unique visitors per month. and Pat Gray, begun in 2010

Beck University, interactive classes offered beginning in July 2010

In August 2010, Mercury Radio Arts also launched the independent political blog, The Blaze.

See also

Beck University

Conservative talk

List of most-listened-to radio programs

References

External links

Glenn Beck's Official Website

Glenn Beck's Radio Program

Glenn Beck – The 912 Project

Glenn Beck's Common Sense Tour

Official Site at Fox News

Multimedia

A Day in the Life of Glenn Beck - photo slideshow by Time magazine

Katie Couric Interview of Glenn Beck - video by CBS News

"Brand it like Beck" - video interview by Forbes magazine

John Stossel: "Glenn Beck, Conservative Narcissist?" - video by ABC News

Glenn Beck Discusses his Mormonism - video testimonial at The Week

Category:American activists Category:American anti-communists Category:American Latter Day Saints Category:American magazine editors Category:American magazine founders Category:American political pundits Category:American political writers Category:Conspiracy theorists Category:Former Roman Catholics Category:American talk radio hosts Category:American television talk show hosts Category:American people of German descent Category:Conservatism in the United States Category:Converts to Mormonism from Roman Catholicism Category:Environmental skepticism Category:People from Bellingham, Washington Category:People from Fairfield County, Connecticut Category:People from Mount Vernon, Washington Category:People from Seattle, Washington Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics Category:Tea Party movement Category:Writers from Washington (U.S. state) Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:Fox News Channel people

Name	Darryl Strawberry
Position	Right fielder
Bats	Left
Throws	Left
Birthdate	March 12, 1962
Birthplace	Los Angeles, California
Debutdate	May 6
Debutyear	1983
Debutteam	New York Mets
Finaldate	October 17
Finalyear	1999
Finalteam	New York Yankees
Stat1label	Batting average
Stat1value	.259
Stat2label	Home runs
Stat2value	335
Stat3label	Runs batted in
Stat3value	1,000
Teams
Highlights

Darryl Eugene Strawberry (born March 12, 1962) is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder who is well-known both for his play on the field and for his controversial behavior off of it. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Strawberry was one of the most feared sluggers in the game, known for his prodigious home runs and his intimidating presence in the batter's box with his 6-foot-6 frame and his long, looping swing that elicited comparisons to Ted Williams. During his 17-year career, he helped lead the New York Mets to a World Series championship in and the New York Yankees to three World Series championships in , and .

A popular player during his career, Strawberry was voted to the All-Star Game eight straight times from 1984–1991.

Strawberry is currently an analyst for the SNY. His memoir, "Straw: Finding My Way," written in collaboration with author and cultural commentator John Strausbaugh, was published on April 28, 2009 by Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins publishers.

Biography

Background and early career

Strawberry was born to Henry and Ruby Strawberry in Los Angeles, California. He played high school baseball for the Crenshaw High School Cougars along with Chris Brown, and against Eric Davis at Fremont High and Chili Davis at Dorsey High (all future fellow big leaguers), was drafted first overall in the 1980 Major League Baseball Draft by general manager Frank Cashen of the New York Mets. Darryl's older brother Michael was also selected in that draft; going to the Dodgers in the 31st Round.

Employing a distinctive batting stance with a high leg kick, Strawberry rose through the Mets system and reached the major league level in 1983, posting 26 home runs, 7 triples, and 74 runs batted in, while hitting for a .257 average. He was named the National League's Rookie of The Year. In 1984, he made it to the All-Star game for the first time, and once again hit 26 home runs, this time driving in 97.

Prime years

Strawberry's Mets from 1984–1990 formed one of the premier teams in the National League, finishing either first or second in the division every year. But as good as the Mets were on the field, they constantly feuded off the field. Despite this, Strawberry remained an iconic figure in not only New York City, but across America. He was loathed by opposing fans, but beloved by New Yorkers and young fans across the country.

During the period from 1983 to 1990, Strawberry was very popular, with his image used on action figures (Kenner's Starting Lineup), posters and banners. He was also known for his disruptive behavior. He got into a physical altercation on team picture day with team captain Keith Hernandez and in the midst of a war of words with infielder Wally Backman, threatened to "bust that little redneck in the face". He often overslept and was late for, or missed, team workouts. He publicly complained about Manager Davey Johnson after he was removed from the game in a double switch during the 9th inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, which the Mets would go on to win. During the regular season in 1986, Strawberry hit 27 homers and had 99 RBIs.

