The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL), the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001. In March 2005, NBA commissioner David Stern announced a plan to expand the NBA D-League to fifteen teams and develop it into a true minor league farm system, with each NBA D-League team affiliated with one or more NBA teams. For the 2011–12 season, the league consists of 16 teams. At the conclusion of the 2010–11 NBA season, 23% of NBA players had spent time in the NBA D-League.

History[link]

The league began play as the NBDL in the 2001–2002 season; the original eight franchises were all located in the southeastern United States (specifically in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia). Some of these teams were purchased by private owners and relocated—at the same time the league's name was changed—in the summer of 2005, in a bid to appeal to more fans nationwide. As a result, franchises were established in or moved to Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Florida and Oklahoma. In February 2006, the D-League expanded to California for the first time with the addition of the Bakersfield Jam. Two months later, the league announced that four teams from the Continental Basketball Association were joining the league: the Dakota Wizards, Sioux Falls Skyforce, Idaho Stampede, and a team originally slated for CBA expansion, the Colorado 14ers.^[1][2] A few days after that, the league announced that Anaheim, California, would be getting a team.^[3] One week after that, they announced that the Los Angeles Lakers have purchased a team, making them the first NBA team to own a D-League team.^[4] The westward expansion contributed to the contraction of the NBA-owned Roanoke Dazzle^[5] and Fayetteville Patriots.^[6] The Florida Flame have suspended operations due to arena scheduling difficulties. ^[7] Today, no NBA D-League teams remain in the league's original Southeastern footprint. On November 5, 2009, the Texas Legends made history by hiring Nancy Lieberman as head coach, the first female head coach to lead an NBA or NBA D-League team.

On January 4, 2010, the league announced its first national television agreement with Versus. Versus is slated to carry 10 regular season games and 6 playoff games throughout 2010, airing on Saturday nights beginning January 16.

All-Star Game[link]

The NBA Development League held its first All-Star game February 17, 2007, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was part of the NBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas. As with the NBA's showcase game, a fan vote determined the starting lineup for each team. The East won 114 to 100, with Pops Mensah-Bonsu named the game's MVP.^[8]

The second annual All-Star game was held on February 16, 2008, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Blue team beat the Red team, 117–99 and Jeremy Richardson was named the MVP. In addition to the NBA D-League All-Star Game, the league debuted its first Dream Factory Friday Night events, which modeled after the NBA All-Star Saturday Night events. The events consists of Three-Point Shootout (won by Adam Harrington), Slam Dunk Contest (won by Brent Petway) and game of H.O.R.S.E. (won by Lance Allred).^[9]

The 2009 D-League All-Star game was held on February 14, 2009, at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The Red Team defeated the Blue Team 113–103 and Blake Ahearn and Courtney Sims were named co-MVPs.^[10] Along with the All-Star game, the NBA D-League ran their second annual Dream Factory Friday Night events. H.O.R.S.E., which debuted last year, was won by Will Conroy of the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. The Three-Point Shootout was won by Blake Ahearn of the Dakota Wizards, and the Slam Dunk Contest was won by James White of the Bakersfield Jam.^[11]

The 2010 D-League All-Star game was held on February 13, 2010, at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. The Western Conference team defeated the Eastern Conference Team 98–81. Bakersfield Jam center Brian Butch, who scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, was named as the MVP of the game.^[12] The NBA D-League also ran their third annual Dream Factory Friday Night events. The inaugural Shooting Stars Competition was won by a team of Pat Carroll, Trey Gilder and Carlos Powell. The Three-Point Shootout was won by Andre Ingram of the Utah Flash, and the Slam Dunk Contest was won by Dar Tucker of the Los Angeles D-Fenders.^[13]

[edit] D-League Showcase

The league stages an annual NBA D-League Showcase in which all of the league's teams play each other in a "carnival" format. The showcase was first played in 2005 was originally intended solely as a scouting event for NBA general managers and scouts, but has evolved into a fan-friendly four day event in which each team plays two games apiece. Since the inception of the event in 2005, there have been 15 players called-up or recalled during or immediately following the Showcase. The showcase has been hosted in Columbus, Georgia (2005), Fayetteville, North Carolina (2006), Sioux Falls, South Dakota (2007), Boise, Idaho (2008), Orem, Utah (2009), Boise, Idaho (2010), and recently South Padre Island, Texas in 2011.

Draft[link]

The NBA D-League Draft occurs each season and is the major source from which teams build their rosters. Team rosters are made up of returning players (players who were on the team during the previous season), allocated players (players who have local significance), and drafted players. The 8 round draft utilizes a "serpentine" format, meaning the order alternates in each round; Team A who selected first in Round 1 will select last in Round 2, while Team B who selected last in Round 1 will get the first pick in Round 2, et cetera.

