<p>X-citing. X-traordinary. X-cellent. Whatever adjective can be dreamed up, it cannot compare to the 2003 dream season Dante Hall enjoyed for the Kansas City Chiefs. From an appearance on the The Late Show with David Letterman to etching his name into the NFL record books. Dante "The X-Factor" Hall turned the NFL into his own personal playground and helped the Chiefs get back to the postseason for the first time since 1998. As one of the most heralded running backs ever to hail from the football-crazy state of Texas, Hall enjoyed a great deal of success at Texas A&amp;M before being unceremoniously dropped from the team because of a series of parking tickets that drew as much attention as his exploits on the football field. Kansas City Chiefs president and CEO Carl Peterson had been eyeing the five-foot-eight, 187-pound back, but wanted to check with Aggies coach R. C. Slocum before picking Hall in the 2000 draft. Slocum assured Peterson that Hall was a great young man who had made a mistake, so Hall became a member of the Chiefs. He languished on the sidelines under former head coach Gunther Cunningham, appearing in just five games his rookie season. Things were not much better during his second year in the NFL, but then one of the most important moments in Hall's life took place. The Chiefs hired Dick Vermeil as head coach, and he quickly made Hall his top priority. He envisioned Hall as a great return man, a slot back, a wide receiver, and an occasional running back. Hall quickly became the most talked-about return man in the NFL. He returned two punts and one kickoff for a touchdown and earned a spot on the AFC Pro Bowl team. He followed up that campaign with an even more remarkable 2003season. He became the first man in the history of the NFL to have a return for a touchdown in four consecutive games, and a dizzying, razzle-dazzle 92-yard return against Denver was perhaps the most talked-about touchdown of the entire NFL season. When the Chiefs were holding an 8-0 mark at the midway point of the season, many national broadcasters were calling Hall the league's Most Valuable Player. He became a sensation in Kansas City, hosting his own radio show and joining the ranks of Derrick Thomas, Priest Holmes, Len Dawson, and Otis Taylor as one of the most popular players in team history. In Dante Hall: X-Factor, Hall tells in his own words and photos (many from his private scrapbooks) what the ride to the top has been like. Like one of his thrilling returns for a touchdown, it is a journey fans will definitely not want to miss.</p>

Dante Hall: X-Factor

Hall, Dante

Althaus, Bill

Biographies & Memoirs

Sports Pub

<p>When Tony DiPardo was an elementary school student growing up in an impoverished section of downtown St. Louis, a music teacher moved into the neighborhood. He was looking for youngsters with a love of music. Although the DiPardo family couldn't afford lessons, the young teacher took Tony under his wing and Tony soon became the star pupil. He told the youngster, "Tony, one day music is going to change your life." Not knowing what to think at the time, he kept working hard. If he wasn't lighting street lamps, doing his homework or helping to raise a younger brother and two sisters, the self-proclaimed "poor little Italian boy from St. Louis" was blowing his horn. Today, he is a Kansas City treasure known simply as "Mr. Music." Tony DiPardo: Life, Love, Music and Football tells the rags-to-riches story that will leave you laughing, crying and turning every page to discover DiPardo's journey from the streets of St. Louis to national billing with his big bands. His performances from the Muehlbach Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, were such a sensation that they were beamed across the nation, so fans could listen on their radios. During a stop in Kansas City. DiPardo auditioned a beautiful, talented vocalist at radio station WHB. Her name: Ann Ryan. She joined Tony's band on his 30th birthday, August 15, 1941. In May of 1942, they were married. Every national act that appeared in Kansas City for more than 40 years had one request: "Get me Tony DiPardo." His life changed forever when he met a young Texas millionaire who was bringing an American Football League team to Kansas City in 1963. Lamar Hunt asked Kansas City Mayor H. Roe Bartle who could serve as the team's band director. Bartle saidthere was just one man for the job, Tony DiPardo. The mayor said that DiPardo would lend instant credibility and recognition to the fledgling team. DiPardo and Hunt sealed the deal with a handshake, and 43 years later they still use that same handshake as the foundation for the longest running music act in league history. As the Hall of Fame Kansas City Chiefs owner said: "Tony DiPardo is the Kansas City Chiefs. In Kansas City, TD doesn't just stand for football. It stands for Tony DiPardo."</p>

Tony Dipardo: Life, Love, Music And Football

Dipardo, Tony

Dipardo-livergood, Patti

Humor & Entertainment

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Althaus, Bill. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Althaus, Bill