In 1987, Strawberry hit 39 home runs and stole 36 bases, joining the exclusive 30-30 club, at the time becoming one of only 10 players in baseball history to accomplish the feat. In addition to that, he hit 32 doubles and drove in 104 runs. Despite this, the 1987 team barely missed the playoffs.

In 1988, Strawberry once again hit 39 home runs to lead the National League. He also drove in 101 runs and led the league in slugging percentage at .545 and OPS at .911. He finished a very close second in MVP voting to the Dodgers' Kirk Gibson. Strawberry led the Mets to the playoffs, losing to the Dodgers in seven games in the National League championship series.

In 1989, Strawberry's offensive numbers declined: He had 29 home runs and 77 runs batted, but only had a .225 average. Nevertheless, the Mets came in a close second place to the Chicago Cubs in the National League East.

In 1990, Strawberry hit 37 home runs, while driving in 108 runs and batting for a .277 average. His Mets, however, came once again in a close second place in the NL's east, losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates by three games.

Strawberry signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1991, inking a lucrative five-year $22.25 million contract. In California, he was named Big Brother of The Year for 1991. After hitting 28 home runs and bringing in 99 runs batted in a successful first year for the Dodgers, injuries and personal problems kept him sidelined for much of the next two seasons, hitting five home runs in each season.

After the 1991 season in which he was only 29 years old he had 280 lifetime homers, drawing comparisons to home run king Hank Aaron.

Later years

In 1994, he was released in May by the Dodgers and signed with the San Francisco Giants, where he saw limited playing time as he tried to make a comeback, hitting only four home runs and driving in 17 runs that year.

After a suspension from the league at the beginning of 1995 due to his involvement with cocaine, Strawberry signed with the New York Yankees for the stretch run. The next year, Darryl signed with the Saint Paul Saints of the Northern League on May 3, 1996 in an attempt to rehabilitate. On June 2, the Saints faced the Duluth-Superior Dukes at Wade Stadium, where Strawberry hit his first home run for the Saints, at a distance of 522' off of pitcher Pat Ahearne. Soon thereafter, he found himself back with the Yankees who signed him on July 4, 1996.

With the Yankees, he showed flashes of his former brilliance, belting 11 home runs in a part-time role and helping his team win the World Series in 1996 alongside former Mets teammates Dwight Gooden and David Cone. His second career three-homer game came against the Chicago White Sox on August 6 of that season.

He had a big series against the Baltimore Orioles in the 1996 ALCS as he blasted three home runs with five RBIs and a .417 average in four games. In 1997, he did not have any home runs, with his playing time limited by injuries.

But in 1998, he had 24 home runs, once again helping the Yankees win the World Series. This was also the year he was diagnosed with colon cancer. In 1999, he made a comeback from his cancer treatment, but saw limited playing time, hitting 3 home runs. He did however hit a crucial 3-run home run against the Texas Rangers in the 1999 American League Division Series helping the Yankees advance to the ALCS.

Post-playing days

Strawberry attended the Mets' 1986 World Champion team reunion on August 19, 2006, where he and the rest of the team received a standing ovation from fans at Shea Stadium in an on-field ceremony.

Strawberry worked as an instructor for the New York Mets in 2005.

Strawberry threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Shea Stadium before Game 1 of the National League Championship Series between the Mets and the St. Louis Cardinals on Oct. 12, 2006. He was given a rousing ovation by the Shea Stadium crowd. He served as an anchor on the Mets pre- and post- game shows on SNY in 2007 and 2008, eventually settling into a part-time analysis role for the 2009 season.

Strawberry opened his own restaurant, Strawberry's Sports Grill in Douglaston, Queens in August, 2010.

Darryl frequently donates to charity and is a headliner of the BGC Charity day event, where he brokered over 5MM GD4.5 roll.

Legacy

New York baseball fans remember Darryl Strawberry as a clutch post season hitter; capable of delivering one of his signature "Moonshot" home runs seemingly on command. His prolific post season appearances with both area teams garnered him loyalty among both fan bases in the business and media mecca. Despite his controversies Strawberry is generally well regarded by the public and the media. Of the 10 postseason series Strawberry played in, he was on the winning team eight times. In 40 postseason games, Strawberry hit nine home runs with 22 RBIs and 20 runs scored.

