The Definitive Dose
Sometimes it's more than just a game. Sport has the power to effect, and be effected by, the forces of history in ways that few other institutions can. It can both incite and unite, change minds and inflame passions. The following moments spilled over from the sports page to the front page, transcending the game to leave an indelible mark upon the course of history.
1) Jackie Robinson debuts with the Brooklyn Dodgers, April 15, 1947----Dodgers owner Branch Rickey was looking for someone "with guts enough not to fight back." In that way, Jackie Robinson was the perfect person to break the color barrier: courageous, resilient, and perhaps most importantly, one hell of a ballplayer. America was fresh off vict
ory in Europe, a society coming to terms with a changing identity and new, more prominent place in the world. For many, baseball seemed like the one constant to cling to, a haven existing outside of the changing times, symbolizing all that was right in American life. When a black man suddenly stepped up to the plate in one of America's most hallowed stadiums, in its biggest city, wearing the colors of one its most beloved teams, that haven seemed to be crumbling. Right away, Jackie became a lighting rod for vicious racially-motivated hostility, both from fans, opponents, and even some of his own teammates. Through it all, Jackie just continued to do what he knew best, play ball. His number 42 now adorns every major league stadium, retired to all players, a symbol of the shared impact he made not only on his sport, but on American life even to this day.
2) Joe Louis vs Max Schmeling, June 22, 1938 ---- After beating Louis in 1936, German wunderkind Max Schmeling had ingratiated himself as Hitler's darling, a supposed paragon of Aryan superiority. Two years later, Nazi ferver was at its peak and war was just over the horizon. A rematch was scheduled that summer, taking on a world of meaning as a battle of both race and country in a preamble to the growing world conflict. FDR himself chided "Joe, we need muscles like yours to beat Germany." The symbolism deepened as Schmeling's Nazi publicist announced that their prize money would go to build German tanks. At Yankee Stadium, in front of over 70,000 spectators, the Brown Bomber resoundingly defeated Maximilian in just under 2 minutes to become a nationwide source of pride across racial lines.
3) Massacre at the 1972 Munich Olympics, September 5, 1972 ----It was 4:30 AM on the night of September 5th, 1972, and the Israeli Olympic team were fast asleep in their apartments within Munich's Olympic Village after a n
ight out. Suddenly, eight masked men burst in carrying assault rifles and grenades. Despite putting up a fight, two Israelis were killed outright while nine others were taken hostage. Claiming to represent the terrorist organization Black September, the kidnappers demanded the release and safe passage of over 200 predominately Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel. Refusing to negotiate, the Israeli and German authorities instead pretended to provide the terrorists transport to Cairo, planning to ambush them during the plane boarding. However, the rescue attempt was badly botched, and when the dust settled, 11 Israelis, 1 German, and 5 of the terrorists lay dead.
5) The Rugby World Cup in South Africa, June 1995 ---- A year after Nelson Mandela had been elected president, effectively bringing an end to South African apartheid, the country was thrust onto the world stage as hosts of the 1995 Rugby World Cup. In a country still bearing the scars of a divided populace, to non-whites the national Rugby team, the Springboks, represented oppression and prejudice. Mandela recognized that if he could bring about a shared pride in the national team, it would go a long way towards uniting the country. Slowly, whites and blacks alike began to rally around the Springboks as they knocked off one team after the other to ultimately face New Zealand, a team considered to be nearly invincible, in the finals. As Mandela sported the Springbok colors, captain François Pienaar propelled his team to an improbable victory, bringing South Africans of all races together in a scene that only months earlier had seemed unthinkable.
8) Jack Johnson vs James Jeffries, July 4, 1910 ---- In the early 20th Century, Jack Johnson was the most well known African American on the planet, accumulating over 50 victories and capturing the World Heavyweight title in 1908 that had just a year earlier been off limits to blacks. Racial outrage at this perceived injustice prompted a widespread call for a "Great White Hope" to take the title back for the white race. One after the other fell to Johnson before the former undefeated heavyweight champion James Jeffries emerged from retirement, citing a feeling of obligation to "demonstrate that a white man is king of them all." So it was that on July 4, 1910, the match billed as "The Fight of the Century" took place in front of 20,000 people in Reno, Nevada. Johnson pummeled Jeffries for 15 rounds before Jeffries' handlers called the fight, hoping to avoid the impending knockout that would further humiliate the supposed "Great White Hope." The outcome sparked riots across the country as black revelers clashed with angry whites, ultimately leading to 25 deaths.
9) "Blood in the Water" match between Hungary and the USSR, December 6, 1956 ---- 1956 was drawing to a close, and while Hungarian athletes were off competing in the Melbourne summer games, back home their countrymen were still reeling from the devastating carnage of a failed revolution against the Soviet occupation. When the Hungarian water polo team met the USSR in a hotly-contested semifinal match, it goes without saying that there was no love lost between the two
bitter rivals. Over the course of a brutally physical bout, the Hungarian nationals mounted a 4-0 lead. Finally, the frenzy reached its breaking point when Soviet Valentin Prokopov struck Hungarian captain Ervin Zador, opening a bloody gash that immediately set off the Hungarian-dominated crowd into a near riot. A victorious Hungary would go on beat Yugoslavia in the finals to win Olympic gold, restoring some semblance of dignity to an embattled nation.
10) Pat Tillman leaves football to fight in Iraq, 2002 ---- A promising defensive back for the Arizona Cardinals, Pat Tillman would forgo a $3.6 million contract to instead serve his country. He took part in the initial invasion of Iraq before being deployed to Afghanistan, where on April 22, 2004, he was killed by friendly fire. What followed was a cover-up that rose to the highest ranks of the military, as authorities scrambled to protect public perception of the war effort by purporting that Pat had died heroically as a result of enemy fire. Congressional inquiries would later prove that superiors had warned witnesses not to divulge the true nature of his death, ultimately contributing further to the growing distrust of goverment and anti-war sentiment.
Baseball is a game of legends, larger-than-life stars ever ingrained in our public psyche. However, all too often, the off-the-field personalities get lost in the shuffle, dwarfed in the eyes of history by the Babe Ruths and Jackie Robinsons of the world. Here then is the Mount Rushmore of those other legends, the pioneers and innovators that built baseball into the game it is today.
1) Alexander Cartwright, Jr.-- In truth, there is no big bang of baseball, no moment when the inspiration for what would become the American Pastime was beamed down from the heavens. For centuries, men had played cricket, rounders, and other various contests featuring bat and ball. However, if you're going to point to one man who truly set the wheels of baseball in motion, that man is Alexander Cartwright. Cartwright was a bank teller and volunteer firefighter who for many years had played various ball games ar
ound the parks of New York City. Though many of these games roughly resembled what we now know as modern baseball, Cartwright showed up one day with some newfound inspiration. As his friend Duncan Curry recalls of that Spring afternoon in 1845, "Cartwright came to the field...with his plans drawn up on a paper.... He had laid out a diamond shaped field with canvas bags filled with sand or sawdust for bases at three of the points and an iron plate for home base. He had arranged for a catcher, a pitcher, three basemen, a short fielder and three outfielders. His plan met with much good-natured derision, but he was so persistent in having us try his new game that we finally consented more to humor him than with any thought of it becoming a reality." Cartwright would proceed to codify a set of accepted rules and engineer what is widely accepted today as the first organized baseball game between his Knickerbockers and the New York Club at the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey, June 19th, 1846. Three years later, lured by the California gold craze, Cartwright began trekking westward, along which he would spread the gospel of baseball. Barely twenty years following that day in Hoboken, there were thought to be over a thousand organized baseball clubs scattered across the country.
