Pop Culture Hot List

SI Staff | Oct 28, 2008

Pop Culture Hot List /

Pop Culture Hot List

Breeders' Cup

The silver anniversary of the world's richest race brought out the best of Hollywood this weekend including Bo Derek, Dennis Hopper, Kurt Russell, Mel Brooks, Pierce Brosnan and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. I was seated next to Jerry Ferrara (Turtle from "Entourage") and Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Meadow from "The Sopranos") and am happy to report that while Turtle may have dropped the ball with Jaime on the show, the two are a happy couple in the real world. They couldn't keep their hands off each other during the race and when I asked one of their friends if the relationship was for real she said, "Yeah, they've been like this since she filmed that episode of "Entourage" with him."

Charles Barkley

The "Round Mound of Rebound" has made his fair share of controversial comments during his career although he's never had to address them in a courtroom. Until now, well, sort of. Barkley was in Los Angeles last week filming a commercial for "NBA on TNT" where he sits in a faux courtroom during a congressional hearing, answering questions from former U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Fred Thompson. "It was cool working with Fred Thompson," Barkley told me in between takes. "I liked him in "Law & Order" and I almost forgot the guy just ran for president." While Thompson questions Barkley about a number of the controversial comments Barkley has made while he's been on the show, Barkley admits he doesn't understand why everything he says gets so much attention. "I don't like that because I don't consider myself controversial," said Barkley as he enjoyed a cheese plate in his trailer. "I'm always surprised when people make a big deal of what I say. I'm just trying to have fun and make sure that people watching basketball are having a good time. I'm just talking about basketball here. It's not like we're curing cancer."

Floyd "Jumbo" Cummings

This is easily one of the best stories of the year. So Joe Frazier's last fight, a draw against Cummings (right) in 1981 was recently broadcast on ESPN Classic. Cummings says the airing of his fight without his consent has ruined his life and he filed a $50 million lawsuit against The Worldwide Leader saying that ESPN Classic sought to "annihilate and destroy the seclusion of my private life." Here's the catch though, Cummings is currently serving a life sentence for armed robbery.

Sarah Palin

Is it too early to enter "The Palin Curse" into the sports lexicon? After vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin visited Philadelphia and dropped the first puck at a Flyers game, the Flyers have lost six straight. Then, after Palin dropped the first puck at the Blues-Kings game in St. Louis, Blues goalie Manny Legace tripped over the red carpet that had been set out for her and was forced to leave the game with a strained left hip flexor. The Blues would lose to the Kings 4-0. No wonder McCain aides reportedly tried to distance themselves from Palin this weekend.

Kim Kardashian and Reggie Bush

While Kardashian spent her actual 28th birthday last week in a New Orleans hospital with Reggie Bush, who is recovering from a knee injury, Bush paid back "The Tush" over the weekend when he surprised his girlfriend in Las Vegas before a party at the nightclub LAX. It was an easy call for Bush who skipped the Saints' trip to London to go to Vegas instead. After all, who needs to see Big Ben when you can see Kim's big, well, you get the picture.

Kobe Bryant

There may be no greater game on the market these days than "Guitar Hero" and there may be no better commercial than the recent ad with Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez, Tony Hawk and Michael Phelps channeling their inner Tom Cruise by recreating his infamous "lip-synching" scene in Risky Business. It's easily the best A-Rod has ever looked in October.

Gisele Bundchen

Gisele hasn't seen her man Tom Brady in uniform all season, but at least she was able to see Michael Chiklis wearing his No. 12 jersey while the duo performed Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" with Kelly Rippa. Pats fan Chiklis was subbing for Regis Philbin on the show and before the song began, Kelly set up the moment perfectly. "Michael is living out his Tom Brady fantasy, I'm living out my Gisele fantasy and Gisele Bundchen," said Ripa. "Is living out a nightmare."

Freddie Ljungberg

The newest Major League Soccer team, the Seattle Sounders, have yet to play a game, but I'm guessing they're already the favorite team of any women who were fans of those Calvin Klein ads featuring Ljungberg in nothing but his tighty whities. While Swedish sensation is being brought in to attract fans, part owner Drew Carey can only hope Ljumberg has better success on the field than the last big name model/celebrity soccer player to come to the MLS from Europe.

David Beckham

While Freddy Ljungberg prepares to enter the MLS, "Golden Balls" is preparing to leave, well at least during the offseason, on a loan deal to AC Milan. While Becks may be going to Italy on free loan, Posh could be making significantly more as she's reportedly being offered $16 million to do a similar "reality show" to the one she did when the Beckhams arrived in the States. Chances are, however, that she'll stay in Los Angeles or London rather than pretending she's settling into a city that Becks is only in temporarily. Then again, when has reality ever gotten in the way of a reality show.

Ashton Kutcher

Kutcher may have a career in coaching if the whole acting thing doesn't pan out. Kutcher is the freshman football coach at Harvard-Westlake High School (North Hollywood, Calif.) and has the Wolverines off to a 4-2 record. "It's something I've always been afraid to do," says Kutcher of coaching. "I was afraid of the time commitment. I was afraid that I would look stupid. I was afraid that the players wouldn't listen to my football advice, I was afraid that the advice that I gave wouldn't be very good. I've had many situations in my life where I've had an opportunity to extend myself and walked away for many of those reasons. And though coaching a football team is no great step for mankind I find that it's a great step for me and that I'm not there to teach them, they are there to teach me." Let's hope they taught him to stop making bad movies.

Published Oct 28, 2008

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