Strawberry was the starting right fielder five straight times and appeared at nine All-Star games. Strawberry batted .333 with two stolen bases and two runs in 12 career All-Star at-bats.

Strawberry had two career three-home run games, and both were against Chicago teams and were almost 11 years to the day between each other. His first came against the Cubs on August 5, 1985, and his second, as mentioned above, was on August 6, 1996, against the White Sox.

Strawberry is one of only five Major League Baseball players to hit two pinch-hit grand slams in the same season. The others are Davey Johnson of the Philadelphia Phillies, Mike Ivie of the San Francisco Giants, Ben Broussard of the Cleveland Indians, and Brooks Conrad of the Atlanta Braves.

He now resides in St. Charles County, Missouri with his wife Tracy whom he married in October 2006. He met Tracy, his third wife, in a drug recovery convention and the two have founded "The Darryl Strawberry Foundation," an organization dedicated to children with autism.

Legal and personal problems

1990s

On December 19, 1995, Strawberry was charged in California with failing to make child support payments. When he missed a June 5, 1996, deadline to pay the child support, a Los Angeles judge set a trial date of July 17, at which time Strawberry agreed to use his signing bonus to pay the debt. On October 1, 1998, Strawberry was diagnosed with colon cancer. Two days later, he had surgery to remove a tumor and 24 inches of his colon. On October 14, doctors announced that cancer had been detected in a lymph node so he would also have to undergo chemotherapy. On April 3, 1999, Strawberry was arrested in Tampa, Florida for soliciting sex from a police woman posing as a prostitute and for having a small amount of cocaine. On April 24, he was suspended for 140 days by Major League Baseball for the incident. On May 29, he pleaded no contest to the charges and was sentenced to 21 months probation and community service.

2000s

On July 28, 2000, a C.T. scan suggested that Strawberry's cancer had spread to his lymph nodes. The next month, he had surgery to remove a tumor and a kidney on August 7. On September 11, 2000, in Tampa, Strawberry tried to drive to see his probation officer after taking painkillers. While driving, he blacked out, rear-ended another car, and then tried to drive away. An off-duty police officer witnessed the episode and arrested him at gunpoint. The next day, Strawberry admitted to the charges and his probation was changed to two years of house arrest. On November 21, he was sentenced to a year of probation and community service. On October 25, 2000, Strawberry left a Tampa drug treatment center to use drugs with a female friend violating his house arrest and parole. On November 9, he was sentenced to 40 days in jail with credit for time served. On November 3, 2000, Strawberry told a judge in Tampa that he had lost his will to live and had stopped chemotherapy. On November 30, he was released from jail and sent back to rehab. On April 2, 2001, Strawberry was arrested for again disappearing from his house arrest drug treatment center in Tampa. On May 1, he was sentenced to more time at a drug treatment center. On March 12, 2002, Strawberry was back in jail for violating several non-drug rules at the drug treatment center where he was on probation in Ocala, Florida. On April 29, he was ordered to serve the 22-month suspended prison sentence from 1999. On December 14, 2005, Strawberry's second wife, Charisse, filed for divorce in Hillsborough County, Florida court.

On September 21, 2009, Strawberry appeared on "The 700 Club" with his third wife, Tracy, whom he met while in rehab. He recounted his career and his drug problems.

Additional details

Strawberry appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated seven times: five times by himself, once with Don Mattingly, and once with Dwight Gooden.

Strawberry attended Venezuelan Winter League with Tiburones de La Guaira in the 1982–1983 season. In 52 games, he took 188 ABs, 57H, 38R, 12HR (League Leader), 29RBIs and 12 stolen bases, helping the team to clinch their 5th league title.

In 2004 the Rebecca Gilman play The Sweetest Swing in Baseball premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London. The lead character—Dana, as portrayed by Gillian Anderson—adopts the personality and speech of Darryl Strawberry in an attempt to pass herself off as schizophrenic. The title is a reference to Strawberry's playing skills.

He was featured in The Simpsons episode, "Homer at the Bat", in which Bart Simpson and Lisa Simpson taunt Strawberry with his signature mocking chant of "Daaaryyl, Daaaryyl, Daaaryyl!"

