Michael Jordan

Unfortunately, it fell victim to the dot-com bust, and the rights to the domain were sold to CBS SportsLine in 2001. government. After his second retirement, Jordan formed the MVP.com sports apparel enterprise with fellow sports greats Wayne Gretzky and John Elway in 1999. He also states that they attempted a prisoner exchange with Nick Berg and was rebuffed by the U.S. They have subsequently appeared together in several commercials for MCI. He claims that he killed Nick Berg, Kim Sun-il and Iraqis who collaborated with the American forces. A Nike commercial in the 1991 Super Bowl where he and Bugs Bunny played basketball against some Martians inspired the 1996 live action/animated movie Space Jam, which also starred Michael and the Looney Tunes in a fictional story set during his first retirement. On August 5th, Nouvel Observateur published a feature story by Sara Daniel detailing her meeting with one Abu Rashid, a leader of the mujahadeen council in Fallujah.

He has also been connected with the Looney Tunes. Two were later released after questioning. wearing Jordan apparel. On May 18, citing "Iraq Sources", Sky News reported that four people had been arrested for the murder. It has even crossed over into other sports, with athletes such as Randy Moss, Derek Jeter, and Roy Jones Jr. Berg gave the details of his own email account and password, which were later used by Moussaoui. Athletes who endorse the company include Ray Allen, Michael Finley, Derek Anderson, Gary Payton, and Jason Kidd. This person had asked to borrow Berg's laptop computer to send an email.

Subsequently Nike spun off the Jordan line into its own company. Berg's email address had been used by Moussaoui prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks. According to Berg's father, Nick Berg had had a chance encounter with an acquaintance of Moussaoui on a bus in Norman, Oklahoma. The innovation of designer Tinker Hatfield spurred the basketball shoe industry to new heights. government's investigation of Zacarias Moussaoui. The hype and demand for the shoes even brought on a spat of "shoe-jackings" where young boys were robbed of their sneakers at gunpoint. S. Nike created a signature shoe for him, called the Air Jordan. On May 13, it was revealed that Nick Berg had been investigated during the U.

He first appeared on Wheaties boxes in 1988, and acted as their spokesman as well. I ask them to demand peace now."[13] (http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1221515,00.html). He has been a major spokesman for such brands as Nike, Gatorade, Hanes, McDonald's, and MCI. And I ask them to do more than pray. Jordan is one of the most marketed sports figures in history. [12]  (http://www.timesherald.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=11649649&BRD=1672&PAG=461&dept_id=33380&rfi=6) In a message to an anti-occupation demonstration in London, he asked the many people who offered to pray for Nick and his family to "include in their prayers a prayer for peace. By the time a report was filed, James' body had been cremated per local health laws as a John Doe. I know it is considered a radical group".

Michael and family did not immediately file a missing persons report, because the elder Jordan frequently took long trips by himself. I am proud to be a member of ANSWER and I plan to be at the march on June 5. But James' body was not immediately identified. "I think stopping the war and ending racism are extremely important things that this world has to do right now. The perpetrators made several calls from James' cell phone and were quickly captured. The elder Berg said he has been a member of the anti-war activist group ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) since participating in a rally in Washington, D.C., in March 2003. Two local criminals killed him and stole his Lexus, a gift from Michael. On May 14, Michael Berg attacked the Bush administration's foreign policy, blaming the American actions in Iraq for his son's death.

While returning from the funeral of a friend, he pulled over onto the side of an interstate highway in North Carolina for a nap. I don't think this administration is committed to democracy." The FBI claims that Berg specifically refused government assistance in leaving Iraq. Jordan's father, James, was murdered in August 1993. [2] His father reportedly stated: "I think a lot of people are fed up with the lack of civil rights this thing has caused. Michael Jordan currently lives in Highland Park, Illinois. Michael Berg stated that if his son hadn't been detained for so long, he might have been able to leave the country before the violence worsened. James gained certain celebrity when he announced, at the age of forty-seven, that he intended to stay in Iraq until the U.S. occupation ended. government and policies that led to his arrest and detainment in April, for creating the circumstances that led to Nick's death.

Jordan is a Sergeant Major in the 35th Signal Brigade of the XVIII Airborne Corps in the U.S. Army. Berg's family blamed the U.S. James R. in Saudi Arabia, and South Korean Kim Sun-il in Iraq, both in June 2004. Michael Jordan has two older brothers, Larry and James R., one older sister, Delores, and one younger sister, Roslyn. There were two subsequent similar beheadings also claimed by Islamic militants: American Paul Marshall Johnson, Jr. Jordan is notoriously competitive, and is rumored to have lost enormous amounts of money playing golf and gambling. For further details, see Nick Berg conspiracy theories.