Note: Though many think of Abner Doubleday as the creator of baseball, history has all but proven this to be myth. In 1907, The Mills Commission, appointed to determine the origin of baseball, concluded that "the first scheme for playing baseball, according to the best evidence obtainable to date, was devised by Abner Doubleday at Cooperstown, New York, in 1839." However, Doubleday never claimed this distinction in any of his writings, and it was even determined that at the date of the alleged invention, Doubleday was a cadet at West Point, his family having moved away from Cooperstown a year prior. Adding further doubt is the fact that the primary testimony on behalf of Doubleday lay with a man named Abner Graves, who after shooting his wife two years later wound up spending the rest of his life in an insane asylum. So yea, not the most credible of witnesses. On June 3, 1953, Alexander Cartwright was officially declared by Congress to be the inventor of modern baseball.
2) Henry Chadwick-- Often the best way of conferring legitimacy upon something is simply by committing it to paper. A British-born journalist in the mid-nineteenth century, Chadwick was one of the first to cover the infant game in print, writing up game summaries for the New York Clipper. In it, Chadwick originated the box score and batting average, giving birth to a national obsession with baseball statistics and records that persists to this day. He also penned the "Base Ball Manual" and "Beadle's Dime Base Ball Player," guide books in which he described rules, techniques, and star players of the game. The American Pastime was on its way.
3) Harry Frazee-- History has not been kind to Mr. Frazee. The infamous former owner of the fledgling Boston Red Sox will forever be linked to the disastrous transaction that sent Babe Ruth to the Yankees, damning the Sox to nearly a century of futility. However, that may not be the only raw deal Frazee got. In truth, and this is coming from a die-hard Red Sox fan, Frazee had his hands tied, making a move that almost any other owner in his position would have made. For starters, Ruth was the ultimate diva of his day, a drunk, a womanizer, a hothead (at one point throwing a punch at an umpire), an egomaniac, and the farthest thing from a team player. During the 1919 season, Ruth refused to continue pitching, continually undermined his manager, and even went 'Manny being Manny' on his teammates by pulling himself out of the last few games of the season. That year, the Sox would finish sixth (in the two years following his departure, they would actually climb a spot to fifth). After that season, Ruth demanded that his salary be doubled, an unheard-of figure that Frazee simply could not pay. Ruth then proclaimed that he wouldn't play until his demands were met, all but forcing Frazee to negotiate a trade. Due to an ongoing dispute with American League president Ban Johnson, Frazee was effectively banned from dealing with any team but the White Sox and Yankees, two teams that also defied Johnson's corrupt reign. (Johnson's hatred of Frazee in part stemmed from his belief that Frazee was Jewish, violating an unwritten rule within the game to keep Jews out of the ranks of ownership. Frazee was i
n fact Presbyterian.) It's hard to fathom that the only other offer on the table would actually have been more catastrophic than the one that ultimately transpired, but that's exactly the case. The White Sox offered up superstar "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and cash, an intriguing offer were it not for the fact that just months later, Jackson would be suspended for life for his role in the Black Sox scandal. At the time, the Ruth transaction was actually seen by many as being favorable for the Red Sox. In subsequent years, numerous inaccuracies were perpetuated about the Sox owner, many of which were motivated by the ongoing belief in his Jewishness and the notion that a cash-strapped Frazee selfishly sold Ruth to finance his landmark play No, No, Nanette. (which actually didn't come out until six years later) As we all know, Ruth would go on to transform the Yankees into a dynasty while the Red Sox would go titleless for 86 years. Whatever blame Frazee deserves, the impact of his decision upon the future course of the game is impossible to deny. For more on Frazee's misplaced maligning, check out the illuminating Glenn Stout piece 'A Curse Born of Hate.'
4) Kennesaw Mountain Landis-- When in 1921, baseball decided that it was finally necessary to bring in a commissioner, the game was reeling from the revelations of a fixed World Series. That commissioner was Kennesaw Mountain Landis. Upon the appointment, The Sporting News summarized Kennesaw's stated mission: "to clean out the crookedness and the gambling responsible for it and keep the sport above reproach...he would have no mercy on any man in baseball, be he magnate or player, whose conduct was not strictly honest...The Judge will be the absolute ruler of the game." During his time in office, Landis did indeed rule with an iron fist, at once banishing the eight guilty players who had conspired to throw the World Series in the infamous Black Sox scandal. The ruling that was ultimately established-- 'Any player, umpire, club or league official or employee who shall bet any sum whatsoever upon any baseball game in connection with which the bettor had a duty to perform shall be declared permanently ineligible'-- would go on to be the damning assertion used against Pete Rose several decades later.
Under his reign, Landis also helped usher in the live ball era. From 1903-1921, small ball had been the order of the day, as a series of factors contributed to an unprecedented decline in offense. Among them was the common practice of leaving baseballs in play for much of the game until they were brown with dirt, making it harder for batters to pick up while in flight. Balls also became softer with repeated usage, resulting in a greater difficulty to drive with power over the course of the game. Upon assuming power, Landis immediately legislated that balls be removed from play at the first sign of wear, causing an immediate uptick in offense as batters could not only see pitches better, but when they did, it would travel further on contact. Landis also outlawed the spitball, further shifting advantage away from the pitcher. From 1903-1919, the league-wide ERA had been 2.80. In the decade that followed, it had jumped to 4.00. Upon his death in 1944, Landis had transformed the game, restoring both its excitement and integrity.
5) Mel Allen and Red Barber- Baseball on the radio would make its debut in the summer of 1921, as a man named Harold Arlin called the Pirates-Phillies match to an almost non-existent audience. However, it would be over a decade more before baseball received its true airwave ambassadors in Allen and Barber. Known and beloved primarily as the voices of the Yankees and Dodgers respectively, Melvin Israel and William Barber were the first truly iconic broadcasters in American sports history. Initially concerned that radio would discourage people from actually showing up to the park, owners soon found the medium to be an unparralleled promotional tool for their sport (not to mention a great way to generate additional income). By the 1940's, Barber's presence was so ubiquitous in Brooklyn, The Daily News mused "A person could cover the length of the beach of Coney Island and never lose his voice." Perfectly suited to the pace and nature of the game, radio was instrumental in broadening the game's reach and appeal, expanding fan bases and turning local stars into national heroes.
6) Branch Rickey-- There is perhaps no man more responsible for changing the complexion, both literally and figuratively, of the modern game more than that of Branch Rickey. When Rickey was named the general manager of the St Louis Cardinals in 1925, minor league teams operated independently of big league clubs, auctioning off their top prospects to the highest bidder. Rickey decided to buck the system, buying his own minor league clubs through which he could develop talent and directly funnel players to his major league franchise. It took only a single year as GM before the Cards captured their first World Series, and in time the homegrown talent of Pepper Martin, Stan Musial, and Dizzy Dean would take three more pennants for the Gashouse Gang between 1928-1932.