Strawberry, Jose Vizcaino, and Ricky Ledee are the only Major League Baseball players to have played for all four current or former New York teams—the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the San Francisco Giants. Furthermore, Strawberry is the only player to spend his entire career playing for these teams.

Strawberry and Dwight Gooden are recognized as the only players to win a World Series championship with both of New York's current teams.

Strawberry was featured in a rap song called "Chocolate Strawberry" along with Run-D-M-C and UTFO.

Strawberry is a featured pro on the second season of the physical reality game show Pros vs. Joes.

His son, D. J. Strawberry was a star shooting guard for the Maryland Terrapins basketball program from 2004 to 2007. He was drafted by the Phoenix Suns with the 59th selection in the 2007 NBA Draft.

He currently does occasional commentary for the Mets on SportsNet New York.

He was mentioned in a Fairly Oddparents episode entitled "Fairly Odd Baby" in which Cosmo has weird cravings and starts eating Timmy's baseball cards and commented "By the way, Darryl Strawberry doesn't taste like strawberry."

On Friday September 26, 2008 Strawberry was vocal about his experiences with the New York Mets, citing the worst day of his life when he had to leave the Mets, and the best day of his life being the World Series parade.

In 2010, Strawberry appeared on NBC's The Apprentice (U.S. season 9) with Sharon Osbourne, Cyndi Lauper, Bret Michaels, and others. At the end of the 3rd episode, Strawberry was fired when he suggested he was the weakest contestant. Donald Trump insisted he wanted to go home because he was tired and homesick. After Strawberry made a successful return in the season finale to assist Bret Michaels, Donald Trump made a donation of $25,000 to his charity, The Darryl Strawberry Foundation, which supports children with Autism. Strawberry placed 12th. During the season finale, Daryl mentioned that he will soon be opening a restaurant in Queens New York.

Strawberry threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Citi Field on opening day in 2010.

He was also inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in August, 2010. He was elected along with Davey Johnson, Dwight Gooden, and Frank Cashen.

See also

List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBIs

List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases

30-30 club

List of Major League Baseball home run champions

References

External links

Darryl Strawberry Official Website

The Straw Stirs – Tom Watson

Strawberry's Field Forever Darryl Strawberry Then and Now, A Tribute to Darryl Strawberry

Strawberry's Sports Grill

}} | after=Mike Moore}} | after = Andre Dawson}}

Category:1962 births Category:Living people Category:Major League Baseball right fielders Category:Los Angeles Dodgers players Category:New York Mets players Category:New York Yankees players Category:San Francisco Giants players Category:National League All-Stars Category:Baseball players from California Category:African American baseball players Category:National League home run champions Category:Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners Category:Kingsport Mets players Category:Lynchburg Mets players Category:Jackson Mets players Category:Tidewater Tides players Category:Albuquerque Dukes players Category:Phoenix Firebirds players Category:Gulf Coast Yankees players Category:Tampa Yankees players Category:Columbus Clippers players Category:St. Paul Saints players Category:Northern League players Category:Norwich Navigators players Category:Baseball players suspended for drug offenses Category:Major League Baseball players suspended for drug offenses Category:American people convicted of tax crimes Category:People from Los Angeles, California Category:American Christians Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:The Apprentice (U.S. TV series) contestants

Name	Ben Tate
Width	200px
Caption	Tate with the Auburn Tigers in 2007
Currentteam	Houston Texans
Currentnumber	43
Currentposition	Running back
Birthdate	August 21, 1988
Birthplace	Woodbridge, Virginia
Heightft	5
Heightin	11
Weight	220
College	Auburn
Draftyear	2010
Draftround	2
Draftpick	58
Pastteams
Status	Injured Reserve
Highlights

Ben Tate (born August 21, 1988 in Woodbridge, Virginia) is an American football running back who currently plays for the Houston Texans. He grew up in Salisbury, Maryland and set several Maryland high school football records before being recruited to play football at Auburn.

