Football

Football, or soccer if you prefer, is one of the most popular sports in the world and for a good reason; it's extremely fun! Especially with the 2022 FIFA World Cup upon us, football is gaining popularity again, with more and more people wanting to play. However, not everyone has had a football to play with since they were kids, or maybe they did but never actually played with proper rules and teams. Where is a person like that supposed to go to learn? Right here! Today, we will show you the best way to learn and play football like your favourite pros during the World Cup!   Learn the Proper Way to Kick the Ball Too often, I see new players try to kick the ball with the tips of their toes, sometimes known as 'punting', which is incredibly dangerous and absolutely the wrong way to do it! Kicking the ball with the tip of your toes may seem easy or natural, but by doing so, you put all the force of your kick on your toes and nails, which could lead to a serious injury for you if the angle is slightly wrong or you kick too hard. So, what is the proper way? If you've looked closely at a professional football player kicking a ball, you will see that they use the top or sides of their feet rather than their toes. This not only protects from injuries to your toes and nails; it is also the optimal way to shoot with power and get the ball to go exactly where you’re aiming.   Practice with a Friend or Against a Wall One of the best ways to learn how to play is, you guessed it, by playing! Practising as much as you can is the best way to learn any new thing, and it's particularly important in the case of football. For me, practising kicking the ball against a wall and trying to keep it as straight as possible was a good way to learn side-foot kicking. Once you’re familiar with that, you will want to learn how to kick the ball with power. For this, you can either get a friend involved or go to your local park and play with anyone there. Start by putting about 50 meters of distance between you and your friend and try to kick the ball as accurately towards them as you can. Remember to use only the top or sides of your foot. You will find that side-foot shooting is a lot easier than with the top of your foot but does not allow you to get as much power in your shots.   Familiarize Yourself with the Rules Playing in the park is often an informal game of football with few rules involved, but you'll still want to be familiar with them so you can get started with proper matches right from the get-go! You can find a detailed list of rules and explanations on YouTube, which should be easier to understand than written explanations.

The world of sports is an incredibly diverse and dense one. Each sport, from football and basketball to curling and ice skating, has an unfathomable amount of depth to it. It can be a truly magical journey going from learning the ropes to becoming a semi-pro or even professional-level player! With that said, let's get into the five sports we think you need to try because they're way too much fun:   1. Football I may be partial in this case because football is a sport really close to my heart and something I've played since I was a kid, but I can assure you that you'll have just as much fun with it as I have all my life! The fundamentals are simple; you have to kick the ball into the other team's net, and you can only use your feet (kind of) to do it.   2. Basketball It's no secret that you need to be tall if you want to make it big in basketball, but that doesn't mean you can't pick it up as a fun game to play on the weekends. The feeling of getting a three-pointer for the first time is unmatched by anything and gives you a high that you will be chasing for the rest of your basketball-playing career! All you need to get started is a basketball, a hoop, and a basic rundown of the rules.   3. Table Tennis Ping pong, you've probably seen Forrest Gump go crazy for it, and there's a good reason that happened! Table tennis is one of the most fun sports and is really simple to start. The rules are similar to tennis; the ball has to go over the net and bounce twice in the opponent's half or fall off the other side. Unlike tennis, it involves much less effort and is much easier to learn, so pick up a racket today and give it a shot!   4. Squash Think tennis, but against a wall. Squash is one of those sports where you really get to unleash all your frustration with a racket in your hand and a tennis ball in front of you. Jokes aside, squash is another somewhat niche but really fun sport that is best played with a friend and makes for a really good workout in the process! You'll probably need a squash court to get started, but you can also get away with just a horizontal line on a wall (acting as the net), and a racket and ball are essential.   5. Volleyball We’ve all seen the movie scenes of beach volleyball and wondered what it would be like to make a diving hit at the last second to get it over the net. Well, it’s time to stop wondering and go try it for yourself! Volleyball is essentially badminton with a football-like ball that is much lighter. The rules are to hit it with your hands and get the ball to drop in their half for a point. We hope we've been helpful, and until next time, goodbye!