By 1940, Rickey's farm had steadily expanded into an empire, claiming ownership of an astounding 32 teams while maintaining working agreements with 8 others. Rickey moved on to the Dodgers in 1942, where he would continue his prowess in developing young talent, producing such stars as Duke Snider and Gil Hodges from within the organization. However, his most important achievment was the signing of Jackie Robinson from the Negro League's Kansas City Monarchs in 1945. Upon his major league debut two years later, Robinson would bring a pennant to Brooklyn, opening up the doors to full-fledged racial integration in the years to come. Dickey soon left for Pittsburgh, where he would once again shake the baseball establishment with the drafting and promotion of baseball's first Hispanic player in Roberto Clemente. When he ultimately retired in 1955, Rickey had introduced the modern farm system, racially integrated the game, popularized the use of the batting helmet and batting cage, and created the first spring training facility. Moreover, he was perhaps the earliest proponent of what we now call sabermetrics, valuing such indicators as on-base percentage over average to further his advantage over the competition. A maverick in the truest sense, Branch Rickey remains the most influential figure in the history of baseball, if not the entire sports world.
7) Walter O'Malley--You're in a room with Hitler, Stalin, and Walter O'Malley and have a gun with only two bullets. What do you do? Shoot O'Malley twice. To many 1950's Booklynites, the Dodgers were everything. In one fell swoop, O'Malley ripped it all away, unapologetically moving the team to Los Angeles following the 1957 season. The vitriol knew no bounds as the Dodgers' owner become public enemy #1 to a city reeling in grief. Harsh as it was, O'Malley's infamous decision would mark a pivotal moment in the course of baseball history, as professional baseball was finally introduced to the West Coast. America's pastime had for half a century been concentrated predominantly in the Northeast, with the westernmost team being St. Louis at the time of O'Malley's ascendancy. The first domino to fall had been the Boston Braves, who in 1953 relocated to Milwaukee. However, it was not until the Dodgers split town that the game truly underwent a tidal shift. O'Malley knew that to make baseball a reality in the West he would have to recruit a partner, and so inserted himself as key player in facilitating the Giants move to San Francisco as well. The entire complexion of American baseball had changed, as O'Malley's Dodgers helped make baseball a truly national game.
8) Marvin Miller--Today, the Major League Baseball Players Association is the most powerful union in all of sports, and no man deserves more thanks for that fact than Marvin Miller. Elected head of the MLBPA in 1966, Miller soon made his impact felt, negotiating the first collective bargaining agreement with owners, increasing minimum salaries, introducing the all-important independent arbitration practice, and eventually ushering in the age of free agency with the invalidation of the reserve clause. Under the reserve clause, players had been effectively married to their initial club, with that club retaining their rights from year to year not so unlike a piece of property. To make matters worse, those players unhappy with their compensation were forced to settle their disputes with the commissioner, who, as having been hired by the owners, was naturally biased in his rulings. In 1974, after Cardinals' outfielder Curt Flood brought the issue of the reserve clause's inherent unfairness to the forefront, Miller encouraged pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally to refrain from signing a contract for the following year and instead enter arbitration. Peter Seitz, the arbiter, ruled that the players had no legal ties to remain with their clubs and were free to pursue other offers. The reserve clause had effectively been abolished and the era of free agency had begun. During Marvin's tenure, which stretched from 1966-1982, the average player's salary rose from $19,000 to $241,000. His work signified a colossal shift in the balance of power between athlete and owner, an impact enjoyed every time a player signs on the dotted line to this day.
9) George Steinbrenner-- Before there was Jerry 
Jones, before there was Mark Cuban, there was George Steinbrenner. Loud, irreverent, controversial, and hyper-controlling (changing managers 20 times in his first 23 years as Yankees owner), George Steinbrenner was the archetype for the larger-than-life sports owner. Buying the Yankees for a measly $8.7 million in 1973, he turned them into a $1.6 billion franchise, the gold standard for sporting excellence the world over. Today, ballplayers earn more than the GDP of small countries, and perhaps no man is more responsible than the Boss. With it came unprecedented market inequality, as the Yankees payroll grew to such exorbitant levels that it literally sextupled that of the smallest market teams. Contracts are now bloated to the point of absurdity (see: Werth, Jason and Rodriguez, Alex) as owners from around the league struggle to keep up with the Evil Empire.
10) Bud Selig-- Sadly, when all is said and done, Bud Selig will go down first and foremost as the man that presided over the Steroid Era, baseball's black eye. However, to pin him solely as "The Steroid Commissioner" is to overlook the vast amount of good Selig was actually able to accomplish for the sport. Assuming the role of acting commissioner in 1992, the former Milwaukee Brewers owner's first act was to realign the divisions and institute a wild card, expanding the postseason roster to eight teams. Achieving permanent status in 1998, Selig would go on to make a series of other important changes, including the introduction of revenue sharing and interleague play, the expansion of instant replay, and the creation of the World Baseball Classic. He also presided over a 400% explosion in league revenue and brought baseball to both Arizona and Tampa Bay. Time will tell just how favorably future generations look upon his legacy, but one thing is for certain: Uncle Bud left baseball in a vastly different place from how he found it.
Marlin Brando once said "To grasp the full significance of life is the actor's duty, to interpret it is his problem, and to express it his dedication." Just a short generation later, Jim Carrey would observe "Until Ace Ventura, no actor had considered talking through his ass." Yes, there is no recipe for what makes great acting and no surefire way to distinguish it from the talking asses of the world, perhaps in no small part because when it's at it's best, it doesn't seem like acting at all. Ranking artistry is never easy, if not downright impossible. It's undeniably subjective, contentious, and almost sure to offend. Of course, that's never stopped us before.
Rankings were made taking into account overall ability and range, strength of the roles taken, longevity, influence, and awards won. Listed alongside are each actor's best works, also loosely ranked according to how each exemplifies their talents.
With all due respect to the likes of Dennis Hopper, Heath Ledger, and Paul Newman, actors must be living and relatively active for consideration.
- Robert De Niro: The Godfather II, The Deer Hunter, Goodfellas, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Heat, Cape Fear, Casino, Meet the Parents, Once Upon a Time in America.
- Al Pacino: The Godfather, The Godfather II, Scarface, Heat, Scent of a Woman, Carlito's Way, Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, Donnie Brasco, The Insider.
- Jack Nicholson: The Departed, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Shining, Easy Rider, Chinatown, Batman, A Few Good Men, As Good As It Gets, Terms of Endearment, The Little Shop of Horrors, The Pledge.
- Daniel Day-Lewis: There Will Be Blood, Gangs of New York, My Left Foot, The Last of the Mohicans, In the Name of the Father, The Age of Innocence, The Crucible, The Boxer, Nine, A Room With a View.