Early years

As a junior at Stephen Decatur High School, Tate set the Maryland state single-season rushing record with 2,886 yards and 41 touchdowns, averaging 221.4 yards per game. His performance earned him first-team all-state honors. As a senior at Snow Hill High School, he ran for 2,069 yards and 21 touchdowns, averaging 12.9 yards per carry while leading Snow Hill to a state runner-up finish. In 37 career games, Ben rushed 542 times for 5,920 yards and 78 touchdowns, averaging 10.9 yards per carry and 160 yards per game. He also had 210 career receiving yards. Tate also set the Maryland state records for both career yards rushing (5,920) and totally career offensive yards (6,123). For his senior performance, he was awarded the Gatorade State Player of the year and was a consensus all-state pick. He was ranked No. 6 nationally among running backs and the No. 5 player from the state of Maryland by Rivals.com.

Upon graduation from Snow Hill High School, Ben received scholarship offers from Auburn, Florida, Penn State, Maryland, North Carolina and many more before accepting a scholarship to Auburn University. Ultimately, Tate chose Auburn because of its storied history of successful running backs.

College

Freshman year

Tate played sparingly behind senior Kenny Irons, and gained 392 yards on 54 carries in 9 games. He received Freshman All-America Honorable Mention from The Sporting News. Ben's best game was a 156 yard performance against Tulane.

Sophomore year

during a 2007 game at Auburn.]] Tate's sophomore season was a strong one, leading the Tigers in rushing (903 yards on 202 carries for a 4.5 yard average) and to a victory over Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Junior year

Heading into his Junior campaign, Tate was named to several preseason All-SEC teams. However, because of new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin (coach) and his spread, pass-first style of offense, Tate's number's significantly declined. He gained only 664 yards on 159 carries.

Senior year

As the feature back in Gus Malzahn's spread offense, Tate shined in his final college season. He gained 1,362 yards on 263 carries with 10 touchdowns. His top performance came against Arkansas, rushing for 184 yards and two touchdowns (over 100 yards coming in the third quarter). Tate also earned AP second-team All-SEC honors, as well as being voted both the Team and Offense MVP award. Tate was also a semi-finalist for the Doak Walker Award. Tate also led Auburn to a victory over Northwestern in the Outback Bowl, rushing for 108 yards and 2 touchdowns in the overtime win.

Tate finished at Auburn 5th on the career rushing list, behind Auburn greats Bo Jackson, Carnell Williams, James Brooks, and Joe Cribbs. He rushed for 3321 yards on 678 carries, scoring 24 touchdowns. Tate graduated in May 2009 with a degree in Criminology.

Professional career

Pre-draft

Tate was drafted 58th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. Most projected Tate to be picked somewhere in the early to middle of the second round, and recognizing his value at pick 58, the Texans aggressively traded up to draft him. This is the only time in team history that the Texas have drafted a running back earlier than the third round.

Heading into his rookie season, it was expected that Tate would get 10-15 carries per game, splitting time in the Texans backfield with Steve Slaton and Arian Foster.

During the Texans pre season opener, Tate broke his ankle and was placed on injured reserve.

References

External links

Auburn Tigers football bio

ESPN Player Stats

Facebook Fan Page

Category:Auburn Tigers football players Category:American football running backs Category:Living people Category:1988 births Category:People from Salisbury, Maryland Category:Houston Texans players

Name	Arian Foster
Caption	Foster against the Titans in November 2010
Currentteam	Houston Texans|currentnumber=23
Currentpositionplain	Running back
Birthdate	August 24, 1986
Birthplace	Albuquerque, New Mexico
Heightft	6
Heightin	1
Weight	227
College	Tennessee
Undraftedyear	2009
Debutyear	2009
Debutteam	Houston Texans
Pastteams
Highlights
Status	Active
Statweek	17
Statseason	2010
Statlabel1	Rushing attempts
Statvalue1	381
Statlabel2	Rushing yards
Statvalue2	1,873
Statlabel3	Rushing TDs
Statvalue3	19
Statlabel4	Average
Statvalue4	4.9
Statlabel5	Receptions
Statvalue5	74
Statlabel6	Receiving yards
Statvalue6	697
Nfl	FOS107404

Arian Foster (born August 24, 1986) is an American football running back for the Houston Texans. He was signed by the Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2009 and was added to their active roster from the practice squad on November 17, 2009. He played college football at Tennessee.

