Do you know “The Great One”? In the world of hockey, that can only refer to Wayne Gretzky. While Gretzky has retired from the NHL, his skills and love for the game live on in today’s NHL teams, such as the Calgary Flames. While Gretzky was arguably the greatest NHL player in the league’s history, he is among the best of the best that have ever played professional hockey:

1. Wayne Gretzky

No “best of the best” list of NHL players is complete without “The Great One.” Gretzky’s accomplishments during his career include:

If you have heard the fight song “War Eagle,” then you have unmistakably witnessed an Auburn Tigers football game. Also known as the arch rival of the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Tigers have achieved enormous success in NCAA football. That includes a 1957 ranking by the Associated Press, as the top football team in the nation. While Auburn’s legacy certainly involves a winning tradition, it is only one aspect of Auburn Tigers football:

1. A history of high rankings in polls

The numbers do not lie. Various polls have ranked the Auburn Tigers as one of the greatest football squads of all time. The Associated Press has ranked Auburn as #11, in its final AP Polls. Meanwhile, the College Football Research Group has ranked Auburn #14, in its list of all-time greatest college football teams. Furthermore, the AP Poll and Coaches Poll have ranked Auburn in their final list of top 20 teams, during 33 seasons. All of these statistics are particularly impressive, considering that currently 119 schools are included in the NCAA’s Division I-A. That places Auburn in the top 10% of final AP Polls.

2. One “official” national championship

As any dedicated fan of NCAA football knows, the term “national champion” has until recently, been somewhat disputed-due to the lack of a championship game, and split polls. Officially, Auburn claims one national championship team: the 1957 squad that finished the season with a 10-0 record. However, Auburn has had several outstanding teams throughout its history, which were not officially “national champions”:

Has your favorite NCAA football team played for 120 years? That is how long Penn State has been dominating the gridiron. Throughout the years, the team has maintained outstanding records, while undergoing changes of its players, coaches, and nicknames. Most fans of Penn State and NCAA football are aware that Penn State has won two National Championships. However, that is only one indicator of the squad’s winning tradition. Other gauges include:

1. Coach Joe Paterno

Paterno is currently coaching the Penn State Nittany Lions in his 43rd season. For many Penn State fans, Paterno IS Penn State football. His accomplishments include:

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

In the history of NCAA football, Alabama has become one of the most successful teams. However, have you ever wondered about the history of the team’s name? Newspapers originally referred to the football name as “Crimson White.” This alluded to the school colors. It later became the “Thin Red Line.” However, in a 1907 game between Alabama and Auburn, the two teams battled in a sea of red mud. Thus, Alabama became the “Crimson Tide.”

2. Penn State Nittany Lions

We are familiar with mountain Lions, but what is the significance of Penn State’s “Nittany” Lions? It all began with a Penn State graduate named H.D. “Joe” Mason.

Mason became inspired after seeing a live Princeton tiger on its campus. A Penn State newspaper then sponsored Mason’s quest to choose a mascot for Penn State. The school ultimately chose a lion, and it is most likely the first college to have a lion as its mascot. The “Nittany” refers to the school’s location at the base of Mount Nittany. According to local Native American legend, Nittany (also Nita-Nee) was an American Indian princess.

3. Arkansas Razorbacks

Before they were the Razorbacks, Arkansas was the Cardinals. Students selected the mascot, due to the school’s colors of cardinal and white. The name “Razorbacks” originated from a talk that the first paid Arkansas football coach, Hugo Bezdek, made to the students of Arkansas. Bezdek gave the talk after the school’s seventh victory during the season. He observed that the team had played like a “wild band of Razorback Hogs.” The rest, as they say, is history. Starting in 1910, Arkansas had a new mascot: The Razorbacks.

4. Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma has become renowned for its play on the gridiron. However, have you ever wondered what exactly a Sooner is? Prior to the U.S. government’s opening of regions in the Indian Territory for settlement, Sooners were actually people who entered the lands illegally. “Sooners” first referred to settlers in 1889 who moved onto the Oklahoma Lands prior to 12:00 noon on April 22, 1889.

5. Tennessee Volunteers

We all know what volunteers are. However, to which volunteers does the name of the Tennessee Volunteers refer? During the early portion of the War of 1812, Tennessee earned the nickname, “The Volunteer State.” President James Madison ordered General Andrew Jackson to enlist 1,500 volunteer soldiers from Tennessee. The troops were to battle Native Americans and the British, but they never fought during the war. General Andrew Jackson would later become the U.S. president.

Every fact we learn about NCAA football, can help us to appreciate it better. For instance learning the history of NCAA schools’ names increases our appreciation for their games.

Rick Grantham is an avid sports fan. Most of Rick’s articles focus on Tennessee volunteers merchandise gear. Many articles are related to NCAA College fan shop and other sports related topics. Rick is a contributing author to BooYah Village.

