Ronaldo is a retired Brazilian footballer. Popularly dubbed “the phenomenon,” he is one of only three men to have won the FIFA World Player of the Year award three times or more, along with Zinedine Zidane and Lionel Messi. He also won the Ballon d’Or twice, in 1997 and 2002. At age 17, he was a part of the Brazilian squad that won the 1994 FIFA World Cup. At the 1998 World Cup he received the Golden Ball for player of the tournament in helping Brazil reach the final. He won a second World Cup in 2002 where he scored twice in the final, and received the Golden Boot as top goalscorer. Having suffered a string of serious injuries throughout his career, Ronaldo retired from soccer in 2011. He was born on this day in 1976.
Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski is the protagonist of The Big Lebowski, a 1998 crime comedy film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The Dude, played by Jeff Bridges, is a single, unemployed slacker living in Venice, California who enjoys marijuana, White Russians and bowling. The Dude is mostly inspired by Jeff Dowd, a member of the anti-war radical group the Seattle Liberation Front (The Dude tells Maude Lebowski during the film that he was one of the Seattle Seven, who were members of the SLF). A friend of the Coen brothers, Vietnam War veteran Pete Exline, also inspired aspects of the character.
Tetsuo Shima is the main antagonist of the manga and 1988 anime movie Akira. One of the youngest members of a motorcycle gang in Neo-Tokyo, Tetsuo was once the best friend of leader Shotaro Kaneda. At the beginning of the story, Tetsuo is severely injured in a mysterious motorcycle accident, which causes him to display immense powers, including telekinesis, teleportation, mind-reading and a shield that allows him to breathe in space. Tetsuo’s mental instability increases with the manifestation of his powers. This ultimately drives him insane and destroys his friendship with Kaneda, who becomes his nemesis.
Note: I created 8-bit Tetsuo after the point in the story where he synthesizes an artificial, metal arm to replace his severed right arm. Also, today is 9/11. Last year on September 11, I published my 666th pixel art character, Nero. In 2012, I posted Augusto Pinochet on this day. That’s three villains in a row. But if you go back to 2011, on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, I published Captain America. Because, ‘Merica.
Kevin Garnett is an American professional basketball power forward and center. He has played for the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves (1995-2007), Boston Celtics (2007-2013) and Brooklyn Nets (2013-present). Garnett is a 15-time NBA All-Star and won the All-Star MVP award in 2003. In 2004, he led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). After spending 12 seasons with the Timberwolves, Garnett was traded to the Celtics in a blockbuster trade in 2007. In his first season with Boston, he helped lead them to the 2008 NBA championship and was named Defensive Player of the Year. In the 2000 Summer Olympics, Garnett won a gold medal as a member of the U.S. men’s national basketball team.
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as lead singer of R&B girl-group Destiny’s Child, which disbanded in 2005. Beyoncé released her debut solo album in 2003 and has since released four additional studio albums. She also ventured into acting, with a Golden Globe-nominated performance in Dreamgirls (2006), and several starring roles including The Pink Panther (2006). In 2008, Beyoncé married Jay-Z and starred as blues singer Etta James in the 2008 musical biopic, Cadillac Records. Over her 16-year career, she has won 17 Grammy Awards and sold over 75 million records as a solo artist, plus 60 million with Destiny’s Child, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Beyoncé was born on this day in 1981.
Note: This 8-bit outfit is based on the getup Beyoncé wore for her Super Bowl XLVII halftime show performance at the New Orleans Superdome on February 3, 2013. Here is a playable family-feud matchup: Beyoncé Knowles vs. Jay-Z.
The North Dakota State Bison mascot, Thundar, is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #96 of 351. In football, the Bison are the current three-time defending NCAA Division I-FCS national champions and have a 43-2 record since the start of 2011, the best record in all of Division I football during that time frame. To date, the Bison have won 25 straight games, the longest streak in both Bison and FCS history. (View reference images.)
Note: The North Dakota State football team has won its last five games against FBS teams: at Kansas (2010), at Minnesota (2011), at Colorado State (2012), at Kansas State (2013), and, most recently, at Iowa State last weekend by a score of 34-14.
Note: Last year, the Eagles opened their football season with an impressive 49-46 victory over the No. 25 Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis. Dynamic Eastern Washington QB Vernon Adams threw for four touchdowns and ran for two more, including one with 18 seconds left that sealed the game for the Eagles. Four months later, Eastern Washington (12-2) made its third trip to the Football Championship Subdivision semifinals in four seasons. The Eagles nearly advanced to the national title game against two-time defending champion North Dakota State, but were upset in the closing seconds of their 2013 FCS semifinal game. Three years prior, Eastern Washington won the school’s first national championship in football following the 2010 installation of red turf in Roos Field. Eastern Washington is now known for its intense red playing surface, nicknamed “The Inferno.”