Getting into sports is one of the best decisions you can make for your physical and mental well-being. However, starting is often simpler than deciding which specific sport you should get into, as there are so many of them to choose from! Well, there's no need to worry, as we have the answer right here in this article; let's get started!   Define Your Goals Before deciding on a sport, think about why you’re starting sports. There can be a plethora of reasons, but the two broad categories are starting for fun or starting to get physically fit (in a fun way, of course!). If you’re starting just for fun, you can choose more or less anything that appeals to you! However, if physical fitness is the primary goal, some options will be better for you than others. Luckily, it just so happens that they are all as fun as the other, so you're not missing out on anything! With that said, let's move on to the list of sports:   Table Tennis Compared to some other sports, table tennis is not as physically intense; however, it still packs a workout! This is an ideal sport if physical fitness is a secondary goal and you mostly just want to have fun. The sport relies mostly on your upper body and requires hand-eye coordination more than it requires strength. So, if you're looking for a fun time without putting too much effort in, ping pong is the way to go!   Football Football is a sport where you must constantly be moving around, whether walking or jogging or running, or else you'll be out of position! Moreover, when you have the ball or contest an opponent for it, you will need upper body strength to shield against them. Accordingly, football is ideal for when you want to prioritize physical fitness along with the fun! The constant running paired with jostling with opponents makes for a full-body workout and builds both upper and lower body strength.   Basketball Similar to football, you're going to be moving around a lot here, so a lower-body workout is provided here. Another benefit of this is cardio; your heart rate remains elevated throughout, leading to excess fat and calorie burning. Along with moving around, you'll need upper body strength here as well! Basketball is also a contact sport; you'll be shielding from opponents while also throwing the ball with your arms; more strength means faster passes and longer-distance throws.   Esports This is another pick for people who are looking for fun and not necessarily physical exercise but mental exercise! Competitive video games are one of the best ways to improve your hand-eye coordination, teamwork, coordination decision-making, and critical thinking skills, among other things. While esports is still an unorthodox concept for a lot of people today, we assure you that you will not be disappointed if you give it a shot! We hope this has been a helpful guide and until next time, take care and good luck with whichever sport you choose!

Sports are an essential part of student life and have countless benefits for both their mental and physical well-being. Most schools often offer a wide range of sports to students so they can choose the one they love and have fun with while also benefiting from the advantages. With that said, it can be helpful to look at some of the best options that schools typically offer and how they can be more fun than others! So, let's get into it:   Football This is a childhood favorite of mine and a sport that I've played all my life! Football involves teams of 11 or 5 (depending on the size of the pitch), and the objective is to put the ball in the opposing team's net. Players can use any part of their body to score beside their hands and forearms. Each goal equals one point, and the team with the most goals wins at the end. In case of a tie, the teams go to extra time. If the game remains goalless even after that, the match is decided by a penalty shoot-out! Football is one of the most accessible and widely offered sports at school and is a great option, especially for students.   Cricket More popular in Asia and Europe, cricket is a sport similar to baseball, where two teams compete to get the most runs. Runs are scored by whichever team is batting at that time, with no more than two batsmen on the pitch at a time. The bowling team can have all eleven players out on the pitch, with one bowler and ten fielders. The team with the most runs in each of their batting performances (known as innings). To play cricket, you'll need at least one bat, a cricket ball, wickets, and a pitch to play on.   Table Tennis Some of my best memories were formed around a table tennis game. All you need is a pair of rackets, a table tennis ball, and a table to play on, which most schools often have. The game requires very little setup and effort to play and packs hours of fun and exercise! The objective is to hit the ball past the other player's half without letting it bounce in your half. At the same time, the ball must bounce in the other player's half at least once, or it will count as a point against you!   Basketball Basketball is another game where you can get full body exercise while having lots of fun and building your teamwork skills simultaneously. The game involves five players on each side who must coordinate to throw the ball into the other team's hoop. If the points are scored from outside the 3-point arc, the team is rewarded with 3 points, while points inside the arc are counted as 2 points. The team with the most points at the end wins! All you need to get started is a basketball court and a basketball.