- Tom Hanks: Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, The Green Mile, Road to Perdition, Cast Away, A League of Their Own, Big, Philadelphia, Apollo 13, Catch Me if You Can.
- Sean Penn: 21 Grams, Mystic River, Milk, Dead Man Walking, Carlito's Way, The Thin Red Line, I Am Sam, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Colors, Sweet and Lowdown.
- Clint Eastwood: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, Dirty Harry, Gran Torino, Escape from Alcatraz, In the Line of Fire, The Bridges of Madison Country, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Hang Em High.
- Michael Caine: Sleuth, Alfie, Dark Knight, The Cider House Rules, Educating Rita, Hannah and Her Sisters, Little Voice, The Quiet American, The Italian Job, Harry Brown.
- Anthony Hopkins: Silence of the Lambs, The Remains of the Day, Shadowlands, Nixon, Amistad.
- Morgan Freeman: The Shawshank Redemption, Unforgiven, Se7en, Glory, The Dark Knight, Million Dollar Baby, Gone, Baby, Gone, Driving Miss Daisy, Street Smart, The Sum of All Fears, Batman Begins, Outbreak, Amistad, Along Came a Spider, High Crimes.
- Robert Duvall: The Godfather, The Apostle, Apocalypse Now, Tender Mercies, The Great Santini, A Civil Action, Get Low, To Kill a Mockingbird, MASH, The Natural.
- Dustin Hoffman: Rain Man, Midnight Cowboy, The Graduate, Kramer vs. Kramer, Tootsie.
- Denzel Washington: Malcolm X, Training Day, Glory, American Gangster, Inside Man, Remember The Titans, Courage Under Fire, Philadelphia, The Hurricane, Crimson Tide, The Bone Collector, The Manchurian Candidate, The Siege, Antwone Fisher, He Got Game.
- Ben Kingsley: Gandhi, Schindler's List, House of Sand and Fog, Sexy Beast, Shutter Island.
- Leonardo DiCaprio: Blood Diamond, The Departed, The Basketball Diaries, Shutter Island, Inception, Gangs of New York, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Aviator, Catch Me If You Can, Titanic, Revolutionary Road, The Man in the Iron Mask.
- Geoffrey Rush: Shine, The King's Speech, Quills, Pirates of the Caribbean.
- Martin Sheen: Apocalypse Now, The Departed, Badlands, The American President, Wall Street.
- Kevin Spacey: Se7en, The Usual Suspects, American Beauty, LA Confidential, The Negotiator, A Time to Kill, Glengarry Glen Ross, Outbreak, Superman Returns, The United States of Leland.
- Russell Crowe: LA Confidential, Gladiator, The Insider, Cinderella Man, A Beautiful Mind, Romper Stomper, 3:10 to Yuma, American Gangster, Master and Commander, Blood Oath.
- Ed Harris: Pollock, Apollo 13, The Truman Show, A Beautiful Mind, The Hours, Gone Baby Gone, A History of Violence, Empire Falls, The Rock, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Abyss.
- Willem Defoe: Platoon, The Last Temptation of Christ, Boondock Saints, Shadow of the Vampire, To Live and Die in L.A.
- Ralph Fiennes: Schindler's List, Harry Potter Franchise, The English Patient, The Constant Gardener, Bernard and Doris.
- Jon Voight: Coming Home, Midnight Cowboy, Deliverance, Runaway Train, Ali.
- Gene Hackman: The French Connection, Unforgiven, Mississippi Burning, Superman, The Royal Tenenbaums.
- Harrison Ford: Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Fugitive, Bladerunner, Witness.
- Warren Beatty: Bonnie and Clyde, Heaven Can Wait, Reds, Bugsy, Bulworth.
- Richard Dreyfus: Jaws, American Graffiti, The Goodbye Girl, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Mr. Holland's Opus.
- Matt Damon: The Departed, Good Will Hunting, Saving Private Ryan, Rounders, The Bourne Identity, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Ocean's 11, Syriana, School Ties, Dogma.
- Brad Pitt: Se7en, Fight Club, The Asassination of Jessie James, Twelve Monkeys, Moneyball, The Tree of Life, Sleepers, Ocean's Eleven, Babel, Inglourious Bastards, Snatch, True Romance, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Legends of the Fall, Interview with the Vampire.
- Christian Bale: The Machinist, The Prestige, The Fighter, The Dark Knight, American Psycho, Batman Begins, 3:10 to Yuma, Empire of the Sun, Rescue Dawn, I'm Not There.
- Ian McKellan: Gods and Monsters, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Richard III, X-Men, Apt Pupil.
- Johnny Depp: Edward Scissorhands, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, Blow, Finding Neverland, Donnie Brasco, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Platoon, Sleepy Hollow, Ed Wood.
- Edward Norton: Fight Club, American History X, Rounders, The Illusionist, 25th Hour, Primal Fear, Keeping the Faith, The Italian Job, Red Dragon, The People vs. Larry Flynt.
- Phillip Seymour Hoffman: Capote, Magnolia, Doubt, Almost Famous, Boogie Nights, The Big Lebowski, Charlie Wilson's War, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Flawless, Punch-Drunk Love.
- Liam Neeson: Schindler's List, Kinsey, Batman Begins, Taken, Michael Collins.
- Tom Cruise: Rain Man, Magnolia, A Few Good Men, Born on the Fourth of July, Minority Report, Risky Business, The Color of Money, Jerry Maguire, The Last Samurai, The Firm, Mission Impossible, Tropic Thunder, Top Gun, Vanilla Sky, Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicle.
- Jeff Bridges: The Big Lebowski, Crazy Heart, True Grit, Starman, The Fabulous Baker Boys.
- Christopher Walken: The Deer Hunter, Catch Me If You Can, A View to Kill, The Dead Zone, At Close Range.
- Benicio Del Toro: The Usual Suspects, Traffic, 21 Grams, Che, Sin City, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Snatch, Guerrilla, The Argentine, The Pledge, The Way of the Gun.
- Tommy Lee Jones: The Fugitive, JFK, No Country For Old Men, In the Valley of Elah, Men in Black.
- Gary Oldman: JFK, The Dark Knight, Leon, Harry Potter, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
- Javier Bardem: No Country For Old Men, Biutiful, Before Night Falls, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Mondays in the Sun.
- Harvey Keitel: Mean Streets, Bugsy, Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Taxi Driver.
- Mel Gibson: Braveheart, The Patriot, Lethal Weapon, Ransom, Mad Max.
- Will Smith: The Pursuit Of Happiness, Ali, Six Degrees of Separation.
- Robin Williams: Goodwill Hunting, Good Morning Vietnam, One Hour Photo, Dead Poets Society, Mrs. Doubtfire.
- Don Cheadle: Hotel Rwanda, Traffic, Crash, Devil in a Blue Dress, Ocean's Eleven.
- Samuel L. Jackson: Pulp Fiction, A Time to Kill, Jackie Brown, The Negotiator, Against the Wall.
- Billy Bob Thorton: Monster's Ball, Sling Blade, A Simple Plan, The Man Who Wasn't There, Friday Night Lights.
- Paul Giamatti: Sideways, Cinderella Man, American Splendor, The Illusionist, Cold Souls.