[edit] Player allocations

Players for NBA D-League teams do not sign contracts with the individual teams, but with the league itself. D-League team rosters consist of a total of 12 players, 10 (or fewer) being D-League players and 2 (or more) NBA players. The rosters are made up in a number of ways: the previous years' players, players taken in the D-League draft, allocation players (meaning players who are assigned to a team with which they have a local connection, such as a University of Texas player being assigned to the Austin Toros), NBA team assignments, and local tryouts. Each NBA team can assign two first or second year players to its affiliated D-League team. If more than two NBA players are assigned to a team, the team must reduce the number of D-League players to keep the total roster size to 12. An NBA player will continue to be paid his NBA salary and will continue to be included on his NBA team’s roster on the inactive list while playing in the D-League.^[14] Each team also has local tryouts, and one player from the tryouts is assigned to the team. The minimum age to play in the NBDL is 18,^[15] unlike the NBA which requires players to be 19 years old and one year out of high school in order to sign an NBA contract or be eligible for the draft. The highest player ever to be assigned is Hasheem Thabeet, the second player selected in the 2009 NBA draft.

NBA teams can call up players as many times as they choose, but an NBA player can be assigned to the NBA D-League only three times in a season. Starting in 2012–13, there will be no limit to the number of times an NBA players with three years or less experience can be assigned to the D-League. Starting in 2011–12, veteran NBA players can be assigned with their consent.^[16]

Successful NBA call-ups[link]

Many former NBA draftees, waived players and undrafted players have played in the NBA D-League. Some of the called-up D-League players that went on to have successful NBA careers include Rafer Alston, Louis Amundson, Chris Andersen, Kelenna Azubuike, Matt Barnes, Devin Brown, Will Bynum, Matt Carroll, Eddie Gill, Stephen Graham, Jason Hart, Chuck Hayes, Anthony Johnson, Dahntay Jones, Jamario Moon, Mikki Moore, Smush Parker, Bobby Simmons, Ime Udoka, Von Wafer, C. J. Watson, and Mike Wilks.^[17] Aside from these players, there are several successful NBA players who were assigned to the D-League in their first and second season, such as José Juan Barea, Brandon Bass, Andray Blatche, Aaron Brooks, Jordan Farmar, Shannon Brown, Marcin Gortat, Ramon Sessions, Jeremy Lin, and Martell Webster.^[18]

In the 2009–10 NBA season, a record of 27 players were called up for a record 40 times. Several of those players earned season-long contracts after being key contributors, including Anthony Tolliver, Chris Hunter and Reggie Williams (all Golden State Warriors), Sundiata Gaines (New Jersey Nets), Chris Richard (Chicago Bulls), and Mario West (Atlanta Hawks).^[17]

Currently, there are only 12 players with D-League experience who won an NBA title: Tremaine Fowlkes with the Detroit Pistons in 2003–04; Devin Brown and Mike Wilks with the San Antonio Spurs in 2004–05; Earl Barron and Dorell Wright with the Miami Heat in 2005–06; James White with the San Antonio Spurs in 2006–07; Gabe Pruitt with the Boston Celtics in 2007–08; and, Sun Yue and Shannon Brown with the Los Angeles Lakers, Jordan Farmar, Josh Powell in 2008–09,and 2009-10, and most recently Jose Juan Barea, Rodrigue Beaubois, Ian Mahinmi and Dominique Jones with the Dallas Mavericks in 2010-2011.^[19] Bobby Simmons and Aaron Brooks are the only former D-League players to win an NBA end of season award; Simmons won the Most Improved Player Award with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2004–05 and Brooks won the Most Improved Player Award with the Houston Rockets in 2009–10.^[20][21]

In the 2008 NBA Draft, the Idaho Stampede's Mike Taylor was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers. He became the first player from the NBA D-League to be drafted by an NBA team. He was subsequently traded and signed a rookie contract with Los Angeles Clippers.^[22] In the 2010 NBA Draft, the Tulsa 66ers' Latavious Williams was drafted by the Miami Heat and later traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the NBA team affiliated with the 66ers.^[23] One year later, in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Bakersfield Jam's Chukwudiebere Maduabum was drafted by the then-affiliated Los Angeles Lakers and later traded to the Denver Nuggets.^[24]

Thirty-five former NBA D-League players were on the 2006–07 NBA opening day roster. The number increased to 44 players in 2007–08 and then 60 players in 2008–09.^[25][26] In the 2009 NBA Playoffs, an all-time high of 49 players were named to playoff rosters, 17 of whom also spent time in the D-League that season.^[27] In the 2009–10 season and the 2010–11 season, the number of former D-League players on NBA opening day roster increased and reached the all-time high of 63 players.^[18][28]

As of April 14, 2009, there are 143 call-ups to the NBA, involving 89 players. The franchise with the most call-ups in D-League history is Columbus/Austin (15). They are followed by Asheville Tulsa (14); Fayetteville (11); Colorado (9); Huntsville/Albuquerque, Charleston/Florida, Roanoke and Sioux Falls (8); Iowa (6); Fort Worth and Idaho (5); Dakota, Fort Wayne and Mobile (4); Bakersfield and Los Angeles (3); Rio Grande Valley and Anaheim/Springfield (2) and Arkansas, Erie, Greenville and Utah (1).^[17]

Teams[link]

Current teams[link]

• Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz's affiliations to be determined.

