Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born on February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York, but his family decided to move to Wilmington, North Carolina when he was still a toddler. Jordan is the fourth of five children, having two older brothers and an older and younger sister. Michael's dad worked hard at an electric plant while his mom labored full-time at a bank. Jordan's parents worked hard to provide him and his siblings with a comfortable lifestyle.

As a child, Jordan played baseball, basketball and football. His preferred sport at the time was baseball but after he began spending a lot of time on the basketball court, his outlook changed. Because his older and taller brother, Larry, continuously kept beating him when they played one-on-one, he was determined to become a better player.

Ironically, in 1978, when Jordan attended Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina, he was cut from the varsity team. Instead of giving up, however, he fought through adversity and became the greatest basketball player in the world.

Between the 10th and 11th grade, Jordan grew from 5'11" to 6'3", and because he had improved greatly as a player, he made the varsity team the following year. Jordan played so well in his junior season that he was invited to attend the Five-Star Camp in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the summer before his senior year.

By the time Jordan was finishing his senior year at Laney, he had grown to 6'5" and attained a basketball scholarship from the University of North Carolina. Jordan's ever-growing popularity began at UNC where he made a last minute game-winning shot in the NCAA championship game.

In the summer of 1984, Jordan played on the US Men's Olympic Basketball Team under head coach Bobby Knight. The team had such college players as Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullin (NBA players weren't allowed to compete in the Games until 1992). Jordan's plays quickly awed the other teams.

He scored 14 points against China, 20 against Canada and 16 against Uruguay. The US won all eight of the games by an average of 32.1 points per game. Jordan led the team in scoring with an average of 17.1 points per game. Two months after the Olympics, Jordan played his first regular-season game with the Chicago Bulls.

Jordan immediately proved that he belonged in the big leagues and his acrobatic moves and hang-time won him the infamous nickname Air Jordan. His basketball skills and allure made him the perfect key figure to market both Nike products and the NBA.

Jordan led the Bulls to three consecutive World Championships (1991, 1992 and 1993). Jordan retired from the NBA preceding the 1993/94 season after the mysterious death of his father and after rumors about his gambling addictions began to circulate.

After proving that he was the best basketball player in the world, Jordan sought a new challenge and decided to try his hand at professional baseball. He played outfielder for the Birmingham Barons, affiliates of the Chicago White Sox. Jordan quickly realized that he was not cutout for baseball after a disappointing season.

In 1995, Jordan made a surprise return to basketball right before the playoffs but unfortunately, the Bulls didn't win the Championship. In 1996, Jordan led the Bulls to their best regular season record and the fourth Championship title in six years. He also took a shot at the silver screen, where he starred alongside Bugs Bunny in the animated comedy Space Jam.

Jordan decided to retire after winning his last Championship in 1999. He has decided to dedicate his life to his wife Juanita, and their three children, Jeffrey, Marcus and Jasmine. Jordan resides in Highland Park where he is happily enjoying his retirement. Quite a life isn't it?

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Walter Payton was born on July 25, 1954 in Columbia, Mississippi. He He played college football at Jackson State University. In 1975 he was drafted by the Chicago Bears later he became the leading rusher in NFL history. He holds seven NFL records. Also, he holds over 28 Bear records. Walter Payton was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

After playing only five years in the National Football League(NFL), Walter Payton ranked among the top- 10 rushers in the league's history. His gridiron feats prompted one reporter to question him about his uncanny talent. "How would you try to stop Walter Payton if you were on the other team?" the reporter asked. The running back answered, "Well, the night before the game, I'd kidnap Walter Payton."

Payton died November 2, 1999 of bile duct cancer that was discovered during his treatment for primary sclerosing cholangitis, a rare liver disease.

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Bobby Hull was born Robert Marvin Hull Jr. in 1939.  He is considered the best left winger in professional hockey's history. He played 15 seasons (1957-72) with the Chicago Black Hawks. His total of 610 goals was third best among National Hockey League players. He later played (1972-80) for the Winnipeg Jets, then of the World Hockey Association, and scored 303 goals.

