I'm a sucker for any 'top 10' list where people/events/things are compared in terms of relevancy, quality, etc. I was not informed of the cancellation of a school meeting this morning so I had a good hour to think and map out the TOP 10 (became 11) PEOPLE OF 2011 TO KYLE. I kept the parameters of my list to things that I follow (sports, headline news, entertainment) so you won't be finding any impactful humanitarians or disease-curing scientists. I follow global happenings but didn't really feel like going back and doing any research on Euro politics or economic meltdowns. I thought about ranking the list but copped out and wrote this as they came into my head. Like Time magazine does for their "Person of the Year" list, I didn't shy away from including undesirables. Oh, and I don't feel like figuring out how to image size. Deal.
Honorable Mentions/Notable Omissions:
Amy Winehouse (sadly predictable)
Any US politician (yawn, same ol')
Osama Bin Laden (largely irrelevant in recent years)
David Stern (NBA has always been sleazy)
TOP PEOPLE: (no order)
Kim Jong Il:
Impressively avoided US muscle for years (even while being included on Dubya's 'axis of evil') whilst committing countless atrocities and locking up the title of Most Insane Dictator in modern times. Did just enough right to avoid getting stomped out, had incredible taste in fashion and was one of the few who always stayed fresh by continuously outdoing his own craziness. Given his track record, he died rather anticlimactically on a train due to health. Check out his Wikipedia page for some of his notable endeavors.
Charlie Sheen:
Perhaps you forgot about the interview. After 50+ hours of flying, I landed in Nepal and logged onto the internet to find it exploding with all things Charlie Sheen. The video demands to be funny and I wasn't disappointed after having to wait nearly 40 minutes for it to load. The rest was history, and it was impossible to avoid this man for a good six weeks, as even the Himalayan Times gave daily updates and oldTwo and a Half Men episodes played on Nepali TV as frequently as Law & Order reruns. Hopefully the video hammers home the message to today's youth that crack is still whack.
Robin van Persie:
I've always been wary of dudes named Robin but had to include RVP to acknowledge his successes and thank him for scoring almost every week, making both my EPL and total goals fantasy teams stress free and profitable. I gambled on taking him because he always gets hurt but has so far avoided injury. If you need a reason to start watching soccer, turn on an Arsenal match and watch this man do his job. He single-handedly makes Arsenal relevant.
Albert Pujols:
Is baseball slipping or did I just miss out on a lot of the coverage of this? Albert Pujols, one of the greatest players ever and the best of the last 10 years, won the World Series only to walk out on his lifelong team for more money to join the Anaheim Angels and help create the MLB's version of the in-trend 'dream team' concept, amassing superstars in the hopes of winning championships like the 2011 Miami Heat and Philadelphia Eagles. It would be like Kobe Bryant ditching the Lakers or Tom Brady leaving the Pats, only it seemed like a footnote on ESPN.com. Interest in America's Pastime must be fading.
Jerry Sandusky:
I don't follow college football but grew up in Big 10 country following the Ohio State Buckeyes and all things NCAA football. Aside from bringing down the winningest coach in history, Sandusky stayed plastered all over news sites as new allegations emerged and weirder things kept happening, like his willingness to give interviews and proclaim innocence while admitting to heinous acts. Hopefully this tragedy will lead to further awareness of child abuse and more conversations between parents and children regarding appropriate conduct. The social psychological phenomena in play are fascinating as it seems like a lot of people were in the know but failed to appropriately act (see Kitty Genovese) even in the face of possible child molestation. On a side note, this man ruined one of my favorite books of all time, Catcher in the Rye, as I reread it recently and the term 'horsing around' is prevalent throughout the novel. Gross all around, shame on humanity.
Saul Goodman:
Maybe my favorite supporting actor ever, Saul Goodman is the sleazy defense lawyer from Breaking Bad. One of myriad reasons for you to watch this show if you don't already. Check him out
Tim Tebow:
Made my list not for the reasons you'd think. I hate that the media has made him into a polarizing figure and don't care about what he does or what he believes in (as I am with any athlete), but I loved his stretch of comebacks and causing the statheads to explode with fury. I would go to bed for a good month knowing that I would wake up and read about another Broncos comeback where Timmy played like crap for three quarters but rallied his team to an undeserved win in the end. I'm sure it was forced down the throats of any American sports fan but I got just the right dose in Nepal. One guy even asked me about it, if I had heard of this "Tebow guy", and NOBODY cares about the NFL. Keep on ballin', Tim.
Rappers: (Lil' Wayne, Drake, The Roots, Kid Cudi)
I had largely abandoned rap music since middle school, when a bunch of us privileged white kids bought fake ice in Washington DC and memorized the likes of DMX and Master P albums. I don't remember what got me back into it, but about half of my iPod is now loaded with rap albums, past and present. I've realized that I've missed out on a lot of good music over the past few years and have enjoyed catching myself up. Being away from America for 8 months, I can't tell if liking Drake makes you cool or lame, but I'm all in. Give rap another try if you gave up on it like I did; there's a lot of good stuff out and Lil' Wayne and Drake are incredible.
Russian Kingpins:
Roman Abramovich, Mikhail Prokorov, Vladimir Putin. I've always been intrigued by the shadowiness of Russian power and the checkered pasts of the heavy hitters. Abramovich is one of the richest guys in the world, owns my favorite sports team (Chelsea) spends with impunity and has an extremely shady past. If I could trade lives with any human being on Earth, it would be him. Prokhorov is richer, bought the New Jersey Nets, is linked to prostitution scandals and overall shady dealings, is 6' 8" and is running for president of Russia. Putin likely rigged the election, was a gangster KGB agent and is one of the scarier human beings on the planet. A big year for Russian ballers.
Muammar Gaddafi (sp?):
Had a strong run as a global fugitive before getting whacked. Nepali papers aren't hesitant to show gore, and I was twice greeted with full-page shots of bin Laden and Gaddafi, half of their faces blown off. I didn't closely follow this story, but the sentiment in Nepal was that his demise was a result of the US again being unnecessarily involved with global happenings. Unlike Kim Jong, Gaddafi was a bit too flashy and could no longer be ignored. A bad year for dictators/terrorists.
Steve Jobs:
Apple products, you know the rest. RIP Steve, love your products.
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