Pop Culture Hot List

SI Staff | Dec 17, 2008

Pop Culture Hot List

George Bush & Don King

NIVIERE/DPPI-SIPA/ICON SMI, David Saffran/Icon SMI

George Bush will be out of a job come Jan. 20. So what will "Dubya" do with his time? Don King thinks he should make a run at the world title...in boxing. Yep, King was impressed with Bush's reflexes in ducking a pair of shoes thrown his way last week in Iraq. "Bush has unbelievable reflexes, he can stick and move like a boxer," said King. "Aggression but with protection."

Plaxico Burress

AP

Two weeks after shooting himself at New York nightclub, Burress was at a different New York nightclub, but this time he was with his wife and son and not a .40 caliber Glock and Antonio Pierce. Good trade.

Barry Bonds

Max Morse/Getty Images

So the 44-year-old Bonds, who hasn't played baseball in over a year and will be on trial next year for lying when he said he never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs, told TMZ that he's still "not retired." Is this really news? What's next? Roger Clemens telling Perez Hilton that's he's also "not retired?"

Sean Avery

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images, (inset): AP, Noah Graham/NHLI via Getty Images, Michael Buckner/Getty Images for GQ

Apparently the best way to get blacklisted in the NHL isn't by high-sticking a player across the head or stomping someone with your skate, but rather by calling a couple ex-girlfriends "sloppy seconds." When did the NHL begin to stand for No Hateful Language?

Sam Bradford

David Bergman/SI, AP

As classy as Bradford seems, didn't you wish he would have started his Heisman acceptance speech by telling Billy Sims to shut up after the 11th time he screamed "Boomer!" at the top of his lungs? We get it Billy, you won the Heisman 30 years ago, now please let someone else enjoy the spotlight for a night.

Terrell Owens

Michael J. LeBrecht II/1Deuce3 Photography/SI, Simon Bruty, Brad Mangin

So everything is fine with T.O., Tony Romo and Jason Witten, at least this week. Now if Dallas losses to Baltimore, Owens will probably accuse Witten of teaming up with Spencer and Heidi to have ... wait, sorry, wrong soap opera.

Corey Hill

Courtesy of Fight! Magazine

If you thought Joe Thiesman's or Napolean McCallum's injury on MNF were hard to watch, imagine if someone jumped on you and started punching your head after you had suffered an injury just as gruesome. Such was the case with Hill, a UFC fighter whose lower leg was horrifically broken during a UFC fight last week. YouTube it at your own risk.

Arena Football League

AP

If a league is going to take a season off and no one notices, did it really take the season off?

Clay Buchholz

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

The Red Sox pitcher may have thrown a no-hitter last season, but he's pitching a perfect game off the field with the ladies. Earlier this year, his father was bursting with pride at the news that his son was dating a Penthouse Pet of the Year Erica Ellyson. Now it appears his son has moved on to Deal or No Deal model Lindsay Clubine. I like his progression from the D-list to C-list. I can't wait to see which B-list girl he'll move to next.

LeBron James

Greg Nelson/SI, Nick Laham/Getty Images, Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

King James illustrated his music diversity recently when he said he was a fan of Barry Manilow, showing off a few of the crooner's tunes in his iPod. Now he's taking it to another level in a new NBA ad that will debut on Christmas Day, which shows James sitting in front of his locker, wearing his headphones before the game and singing along to Cyndi Lauper's 1984 hit single Time After Time. "You can see I can carry a tune," said James. "I had to get my voice right. I was a little raspy. I had to get some tea because I was singing all day."