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Bill Veeck  baseball execute, was born in Chicago, Illinois. His father became president of the Chicago Cubs in 1917, and the young Veeck took a keen interest in the Cubs'operation. In 1941, he purchased the minor-leaguage Milwaukee Brewers and built them into a contending club. His team won three American Association pennants in five years. In 1946, he purchased the Cleveland Indians and in two and a half seasons produced the first Cleveland pennant-winner in 28 years. Under Veeck, the Indians set all-time attendance records and were the first team in the American League to sign African-American players (Larry Doby and Satchel Paige).

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Gale Sayers was born in Wichita, Kansas in the year 1943. After a brilliant high school career as a running back, Sayers was approached by colleges all over the nation. He attended the University of Kansas, where he was a consensus All-American in 1963 and 1964. He was the first-round draft choice of the Chicago Bears in 1965.  In his first year Sayers won Rookie-of-the Year honors after he led the NFL in scoring with 132 points and in touchdowns with 22. He also tied an NFL record by scoring six touchdowns in a game against the San Francisco 49'ers in 1965.

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Ernie Banks was born in Dallas, Texas in the year 1931. He starred in football, basketball, and track at Booker T. Washington High School. Spotted by a scout while playing softball, Banks began playing baseball at 17 with a black semi-professional team, the Amarillo Colts, in Amarillo, Texas. He played for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro League during the 1950 season before being drafted into the Army. Returning to the Monarchs in 1953, Banks was signed by the Chicago Cubs during the 1953 season. He played shortstop for the Cubs before being moved to first base in 1963. Selected for the National League All-Star team 11 times, Banks was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1958 and 1959. He ended his playing career in 1971 with a total of 512 home runs. In 1977, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

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George Halas was born in Chicago, Illinois in the year 1895. At Crane Technical High School, he was too small for football but starred in baseball. However, he did excel on the gridiron at the University of Illinois. After two years of Navy duty in World War I, Hallas joined the New York baseball Yankees but only lasted a year because of an injury. In 1920, he joined the A.E Staley Manufacturing Company in Decatur, Illinois, as athletic director. There, he put together a pro football team. Halas moved the Staleys to Chicago after the company phased out its sports program. The Staleys, later the Bears, were members of the original National Football League.

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Ferguson Jenkins was born in Chatham, Ontario, Canda. A versatile athlete, Jenkins starred in hockey and basketball in high school before choosing a career in professional baseball. Signed by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1962, Fergie spent most of four seasons in the minor leagues. Traded to the Chicago Cubs in 1966, he was used as a relief pitcher that year. Given a chance to be a starting pitcher in 1967, Jenkins reeled off 20 victories. Every season from 1967-1972, he won 20 or more games. His amazing durability allowed him to hurl over 300 innings in four of those six years. Known for his control, Jenkins won the 1971 Cy Young Award as the National League's top pitcher.

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Dick Butkus was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1942. Butkus played football at Chicago Vocational High School, where he ws an All-American selection. Later at the University of Illinois, as a center-linebacker, he was named as a college All-American in 1963 and 1964. Butkus also led Illinois to its 1964 Rose Bowl victory over the University of Washington. A fierce tackler and excellent pass-defender, he was chosen in the first round of the college-player draft in 1965 by the Chicago Bears. Dick Butkus was elected as an All-Pro middle linebacker for the next eight years.

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Harry Caraybroadcasted over 8000 regular season games. According to Caray, he didn't miss a game in his first 41 years in the booth. He missed quite a few games in 1987, a couple in 1994 and many road games in 1996 and 1997.

Harry's first major league broadcast was on opening day 1945 when he called the Cubs-Cardinals game from Wrigley Field. The Cubs defeated the defending World Series Champions and went on to win the NL pennent in 1945. They haven't won one since.

Wrigley Field is the only surviving NL park from Harry's first season covering the Cardinals.

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