Team ownership[link]

Ownership models vary across the NBA D-League. Independent owners control most of the league’s teams, but growing willingness among NBA organizations to invest in the D-League has led to two other models: direct ownership of D-League teams by parent NBA clubs and single-affiliate partnerships in which the D-League team remains independently owned while the parent club runs and finances basketball operations.

The Houston Rockets and Rio Grande Valley Vipers pioneered the single-affiliate partnership, also known as the hybrid model, in 2009–10. In November 2010, the New Jersey Nets and Springfield Armor announced they will enter into a single-affiliate partnership beginning in 2011–12 (the Nets are now known as the Brooklyn Nets). In June 2011, the New York Knicks and Erie BayHawks announced they will be single-affiliated. In May 2012, the Portland Trail Blazers entered into a single-affiliated partnership with the Idaho Stampede.

Independent ownership: Bakersfield Jam, Erie BayHawks, Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Idaho Stampede, Iowa Energy, Maine Red Claws, Reno Bighorns, Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Sioux Falls Skyforce, Springfield Armor, Texas Legends

Parent club ownership: Austin Toros (by the San Antonio Spurs), Canton Charge (by the Cleveland Cavaliers), Dakota Wizards (by the Golden State Warriors), Los Angeles D-Fenders (by the Los Angeles Lakers), Tulsa 66ers (by the Oklahoma City Thunder)

Single affiliation: Erie BayHawks (with the New York Knicks), Idaho Stampede (with the Portland Trail Blazers), Rio Grande Valley Vipers (with the Houston Rockets), Springfield Armor (with the Brooklyn Nets), Texas Legends (with the Dallas Mavericks)

Inactive teams[link]

Defunct teams[link]

League development[link]

Team timeline[link]

Current teams in tan
Former teams or former names in blue <timeline> DateFormat = yyyy ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:25 Period = from:2001 till:2012 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = right:140 left:20 bottom:20 top:0

Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7)

        id:line     value:black
        id:bg       value:white

PlotData=

 width:20 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s
 bar:1  color:powderblue from:2001 till:2005 text:Asheville Altitude (2001–2005)
 bar:1  color:tan1 from:2005 till:end text:Tulsa 66ers (2005–present)

 bar:2  color:powderblue from:2001 till:2004 text:(North) Charleston Lowgators (2001–2004)
 bar:2  color:powderblue from:2004 till:2006 text:Florida Flame (2004–2006)

 bar:3  color:powderblue from:2001 till:2005 text:Columbus Riverdragons (2001–2005)
 bar:3  color:tan1 from:2005 till:end text:Austin Toros (2005–present)

 bar:4  color:powderblue from:2001 till:2006 text:Fayetteville Patriots (2001–2006)

 bar:5  color:powderblue from:2001 till:2003 text:Greenville Groove (2001–2003)

 bar:6  color:powderblue from:2001 till:2005 text:Huntsville Flight (2001–2005)
 bar:6  color:powderblue from:2005 till:2011 text:Albuquerque / New Mexico Thunderbirds (2005–2011)
 bar:6  color:tan1 from:2011 till:end text:Canton Charge (2011–present)

 bar:7  color:powderblue from:2001 till:2003 text:Mobile Revelers (2001–2003)

 bar:8  color:powderblue from:2001 till:2006 text:Roanoke Dazzle (2001–2006)

 bar:9  color:powderblue from:2005 till:2007 text:Fort Worth Flyers (2005–2007)

 bar:10 color:powderblue from:2005 till:2007 text:Arkansas RimRockers (2005–2007)

 bar:11 color:powderblue from:2006 till:2009 text:Anaheim Arsenal (2006–2009)
 bar:11 color:tan1 from:2009 till:end text:Springfield Armor (2009–present)

 bar:12 color:tan1 from:2006 till:2010 text:Los Angeles D-Fenders (2006–2010, 2011–present)
 bar:12 color:tan1 from:2011 till:end

 bar:13 color:tan1 from:2006 till:end text:Bakersfield Jam (2006–present)

 bar:14 color:powderblue from:2006 till:2009 text:Colorado 14ers (2006–2009)
 bar:14 color:tan1 from:2010 till:end text:Texas Legends (2010–present)