Getting the proper footwear for the sport that you're playing is an important step that often gets overlooked. For example, it may seem easy and natural to play football in your favourite pair of sneakers, but you'll quickly find that this is a fast one-way ticket to ruining and even destroying the entire shoe from the extreme wear. So, what should you get instead? That's exactly what we're going to discuss today! Starting with:   For Football If football is your choice of sport, you will want cleats. However, there is more to it than that. Cleats are only viable (and allowed) if you're going to play in a field with natural grass. If the field has artificial grass or Astroturf on it, you'll want a slightly different version of the cleats suited to that specific surface (search artificial grass or turf variants for the shoe of your choice). Similarly, for indoor courts, you cannot get away with wearing cleats as not only will they damage the court floor, you will constantly be slipping about and risk injuring yourself due to a lack of grip. For these courts, you should look into IC (indoor court) football boots that look similar to a pair of sneakers but have tougher upper materials to withstand the wear.   For Basketball Basketball shoes are often as much a fashion statement as they are functional. Unlike football shoes, you will not need to pay much attention to the surface, as basketball is almost exclusively played on hard surfaces. Accordingly, you'll be fine with any pair of basketball shoes you like. Factors to consider are pricing; the higher priced ones will likely last longer and be more comfortable, and the style of the shoe; low tops and high tops. Most basketball shoes are high tops to protect the ankle of the player, but low-top versions have also been a popular choice in recent times as they offer more freedom and flexibility while also being lightweight.   For Running This is one sport where you can easily get away with your favourite pair of sneakers; it's what they were made for! When it comes to running shoes, it's hard to go wrong with any of the popular options from Adidas, Nike, Asics, and Brooks, among others. The exact choice you pick will depend on your preference. For me, I like a lot of underfoot padding (more foam) and a firm but soft fit on top. What you'll want to avoid when going running is doing it in a pair of casual wear shoes like Vans, which are not designed to run long distances in, nor do they have enough padding to keep you comfortable while you run.   For Tennis In tennis, you'll want a pair of lightweight shoes that offer flexibility without including too much foam under your foot to allow for agile movements. My favourite options in this category are the Nike Court Visions, though you can search for your preferred options as long as they meet the abovementioned requirements to enhance performance.

Football is a universally loved game; there's no one I know that doesn't enjoy a game of 5-a-side football in the evening with all their friends and football buddies. That said, many people out there don't quite understand the appeal, or maybe they don't really understand how the game works, which is perfectly okay! This article will explain exactly how football works and everything we believe everyone should know about ‘the beautiful game.’   How Does it Work? Despite being the most popular sport in the world, most popular are usually unfamiliar with how the sport works, especially in a professional setting with standard football rules. With that said, let's dive into how the game works: Football is played with 11 players in each team, and there are two teams on the pitch. All 22 players play simultaneously, so the pitch or field needs to be considerably big. Accordingly, the average football pitch size is 112 yards long and 70 yards wide, so there's lots of running to be done! Both teams have one goalkeeper who typically does not leave their post/position and is responsible for being the last line of defence against a goal being scored on them. The remaining ten players are called 'outfield players,' which are typically split into three sections; defenders, midfielders, and attackers. The structure of these three sections combines to create the formation of the team, which can be defender, attacker-focused, or neutral. While the roles and positions are assigned, there is no restriction on any player (including the goalkeeper) from moving to any point on the pitch, so there tends to be a lot of temporary shuffling of positions during the match. All you need to get started with football, though, is a pair of shoes (ideally football shoes) and a football! Finding a proper pitch and people to play with is always a bonus and will offer the best experience, but you'll quickly find that you don't need anyone but yourself to enjoy it! Practising by yourself, trying new dribbles and shots, passing and playing keep-up against a wall, the sky is the limit with how creative you can be! This is one of the most beautiful parts of the sport for me. While you can play alone, it's always more fun with friends and more players! In my experience, whenever I play by myself in a park or on a pitch, I'm almost always joined by nearby people that are looking to play with someone. With enough people joining like this, before you know it, you’re playing with more people on each team than the pitch allows! That wraps up our guide on everything you need to know about football and why it’s such a magical game for everyone who plays it. It truly is one of the most fun sports to play and has been the best way for me to socialize with like-minded people. We hope this has been helpful and wish you good luck with all your future sports endeavours!