- Joaquin Pheonix: Gladiator, Walk the Line, Quills, The Yards, Ladder 49.
- Kevin Costner: Dances with Wolves, Field of Dreams, JFK, The Untouchables, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
- Michael Douglas: Wall Street, Traffic, Wonder Boys, The American President, Basic Instinct.
- John Hurt: The Elephant Man, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Alien, Scandal, The Hit.
- Bruce Willis: The Sixth Sense, Die Hard, Pulp Fiction, 12 Monkeys, Sin City.
- Kevin Bacon: Animal House, The Woodsman, Sleepers, Apollo 13, Mystic River.
- Robert Downey Jr.: Chaplin, Tropic Thunder, Less than Zero, Iron Man, Sherlock Holmes.
- George Clooney: O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Good Night, and Good Luck, Syriana, Michael Clayton, Up in the Air.
- James Woods: Salvador, Once Upon a Time in America, Ghosts of Mississippi, Casino, Contact.
- Bill Murray: Lost in Translation, Groundhog Day, Caddyshack, Rushmore, Ghostbusters.
- Josh Brolin: No Country for Old Men, W., Milk, True Grit, Goonies.
- Tim Robbins: The Shawshank Redemption, Mystic River, The Player.
- Jim Carrey: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Man on the Moon, The Truman Show.
- Forest Whitaker: Last King of Scotland, Good Morning, Vietnam, Bird, Panic Room, American Gun.
- John Travolta: Pulp Fiction, Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Primary Colors, A Civil Action.
- Donald Sutherland: MASH, The Dirty Dozen, JFK.
- John Malkovich: Places in the Heart, The Killing Fields, In the Line of Fire, Of Mice and Men, Being John Malkovich.
- Colin Firth: The King's Speech, A Single Man, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
- Mickey Rourke: The Wrestler, Sin City, Diner, Barfly, Angel Heart.
- Viggo Mortenson: Lord of the Rings, A History of Violence, The Road, Eastern Promises.
- Steve Buschemi: Fargo, Living in Oblivion, Ghost World, The Big Lebowski, Reservoir Dogs.
- Jamie Foxx: Ray, Collateral, Any Given Sunday.
- Joe Pesci: Goodfellas, Raging Bull, My Cousin Vinny, Casino, Lethal Weapon, Home Alone.
- Gary Sinise: Forrest Gump, Of Mice and Men, Ransom.
- Laurence Fishbourne: The Matrix, Apocalypse Now, What's Love Got to Do with It.
- Nick Nolte: Affliction, The Thin Red Line, The Prince of Tides, Cape Fear.
- Nicholas Cage: Leaving Las Vegas, Adaptation, The Rock, Face/Off.
- James Franco: Pineapple Express, Milk, 127 Hours, Spiderman, Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
- William H. Macy: Fargo, Seabiscuit, Boogie Nights.
- Mark Wahlberg: Boogie Nights, The Departed, The Fighter, Three Kings, Fear.
- John Turturro: Barton Fink, O Brother Where Art Thou?, Quiz Show, The Big Lebowski, Miller's Crossing.
- Daniel Craig: Casino Royale, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Road to Perdition, Defiance, Munich.
- Chris Cooper: American Beauty, The Bourne Identity, Capote.
- Christoph Waltz: Inglourious Bastards
- Casey Affleck: Gone Baby Gone, The Assassination of Jesse James, Good Will Hunting, Ocean's Eleven, Chasing Amy.
- Mark Ruffalo: The Kids Are All Right, Shutter Island, You Can Count on Me.
- William Hurt: Kiss of the Spider Woman, Children of a Lesser God, Broadcast News.
- Adrien Brody: The Pianist, King Kong, The Jacket.
- Ryan Gosling: Half-Nelson, Lars and the Real Girl, Blue Valentine, Drive, The Ides of March.
- Jude Law: Road to Perdition, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Cold Mountain.
- Guy Pierce: Memento, LA Confidential, The King's Men.
- Colin Farrell: In Bruges, Minority Report, Phone Booth.
- Tom Wilkinson: Michael Clayton, In the Bedroom, The Full Monty.
- Jeremy Renner: The Hurt Locker, The Town, Dahmer.
- Elijah Wood: Lord of the Rings, Sin City, North, The Good Son.
- Woody Harrelson: White Men Can't Jump, The People vs Larry Flynt, The Messenger, Natural Born Killers, Kingpin.
- Clive Owen: Children of Men, Closer, Inside Man.
- Jake Gyllenhaal: Brokeback Mountain, Donnie Darko, Zodiac.
- Andy Serkis: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Longford, Rise of the Planet of the Apes
- Ewan McGregor: Trainspotting, Moulin Rouge!, Star Wars Prequels.
New York Yankees: In 1920, Babe Ruth joined the New York Yankees. In the 90 years that would follow, the pinstripes would appear in what would feel like almost every other World Series hence, en route to a mind-boggling 27 championships. The Bombers have sent enough brass to Cooperstown that they could open their own wing; 44 players enshrined to date with at least a handful more assuredly on their way. Ke
y 5: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe Dimaggio, Mickey Mantle, Derek Jeter.-
Boston Celtics: The Celtics have been piling up hardware ever since Auerbach and Russell began their epic run of 11 championships in 13 years way back when. Today, the Green Men's 17 championships is tops in the NBA. A ridiculous 33 men with Celtic ties are enshrined in Springfield. Key 5: Bill Russell, Larry Bird, John Havlicek, Bob Cousy, Paul Pierce. 
Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers: The absuredly inapt name isn't the only thing the Purple and Gold carried over from the "Land of 10,000 Lakes." Though they got whipped by #2 for much of the sixties, its hard to argue that since 1980, the Lakers have reigned supreme. Their 31 finals appearances is just plain stupid nasty, and at 16 championships, it may not be long before their cross-country rivals get overtaken. Key 5: Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, Kobe Bryant.
Montreal Canadiens: Though the Habs have been looking more like the Hab-nots as of late, history is clearly on their side. Canada's finest have won an astounding 24 championships, essentially a quarter of all Stanley Cups won throughout history. They've also sent a stupifying 44 members to the Hall of Fame. Key 5: Guy Lafleur, Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard, Maurice Richard, Patrick Roy.
UCLA Bruins Men's Basketball: Behind arguablely the greatest coach that ever lived, UCLA epitomized dominance in the sixties and seventies en route to an overall 11 national championships and 30 conference titles. After falling out of favor for much of the eighting and nineties, the Bruins seized back their prominance under Ben Howland with 3 consecutive final four appearances from 2006-2008. Key 5: Lew Alcindor, Bill Walton, Gail Goodrich, Ed O'Bannon, Sidney Wicks.
Brazilian National Soccer Team: In the world of international soccer, Brazil is the gold standard-bar none. Of the 18 World Cups that have been held, Brazil has starred in seven finals, capuring a whopping five Cups. They've also raked in three Confederations Cups and eight Copa America Cups to boot. No surprise they will enter South Africa this year as the number #1 ranked team in the world. Key Five: Pele, Ronaldo, Garrincha, Zico, Rivaldo, Kaka.