 bar:15 color:tan1 from:2006 till:end text:Dakota Wizards (2006–present)

 bar:16 color:tan1 from:2006 till:end text:Idaho Stampede (2006–present)

 bar:17 color:tan1 from:2006 till:end text:Sioux Falls Skyforce (2006–present)

 bar:18 color:tan1 from:2007 till:end text:Fort Wayne Mad Ants (2007–present)

 bar:19 color:tan1 from:2007 till:end text:Iowa Energy (2007–present)

 bar:20 color:tan1 from:2007 till:end text:Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2007–present)

 bar:21 color:powderblue from:2007 till:2011 text:Utah Flash (2007–2011)

 bar:22 color:tan1 from:2008 till:end text:Erie BayHawks (2008–present)

 bar:23 color:tan1 from:2008 till:end text:Reno Bighorns (2008–present)

 bar:24 color:tan1 from:2009 till:end text:Maine Red Claws (2009–present)

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:1 start:2002

</timeline>

Champions[link]

Note: For the 2001–02 and 2002–03 seasons, (and resuming with the 2007–08 season onwards) the championship has been a best-of-three game series.

Awards and honors[link]

Most Valuable Player[link]

• 2001–02 Ansu Sesay, Greenville Groove
• 2002–03 Devin Brown, Fayetteville Patriots
• 2003–04 Tierre Brown, Charleston Lowgators
• 2004–05 Matt Carroll, Roanoke Dazzle
• 2005–06 Marcus Fizer, Austin Toros
• 2006–07 Randy Livingston, Idaho Stampede
• 2007–08 Kasib Powell, Sioux Falls Skyforce
• 2008–09 Courtney Sims, Iowa Energy
• 2009–10 Mike Harris, Rio Grande Valley Vipers
• 2010–11 Curtis Stinson, Iowa Energy
• 2011–12 Justin Dentmon, Austin Toros

Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year[link]

• 2006–07 Bryan Gates, Idaho Stampede
• 2007–08 Bryan Gates, Idaho Stampede
• 2008–09 Quin Snyder, Austin Toros
• 2009–10 Chris Finch, Rio Grande Valley Vipers
• 2010–11 Nick Nurse, Iowa Energy

Rookie of the Year[link]

• 2001–02 Fred House, North Charleston Lowgators
• 2002–03 Devin Brown, Fayetteville Patriots
• 2003–04 Desmond Penigar, Asheville Altitude
• 2004–05 James Thomas, Roanoke Dazzle
• 2005–06 Will Bynum, Roanoke Dazzle
• 2006–07 Louis Amundson, Colorado 14ers
• 2007–08 Blake Ahearn, Dakota Wizards
• 2008–09 Othyus Jeffers, Iowa Energy
• 2009–10 Alonzo Gee, Austin Toros
• 2010–11 DeShawn Sims, Maine Red Claws
• 2011–12 Edwin Ubiles, Dakota Wizards

Defensive Player of the Year[link]

• 2001–02 Jeff Myers, Greenville Groove
• 2002–03 Mikki Moore, Roanoke Dazzle
• 2003–04 Karim Shabazz, Charleston Lowgators
• 2004–05 Derrick Zimmerman, Columbus Riverdragons
• 2005–06 Derrick Zimmerman, Austin Toros
• 2006–07 Renaldo Major, Dakota Wizards
• 2007–08 Mouhamed Sene, Idaho Stampede, and Stephane Lasme, Los Angeles D-Fenders
• 2008–09 Brent Petway, Idaho Stampede
• 2009–10 Greg Stiemsma, Sioux Falls Skyforce
• 2010–11 Chris Johnson, Dakota Wizards

Impact Player of the Year[link]

• 2007–08 Morris Almond, Utah Flash
• 2008–09 Eddie Gill, Colorado 14ers
• 2009–10 Brian Butch, Bakersfield Jam
• 2010–11 Jeff Adrien, Rio Grande Valley Vipers
• 2011–12 Eric Dawson, Austin Toros

Most Improved Player[link]

• 2009–10 Mildon Ambres, Idaho Stampede
• 2010–11 Dar Tucker, New Mexico Thunderbirds

Executive of the Year[link]

• 2009–10 Jon Jennings, Maine Red Claws
• 2010–11 Bert Garcia, Rio Grande Valley Vipers

Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award[link]

• 2001–02 Mike Wilks, Huntsville Flight
• 2002–03 Billy Thomas, Greenville Groove
• 2005–06 Ime Udoka, Fort Worth Flyers
• 2006–07 Roger Powell, Arkansas RimRockers
• 2007–08 Billy Thomas, Colorado 14ers
• 2008–09 Will Conroy, Albuquerque Thunderbirds
• 2009–10 Andre Ingram, Utah Flash
• 2010–11 Larry Owens, Tulsa 66ers
• 2011-12 Moses Ehambe, Iowa Energy

