With the NBA playoffs about to tip off, I thought I would keep this week's top ten list sports related. As my name indicates, I am from Los Angeles. So, this week's list is the top ten Los Angeles sports moments that I can remember. I'm 32, so this means no Sandy Koufax or Jerry West memories.
Our recent discussion of games shows prompted me to wonder, what are the greatest game shows of all time? Now bear in mind that I am in my early thirties, so this really only encompasses the games that I grew up watching, or still watch today.
10. Deal or No Deal - it's new to American TV, but I'm hooked. See my commentary on the contestants' decision making skills.
It's Top Ten Thursday Time. In honor of the opening of baseball season and the conclusion of March Madness, this week's list is the top ten professional athletes names that sound money related.
10) Benoit Benjamin, F/C, Retired NBA Journeyman
9) Tony Banks, QB, Houston Texans
8) Brad Penny, Pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers
7) Shawn Green, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
6) Curt Schilling, Pitcher, Boston Red Sox
5) Laron Profit, G/F, Los Angeles Lakers
4) Cameron Dollar, Assistant Coach, University of Washington Huskies Men's Basketball
3) Chris Cash, DB, Atlanta Falcons
2) Chris Moneymaker, Poker Player, 2003 World Series of Poker Champion
And the Number One professional athlete name that sounds money related is....
1) Barry Bonds, OF, San Francisco Giants
What? Poker's a sport. They show it on ESPN all the time.
We'll call this "Top Ten Thursday." There are so many songs about money, including classics such as "We're in the Money" or "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend." But frankly, those are old, and not what I'm interested in. I thought these were fun.
10. Money Money Money Money, O'Jays. You know it best as the opening theme of The Apprentice.
9. Material Girl, Madonna. We are living in a material world.
8. Money, That's What I want, Beetles. It's honest. Gimme money, that's what I want!
7. Beetles, Can't Buy Me Love. Dramarama at #2 needs to hear this song.
6. Lucky, Britney Spears. "Isn't she lucky, this Hollywood girl? She is so lucky, but why does she cry? If there's nothing missing in her life, why do these tears come at night?"
5. Ariel, Part of Your World (Little Mermaid). "I've got whozits and whatsits galore. But who cares? No big deal. I want more! What a greedy Mermaid!"
4. Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money), Pet Shop Boys. "I've got the brains, you've got the looks. Let's make lots of money!"
3. ABC, How to be a Millionaire. "Tell me, tell me. How to be..."
2. I'll Give You Anything, Dramarama. "I'll give you diamonds, give you pills, hundred dollar bills, if you'll just marry me, marry me, marry me!"
1. Money for Nothing, Dire Straits. I want my MTV...
Dishonorable mention:
"Hush, little baby, don't say a word.
Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird
And if that mockingbird won't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring
And if that diamond ring turns brass,
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass"
Are you kidding me? This is what we are singing to our children? No wonder everyone's got mad debt!
And now for something lighter. Drum Roll Please...
10. Boiler Room, 2000, Giovanni Ribisi and Vin Diesel. You know by the release date that someone at the studios had the big idea that a movie about stock brokers swindling the little guy was timely. Maybe they were a little prophetic.
9. Jerry Maguire, 1996, Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger. Don't think this is about money? His character may be a sports agent, but every stock broker and real estate agent in the country can relate to this movie.
8. It Could Happen to You, 1994, Nicholas Cage and Bridget Fonda. Cop and Waitress win the lottery and fall in love? C'mon!
7. Can't Buy Me Love, 1987, Patrick Dempsey and Amanda Peterson. See Patrick Dempsey before he became Dr. McDreamy on Grey's Anatomy. Can money buy love? The age old question.
6. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, 1988, Steve Martin and Michael Caine. Michael Caine is brilliant in the movie about scam artists scamming each other.
5. Wall Street, 1987, Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas. Do you really think I could make this list without this movie? It's the standard bearer, but not the best.
4. Office Space, 1999, Ron Livingston and no one else you know. Life in a cubicle. Seriously, if you haven't seen it, go rent it right now. Forget that. Buy it.
3. Brewster's Millions, 1985, Richard Pryor in all his glory! And John Candy. I can't believe they're both gone. He has to blow through 30 million in 30 days! I can't believe you haven't seen this!
2. Other People's Money, 1991, Danny Devito and Gregory Peck. Everyone puts Wall Street at the top of their list, but I thought this dug deeper into the business stuff. It was a much more believable story line, not to mention very real at the time. This was made in the aftermath of the Michael Milken Junk Bond LBO craze.
1. Trading Places, 1983, Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd. C'mon! Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche as Mortimer and Randolph Duke. Jamie Lee Curtis' is a prostitute named Ophelia! The trading scenes are brilliant. I have a friend who is an actor and his entire image of what I do for a living comes from this movie. He figures I'm trading pork bellies and FCOJF. Eddie Murphy when he still did funny stuff. If you haven't seen it, you have no excuse. It's on TNT or USA pretty much every weekend.
What's you favorite?
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