"End of the Month" coming up in just a few paragraphs. But first, I would like to thank you, precious reader, for coming out in big numbers last week for the blog's inaugural Hall of Fame week celebrating the site's one year blogiversary. No other week in the site's young history had more readers than last week had, so for that I am very appreciative. To recap, the five that were selected into this year's inaugural Hall of Fame are:
Congrats to the five for being lucky enough (or unlucky enough in most cases) to get inducted. Of course, with every Hall of Fame class comes a few good nominees that just barely missed out on getting inducted. So, today, I am dedicating this post to them. Here are the list of people, and things that were nominated for the Hall of Fame, and reasons why I ultimately decided not to pick them:
Mad Men
-Reason for Selection: It's the only show on television in which I have dedicated a segment of my "Random Thoughts" segment. Plus, there's that whole One of the Best Shows on Television factor.
-Why It Wasn't Selected: It's a great show, but it has plenty of years left to get inducted whereas some things like the Matthew Clemens story or the 2010 Tonight Show conflict get only this year to get inducted. But don't worry, it is too good of a show to never get inducted.
Jon Stewart
-Reason for Selection: One of the most mentioned names on this site over the past year. In fact, if you just search "jon stewart" on this blog, you will get at least six pages of results. His show has also had some great moments (like the fifteen minute Glenn Beck parody that earned his show an Emmy nomination that I just had to mention it (or at least embed it).
-Why He Wasn't Selected: Same reason as to why "Mad Men" wasn't inducted. I strongly believe that Stewart and "The Daily Show" will have plenty of more good years that it will get inducted in eventually. It already has had at least eight All Star quality years.
Kanye West
-Reason for Selection: Of course West was nominated for his incident at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards in which he interrupted Taylor Swift's speech after winning Best Music Video, proclaiming that Beyonce's "All the Single Ladies" was one of the greatest videos of all time. That moment not only earned Swift some new fans but also made West look even more like a...well, you get my point, but it also influenced me to pick West as my Person of the Month back in September.
-Why He Wasn't Selected: Considering that it was Kanye West, it really wasn't that big of a story for him to earn a Hall of Fame induction compared to, say, the Matthew Clemens and South Carolina horse raper story.
BP Oil Spill
-Reason for Selection: From the moment oil started flowing from the Deepwater Horizon, it soon became of the biggest stories of 2010. It was also the only one in this blog's young history that was mentioned as one of the top Stories of the Months three (and, in a few paragraphs, four) months in a row. How bigger of a story can you get than that?
-Why It Wasn't Selected: One of the toughest choices I had to make was decide whether I should put this story into the Hall of Fame for reasons that I just mentioned. Eventually, I decided that while it fit two of the three qualifications in order to get into the Hall of Fame (mentioned at least two times, such a big story that I just had to write about it), it didn't fit the third qualification that I enjoyed writing about it, which I didn't. In fact, I never liked hearing about the damage or writing about it. All of my five inductees I enjoyed writing about, but not this one. S there.
Ben Roethlisberger
-Reason for Selection: Was accused for rape not once, but twice since the blog began. Not only did one of the accusation earn him a suspension by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for at least 4 games this upcoming season, but it was also the third worst off the field story that any player had to deal with the past twelve months (behind the one by Tiger Woods and John Terry). The second rape accusation also convinced me no name Big Ben as my April 2010 Person of the Month, so there's that.
-Why He Wasn't Selected: Unlike the Tiger Woods story which made Woods take an indefinite break from goal for four months and has been responsible for the decline in his performance this year, Roethlisberger seems to not have been affected by the rape allegations. Not only was he not taken to trial in both of the cases, but his performance hasn't seem to be decreased. After the first accusation back in July, Roethlisberger played his best season yet, throwing for over 4,000 yards and 28 total TDs. As for this second one, while he will miss some part of the season because of it, I have a good feeling that Roethlisberger will be right back to being his Pro Bowl quarterback self. But, overall, it was a tough decision to put Big Ben out of the Hall.
Michael Jackson's Death
-Reason for Selection: His death at the age of 50 was one of the biggest stories of 2009. The days that followed including the funeral service and the constant media coverage of the story also set the bar for any future celebrity.
-Why It Wasn't Selected: All of those things that I just mentioned (the MJ death, the funeral, etc.) all took place weeks before my blog began. Anything that happened before the week of July 23rd, 2009 was not considered for this year's Hall of Fame class.
I congratulate the six for having such good cases for a Hall of Fame induction. And while they didn't get inducted in the end, they should still be go away happy (or not happy, in some cases) knowing that they were heavily considered into being one of the five. And now, to wrap things up, here is a brand new installment of "End of the Month" featuring some of the biggest stories and best moments to come out of July 2010. Enjoy:
Animal of the Month: Paul the Octopus
With his perfect 8-0 record in predicting World Cup games, Paul was, whether you like it or not, one of the biggest stories to come from this World Cup. His predictions was covered and reported from around the globe. Some news networks like CNN International (much better than the CNN in America if you ask me), BBC World News, France 24 and even the Russia Today news channel even had his predictions as one of the day's top sports stories. Fans of the team that Paul picked were both excited, happy and delighted. I can still remember watching a news report (I think it was on France 24) of the reaction in Madrid when Spain advanced to the World Cup final in which many Spanish team fans that were interviewed mentioned Paul the Octopus and even said how it was destiny that Spain was going to win since Paul predicted it to happen. Yup, in less than a month the mollusc from Germany ended up being a big story across the world. And to think it all started because someone at the zoo thought it would be a good idea to make Paul choose between two mussels in two different boxes!