All-Star Game MVP[link]

• 2007 Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Fort Worth Flyers
• 2008 Jeremy Richardson, Fort Wayne Mad Ants
• 2009 Blake Ahearn, Dakota Wizards and Courtney Sims, Iowa Energy
• 2010 Brian Butch, Bakersfield Jam
• 2011 Courtney Sims, Iowa Energy
• 2012 Gerald Green, Los Angeles D-Fenders

All-NBA Development League Team[link]

See also[link]

• List of NBA Development League yearly standings
• List of developmental and minor sports leagues

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Official Site of the NBA D-League
• D-League – Basketball-Reference.com
• DraftExpress.com D-League Blog
• NBA D-League on Twitter
• NBA D-League on Facebook
• NBA D-League on Flickr
• NBA D-League on YouTube
• NBA D-League on Tumblr

Anthony Weiner
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 9th district
In office January 3, 1999 – June 21, 2011 (resigned) [1][2]
Preceded by	Charles Schumer
Succeeded by	Bob Turner
Member of the New York City Council for the 48th District
In office 1992–1998
Preceded by	New District
Succeeded by	Michael C. Nelson
Personal details
Born	Anthony David Weiner (1964-09-04) September 4, 1964 (age 47) Brooklyn, New York City, New York
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Huma Abedin (m. 2010–present)[3]
Residence	Forest Hills Gardens, Queens, New York[4]
Alma mater	SUNY, Plattsburgh (1985)
Occupation	Politician
Religion	Judaism[5]
Ethnicity	Ashkenazi Jewish[5]

Anthony David Weiner (pronounced /ˈwiːnər/; born September 4, 1964) is a former U.S. Representative who served New York's 9th congressional district from January 1999 until June 2011. A Democrat, Weiner held the seat previously occupied by Democrat Charles Schumer and won seven terms, never receiving less than 59 percent of the vote.^[6] He was an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of New York City in the 2005 election, and had begun to amass a campaign fund to run again for mayor in 2013.

Previously, Weiner was a New York City councilman from 1992 to 1998, and a congressional aide to then-U.S. Representative Schumer from 1985 to 1991. A New York City native, he attended the public schools and graduated from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh in 1985 with a bachelor of arts degree in political science.

Weiner resigned from Congress due to a sexting scandal,^[7] effective June 21, 2011. A special election was held on September 13, 2011, to fill the remainder of his term.^[8]

Early life, education, and family[link]

Weiner was born in Brooklyn, New York, one of three sons of Mort Weiner, a lawyer, and his wife Fran, a public high school mathematics teacher.^[9][10] The family lived for a time in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn. Weiner described his ethnic and religious background in 2011: "We weren't a very religious household," he said, "but we had a very strong sense of our Judaism."^[5] His older brother, Seth, was killed at age 39 in a hit-and-run vehicle-pedestrian accident in May 2000.^[11][12] His younger brother, Jason, is a chef and co-owner of several New York restaurants.^[13]

Weiner took the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT), qualified for Brooklyn Technical High School, and graduated in 1981.^[14] He attended the State University of New York at Plattsburgh,^[15] where he played on the hockey team and initially aspired to become a television weatherman. He spent his junior year as an exchange student at The College of William and Mary, where he befriended future comic/political commentator, Jon Stewart. His interests turned towards politics; he became active in student government and was named most effective student senator.^[12]

Upon receiving his bachelor of arts degree in political science in 1985, Weiner joined the staff of then-Congressman and current Senator Chuck Schumer. He worked in Schumer's Washington, D.C. office for three years, then transferred to Schumer's district office in Brooklyn in 1988 when Schumer encouraged him to become involved in local politics.^[16]

New York City Councilman: 1992–98[link]

After six years of working for Schumer, Weiner's first chance at political office came in 1991 when the New York City Council was expanded from 35 to 51 seats.^[17] Considered a long-shot, Weiner faced strong primary competition from two other candidates who had better local name recognition and more funds.^[17][10] Right before the September 1991 primary, Weiner blanketed the largely white 48th council district with anonymous race-baiting leaflets playing on the voters' fears and racial hostility in the immediate aftermath of the Crown Heights race riots and tying his white opponents to black politicians who were deeply unpopular in the district.^[17] Weiner won the primary in a surprising upset, besting his opponents by 125 and 195 votes, and guaranteeing his victory in the general election in the majority Democratic district.^[17] Weiner then became, at age 27, the youngest councilman in City history.^[17][10]

Over the next seven years on the City Council, Weiner initiated programs to tackle quality of life concerns. He started a program to put at-risk and troubled teens to work cleaning up graffiti. He spearheaded development plans for historic Sheepshead Bay that led to a revival of the area; and, when supermarkets started leaving the neighborhood, Weiner worked to reverse the trend.^[18]