Early years

Foster was born on August 24, 1986 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Carl Foster, a former wide receiver for the University of New Mexico, and Bernadette Sizemor, an administrative assistant for the university. Foster competed in football at Valley High School, where coaches told him that he was not good enough to play running back. His parents divorced in 2000, and in 2002 he moved to San Diego, California, to be with his father. Foster competed in football at Mission Bay Senior High School, where he was initially misplaced as a linebacker, but became a full-time running back in his senior year. He was Mission Bay's featured running back that year, and led San Diego County in all purpose yards with 2,500. Then-Tennessee offensive coordinator Randy Sanders and running backs coach Trooper Taylor were impressed by Foster when recruiting in San Diego. Foster chose to attend Tennessee and was part of the 2004 signing class. Foster is known for his signature "Bow" when he scores a touchdown.

College career

Foster red-shirted his first season as a University of Tennessee Volunteer, sitting behind Gerald Riggs, Jr. and Cedric Houston on the depth chart. He was a three-year starter at the running back position for Tennessee.

In his 2005 freshman season, Foster earned the starting job following an injury to Riggs. Foster gained 879 yards in his limited action, including a commanding 223-rushing-yard performance against Vanderbilt.

His sophomore season of 2006 saw a slight downturn in production for Arian. Foster was limited for the majority of the season with injuries and missed games against Marshall and Memphis. He split time with LaMarcus Coker after returning from injury and ended the season with 322 yards. Foster fumbled against Penn State in the bowl game, but later helped Tennessee stage a comeback when he broke the tie open with only 10 minutes remaining on a touchdown run. However, later during a sustained Tennessee drive, Foster fumbled and the loose ball was picked up and returned by Penn State 60+ yards for a touchdown. Tennessee trailed from that point on and eventually lost the game.

On November 4th 2006, Foster, along with two other reserve players were arrested following a fight in a night club and was charged with disorderly conduct and underage consumption.

His junior season of 2007 saw Foster take over as the main back, with Montario Hardesty coming in a substitute. Foster was the recipient of a fumbled left-handed hand-off from injured quarterback Erik Ainge which was returned for a touchdown. Tennessee had been gaining momentum and pulled within 7 points of Florida in the second half of the game before the botched run play. Foster surpassed the 1,000-yard mark with games against a bowl game opponent and LSU in the SEC Championship Game remaining on the schedule. Foster led the way for the Volunteers on the ground, finishing the 2007 season with 1,193 yards on 245 attempts, and also 39 receptions for 340 yards, with 14 total touchdowns, 12 rushing.

In 2008, Foster gained only 570 yards on 131 carries, and scored only one touchdown. Due to Foster's significant drop in productivity in his senior year, he went on to be undrafted in the the 2009 NFL draft.

NFL career

2009

Foster was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent on May 1, 2009. He was later released on September 5, 2009, but then was signed to the Texans' practice squad on September 6 and signed to the active roster on November 17. Foster made his NFL debut against the Tennessee Titans on November 23, 2009 and played on special teams. He scored his first NFL career touchdown against the Miami Dolphins in Miami on December 27, 2009 on a 17-yard run up the middle in the second quarter of the game. Foster then made his first career start against the New England Patriots on January 3, 2010 and posted his first career 100-yard game, rushing for 119 yards and scoring twice on 20 carries.

Overall Foster played 6 games, starting in only 1, during the 2009 season finishing with 257 yd and 3 touchdowns.

2010

On opening day of 2010, September 12, in Houston against the Indianapolis Colts, Foster replaced Steve Slaton as starting running back and broke many records, rushing 33 times for 231 yards and 3 touchdowns. In addition to breaking the record for the most rushing yards by a player of the Houston Texans in a single game, he and Slaton combined for 260 rushing yards, well over the team record for most total in a game, and also the most rushing yards given up to a single player by the Indianapolis Colts. Foster also posted the second-highest NFL opening day rushing total, trailing only O.J. Simpson's 250 yards in 1973. During week 4 on October 3rd vs. the Oakland Raiders after being benched for the 1st quarter, Foster recorded the longest run in Texans franchise history when he scored on a 74 yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter to break a 14-14 tie. Houston went on to win 31-24 behind Foster's 187 yards from scrimmage. After being passed up in rushing yards by Jamaal Charles during the Chiefs last game of the regular season, Foster posted another stunning performance rushing for 180 yards and 2 TD to solidify his spot as the 2010 rushing leader. Foster finished the 2010 season by winning the Rushing Title with 1616 Rushing yards and 604 receiving yards breaking the record set by Priest Holmes for most yards from scrimmage ever by an undrafted player. He was invited to the 2011 Pro Bowl, which is his first Pro Bowl.