Notre Dame Fightin Irish Football: Though the glory days of Notre Dame football are beh
ind us (last championship was 1988), the Fightin' Irish will always hold a special place in college football lore. Notre Dame leads all schools with 48 alumni in the College Football Hall of Fame, and positively churns out NFL talent like no other, having produced nearly 500 NFL draft selections and ten pro football hall of famers (Did someone say Joe Montana?). Though national championships are always a bit murky to conclusively determine pre-BCS (and even post, sadly enough) many credit the school with 13 national championships, good for tying the Tide for tops all-time. Key 5: Joe Montana, Leon Hart, Paul Hornung, Joe Theisman, Alan Page.-
Alabama Crimson Tide Football: UCLA had John Wooden, Notre Dame had Knute Rockne, and Alabama had one Paul "Bear" Bryant." From '58-'82, Bear took the Tide to six of their fourteen (again, this is up for debate) national championships. Over their 114-year history, Alabama Football has captured 26 conference titles and appeared in more bowl games than any other NCAA school with 59. Perhaps their greatest acheivement was managing to somehow take 113 years before finally producing a Heisman winner. Key 5: Harry Gilmer, Lee Roy Jordan, John Hannah, Ozzie Newsome, Mark Ingram. -
Soviet National Hockey Team: When most of us think of the Soviet National Ice Hockey Team, one phrase comes to mind, “Do you believe in miracles?!!” Well believe me when I tell you that that win for the Americans was a miracle and then some. From the mid-fifties to the early-nineties (when the communist empire crumbled), Soviet hockey ruled with an iron fist, winning just about everything there was to win for an international hockey team including seven gold medals over nine Olympics and another 19 golds at the World Championships. Key 5: Vladislav Tretiak, Vyacheslav Fetisov, Valeri Kharlamov, Sergei Makarov, Aleksandr Maltsev. 
Tennessee Lady Vols: Though the UConn women are all the rage today, when it comes to women's college hoops, one school stands above all the rest, Pat Summit's Lady Vols. In the 29 March tournaments that have taken place, the white and orange have appeared in 27 Sweet Sixteens, an astounding 18 Final Fours, and have won eight championships. Key 5: Holly Warwick, Bridgette Gordon, Deadra Charles, Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings.
-----------------------------Honorable Mentions: -------------------------------------
Green Bay Packers, USC Trojans Football, UNC Tarheels Women's Soccer, Iowa Hawkeyes Wrestling, Pittsburgh Steelers, UCLA Rugby, Duke Blue Devils Basketball, Chicago Bulls, St. Louis Cardinals, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Toronto Maple Leafs, USC Trojans Baseball, Detroit Red Wings, UConn Huskies Women's Basketball, USA National Men's Basketball, Juventus, Michigan Wolverine Hockey, AC Milan, Manchester United, Kentucky Wildcats, Oklahoma St Cowboys Wrestling, Texas Longhorns Baseball.
-
Jim Thorpe- His Indian name translates to Bright Path, and in every one of the countless paths Thorpe took over his legendary career, he shone with a brightness that few could match. Gold medals in pentathlon and decathlon, Hall of Fame honors in both college and pro football, and stints playing professional baseball and basketball. Heck, Thorpe even won the 1912 inter-collegiate ballroom dancing championship. We'll always be left to wonder how Thorpe would have fared among today's athletes, but with his unprecedented versatility and all-around dominance of his era, it's almost impossible to say he's anything but the number one multi-sport athlete of all time. -
Bo Jackson- Oh, what could have been. A Heisman Trophy winner out of Auburn, Bo electrified NFL scouts right out of the gates by running an unheard of 4.12 40-yard dash at the combine. Drafted by Tampa Bay as the first pick of the 1986 NFL Draft, Vincent Edward Jackson instead went to play for the Kansas City Royals and in doing so cost Tampa their rights to him. Seeing his potential, Al Davis would subsequently re-draft Jackson despite the baseball career, signing him to a lucrative deal that allowed him to continue playing in the MLB while joining the Raiders in the offseason. Just 29 days into his NFL career, Bo exploded for an astonishing 221-yard rushing performance on Monday Night Football. Tragically, barely four years later a hit by Kevin Walker in the 1990 playoffs ravaged his hip, effectively ending what was quickly proving to be one of the most promising careers in professional sports history. Bo would struggle through another couple of years of baseball, but with his legendary speed gone, his days of dominance were clearly behind him.
-
Babe Didrikson Zaharias- Though lacking the notoriety of her male namesake, BDZ is widely considered to be the greatest female athlete to ever walk the planet. The female Bambino won gold medals in track and field, achieved All-American status as a basketball player, barnstormed with the local baseball team, and was even reported to bowl an average of 170. Capping it all off was her legendary golf career, in which she positively dominated her peers to win every tournament in existence at the time including 10 LPGA majors and 82 tourneys overall. Damn...
-
Deion Sanders- Prime Time was a part time outfielder and an all-time cornerback, collecting rings for both the World Series and Superbowl.
-
Jim Brown- In addition to being just about the greatest football player to ever step on the gridiron, Brown holds a place in the Lacrosse Hall of Fame, scoring 43 goals in 10 games in his All-American senior season at Syracuse.
- Lionel Conacher- Though that name might not ring a bell to many Americans, Conacher was Mr. Canada in the early to mid 20th century. Conacher won championships in hockey, baseball, boxing, wresting, and lacrosse. (Sadly, his professional football efforts fe
ll short of a title.) He is a member of four different halls of fame and even won a seat on the House of Commons after he hung up the cleats, skates, and gloves. -
Bob Hayes- Before Hayes was a Hall of Fame receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, he was winning gold medals in Tokyo as a world record-holding sprinter. As a result, he is the only person who can wear a Super Bowl ring on his finger and Olympic gold around his neck without going on Ebay.
-
Charlie Ward- Ward entered the public consciousness in 1993, quarterbacking his Florida St Seminoles to a national championship and along the way capturing just about every honor a collegiate football player can win, including, of course, the Heisman. Though not even playing baseball in college, he was drafted as a pitcher by the Milwaukee Brewers. Upset that he wasn't taken in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft, Ward instead opted to go play for the New York Knicks, who had selected him 26th in the NBA Draft of the same year. Ward played 11 years in the NBA before being forced to retire due to injuries in 2005.
-
Otto Graham- Arguably the greatest quarterback to ever strap on a pair of cleats, Otto would go on to win 11 championships in 11 years, 10 with the Cleveland Browns and another with the Rochester Royals of the National Basketball League.
-
Gene Conley- While Deion is the only person to have won both a World Series and a Super Bowl, Conley can boast being the only person to win a World Series and an NBA Championship. Conley pitched 11 seasons in the MLB, compiling 91 wins and a 3.82 ERA for four different clubs. He also concurrently played in the NBA for six seasons, racking up three championships with the Russell-led Celtics.
-
Dave Winfield- Playing hoops for the Minnesota Golden Gophers (for which he would help lead to a conference title), his coach Bill Musselman later called Winfield the greatest rebounder he'd ever coached, quite a distinction considering Musselman would coach for over thirty years, nearly half of which time would be on the professional level. Drafted by all four major professional sports leagues, Winfield earned his stripes in baseball, appearing in 12 All-Star games and capturing 7 Gold Gloves. He ended his career a member of both the prestigious 3000-hit club, and the even more prestigious Baseball Hall of Fame.
- Danny Ainge- Long before he ran operations for the Celtics, Danny dominated the high school sports world, and is still the only person to win first team All-American honors in basketball, baseball, and football. Ainge was drafted out of college by the Toronto Blue Jays, and kicked things off with a bang, where he would hit his first home run at 20 years, 77 days, a record that survives to this day as the youngest Jay to go yard. After a mediocre three years in Toronto, he was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1981, where he would contribute to two championships. Over a fourteen year
NBA career, Ainge finished with an impressive 11,964 points and 4,199 assists. -
Herschel Walker- A physical specimen even at the ripe old age of 50, Herschel recently made waves in the MMA community, putting his 5th-degree black belt in Taekwondo to use by clobbering his first two opponents in Strikeforce. More importantly, the former Heisman Trophy winner currently holds the NFL's eighth spot for total combined yards, though had he not spent the early part of his career in the ill-fated USFL, he may very well have finished #1. Herschel was even a member of the 1992 Olympic bobsled team (seriously), with which he finished seventh.
-
Dick Groat- Best known for his prolific career as an MVP shortstop, in which he accumulated two rings and over 2000 hits, Groat began his athletic career as a Collegiate Hall of Fame guard at Duke. A two-time All-American, his #10 jersey would be the first ever retired by the school. Groat was drafted 3rd overall by the Pistons, but he would play only one year in the NBA before being called away to military service. When he returned home, he opted to pick up the bat instead and the rest is history.
-
Brian Jordan- Jordan spent two years as an NFL safety for the Atlanta Falcons before jumping to baseball, where he would go on to become a solid contributor to the Carinals, Braves, Dodgers and Rangers en route to 184 career home runs and a .282 AVG.
- Chuck Conners- Our third Celtic on this list is probably best known for playing the lead man on the 1960's hit western series The Rifleman. However, Conners found time early on to play for both the Celtics and Dodgers, and was even drafted by the Chicago Bears.
-
Clara Hughes- Clara won Olympic golds in both speed skating and cycling.
-
Dave Debusschere- Debusschere pitched a year for the Chicago White Sox (finishing with a 2.90 ERA) before becoming an 8-time All-Star, 2-time champion, Hall of Fame power forward for the Piston s and Knicks.
-
Stephen Neal- Though best known as a three-time champion guard for the New England Patriots, Neal compiled quite the resume as an amateur wrestler, including posting a 151-10 record at Cal St Bakersfield (in which he won his second title victory against now UFC villain Brock Lesner). He would go on to win both a Pan American Championship and a World Championship en route to being named the best wrestler in the world in 1999.
Dave Logan- Logan was drafted by the NBA, MLB, and NFL before embarking on a successful 9-year career at wideout for the Browns and Broncos.-
Wilt Chamberlain- Perhaps the world leader in ass-tappage, the Stilt is enshined in both the basketball and volleyball halls of fame.
-
Jackie Robinson- The Dodger revolutionary graduated UCLA as the first person in school history to letter in four sports (baseball, basketball, football, and track and field). Jackie would play professional football in the Pacific Coast League before his momentous entrance into Major League Baseball in 1947.
-
DJ Dozier- Dozier played five seasons as running back in the NFL before jumping over to the Mets for a single season in 1992.
-
Willie Gault- An 11-year receiver for the Bears and Raiders, Gault was also a member of the Olympic track and bobsled teams that boycotted the 1980 Moscow games.
- Joe Mauer- Named the national high school player of the year in both baseball and football before ultimately claiming a cool $184 million contract to catch for the Twins.
With the advent of the digitial music revolution, your favorite tunes are now more accessible than ever. However, as with every great advancement, there are bound to be certain things that get left behind. With the iPod came the demise of the album. Now that fans can pick and choose which songs they want to download off a new release, there is less and less of a need to create that cohesive, quality from top-to-bottom record.
Perhaps even more apparent is the antiquation of the album cover. Back in the day (not that I was actually alive for most of this but...) a record was something to behold. Often, it was just as much art on the outside as was contained within the grooves of the vinyl. While there are certainly a couple groups out there still keeping it real with the album art, for the most part this is a lost craft--a casualty of the digital revolution.
What makes album cover art iconic? Well for starters, it is instantly recognizable. The image it displays symbolizes the band itself, or, moreover, music in general. It is simple, yet profound--worthy of being displayed on the back of a bumper, or framed in one's living room. Of course, art is going to speak to every person differently, and I am not here to tell you what art was most visually stunning or held the most meaning. Rather, these are the ten most iconic album covers of all time.
Pink Floyd- Dark Side of the Moon-In March of 1973 Dark Side of the Moon was released. 741 weeks later, it remained on the Billboard charts, longer than any other album in history. With an estimated 45 million units sold, Dark Side may be the greatest album ever (without a doubt in my humble opinion...) Exploring the issues of ageing, greed, war, and the mental illness that was inspired by Syd Barret's LSD-fueled descent into madness, the album was one of the first concept albums to ever hit record stores. The landmark prism design was inspired by a photograph that longtime Floyd designer Strom Thorgerson had seen during a brainstorming session with colleague Aubrey Powell. Meeting Richard Wright's request for a "simple and bold" design, the prism also harkened to the band's famous stage lighting. It has since come to epitomize the word "iconic."
The Beatles- Abbey Road- On the morning of August 8, 1969, photographer Iain Macmillan was given ten minutes to take a photo of the fab four crossing Abbey Road for the band's next album cover. Little did he know that that negative would go on to become perhaps the most iconic group shot in all of music. A couple points of interest:
--Paul McCartney is bare-footed and out of step with the other three, later providing fuel for the "Paul is dead" urban legend in late '69.
--The man standing on the pavement in the background is Paul Cole, an American tourist unaware he had been photographed until he saw the album cover months later.
--The Abbey Road cover is the only Beatles album cover of their original UK albums to have neither the group's name nor an album title visible.
Queen- Queen II- It's hard to believe now, but when Queen II dropped in '74, critics were less than impressed. Record Mirror wrote: "This is it, the dregs of glam rock. Weak and over-produced, if this band are our brightest hope for the future, then we are committing rock and roll suicide." The reveiwer for Melody Maker expressed similiar sentiments, writing: "It's reputed Queen have enjoyed some success in the States, it's currently in the balance whether they'll really break through here. If they do, then I'll have to eat my hat or something. Maybe Queen try too hard, there's no depth of sound or feeling." So how'd that hat end up going down, hot shot? 
The Grateful Dead- Steal Your Face- To be clear, this is not a list of great albums (though all but this one are admittedly classics). If it were, this selection would be nowhere near the top 10, not even if this was a list of Grateful Dead albums. Widely considered to be the Dead's worst live album, the record was dubbed "Steal Your Money" by unhappy fans. However, the image adorning its cover would go on to grace a billion bumper stickers and T-shirts, becoming almost synonymous with the hippie culture at large. Designed by Owsley Stanley and artist Bob Thomas.