As Chairman of the Subcommittee on public housing, he fought to increase federal funding, to ban dangerous dogs, and to add more police officers to the beat. His investigation into the cause of sudden, fatal stairwell fires made headlines; he exposed dangerous practices that eventually led the city to replace the paint in developments citywide.^[10]

U.S. Congressman: 1999–2011[link]

In the 1998 primary election, Weiner won the Democratic nomination to succeed his mentor and long-term boss, U.S. Representative Chuck Schumer who had given up his seat in the House to run for the U.S. Senate. At that time, victory in the primary was tantamount to election in the heavily Democratic 9th District which included parts of southern Brooklyn and south and central Queens.^[19] Upon winning the general election, Weiner became only the fifth person to represent the District since its creation in 1920.^[20][21]

Domestic issues[link]

Anthony Weiner showing his support at a NYC gay parade (2009)

He received a 100% rating from the NARAL Pro-Choice America in 2003 and a 0% rating from National Right to Life Committee 2006, indicating a strong pro-choice voting record.^[22] He was critical of the 2009 Stupak-Pitts Amendment to the health reform bill, calling it "unnecessary and divisive" and saying it would prevent health insurers from offering abortion coverage regardless of whether an individual uses federal funds to purchase an insurance plan.^[23]

In April 2008, Weiner created the bi-partisan Congressional Middle Class Caucus.^[24] Weiner received an "A" on the Drum Major Institute's 2005 Congressional Scorecard on middle-class issues.^[25]

In June 2008, Weiner sponsored a bill that would increase the number of O-visas available to foreign fashion models, arguing that it would help boost the fashion industry in New York City.^[26] Weiner has criticized UN diplomats for failing to pay parking tickets in New York City, claiming foreign nations owed $18,000,000 to the city.^[27]

During the health care reform debates of 2009, Weiner advocated for a bill called the United States National Health Care Act, which would have expanded Medicare to all Americans, regardless of age.^[28][29] He remarked that while 4 percent of Medicare funds go to overhead,^[30] private insurers put 30 percent of their customer's money into profits and overhead instead of into health care.^[31] In late July 2009, Weiner secured a full House floor vote for single payer health care in exchange for not amending America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (AAHCA) in Committee mark-up with a single-payer plan.^[32] When a public health insurance option was being considered as part of America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, he said it would help towards reducing costs, and set up a website to push for the option.^[31] He attracted wide attention when described the Republican Party as "a wholly owned subsidiary of the insurance industry, teaming up with a small group of Democrats to try to protect that industry",^[33] and proclaimed in front of Congress in February 2010 that "every single Republican I have ever met in my entire life is a wholly owned subsidiary of the insurance industry."^[34]

He was the chief sponsor of the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act (PACT) of 2009,^[35][36] which makes the selling of tobacco in violation of any state tax law a federal felony, and effectively ends Internet tobacco smuggling by stopping shipments of cigarettes through the United States Postal Service. Weiner said, "This new law will give states and localities a major revenue boost by cracking down on the illegal sale of tobacco", and added that "Every day we delay is another day that New York loses significant amounts of tax revenue and kids have easy access to tobacco products sold over the Internet."^[36]

On July 29, 2010, Weiner criticized Republicans for opposing the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. This act would provide for funds for sick first responders to the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, many of whom reside in Weiner's district. In a speech on the floor of the House, he accused Republicans of hiding behind procedural questions as an excuse to vote against the bill.^[37]

In October 2010, Weiner urged YouTube to take down Anwar al-Awlaki's videos from its website, saying that by hosting al-Awlaki's messages, "We are facilitating the recruitment of homegrown terror."^[38] In November 2010, YouTube removed from its site some of the hundreds of videos featuring al-Awlaki's calls to jihad.^[39]

Weiner voted against the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. He said the Republicans turned out to be "better poker players" than Obama.^{[40][clarification needed]}

Foreign policy[link]

Weiner voted for the authorization to use force against Iraq in 2002.^[41]

In May 2006, Weiner attempted to bar entry by the Palestinian delegation to the United Nations. ^[42] Weiner further stated that the delegation "should start packing their little Palestinian terrorist bags", and went on to claim that Human Rights Watch, The New York Times, and, in particular, Amnesty International are biased against Israel.^[42]