P.S. Happy Labor Day! The Portland State Vikings lost 14-29 to the Oregon State Beavers on Saturday in Corvallis in their first football game of the season.
David Fincher is an American film director, film producer and music video director. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director for his 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and his 2010 film The Social Network. Some of Fincher’s other films include Seven (1995), Fight Club (1999), Panic Room (2002) and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011). His most recent film is Gone Girl, a mystery-thriller scheduled for release on October 3, 2014. Fincher moved to Ashland, Oregon in his teens, where he graduated from Ashland High School. He was born on this day in 1962.
Note: Fincher, with black stocking cap, is character #777 in honor of Se7en, one of the best movies of the mid-1990s.
Reggie Miller is a retired American professional basketball player and current NBA commentator. He played his entire 18-year NBA career with the Indiana Pacers (1987-2005). Miller was known for his precision three-point shooting, especially in pressure situations and most notably against the New York Knicks, for which he earned the nickname “Knick Killer.” When he retired, he held the record for most career three-point field goals made; he is currently second on the list behind Ray Allen. A five-time All-Star selection, Miller led the league in free throw accuracy five times and won a gold medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics. The Pacers retired his No. 31 in 2006. Miller was born on this day in 1965.
I will never forget Miller’s eight points in 8.9 seconds in the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals to defeat the Knicks and Patrick Ewing. I was watching that game on May 7, 1995 as a 16-year-old obsessed with basketball. Aside from Michael Jordan, most of my favorite players were three-point specialists, as that was often my role when I played team basketball. Another memorable Miller moment was his two-handed choke sign (and his infamous one-handed choke/nut grab taunt) directed at irritating Knicks fan Spike Lee during the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals. Here are a couple of relevant matchups: Reggie Miller vs. Spike Lee and Reggie Miller vs. Patrick Ewing.
SpaceBear, created by artist Andy Helms, is a small black bear working as a bounty hunter (or, more accurately, bounty barber). He wields a pins-and-needles pistol and wears an orange robotic spacesuit, called a Xyber-Suit, which features a Xyber-Shield and Xyber-Snips (for cutting facial hair). In the animated short “SpaceBear,” SpaceBear saves Brobot and Frog Teen at a Gas-Teroid before facing off with his bearded wizard nemesis the Astro-Magus, Perplexulo. The cartoon, animated by Dave Ferguson, premiered on Cartoon Hangover one week ago, on August 14, 2014.
Christian Laettner is a retired American basketball player and current NBA D-League basketball coach. He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils, starring on the 1991 and 1992 NCAA national championship teams. Laettner is best known for “The Shot” versus the Kentucky Wildcats. He parlayed that NCAA performance into being the only college player selected for the U.S. men’s national basketball team in 1992, nicknamed the “Dream Team.” During his 13-year NBA career, Laettner played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards and Miami Heat. Though Laettner never became the superstar some expected, he was voted onto the All-Rookie First Team in 1992-93 and was an All-Star reserve in 1996-97 while a member of the Hawks. He was born on this day in 1969.
Idi Amin Dada was the third President of Uganda, ruling from 1971 to 1979. In 1946, Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King’s African Rifles, serving in Kenya and Uganda. Eventually, Amin held the rank of major general in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its commander before seizing power in the military coup of January 1971. Amin’s rule was characterized by human rights abuses, political repression, ethnic persecution, extrajudicial killings, nepotism, corruption and gross economic mismanagement. The number of people killed as a result of his regime is estimated by international observers and human rights groups to range from 100,000 to 500,000. During his years in power, Amin shifted in allegiance from being a pro-Western ruler enjoying considerable Israeli support to being backed by Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi, the Soviet Union and East Germany. Dissent within Uganda and Amin’s attempt to annex the Kagera province of Tanzania in 1978 led to the Uganda-Tanzania War and the demise of his eight-year regime, leading Amin to flee into exile to Libya and Saudi Arabia, where he lived until his death on August 16, 2003.
Chris Mullin is a retired American basketball player and former general manager of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. He played shooting guard and small forward in the NBA from 1985 to 2001. A five-time NBA All-Star, Mullin played for the Warriors from the 1985 to 1997 and the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000. He retired after a final season playing for his original team, the Warriors. Mullin won Olympic gold medals as a member of the 1984 and 1992 United States men’s national basketball teams.
John Stockton is a retired American professional basketball player. He spent his entire professional playing career as a point guard for the NBA’s Utah Jazz, from 1984 to 2003, forming a formidable duo with his teammate Karl Malone. Stockton is regarded as one of the best point guards of all time, holding the NBA records for most career assists and steals by considerable margins. He is a 10-time NBA All-Star and a two-time Olympic gold medal winner (1992, 1996) as a member of the “Dream Team.” Stockton appeared in the playoffs every season of his career, including the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998 with the Jazz.