The Portuguese football legend has the most Instagram followers, but he is also a superhero for his charitable work. Cristiano Ronaldo's family supports him, but they can sometimes break his heart. When he was recently shown a videotaped interview of his late father conducted in 2004, a year before his death, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner was moved to tears. Ronaldo’s Personal Life Cristiano Ronaldo was born in Madeira, Portugal, on February 5, 1985, to Jose Dinis Aveiro and Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro. His father worked as a municipal gardener, and his mother was a cook. Ronaldo was the youngest of four children, with a son and two daughters. Ronaldo was expelled from school after he assaulted his teacher with a chair. He had always been a keen footballer, and by the age of fourteen, he had decided to focus on becoming a professional footballer. Ronaldo had been playing for Androrinha since he was eight years old.                                 His Career Cristiano Ronaldo joined the club 'Nacional' in his hometown of Madeira in 1995, and after a successful trial, he joined one of the biggest clubs in Portugal, namely, 'Sporting CP.' In 2003-2004, Cristiano Ronaldo became Manchester United's first Portuguese player. He wanted his Sporting FC number 28, but at Old Trafford, he was given the No.7 jersey, which David Beckham and Eric Cantona had previously worn. Cristiano Ronaldo made his Manchester United debut as a substitute for Nicky Butt against Bolton Wonders on August 16, 2003, and United won 4-0. In his first match, Ronaldo received a standing ovation from the crowd and numerous compliments from United legend George Best. Cristiano Ronaldo's career took off in the 2006-07 season when he scored more than 20 goals for Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson. He established his importance on the field by assisting them in winning their first Premier League championship in four years in the 2005-06 season. Cristiano Ronaldo decided to join Real Madrid from Manchester United ahead of the 2008-09 season for the highest-ever signing fee of £80 million. Madrid announced a 5-year contract extension with Cristiano Ronaldo until 2015, paying him £11 million per year and including a €1 billion release fee, marking a significant advancement in Cristiano Ronaldo's career. Ronaldo was given the number 9 jersey in his early days at Real Madrid because Raul was the club captain then. Cristiano Ronaldo's life story changed when he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid, thanks to his success at the Santiago Bernabeu. He has played 292 games and scored 311 goals in his eight years at Real Madrid. Ronaldo left Real Madrid in 2018 for Juventus for a fee of €100 million plus €12 million in additional costs. Ronaldo agreed to a four-year contract with Juventus, and the fee paid by the new team was the highest ever paid for a 30-year-old player. In his fourth game for Juventus, Ronaldo scored his first goal against Sassuolo, and he was sent off for the first time in his 154th Champions League match against Valencia.