Personal life

As was documented on ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, Foster was a philosophy major and is an avid writer of poetry.

References

External links

Tennessee Volunteers bio

Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:Players of American football from New Mexico Category:African American players of American football Category:American football running backs Category:Tennessee Volunteers football players Category:Undrafted National Football League players Category:Houston Texans players

Name	Aaron Lewis
Landscape	Yes
Background	solo_singer
Born	April 13, 1972
Origin	Longmeadow, Massachusetts
Instrument	Vocals, Guitar
Genre	Alternative metal, nu metal, post-grunge, acoustic rock, country
Occupation	Musician, Songwriter
Years active	1990–present
Label	Flip, Elektra, Atlantic
Associated acts	Staind
Url	Staind.com
Guitar models	Gibson Les Paul

Aaron Lewis, (born April 13, 1972 in Rutland, Vermont), is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock group Staind.

Background

Lewis grew up, largely, in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, then moved to the Forest Park section of Springfield, MA from 8th grade through high school. He is of Jewish-Russian descent. His hobbies include fishing, golf, riding his Motorcycle, dirt bike, as well as hunting. He has worked in landscaping, cleaned hotel rooms, and played solo acoustic sets in bars, pool halls, restaurants, coffeehouses, and the like. He is married to Vanessa Lewis and has three daughters, Zoe Jane, Nyla Rae and Indie Shay. Aaron also has two sisters, Evyette and Rachel, as well as a brother, Jesse.

Lewis was, before Staind, in a band known as J-CAT with Tori Sands, Chris Ballini, and Staind bandmate Jon Wysocki. An album surfaced on the internet with nine of J-CAT's performances at Club Infinity in Springfield, Massachusetts. The performances were recorded while Dysfunction was being recorded. Two of Staind's popular singles—"Outside" and "It's Been Awhile"—were both originally performed by J-CAT with somewhat different lyrics. Lewis has been nominated for three Grammys.

Collaborations

He was featured on the song "No Sex" by Limp Bizkit on their album Significant Other. He was also featured on a remix for the song "Crawling" on Linkin Park's album Reanimation (the remix is titled "Krwlng" on the album), as well as Cold's album 13 Ways to Bleed on Stage. He contributed vocals to the song "Follow" on Sevendust's third album, "Animosity," and to the songs "Bleed" and "Send In the Clowns" by the band Cold. He's also featured on Jimmie's Chicken Shack's song "Falling Out," the only single off their 2004 album re.present.

Solo

Lewis has been performing solo acoustic shows since he was 17 and still does today. He has written and performed many songs that have never been officially released such as "Angel", "Something Like Me", "Bonghits for Breakfast" (originally performed with J-CAT), "Anywhere but Here", and "Sleeping at the Wheel".

In July 2010, Lewis finished recording a country music EP entitled Town Line that is slated to be released March 1, 2011 on Stroudavarious Records. It will feature 5 tracks including the first single "Country Boy" featuring George Jones, Charlie Daniels, and Chris Young, as well as the songs "Massachusetts," "Vicious Circles," and a re-recording of "Tangled Up in You" originally from The Illusion of Progress.

Charity

On November 4, 2006, Aaron performed at his old high school in Longmeadow, Massachusetts and gave all the proceeds to the music department to fund the department's expenses to buy new equipment and supplies. Lewis' main focus, however, is the nonprofit organization, It Takes A Community, he and his wife have started to reopen their daughter's elementary school in Worthington, Massachusetts.

Equipment

Aaron uses Gibson acoustic guitars (he favors a 1951 Southern Jumbo), and Gibson Les Paul electric guitars as well. He also uses Marshall Amplification amplifiers with Marshall Cabinets.

Discography

Extended plays

Singles

^A To be released February 21, 2011.

Music videos

References

The Darkness Within by Jenny Eliscu, Rolling Stone, July 19, 2001 (In depth interview, includes birthplace)

External links

Official website

ADDICTEDtoStAiND

Category:1972 births Category:Living people Category:American heavy metal guitarists Category:American heavy metal singers Category:American male singers Category:American rock singer-songwriters Category:Nu metal singers Category:Musicians from Vermont Category:Jewish American musicians Category:People from Rutland County, Vermont Category:People from Hampden County, Massachusetts Category:American country singers