Karl Malone, nicknamed “The Mailman,” is a retired American professional basketball power forward. He spent his first 18 seasons (1985-2003) in the NBA with the Utah Jazz and formed a formidable duo with his teammate John Stockton. Malone was a two-time NBA MVP (1997, 1999) , a 14-time NBA All-Star and a two-time Olympic gold medal winner (1992, 1996) as a member of the “Dream Team.” He scored the second-most career points in NBA history (36,928), and holds the records for most free throws attempted and made. Malone appeared in the playoffs every season in his career, including the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998 with the Jazz. He played his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he played his third Finals in 2004.
Hieronymus Bosch was an Early Netherlandish painter. His work is known for its use of fantastic imagery to illustrate moral and religious concepts and narratives. Very little is known about the artist or the intended meaning of his art. However, it is known that Bosch received many commissions to paint from abroad—and in response, he masterfully painted saints, demons and the life of Christ with profound creepiness. Notable works include the triptychs The Garden of Earthly Delights and The Adoration of the Magi, and many other paintings of various panel formats. The exact number of Bosch’s surviving works has been a subject of considerable debate. He signed only seven of his paintings, and there is uncertainty whether all the paintings once ascribed to him were actually from his hand. Bosch died on this day in 1516.
Clyde Drexler is a retired American professional basketball swingman, who played for the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers (1983-95) and Houston Rockets (1995-98). Nicknamed “Clyde the Glide,” he is a 10-time NBA All-Star and won an Olympic gold medal in 1992 as a member of the “Dream Team.” Drexler came closest to bringing an NBA championship to Oregon in the 1992 NBA Finals, but Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls prevailed. Drexler went on to win an NBA championship in 1995 as a member of the Houston Rockets, alongside his college teammate Hakeem Olajuwon. He currently serves as a color commentator for Rockets home games.
Note: Before entering the NBA, Drexler and Olajuwon played together on the 1982-83 University of Houston men’s basketball team. Nicknamed Phi Slama Jama, the Houston Cougars teams of 1982 to 1984 popularized an athletic, fast-breaking “above the rim” style of play. Both Cougars teams ended up losing in the NCAA tournament final. In 1983, they were shockingly upset by North Carolina State on a buzzer-beating dunk. In 1984, they lost to a strong Georgetown team anchored by Patrick Ewing.
Charles Barkley is a retired American professional basketball player and current television analyst, who played power forward for the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers (1984-1992), Phoenix Suns (1992-1996) and Houston Rockets (1996-2000). Nicknamed “Chuck,” “Sir Charles,” and “The Round Mound of Rebound,” Barkley is a 11-time NBA All-Star, the 1991 All-Star MVP, the 1993 NBA MVP and a two-time Olympic gold medal winner (1992, 1996) as a member of the “Dream Team.” Short for a power forward, Barkley used his strength and aggressiveness to become one of the NBA’s most dominant rebounders. Though popular, Barkley has often been the butt of jokes regarding his weight problems, unorthodox golf swing and highly opinionated persona.
P.S. Don’t forget that time in 1992 when a 300-foot-tall Charles Barkley dunked on Godzilla in downtown Tokyo. And later, in 1993, Dark Horse Comics released the one-shot comic book Godzilla vs. Barkley. This really happened.
David Robinson is a retired American professional basketball player, who played center for the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs for his entire career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname “The Admiral.” Robinson is a 10-time NBA All-Star, the 1995 NBA MVP, a two-time NBA champion (1999, 2003) and a two-time Olympic gold medal winner (1992, 1996) as a member of the “Dream Team.” He is widely considered one of the greatest centers in both college and NBA history. To date, Robinson is the only player from Navy to play in the NBA. He was born on this day in 1965.
Reggie Miller – No. 776
Reggie Miller is a retired American professional basketball player and current NBA commentator. He played his entire 18-year NBA career with the Indiana Pacers (1987-2005). Miller was known for his precision three-point shooting, especially in pressure situations and most notably against the New York Knicks, for which he earned the nickname “Knick Killer.” When he retired, he held the record for most career three-point field goals made; he is currently second on the list behind Ray Allen. A five-time All-Star selection, Miller led the league in free throw accuracy five times and won a gold medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics. The Pacers retired his No. 31 in 2006. Miller was born on this day in 1965.
I will never forget Miller’s eight points in 8.9 seconds in the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals to defeat the Knicks and Patrick Ewing. I was watching that game on May 7, 1995 as a 16-year-old obsessed with basketball. Aside from Michael Jordan, most of my favorite players were three-point specialists, as that was often my role when I played team basketball. Another memorable Miller moment was his two-handed choke sign (and his infamous one-handed choke/nut grab taunt) directed at irritating Knicks fan Spike Lee during the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals. Here are a couple of relevant matchups: Reggie Miller vs. Spike Lee and Reggie Miller vs. Patrick Ewing.