For truly dedicated MLB memorabilia collectors, your next mission is to get a MLB autograph. This task can actually be easier than it might seem. However, it is important to follow some important guidelines:

1. Get organized

When the moment of truth arrives, make sure that you have your MLB sports memorabilia ready for a player to sign. Which types of pens should you use? Use ballpoint pens for autographed baseballs. Meanwhile, black or blue Sharpie

What is in a name? Today’s Washington Wizards have played as the Chicago Packers, the Chicago Zephyrs, the Baltimore Bullets, the Capital Bullets, and the Washington Bullets. Interestingly, however, the team’s name change did not include a change in the city that it represented. Today’s Washington Wizards are the same team as the Washington Bullets.

In 1996, the owner of the Washington Bullets, Abe Polan, chose to change the name of the NBA’s Washington team. That was due to the increasing number of homicides in the city, which began in the early 1990s. The Bullets feared that the name “Bullets” encouraged gun violence. Interestingly, the homicide rate peaked in 2006. Nevertheless, the franchise would ultimately choose “Wizards” over other finalists, including Dragons and Stallions.

The Washington Wizards played their first game with a new name, in new jerseys and shorts, and in a new arena (MCI Center) on December 2, 1997. It was a magical night for the Wizards, as they defeated the Seattle Supersonics 95-78. While the Wizards completed the regular season with a 42-40 record, they missed qualifying for the playoffs, by a single game.

Albeit the Washington Wizards have made four consecutive playoff appearances from 2005-2008, the team achieved its greatest success in the 1970s, as the Washington Bullets. During that decade, the Bullets won six division crowns, and appeared in four NBA Finals. In fact, the Bullets earned a spot in the NBA Finals, in each year that they advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals (1971, 1975, 1978, 1979).

Unquestionably, the Washington Bullets’ 1977-1978 season was particularly memorable. The Bullets finished the season with a 44-38 record, and barely snuck into the NBA playoffs. They grounded the Atlanta Hawks (2-0), shocked the San Antonio Spurs (4-2), and then vanquished the Philadelphia 76ers (4-2). The Spurs series was particularly interesting. In Game 6, the Spurs’ player Mike Gale had to wear an inside-out Bullets jersey, after he had misplaced his uniform.

The Bullets would face the Seattle Supersonics in the NBA Finals. Washington battled back three times to tie the series. In Game 7, the Supersonics was a huge favorite over the Bullets. However, the Bullets played solid team-basketball, and earned their first NBA Finals, with a 101-94 victory.

Throughout their history, the Washington Bullets/Wizards have retired four players’ jersey numbers:

Sports are big, but how big is the sports memorabilia business? Experts estimate that it is currently worth over $2 billion. Fans who are not satisfied merely to watch games and track statistics of their favorite teams (such as the New England Patriots) collect all types of sports memorabilia items. This can be a hobby, or even a full-time job.

One of the main concerns when collecting any type of memorabilia, such as sports memorabilia, is keeping the items in top-notch condition. Use a shadowbox to protect your items from dust, dirt, moisture, etc., in order to maximize the items’ value. Here are some easy steps to construct your own sports memorabilia shadowboxes:

Step 1: Collect and prepare the materials

After the first kickoff of the NFL season, it is time to kick-off the NFL cookout season. Whether you will be cheering on the Oakland Raiders or another squad, your friends and family members will savor juicy steaks, crunchy corn-on-the-cob, and rich cream pies-all grilled to perfection. However, just as NFL players on the gridiron must wear protective gear, it is vital that you also adhere to various safety standards. Here are some tips to make your NFL cookout as safe as it is fun (and tasty):

1. Handle food properly

It is important to handle food properly, regardless of whether you will cook it for your NFL cookout. Be particularly careful with foods with high moisture and protein. These types of foods are particularly vulnerable to bacteria that cause human diseases, and include cheese, chicken, custards, eggs, fish, meat, potato salad, and shellfish

In the case that you purchase take-out dishes from restaurants, you have two safe options. One is to consume the food within two hours after buying it. Another option is to cool the food under 41

1. Never buy generic gifts except for gift-exchanges

You could consider generic gifts (i.e. self-shaking salt and pepper shakers), for situations such as gift-exchanges. However, when selecting an NFL gift for someone you know, try to make the gift as personal as possible. If the gift receiver owns a vehicle, consider car accessories. If he or she is a student, mull over school supplies. If the person’s birthday is in December, consider Christmas items.

2. Never throw away the receipt

Even if you have picked the “perfect” NFL gift, save the receipt! Always provide the gift receiver with a means of exchanging the gift, if necessary.

3. Never fall for gender stereotypes

Unfortunately, some lingering gender stereotypes could prevent you from selecting the best NFL gift. For women, there is the stereotype that that they simply dislike sports, or that they are not fans of contact sports. For men, there is the stereotype that they are naturally fans of sports. When searching for the perfect NFL gift, it is important to bury these stereotypes. Your goal should be to find the best gift for a particular person.

4. Never be afraid to do some detective work

You might have to do some research, to learn which type of NFL gift would be best for the receiver. While the use of surveillance cameras is not recommended, here are some effective methods you could use: