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SPORTS ILLUSTRATED Selects its Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century 42 Nominees in Seven Categories and an Elite Group of "Athletes Who Changed the Game" to be Honored at "Sports Illustrated's 20th Century Sports Awards" Dec. 2 Live on CBSNEW YORK, Nov. 3, 1999 -- The editors of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED have announced their selections of the greatest athletes of the 20th Century. The magazine on Wednesday revealed its nominees in seven different categories and has identified an elite group of "Athletes Who Changed the Game," who will be among those honored at "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED'S 20th Century Sports Awards." The two-hour primetime special, hosted by Bryant Gumbel, will air live on the CBS Television Network, Thursday, Dec. 2 (9 p.m. ET) from New York's Madison Square Garden. In addition to the pantheon of nearly 100 sports legends attending, Paul Simon and Garth Brooks will be among those who will perform that evening. Among the sporting legends set to attend the gala are boxing great Muhammed Ali; hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky; basketball greats Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson; football stars Jim Brown, Joe Montana and Dick Butkus; golf greats Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods; tennis star Chris Evert; and home run king Henry Aaron. SI's editors have chosen six nominees for the "Athlete of the Century" in each of the following categories: Baseball, Football, Basketball, Hockey, Individual Sports (Men), Individual Sports (Women) and U.S. Olympians. All of the nominees will be recognized during the CBS special, with one winner to be selected in each group. The magazine also will crown an overall Sportsman of the Century and name its Ten Greatest Sports Moments of the Century. The winners in both of those categories will be revealed on the show. In addition to the seven competitive categories, seven "Athletes Who Changed The Game" will be honored during the broadcast for the extraordinary impact they had on the sports in which they participated. Honorees include figure skater Peggy Fleming, tennis star Billie Jean King, golfer Arnold Palmer, soccer legend Pele, race driver Richard Petty, late baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson and basketball great Bill Russell. Here are the nominees in the seven competitive award classifications that were announced today:
Tickets to the awards show begin at $50 and are on sale now through all TicketMaster locations or by calling TicketMaster directly at 212-307-7171. Tickets are also available at the Madison Square Garden box office. In addition to the awards show, VIP ticketholders will be invited to bid on rare sports memorabilia at an exclusive silent auction open only to guests at the PARTY OF THE CENTURY, which will be held prior to the awards. The auction will benefit sports and literacy programs at the Boys & Girls Club of America. VIP tickets are valued at $1,500 each and can be purchased by calling the special ticket request line at 1-877-833-3VIP. "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED'S 20TH CENTURY SPORTS AWARDS" are sponsored by the Chrysler brand, Compaq Computer Corporation, Motorola Inc. and American General.
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