Pop Culture Hot List

SI Staff | Oct 21, 2009

Pop Culture Hot List /

Pop Culture Hot List

Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union

The NBA's latest celebrity couple might finally be ready for their close-up. According to the Palm Beach Post, Wade and Union, who have tried to keep their relationship a secret, were spotted canoodling in a private club level suite during Monday Night Football and at another party. It looks like Union is giving a new meaning to one of her more popular films -- Love & Basketball.

Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian

It seems that we can finally congratulate Odom on his wedding to Kardashian after the couple and their lawyers hammered out a prenup, according to TMZ. The good news for Odom is that he gets to keep all of the $33 million contract he signed with the Lakers in the offseason.

Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson

The only thing odder than watching Tyson bite off a piece of Holyfield's ear 12 years ago was seeing the two old fighters sitting on either side of Oprah Winfrey during her show last Friday. While Holyfield still looks like he could compete for the heavyweight title, Tyson seems to be going for another kind of heavyweight crown.

Mark Sanchez

Did some people really try to compare this guy to Derek Jeter and Joe Namath in the Big Apple after just three games? Jets fans are beginning to find out what USC fans discovered when Sanchez went 0-2 in games in the state of Oregon: He's not that great in bad weather. By the way, what's the weather like in the Meadowlands in the winter?

Michael Crabtree

Here's a lesson to all future rookie wide receivers: Skip training camp and ditch the first five or six games of the regular season (you don't want to hit the rookie wall after 12 games anyway). Trust me, if you're like Crabtree, you'll still get the contract you want and start your first game. And here's a lesson to veterans wanting to help out rookies like Crabtree: Don't. If you're Josh Morgan, you'll be sitting on the bench after the rookie takes your job.

Kobe Bryant

Before facing the Kings last Thursday night in Las Vegas, Bryant and the Lakers hosted a party at the night club LAX. From the looks of the scene -- at one point, Ron Artest, wearing a hoodie, grabbed the microphone and attempted to rap while screaming "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" -- it should be an interesting season for the Lakers on and off the court.

Fergie

How many celebrity owners does it take to put together a winning football team? The Miami Dolphins hope seven is their lucky number. The Black Eyed Peas' Fergie has become the latest celebrity to buy into the Dolphins, joining Marc Anthony, Venus and Serena Williams, Jimmy Buffett and Emilio and Gloria Estefan. They may not know anything about football, but at least they could put together a pretty swell concert and tennis event in the offseason.

Pini Gershon

Stop us if you've heard this one before. A rabbi, a coach and referee walk on to a basketball court ... Well, in quite possibly the greatest preseason story ever, Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Gershon refused to leave the court after being ejected during a game against the Knicks. A rabbi then tried to intervene and persuade the referee to let Gershon stay. He wasn't, although it would have been great if the rabbi had taken over Gershon's position and coached the rest of the game. It would have made complete sense under the circumstances.

Detroit Shock

It seems that winning the WNBA championship is the kiss of death. About a year after the four-time champion Houston Comets folded, the three-time champion Shock are closing shop and moving to Tulsa, Okla. There's a lesson to be learned here: Don't win the WNBA championship.

Balloon Boy

Who cares if the whole thing was a sham? Seeing a UFO-looking object flying through the air on CNN while newscasters breathlessly say "Balloon Boy" with a straight face is worth 15 minutes of my afternoon any day.

Published Oct 21, 2009

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