Athletes - B.D.

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	Athletes - B.D.

B.D. is a character fron Garry Trudeau's popular comic strip Doonesbury.

B.D. was introduced in the first strip in 1970 in which the popular quarterback became roomate to the nerdy, awkward Mike Doonesbury. Mike and B.D. had many differences and initially couldn't stand each other. Nobody is certain what "B.D." is short for (he gives his last name as "D") but he was based on Brian Dowling, quarterback at Yale where Trudeau attended college. His full name was revealed to be Brian John Dowling (that of his real life namesake), in Doonesbury: A Musical Comedy.

As captain of the Walden football team, he faced many tests of his short patience. His teammates could rarely keep their minds on the game, opting to have intense philosophical and political discussions during huddle. This became much worse when self-described "freak" Zonker Harris joined the team.

B.D. was notable for having rather conservative views, in contrast to the more liberal beliefs of the other main characters, Mike, Mark and Zonker. He deplored welfare and marijuana use, and was a supporter of the Vietnam War. He eventually joined the army and went to Vietnam simply to get out of writing a term paper. He found military life to be a good match for him, and enjoyed his tour of duty immensely in sharp contrast to most of his colleagues.

While in Vietnam, B.D. met and befriended Phred, a Viet-Cong "terrorist" who captured him, only to get them both lost. B.D.'s like of Phred is odd considering his strict anti-communist beliefs, his black and white view of politics, and his gung-ho attitude as a soldier, but they remain friends to this day.

After college, B.D. and Boopsie moved to Malibu, California. B.D. was a third string quarterback for the then Los Angeles Rams, a cop in the California Highway Patrol, and the coach of the football team of Walden College, his alma-mater. He also married his longtime girlfriend Boopsie, and had a daughter, Samantha.

One of B.D.'s odder traits was his helmet. For 34 years he was never seen without one. He wore a football helmet at college, as a coach and as a pro football player, a soldier's helmet in the army, a Policeman's helmet when he was a cop and even riot gear. His only explaination for this was "My ears stick out". In the February 21th 2006 strip he reveals that his mother used to give put helmets on him, as a mean of protection, when he was a child.

B.D. remained in the reserves for years, being called up for the Gulf War, and to keep order after the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center he was sent to fight the war in theIraq War.

The helmet finally came off on April 21 2004 when, while serving in Iraq, B.D. lost a leg. His friend and fellow soldier Ray Hightower got him airlifted to safety in time, and he survives as an above-the-knee amputee. He has successfully gone through physical therapy and can walk with the aid of a high-tech prosthetic "C-leg". His only reflection on losing the helmet was "Oh yeah, my helmet. What was up with that?".

Although he is physically in good condition, his mental state has deteriorated since returning home. B.D. drinks too much, suffers from nightmares and is highly irritable. He realizes his problems and as of January 2006 he is entering therapy to deal with them.

Chronology of major events

First appearance, wearing a white helmet with a star (the star is later revealed to be green): 26 October 1970
Becomes a third-string quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams, now wears that team's helmet: 12 December 1984
Returns to wearing his Walden College helmet: 3 August 1987
Retires from professional sports: 16 August 1987
Called up for the first Persian Gulf War: 5 September 1990
Changes helmet to desert camouflage: 10 September 1990
Field promoted to Sergeant:
Returns home from first Gulf War: 6 May 1991
Marries Boopsie: 20 April 1992
Called up again to protect Los Angeles after the start of the 1992 Los Angeles Riots: 12 May 1992
Joins the California Highway Patrol, changes helmet: 9 September 1992
Moves back to Walden to coach the football team:
Promoted to Army Lieutenant:
Called up for the second Gulf War:
Loses leg, and helmet: 21 April 2004

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for B.D. (Doonesbury) ]

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