James Rodriguez is a professional footballer from Colombia. Real Madrid C.F. in Spain currently signs James Rodriguez. He is an attacking midfielder for Real Madrid and the Colombian National Team. He rose to prominence following a successful World Cup campaign in 2014. With six goals, James Rodriguez was awarded the FIFA Golden Boot. He is currently one of the world's best young talents. Rodriquez’s Personal Life Wilson James Rodrguez Bedoya and Maria Del Pilar Rubio gave birth to James David Rodrguez Rubio on July 12, 1991, in Cucuta, Colombia. His father was also a football player, having played for the 1985 U-20 and Colombian national teams. Wilson's athletic career was cut short due to injuries and a battle with alcoholism. James inherited his father's love of football and became interested in it at a young age. He used to play Pony Football with Academia Tolimense as a child, and by the time he was in his early teens, he was a very skilled player.                                 His Career In his mid-teens, he made his professional debut with the Colombian second-division club Envigado. The following year, he was promoted to Colombia's first division. He joined the Argentine club Banfield in 2008 and made his debut in February 2009. On February 27, he scored his first goal, a long-range strike, in a 3-1 victory over Rosario Central. He astounded his coaches and teammates with his skillful performances at 17 and became a regular first-team player, appearing in every Apertura 2009. He also became Argentina's youngest foreigner to score a goal. He did an excellent job throughout the year and quickly gained a large fan base. He became a highly sought-after player and was signed by Porto, a Portuguese sports club, in July 2010 for €5.1 million. In December 2010, he scored his first goal in European football in a 3-1 home victory for Porto over Bulgarian club CSKA Sofia. In the 2011-12 season, he reached new heights of success, scoring 14 goals and providing 11 assists for Porto. He was also the first Colombian player to win the LPFP Award for Breakthrough Player of the Year in 2011. In the 2012-13 season, he became a regular starter. He was instrumental in the 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the 2012-13 UEFA Champions League group stage. He also assisted on a goal in a 2-1 win over Estoril. He maintained his stellar play throughout the season, finishing with 13 goals and 15 assists in 32 appearances. In 2013, James Rodriguez joined French club AS Monaco for €45 million, making him one of the most expensive transfers in world football history. He made his Monaco debut in a 2-0 win over Bordeaux. During the season, he also assisted on two goals in a 2-1 victory over Saint-Étienne. In a 2-0 win over Rennes, he scored his first goal for the club with a free kick. Following the World Cup, he joined the Spanish club Real Madrid for an undisclosed fee, estimated to be around €80 million. He made his debut in the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla at Cardiff City Stadium, which Real Madrid won 2-0. In August 2014, he scored his first goal for Real Madrid against Atlético Madrid.

No soccer fan can ignore the name Pele, who is often regarded as the greatest player the sport has ever produced. Pele did not suddenly inherit the globe; rather, he had to earn his way through blood, sweat, and tears to the top ranks of athletes. Pelé’s Personal Life The first child of Joo Ramos and Dona Celeste, Pelé was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940, in Três Coraçes, Brazil. Pelé, who goes by the moniker "Dico," was born in Bauru and received his name from Thomas Edison. Pelé grew raised in poverty, while Joo Ramos, better known as "Dondinho," struggled to make a living as a soccer player. Nevertheless, by kicking a rolled-up sock filled with rags around the streets of Bauru, he discovered a basic ability for soccer. The origin of the moniker "Pelé" is unknown, but he remembered hating it when his friends initially nicknamed him that. Pele had three marriages and many kids; some were born outside of marriage. The authoritarian Brazilian government launched an investigation into him in 1970 due to suspicions that he had sympathies for left-wing political detainees. Pele was under investigation for distributing pamphlets requesting the liberation of political prisoners. He stayed out of politics following the probe. Teenage Pelé joined a youth team managed by former Brazilian national soccer player Waldemar de Brito. When Pelé was 15 years old, De Brito persuaded his family to allow him to leave home and try out for the Santos professional soccer club.                                 