Picture of the Month: 40 Ton Whale Jumps on Top of South African Couple's Yacht
I'm still amazed at the photo. The fact that he cameraman who took the picture at such a perfect moment like that one... it's just incredible.
Country of the Month: Spain
due to the great performance by their top athletes in some of the month's biggest sporting events. The first major win for Spain came where the country's soccer team finally won their first ever World Cup thanks mostly to great defense (only one goal allowed the entire time), a Golden Boot performance by David Villa (5 goals in 4 games including the Cup quarterfinals) and, most importantly, Andres Iniesta's goal in extra time against the Netherlands in the Finals. Then, in the world of tennis, number one player in the world and Spaniard Rafael Nadal won this year's Wimbledon men's title, his second in three years. Finally, one of the world's top cyclist Alberto Contador won this year's Tour de France, his second in a row. Add Pau Gasol helping the LA Lakers win this year's NBA title, and you have yourself a great time to be a Spanish sports fan.
Videos of the Month:
- Most Creative: "Best Goal Celebration Ever!!!- Fishing (Icelandic Football League)"
Original, clever, funny, creative...basically this video is the definition of a creative celebration. Plus, it made Icelandic soccer interesting! How often can you say that?
- Best Old Guy: "Crazy Old DJ Rocks the Party"
I'm confused...should I enjoy this or be creeped out for his excitement?
-Most Athletic: "Best Ultimate Frisbee Catch Ever"
Warning: This catch will change the way you look at fit, balding white ultimate frisbee players for the rest of your life. Otherwise, it should be a fantastic video to enjoy.
-The Most Improvisational: "Star Wars Improv"
Rats! East coast transit stations get all the fun! Why do all moments like these never happen in CTA trains?
-The Funniest: "Woman Wakes Up to Find Intruder in Her Bed"
You know you just watched the next great Internet meme when he can make a news report of his sister almost being raped a classic.
-Best Remix of an Instant Internet Classic: Auto-Tune the News's "Bed Intruder Song!!!"
As good as the original Antoine Dodson video...if not better! This just goes to show you, if you want to make a great video better, just auto-tune it.
-The Most-Awesome: Any Old Spice Commercial featuring Isaiah Mustafa
So awesome, I just had to put him in two "End of the Months" in a row. And yet, sales for Old Spice are going down. Ohhhh, the irony!
Fact of the Month: A few weeks ago, former Vice President Dick Cheney underwent a heart procedure to install a left ventricular assist device which would now pump blood through the heart for him since his body can no longer do it anymore. Yup, you read that right folks! Dick Cheney has no pulse...and he is technically a member of the living dead. This is great news for Cheney. After all, he's looked like a member of the Legion of Doom for years, only now it's official.
Stories of the Month:
Oh, well. At least she died a happy woman, right?
-The Jail-iest: Lindsay Lohan Sentenced to Jail, Rehab
Hopefully this should get he off the front page of gossip magazines like Paris Hilton after her jail sentence in '07.
-The Most Embarrassing (For Them): The Rick Pitino Trial
Meh, needs more sex talk.
It's good to know that even animals are tired of hearing "Use Somebody" at this point.
- The Most Shocking (Until You Realized It Was Mel Gibson): The Angry Phone Messages by Mel Gibson to Girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva
Meh, needs more crazy.
- The Laurence Fishburne-iest: Laurence Fishburne's Daughter Montana To Do Porn
Wait, she did it because of how successful Kim Kardashian became after HER sex tape? Are some wannabe female celebrities actually trying to become famous through a sex tape? Does she even know that she was Laurence Fishburne's daughter? This makes no logical sense. I also feel a bit sad for Laurence. It's every man's nightmare to raise a daughter that grows up to be a porn star, a hooker or a pole dancer. The fact that her daughter did one of those must have pained him.
- The Best: BP Announces That Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Has Finally Been Capped and BP CEO Tony Hayward Steps Down
Thank God! I don't know if I could handle writing for a fourth month in a row that oil was still being spilled. Same goes for Hayward if he was still the BP CEO. But, hey, at least he got his life back!
Controversy of the Month: The Proposed Mosque Near the Old WTC Site and Across the Country
Don't know about you, but it seems to me that some people are just not over 9/11 yet.
Event of the Month: The 2010 World Cup
Person of the Month: Lebron James
for his July 8th decision to join the Miami Heat. And what a decision it was! From making Cleveland and Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert really pissed off, to making a ton of people hop onto the Miami bandwagon, to changing the public perception of James in a really negative way to even becoming one of the biggest stories of 2010 as well as one that will change the NBA landscape for years to come, it was a story unlike any other. Now, there's nothing to do except to watch and see what happens next.
So, there you have it. I'll be back in a couple of days for another installment of "End of the Week." Until then, here's another classic Queen song to help finish this mega-post strong. "I Want To Break Free" anyone?
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15
If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you want to suggest anything to mj15 for his next blog entry (tips, perhaps?), e-mail him at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.
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