At UNC, he majored in geography. complicity in the death. Laney High School, where he was a standout in football, baseball, and basketball. Conspiracy theories are forming suggesting U.S. He attended Emsley A. We will pursue those who are responsible and bring them to justice.". Jordan spent his childhood in Wilmington, North Carolina. They have no regard for the lives of innocent men, women and children.

Nonetheless, it was a star-studded roster that cruised through pool play and the medal round, restoring America to its place atop the basketball world. [11] (http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/editorial/20645.htm) White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan commented, regarding the incident: "It shows the true nature of the enemies of freedom. It is often rumored that Jordan kept guard Isiah Thomas off the roster due to personal differences. Others see Berg's slaying as a reminder of why the United States is waging a War on Terror. Jordan played on two Olympic gold medal-winning American basketball teams: as a college player in the 1984 Summer Olympics, and in the 1992 Summer Olympics as a member of the original "Dream Team," with other legends such as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Islam does prohibit the killing or the maltreatment of prisoners." [10] (http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2004-05/12/article03.shtml). It was the first jersey the Heat retired in their then-15-year history, and it was half Wizards blue, half Bulls red. Even if he was military personnel he should be treated as a prisoner who, according to Shari'ah, must not be killed." Iyaad Samarrai of the Islamic Party commented "This is absolutely wrong.

Out of respect for Jordan's legacy, the Miami Heat retired his #23 jersey on April 11, 2003, even though he never played for the Florida team. Muthanna al-Dhari, a member of the Board of Muslim Clergy, said the act "does disservice to our religion and our cause. At the beginning of the 2001-2002 basketball season, Michael Jordan donated his $1 million salary to help the victims of the September 11 attacks. Iraqi conservative and fundamentalist religious leaders also denounced the killing. The 2002-03 season was heralded from the beginning as Jordan's final goodbye to his fans and he retired for the third time at the season's conclusion. Hezbollah issued a statement calling it a "horrible act that does an immense wrong to Islam and Muslims by a group which falsely pretends to follow the precepts of the religion of pardon.". He played in his 13th and final NBA All-Star Game in 2002-03. Shiite Islamist group Hezbollah and Palestinian nationalist group Hamas denounced the murder.

He returned for the 2002-03 season and averaged 20 points. Scholars at Al-Azhar University in Cairo issued a declaration of condemnation [9] (http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2004-05/12/article08.shtml), as did numerous Muslim groups in the West including the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Playing through pain, especially in his knee, he was still an important player for the Wizards. In the Muslim world, the killing of Berg was strongly condemned. Yet despite an injury-plagued 2001-02 season, he still averaged nearly 23 points per game.
. In 2001, he came out of retirement a second time to play for the Washington Wizards, though his skills were noticeably diminished by age. The video bears some similarities to the videotape showing the murder and decapitation of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in Pakistan in 2002. Like Pearl, Berg was Jewish, although it is uncertain whether his captors were aware of that. There are many differences noted with other decapitation videos, including the decapitation video of Paul Johnson in Saudi Arabia and the video of Kim Sun-il in Iraq.

Jordan retired again on January 13, 1999. Bush and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. But it was back to winning ways the following year, the Bulls won three consecutive NBA titles between 1996 and 1998, with Jordan becoming the first and only player to win six NBA Finals MVP Awards. President George W. The switch did not immediately bring him luck, and the Magic prevailed. slaughtered in this way." The video further threatens U.S. As he struggled with unaccustomed playoff difficulty, he broke out his old #23 jersey during a second-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic. You will not receive anything from us but coffins after coffins ..

Jordan led the Bulls to the Eastern Conference Semifinals that year. During the video, the man reading the statement threatens further deaths: "We tell you that the dignity of the Muslim men and women in Abu Ghraib and others is not redeemed except by blood and souls. Because jersey #23 had been retired, he wore #45, his Barons number. Some aspects of the video may or do not support that it is al-Zarqawi ([7] (http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=2020) & [8] (http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/4FFA61A3-9C33-4597-A8D9-8079E91F2784.htm)). He ended his basketball retirement on March 19, 1995 by rejoining the Bulls. On May 13, news outlets quoted a CIA source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, that a voice analysis of the tape has led the agency to conclude that the masked man who reads the statement and carries out the killing is "with high probability" al-Zarqawi. Many consider this brief stab at baseball the only tarnish on his athletic career. For more information on the questions being raised, see Nick Berg conspiracy theories.