His Career A little over a year later, Pelé was the league's leading scorer. The national team was taken aback by his performance at the young age of 17. He wouldn't let you down. He scored significant goals in both the semifinal and championship games of the 1958 World Cup to help Brazil win it on his first outing in the international arena.  By this time, he had established himself as a superhero in Brazil and was well-known worldwide. The Brazilian government recognized him as a "national treasure," which improved his standing there and prohibited him from taking advantage of opportunities nationwide. Pele eventually scored more than 1,000 goals in games for pay. On November 19, 1969, at Vasco da Gama in Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium, he scored his 1000th goal. It led to celebrations throughout the world. He has one of the best strike rates in games against other countries. He scored 77 goals in 92 international games. Pele had a goal-scoring ratio of 0.94 overall, scoring 1,283 goals in 1,366 games. Pele made his professional debut for Santos at 16 in the domestic league. Until the 1972–73 season, he was a player for Santos in the Brazilian league. The wealthy US league was where Pele completed his career. After signing in 1975, he participated in three seasons for the New York Cosmos. In 1977, the year of his retirement, he guided the New York Cosmos to the US championship.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a Swede who plays for AC Milan, is 41 years old and is still producing at a high level. Zlatan, the highest goal scorer for the Swedish national team with 62 goals, is a realistic goal striker. Ibrahimović’s Personal Life Sefik Ibrahimovic and Jurka Gravic, two Muslim Bosnian immigrants, welcomed Zlatan Ibrahimovic into the world on October 3, 1981, in Malmo, Sweden. The family lacked essentials and lived in abject poverty. Even worse, Zlatan's parents split up when he was only two years old. Nevertheless, the family could make enough money to give Zlatan a good upbringing while he was growing up. Zlatan began playing football when he received a set of football boots for his birthday at 6. That was in the late 1980s, and as Zlatan grew older, he continued to develop physically and mentally to play for his country's team in the future. He was a bully at school and engaged in thefts, which he subsequently admitted to and claimed he committed because he was fascinated with bicycles and would steal them anytime he had the opportunity. Zlatan began playing for Malmo BI and FBK Balkan as a youngster. He began participating in the local club Malmo FF games as a teenager. Despite his skill at the sport, he could not support himself and decided to give it up at age 15 to work at the docks. His boss pushed him to keep going, and the rest is history.                                 His Career Ibrahimovic made his professional debut for Malmö F.F. in 1999, and the following year, he assisted the team in making a move up to the top flight. The 6'5" attacker then joined the illustrious Dutch club AFC Ajax where he refined his formidable skills as a member of two championship-winning squads but also earned a reputation as a volatile player. Ibrahimovic joined Juventus F.C. after spending four years at Ajax and helped the Italian team win two Serie A titles. Ibrahimovic forced a transfer to A.C. Milan before Juventus was stripped of those titles after club management was accused of rigging games in the infamous Calciopoli incident. The tall striker enjoyed more success, winning three straight Serie A championships and his first league-scoring crown in 2009. Ibrahimovic, acquired by F.C. Barcelona in a trade involving Samuel Eto'o, shone for a talented team that won the Super Cup and the league. Still, he fell out with manager Pep Guardiola and spent the next season on loan at AC Milan. The seasoned striker showed he still had more to give by winning his third scoring title with a career-high 30 goals after joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2012 and helping the team win its first Ligue 1 championship in 19 years. Ibrahimovic joined Manchester United in 2016, and in 2017 he assisted the English team in winning the UEFA Europa League Final. The club announced in March 2018 that it had ended the senior player's contract, enabling him to move forward with his intention to sign with the L.A. Galaxy in the United States.  Ibrahimovic responded by posting the following on Instagram: "After two incredible seasons with Manchester United, it is time to move on because even the best things come to an end. Thank you to everyone who shared this chapter of my history with me, including the club, the supporters, the players, the coach, and the staff."