On July 29, 2007, Weiner and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) objected to a $20 billion arms deal that the Bush Administration had negotiated with Saudi Arabia because they do not want to provide "sophisticated weapons to a country that they believe has not done enough to stop terrorism," also noting that 15 of the 19 hijackers of September 11, 2001 were from Saudi Arabia. Weiner made the announcement outside of the Saudi Arabian consulate in Washington, stating that "We need to send a crystal clear message to the Saudi Arabian government that their tacit approval of terrorism can't go unpunished." Weiner and Nadler intended to use a provision of the Arms Export Control Act to review the deal and pass a Joint Resolution of Disapproval.^[43] Weiner and several other members of Congress later criticized the Obama administration proposal to sell over $60 billion in arms to Saudi Arabia. He said: "Saudi Arabia is not deserving of our aid, and by arming them with advanced American weaponry we are sending the wrong message", and described Saudi Arabia as having a "history of financing terrorism" and teaching "hatred of Christians and Jews" to its schoolchildren.^[44]

Criticisms and controversies[link]

In July 2008, The New York Times characterized Weiner as one of the most intense and demanding of bosses, describing him as often working long hours with his staff, requiring them to be in constant contact by Blackberry, frequently yelling at them, and occasionally physically abusing office furniture in anger.^[45] As a result, according to the Times, he had one of the highest staff turnover rates of any member of Congress, including, at one point, three chiefs of staff in 18 months.^[45] Weiner admitted he pushed his aides hard but said his speaking at a high decibel level was part of his background and style, not necessarily shouting.^[45] Though some former employees were critical of Weiner's supervisory practices, others praised him for his intense involvement in constituent concerns and readiness to fight for New York City.^[45]

A 2010 license plate check by the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call showed that Weiner's vehicles were among several owned by members of Congress which had unpaid tickets. Weiner's past due fines which spanned three years and totaled more than $2,000 were among the highest uncovered by Roll Call and they were paid in full shortly after publication of the article.^[46][47] On June 13, 2011, the New York Daily News reported that one of Weiner's vehicles, though it had been issued valid plates, was displaying expired plates that had been issued to another one of his vehicles.^[48] Weiner has criticized UN diplomats for failing to pay parking tickets in New York City, claiming foreign nations owed $18,000,000 to the city.^[27]

Resignation from Congress[link]

On May 27, 2011, Weiner sent a link to a sexually suggestive photograph of himself via his public Twitter account^[49][7] to an adult woman who was following him on Twitter.^[50] After several days of denying he had posted the image,^{[51][52][53][54]} Weiner held a press conference at which he admitted he had, "exchanged messages and photos of an explicit nature with about six women over the last three years".^[55] He apologized for his earlier denials.^[55][56][57] After an explicit photo was leaked through the The Opie & Anthony Show,^[58] Weiner announced on June 16, 2011, that he would resign from Congress,^[59][60][61] and he formally resigned on June 21.^[1] In the special election held on September 13, 2011, to replace him, Republican businessman Bob Turner^[62] defeated the Democratic candidate, state assemblyman David Weprin, to fill Weiner's seat.^[63]

Mayoral run[link]

Weiner sought the Democratic nomination to run for New York City mayor in 2005, vying against three other candidates. He had a three-part pitch to voters that included criticizing sitting Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his top-down style of management and promising a more democratic approach; against "passivity in City Hall" and for getting more federal money for the city; and a series of ideas on how to get the city to work better.^[9] He presented a book of 50 "Real Solutions" and among his policy proposals were fixes for the health care and educational systems.^[9] One idea already in play was a neighborhood scrubbing-up program he dubbed "Weiners Cleaners".^[9] Weiner started out last in many polls,^[9] but gained ground in the final weeks of the campaign, coming in second. Initial election returns had Fernando Ferrer with 39.95 percent of the vote, just shy of the 40% required to avoid a runoff against Weiner who had 28.82 percent, but Weiner conceded, citing the need for party unity and denying rumors that various high-ranking New York Democrats, such as Senator Chuck Schumer and then-New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, had urged him to concede. Ultimately, absentee ballots put Ferrer over the 40% mark in the official primary election returns.

Weiner appeared to be a candidate for mayor again in 2009.^[64] However, in May 2009, after the New York City Council voted to extend term limits for Mayor Bloomberg, Weiner announced his decision not to run against the popular incumbent.^[65] By July 2010, Weiner had raised $3.9 million for a potential campaign in the 2013 mayoral election, and was considered a leading contender in early polls.^[66]

Personal life[link]

Weiner became engaged to Huma Abedin, a longtime personal aide of Hillary Clinton, in May 2009; they married in July 2010 in an interfaith ceremony with former president Bill Clinton officiating.^[67] On December 21, 2011, Abedin gave birth to the couple's first child, son Jordan Zain Weiner.^[68]

Weiner began a longterm friendship with comedian Jon Stewart when the two lived in the same summer house in Dewey Beach, Delaware in 1987.^[69][12] He is also a friend of actor Ben Affleck, whom he met while Affleck was researching his role in the political thriller, State of Play, in 2008.^[70][24]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Anthony Weiner

