Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Grant Hill, Christian Laettner and Bobby Hurley, former Duke basketball players, 1991-1992.
"Grant Hill, Christian Laettner and Bobby Hurley were rock stars in Durham just like these Gators are."
Hartford Courant

One last college basketball rock star here and then we can put it to bed for another year. It's time to move on to Major League Baseball rock stars.

And speaking of rock stars in sports, I found this little nugget during my daily search for the phrase "rock star." Registration for the Uganda soccer tournament, the Kakungulu Cup, ended this week. This tournament is open to all soccer clubs from professional to amateur, and, according to AllAfrica news, the lower-division teams registered this year include "Biharwe, Malaba Strikers, Kalububu Kobs, and Rock Stars." There's no doubt in my mind who I'm rooting for in the 2007 Kakungulu cup.

Monday, April 2, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Bill Gates, Chairman, Microsoft
"Bill Gates first visited Vietnam a year ago, when thousands of young Vietnamese greeted him like a rock star at a university where he spoke."
Associated Press

Theo Epstein, General Manager, Boston Red Sox
"They have a general manager, Theo Epstein, who is the closest thing you'll find to a front-office rock star."
Boston Globe

Arnold Schwarzenegger & Fabian Nunez, Governor and Speaker of the Assembly, California
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez received rock star-like affection worldwide for their work on landmark greenhouse gas legislation last year."
San Francisco Chronicle

There are more rock stars in business, sports, and politics than there are in pop music.

Sunday, April 1, 2007

Today's rock star is:

Peter Dundas, Creative Director, Emanuel Ungaro
"Last week, Dundas was treated like a rock star in Los Angeles."
San Francisco Chronicle

BUT NOT
Christopher Dodd, U.S. Senator, Connecticut/Presidential Candidate
"He isn't married to a former president, never won the vice presidential nomination and is no rock star."
Los Angeles Times

We have yet to find out what these sort of not-rock star mentions do to one's career. What is interesting is that only politicians seem to be singled as not rock stars.You never see a human interest story about a popular chemistry teach or local canoe builder go out of its way to say its subject is not a rock star.

Saturday, March 31, 2007

Today's rock star is:

Henry VIII, Former King, England
"It seems almost a no-brainer to turn the early days of Henry VIII's 16th century court into a sleek, well-produced soap opera. After all, it's a story with intrigue, philandering, death - and a virile, young rock star of a monarch."
St. Petersburg Times

If you ask me, Hans Holbein painted a terrible likeness of Jonathan Rhys-Meyers.

Friday, March 30. 2007

Henry VIII, Former King, England
"Bergin says, 'Henry was the rock star of his time ... with garments cut close to the body to accentuate his physique. He was the Mick Jagger of his day.'"
San Francisco Chronicle

David Carr, unemployed quarterback
"He arrived in Houston a rock star. Carr, the No. 1 pick in the 2002 draft, had the total package: good looks, a beautiful wife, a nice-guy personality and talent."
Houston Chronicle

A guy who couldn't even keep a job with the Houston Texans gets the same metaphorical treatment as the man who created the Church of England.

Today's rock star is:

Douglas Wilder, former Governor, Virginia
"Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has his throngs of groupies, but during an appearance Tuesday at a political fundraiser in Roanoke, Doug Wilder showed that he is the original "rock star" politician."
Roanoke Times (Virginia)

So there we have it, this whole comparing politicians to rock stars is all Doug Wilder's doing. Evidently.

Wednesday, March 28. 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Danica Patrick, IndyCar driver
"Patrick's near rock-star status derives not only from her driving ability but her Hollywood looks, which promoters don't hesitate to play up"
St. Petersburg Times (Florida)

Joakim Noah, University of Florida Basketball
"But Noah's six-game performance in the NCAA tournament afforded him rock-star status in Gainesville"
Washington Post

Teletubbies, television personalities.
"The Teletubbies - Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po - arrived like rock stars Monday in New York."
Houston Chronicle

Yes, the Teletubbies are rock stars. And, yes, they are better on acid.