One of the most well-known French football players of all time, Zinedine Zidane, is widely recognized as a master of the game's principles and tactics.  He is renowned for his superior ball handling and control abilities, magic ball touch, laser-focused vision, and outstanding leadership qualities. Players during his years in soccer would only be able to match how he handled and received the ball. Zidane’s Personal Life Smaal and Malika gave birth to Zinedine Zidane on June 23, 1972, in Marseille, France. His older siblings are number four. His family lived in the La Castellane neighborhood of northern Marseille and was of Algerian Kabyle Berber heritage. His mother was a housewife, while his father worked as a warehouseman. The Zidane family was a respected family who led a relatively comfortable life in contrast to other residents of the area who were unemployed and engaged in high crime. At the infant age of five, young Zidane was exposed to football. He participated in the game at Place Tartane, the complex's central square, with the kids from the neighborhood. Zidane was influenced early in his career by Olympique Marseille players he looked up to, including Blaz Sliskovic, Enzo Francescoli, and Jean-Pierre Papin.                                 His Career At 17, Zidane made his professional debut for Cannes and scored a goal. In the years that followed, the attacking midfielder gained notoriety for his superb all-around play after moving to Bordeaux in 1992. Zidane was prone to the occasional rage, but when he had the ball in his hands, he was the picture of composure, appearing to know when to get past the defense, find a teammate with a precise pass, or rip a shot at the goal. In 1996, Zidane moved to Juventus F.C. in Italy's illustrious Series A-League. Zidane demonstrated he was up to the task by leading Juventus to an Italian Super Cup, a UEFA Super Cup, an Intercontinental Cup, and two Series A titles over the following two seasons. The move brought a dramatic increase in exposure and expectations. When France hosted the 1998 World Cup, Zidane was at the top of his game. He led Les Bleus' ascent through the competition with his elegant passing and dribbling. He then scored twice as France defeated Brazil in the final, 3-0, to become a hero for his country. The French team's run to international success culminated with a 2-1 victory over Italy for the European Championship two years later, and Zidane was once more the driving force behind it. Zidane joined the Spanish club Real Madrid in 2001 for a then-record-breaking transfer fee of around $66 million. The investment quickly paid off as the French newcomer assisted Real Madrid in capturing La Liga and the coveted UEFA Champions League trophy in his debut season. After saying he would retire after the 2006 World Cup in Germany, it seemed Zidane's career was headed for a fairytale conclusion when France defeated Italy in the championship game. Instead, it ended when he rammed his head into opponent Marco Materazzi's chest in response to the Italian player's remarks to him during extra time.

This day in 1936 marked the birth of Jim Brown. He was a Black football player, actor, and civil rights activist (at the time of writing). Brown’s Personal Life Georgia's St. Simon's Island is where Jim Brown was born in 1936. Swinton Brown, his father, was a professional boxer, while his mother was a housewife. James Nathaniel Brown is Jim Brown's real name. Many difficulties marked his early years. Brown's father abandoned them when the infant was barely two weeks old. Brown and his mother were going through a difficult period. Theresa decided to become a maid at this point to make a livelihood. She left Brown in his great-grandmother's care to ensure he was secure. When his mother was more at ease eight years later, she brought Jim Brown to live with her in Manhasset, New York. She was a maid here, employed in this location. Brown eventually enrolled at Manhasset High School. He had good luck as he flourished throughout his football career. In his senior year, he received acclaim for his performance. He had a 14.9-yard per-carry average as a running back. He only needed this to get to Syracuse University.                                His Career The Cleveland Browns took Brown in the sixth round of the 1957 National Football League draught. When it came to adjusting to the new competition, Brown didn't waste any time, leading the league with 942 rushing yards and winning Rookie of the Year accolades. For the following seven seasons, Brown set the bar for all running backs in the NFL. Brown bulldozed his way past the opposition at a period when defenses were designed to halt the ground game, recording incredible season totals of 1,527 yards in 1958, 1,329 yards in 1959, 1,257 yards in 1960, 1,408 yards in 1961, 1,863 yards in 1963, 1,446 yards in 1964, and 1,544 yards in 1965. In 1962, Brown's lone "down" year, he only carried for 996 yards. He failed to lead the league in yards only once during his remarkable but limited football career. Brown led Cleveland to the 1964 NFL championship, which the team won by a score of 27-0 over Baltimore. Brown rushed for 114 yards throughout the contest. However, Brown recognized a life for himself outside of football and shocked the sports world by announcing his retirement before the 1966 season. In 1971, he was admitted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Brown, who was only 30 years old when he retired from football, intended to use his post-football life to concentrate on a film career. Some questioned whether Brown would be able to maintain his promise to give up football for good, but he did it and was featured in more than 30 movies, including The Dirty Dozen (1967) and 100 Rifles (1969). In his later roles, he played a football coach in the films Any Given Sunday (1999) and Mars Attacks! (1996).