He was never called up to the majors. Based on details seen in the video, some forensic experts ([6] (http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FE22Ak03.html)) believe Berg was already dead at the time of the decapitation. He led the club with 11 bases-loaded RBI and 25 RBI with runners in scoring position and two outs. government. He had an unspectacular professional baseball career for the Birmingham Barons, a Chicago White Sox farm team, batting .202 with 3 HR, 51 RBI, 30 SB (tied-5th in Southern League), 11 errors and 6 outfield assists. Questions exist regarding the circumstances of Berg's death, the authenticity of the video, and the claims made by the U.S. Jordan spent the next year pursuing a childhood dream: professional baseball. A scream can be heard as men shout "Allahu Akbar" (a common Arabic expression meaning "God is greatest!").

Perhaps weighed down by the August 1993 murder of his father, Michael retired from basketball two days before the 1993-94 NBA season, and the Bulls retired his #23 jersey. The masked men then converge on Berg and decapitate him with a knife. He had the following to say about Jordan:. troops at Abu Ghraib prison. Jordan's coach was Phil Jackson. The statement says that Berg's killing was in direct retaliation for the abuse of prisoners by U.S. In 1997, he also recorded the only triple-double in an All-Star game. A lengthy statement is read aloud.

Only Willis Reed (1970) and Shaquille O'Neal (2000) have won all three MVP awards in the same season. The video shows Berg surrounded by five men wearing ski masks and head scarves. He also earned the elusive MVP triple crown (league, finals, all-star game) twice when he won All-Star MVP in both 1996 and 1998 (he also won in 1988). I live in West Chester, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia.". He was also named Rookie of the Year (1985) and Defensive Player of the Year (1988), and won the Finals MVP award every year the Bulls reached the Finals -- a feat not likely to ever be duplicated. I have a brother and sister, David and Sarah. He won six NBA Championships (1991-1993 and 1996-1998) and was league MVP five times (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996 and 1998). He identified himself: "My name is Nick Berg, my father's name is Michael, my mother's name is Susan.

Jordan played 13 seasons for the Bulls, generally as a shooting guard, but his height (6'6", or 1.98 m), skills, and physical conditioning also made him a versatile threat at point guard and small forward. Berg is seen in the video wearing an orange jumpsuit. He was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 1984 NBA Draft as the third pick overall. See: Internet Archive (http://web.archive.org/web/*/http%3A//www.al-ansar.biz/). By his sophomore year, he was clearly the team's biggest star; as a junior, he was named the national player of the year. The video is about five minutes and thirty-two seconds long. He ended the 1982 year in grand style, hitting the winning shot in the 1982 NCAA championship game against Georgetown, led by future NBA rival Patrick Ewing. Both al-Zarqawi and Muntada al-Ansar are associated with the Al-Qaida movement.

As a UNC freshman, Jordan was an exciting but not dominant player. On May 11, 2004, the website of the militant Islamist group Muntada al-Ansar [5] (http://www.al-ansar.biz/) allegedly broadcast a video with the opening title of "Abu Musa'b al-Zarqawi slaughters an American", which shows Berg being decapitated. (Others call Jordan overrated [2] (http://airjudden2.tripod.com/jordan/index.htm) and point to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, and Shaquille O'Neal.) His jumping ability -- he could once dunk from the foul line -- earned him the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness.". Military sources stated publicly at that time that Berg's body showed "signs of trauma", but did not disclose that he had been decapitated. In 1991, he was on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and was named the magazine's "Sportsman of the Year." These and other achievements have persuaded many fans and several basketball legends[1] (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/features/jordan/news/2001/08/22/jordan_greatest/) that Jordan was the best ever to play the game. Berg's family was informed of his death on May 10. He was named to the All-Defensive First Team nine times, and led the league in steals three times. military patrol.

He won six championships, notched 10 scoring titles, and was league MVP five times. Berg's body was found decapitated on May 8, 2004 on a Baghdad overpass by a U.S. A remarkable force at both ends of the floor, Jordan ended a career of 15 full seasons with a regular-season scoring average of 30.12 points per game, the highest in NBA history (ahead of Wilt Chamberlain's 30.06). government, also hired a private investigator and contacted both their Congressional delegation and the Red Cross in search of information. Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York) is a former National Basketball Association player, considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time. Berg's family, frustrated with what they say was a lack of action by the U.S. NBA All-Star Dunk Contest Champion: 1987, 1988. State Department investigator looked into Berg's disappearance, official government inquiries produced no leads.

ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year: 1983-84. Although a U.S. Adolph Rupp Trophy: 1984. Berg's family became concerned after not hearing from him for several days. Wooden Award: 1984. officials on April 10 and did not return again to his hotel after that date. John R. Berg had his last contact with U.S.

Naismith College Player of the Year: 1984. His family last heard from him on April 9. NBA Rookie of the Year Award: 1984-85. Berg is said to have refused this offer and traveled to Baghdad, where he stayed at the Al Fanar Hotel. NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award: 1987-88. officials to take a flight out of Iraq, with their assistance. NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award: 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98. military in Mosul.". [4] (http://www.wkrn.com/Global/story.asp?S=1865745) According to the Associated Press, Berg was released from custody on April 6 and advised by U.S.

NBA Most Valuable Player Award: 1987-88, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, 1997-98. consul stating "I have confirmed that your son, Nick, is being detained by the U.S. The Mosul police deny they ever arrested Berg, and Berg's family has turned over an email from the U.S. maintains that at no time was Berg in coalition custody, but rather that he was held by Iraqi forces. The U.S.

He said that he had not been mistreated during his confinement. After his parents filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia on April 5, claiming that he was being held illegally, he was released from custody. FBI agents visited his parents to confirm his identity on March 31, but he was not immediately released. officials and held for 13 days without access to legal counsel.

His family claims he was turned over to U.S. Berg had intended to return to the United States on March 30, 2004, but he was detained in Mosul on March 24 by Iraqi police at a checkpoint. Throughout his time in Iraq, he maintained frequent contact with his family in the United States by telephone and e-mail. Leaving on February 1, he returned to Iraq on March 14, 2004, only to find that the work he was promised was unavailable.

He also went to the northern city of Mosul, visiting an Iraqi man whose brother had been married to Berg's late aunt. He first arrived in Iraq on December 21, 2003, and made arrangements to secure contract work for his company. He traveled to Iraq in the hope of helping to repair its damaged infrastructure. Berg, unlike most of his family, was a supporter of the 2003 invasion of Iraq and of Bush administration policy.

In addition, Berg set up a subsidiary of his company, Prometheus Tower Services, Inc., in Kenya [3] (http://www.macon.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/pennsylvania/counties/chester_county/8683572.htm). He once traveled to Kitende, Uganda to help a village, by among other things teaching villagers how to make Bovl Blocks, a modular concrete block Berg invented for use in tower construction where steel is not readily available or is cost-prohibitive. Berg received no degrees for any of his university studies. Also while at the University of Oklahoma, according to Nickberg.org, Berg developed a "paper brick" that was to be the precursor to his "Bovl Block" pressed construction blocks.

Berg attended four universities: Cornell, Drexel, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Oklahoma, where he was often homeless and was arrested for trespassing[2] (http://www.oudaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/05/19/40aaaeb82e3f9) in the Oklahoma Memorial Union. Police handcuffed and detained Berg during his animated explanation of the device, which police suspected of being capable of illicitly opening remotely-controlled garage doors[1] (http://middleeastinfo.org/article4561.html). During his attendance at this school, according to James Dao of the New York Times, Berg was involved in a minor brush with the law concerning a device Berg identified as a "truth detector". Berg attended West Chester Henderson High School, where he received a diploma in 1996.

He inspected and rebuilt communication antennas, and had previously visited Kenya, Ghana, and Uganda on similar projects. Berg was a native of West Chester, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, where he owned his own company, Prometheus Methods Tower Service. Bush for his son's death. Berg's father has blamed George W.

The act was condemned by many Muslim leaders as contrary to Islamic law and harmful to their cause. soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison. His killers claimed that his death was carried out to avenge abuses of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. The decapitation, the first of a series of such killings of foreign hostages in Iraq, received worldwide attention because it was filmed, and the footage was subsequently released on the Internet, reportedly from a Malaysian homepage by the Islamic organisation al-Ansars.

Islamic militants have been accused of killing Berg. He was captured and beheaded in May 2004. Nicholas Evan Berg (April 2, 1978 – May 2004) was an American businessman seeking telecommunications work in Iraq during the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq. http://tides.carebridge.org/Videos/Berg.wmv (8.2 MB WMV format, The Nick Berg execution is left out in this version).

http://www.thememoryhole.org/war/decapitation_video.htm (5.4 MB WMV format). http://www.consumptionjunction.com/downloads/cj_34947.wmv (8.2 MB WMV format). The complete video, including the beheading of Nick Berg