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Anthony Weiner

• Anthony Weiner official campaign site
• Anthony Weiner on YouTube
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Congressional profile at GovTrack
• Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs
• Appearances on Charlie Rose
• Appearances at the Internet Movie Database
• Collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Live from New York, It's Anthony Weiner. Daphna Berman, Moment Magazine, May/June 2011
• Video of Weiner's June 6, 2011 Press conference (CBS News), with transcript (New York Post), June 6, 2011

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Riley Cooper

Cooper playing for the Eagles in 2011
No. 14     Philadelphia Eagles
Wide receiver
Personal information
Date of birth: (1987-09-09) September 9, 1987 (age 24)
Place of birth: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Weight: 222 lb (101 kg)
Career information
High school: Central Catholic High School Clearwater, Florida
College: Florida
NFL Draft: 2010 / Round: 5 / Pick: 159
Debuted in 2010 for the Philadelphia Eagles
Career history
Philadelphia Eagles (2010–present)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
SEC Championship (2006, 2008) BCS National Championship (2007, 2009)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 16, 2011
Receptions 23 Receiving Yards 431 Receiving TDs 2 Stats at NFL.com

Riley Thomas Cooper (born September 9, 1987) is an American football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Eagles in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football and college baseball at Florida.

Early years[link]

Cooper was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the son of Larry and Monica Cooper.^[1] He grew up in Clearwater, Florida, where he attended Clearwater Central Catholic High School and played high school football and baseball for the Central Catholic Marauders.^[1] Cooper was a three-time all-county honoree, received all-state honors as a wide receiver and free safety after his junior and senior seasons, and was his football team's captain as a senior.^[1] Rivals.com ranked him as the tenth-best athlete in the 2006 college football signing class.^[2]

College career[link]

2006[link]

In his freshman season, Cooper served as the "gunner" on special teams and played in 13 of the 14 games for the Gators. He established a then-career-high with three receptions (all touchdowns) in the romp over Western Carolina. Cooper was nominated SEC Freshman of the Week following his performance. He was the first Gator freshman wide receiver to have three touchdown catches in a game since Jabar Gaffney accomplished the feat in 2000. Cooper saw action in Florida's triumphs over Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky, mostly on special teams. He made collegiate debut with one reception for 10 yards against Central Florida. Cooper gained 92 yards on four receptions, three of which went for touchdowns, on the season.^[3]

2007[link]

As a sophomore, Cooper appeared in 10 games during the year with two starts in home contests against Tennessee and Auburn. He missed games against Georgia and Vanderbilt as a result of a broken finger suffered in the first quarter at Kentucky. He dressed but did not compete in the Capital One Bowl against Michigan, which the Gators lost. Cooper hauled in a career-high and team-best four catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns, including a career-long 59-yard grab in his 2007 debut against Western Kentucky. Cooper caught eight passes, gaining 182 yards and scoring two total touchdowns in 2007.^[3]

2008[link]

Cooper appeared in every game for the Gators in his junior season, starting all but two (against Hawaii and Florida State). He hauled in a key touchdown, along with a season-high 51-yard reception, that put Florida in scoring position during the SEC Championship Game against Alabama. He totaled 28 yards on two receptions in the BCS National Championship Game, including a crucial 17-yard catch on 3rd-and-12. Cooper amassed 261 total yards on 18 receptions, three of which were touchdowns.^[3]

2009[link]

Cooper totaled 961 yards on 51 receptions, with nine touchdowns and an average of 18.8 yards per catch.^[4]

Baseball[link]

Cooper was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies out of high school in the 15th round of the 2006 MLB Draft. Cooper passed on the contract and played college baseball for the Florida Gators as an outfielder. He signed a deal to play baseball for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball but decided to delay his MLB career and returned to play football for Florida in 2009. He was scheduled to get a physical and receive half of his $250,000 signing bonus on January 17 but declined and told the Rangers that his focus was football, thus voiding his baseball contract.

Professional career[link]

Philadelphia Eagles[link]

Cooper was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round (159th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was signed to a four-year contract on July 13, 2010.^[5]

Cooper caught his first NFL touchdown in a game against the Tennessee Titans on October 24, 2010.

He ended his first season with 7 reception for 116 yards and 1 TD.

He scored his second touchdown of his career vs. New York Giants in week 10 of the 2011 NFL season on a 8-yard completion from Vince Young.

Personal[link]

Cooper's sister Lindsey, attends the University of Florida and plays for the Florida Gators women's soccer team.^[6]

See also[link]

	American football portal
	Biography portal
	College football portal

• 2006 Florida Gators football team
• 2008 Florida Gators football team
• Florida Gators
• List of Florida Gators football players
• List of Philadelphia Eagles players

References[link]

External links[link]

• Riley Cooper on Twitter
• Riley Cooper – Philadelphia Eagles profile
• Riley Cooper – Florida Gators profile