The Velvet Underground- Simple. Artful. Iconic. Designed by close friend Andy Warhol, the origial record sleeve featured a yellow banana with “Peel slowly and see” printed near a perforated tab. Those who did remove the banana skin found a peeled, pink banana beneath.
The Beatles- Sgt Peppers- The Grammy Award-winning album packaging was art-directed by Robert Fraser, designed by Peter Blake and his wife Jann Haworth, and photographed by Michael Cooper. The collage depicts more than 70 famous, well, icons, including writers, musicians, film stars and several Indian gurus. The final grouping includes Marlene Dietrich, Carl Jung, W.C. Fields, Diana Dors, Bob Dylan, Marilyn Monroe, Aldous Huxley, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Sigmund Freud, Aleister Crowley, Edgar Allan Poe, Karl Marx, Oscar Wilde, William S. Burroughs, Marlon Brando, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, and comedian Lenny Bruce. Also included was the image of the original Beatles bass player, the late Stuart Sutcliffe. Adolf Hitler, Mahatma Gandhi, and Jesus Christ were requested by Lennon, but ultimately they were left out, even though a cutout of Hitler was in fact made. The final bill for the cover was £2,868 (equivalent to $72,460 today), which was roughly 100 times the average cost for an album cover in those days. 
Nirvana- Nevermind- Kurt Cobain conceived the idea for this cover while watching a television show on water births with drummer David Grohl. Cobain mentioned it to Geffen's art director Robert Fisher, who found some stock footage of underwater births that were then deemed too graphic for the record company. Instead Fisher sent a photographer to a pool to take pictures of a three-month-old infant named Spencer Elden, the son of the photographer's friend Rick Elden. Geffen prepared an alternate cover without the penis but relented when Cobain made it clear that the only compromise he would accept was a sticker covering the penis that would say, "If you're offended by this, you must be a closet pedophile." 
Bob Marley- Catch A Fire- Perhaps it's a tad ironic that the lucky 20,000 to first get their hands on this 1973 vinyl release received an album that was in fact missing this 
landmark Bob headshot. These folks instead received their record encased in a Zippo lighter sleave. The sleeve opened at a side hinge to reveal the record within, an assembly operation that required hand-manufacture. Not surprisingly, the Zippo idea was deemed too expensive to mass-produce and subsequent pressings featured the Ester Anderson portrait you see here. 
Jimi Hendrix- Axis: Bold a Love- For all the accolades this famous cover has received, Jimi Hendrix was actually a little disappointed with the finished product. Although he appreciated the symbolic design, he mentioned in an interview that it would have been more appropriate if the cover art showcased his American "Indian" heritage. The British Track records' art department had independently chosen to use the current fad for all things Indian to create the cover, and thus the album's cover has a photographed copy of a cheap, mass produced religious poster of the Hindu devotional painting known as Viraat Purushan-Vishnuroopam showing the different forms of Vishnu with a small, superimposed painting of the Experience by Roger Law blended in.
The Rolling Stones- Sticky Fingers- Andy Warhol appears yet again in the top ten with his work here for the Stones' Sticky Fingers. The original record cover featured a working zipper that opened to reveal a man in cotton briefs. The cover, a photo of Joe Dallesandro's crotch clad in tight blue jeans, was assumed by many fans to be an image of Mick Jagger. However, the people actually involved with the photo shoot claim that Warhol had several different men photographed (Jagger was not among them) and never revealed which shots he used. The album also features the first usage of the "Tongue and Lip Design" designed by John Pasche.
Honorable Mentions: Allman Brothers- Eat a Peach, Led Zeppelin- IV, Jimi Hendrix- Are You Experienced?, The Who- Who's Next?, Cream- Disraeli Gears, Pink Floyd- Wish You Were Here, The Doors- The Doors, Led Zeppelin- I, Santana- Abraxas, The Beatles- Let It Be, Lynyrd Skynyrd- Street Survivors, Peter Frampton- Frampton Comes Alive, The Harder They Come Soundtrack, Parliament- Mothership Connection, Notorious BIG- Ready To Die, Nas- Illmatic, Public Enemy- Nation of Millions.
They say that those who can't do, teach. When it comes to coaching football, however, a little on-field experience never hurt anyone. Though the sidelines will never boast the skills of say the pregame roundtables, every once in awhile an athlete comes along who finds a way to transmit his own talents to the next generation. Here are the former playing careers of today's NFL coaches. 
Mike Singletary (Vikings assistant)- Samurai Mike was a two-time All-American at Baylor University before being drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1981. He went on to start 172 games for the Bears during his 12-year career (second most in club history), amassing an impressive 1,488 career tackles. One of the most frightening "Monsters of the Midway," Singletary was a seven time first team All-Pro and two time Defensive Player of the Year. Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998, Singletary fared considerably less well on the sidelines, lasting a rough three years at the helm for the Niners from 2008-10. He is currently an assistant for the Minnesota Vikings.
Jack Del Rio (Jaguars, recently let go)- The longtime Jags coach began his career as an All-American linebacker at USC, during which he would take MVP honors in the 1985 Rose Bowl. Del Rio concurrently excelled on the diamond, batting .340 and catching for a USC squad that included both a young Mark McGwire and Randy Johnson. Del Rio would be selected by the Saints in the 1985 NFL Draft, going on to play 11 years for four teams and earning All-Pro distinction in 1994.
Mike Munchak (Titans)- Munchak was a nine time Pro-Bowl offensive guard for the Oilers, later elected to the 1980's All-Decade team. He entered the Hall of Fame in 2001.
Ken Whisenhunt (Cardinals)- Whiz played for Georgia Tech in the early eighties, where he achieved first team All-ACC honors during his junior and senior seasons. Drafted in the 12th round by the Atlanta Falcons, he would last four years as their tight end before stints with the Redskins and Jets. In all, he spent 9 years playing in the NFL and almost a decade more coaching before taking the head reigns for the Cards in 2007.
Gary Kubiak (Texans)- A member of the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame, Kubiak started behind center for Texas A&M before going on to have the unfortunate position of playing behind John Elway in his nine seasons with the Broncos.
Ron Rivera (Panthers)- The Panthers head man compiled the then record for sacks and career tackles at UCLA before submitting nine years at linebacker for the one of the all time defenses in the Chicago Bears of the mid-eighties..
Jim Zorn (Chiefs Assistant)- After going undrafted from Cal Poly Pomona, Zorn became the starting QB for the Seahawks from '76-'83, becoming the second player ever inducted into the Seahawks Ring of Honor. He spent the next three years serving as backup for the Packers, Buccaneers, and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Lovie Smith (Bears)- A three-time high school state champion, Smith played college football at Tulsa, where he would garner two All-American nods at linebacker and safety.
Tom Coughlin (Giants)- Coughlin attended Syracuse University where he played running back. In 1967, he set the school's single-season receiving record.
Sean Payton (Saints)- A journeyman in the truest sense, Payton holds the distinction of being the only athlete to ever start in five different football leagues over the course of just two years. A successful quarterback out of Eastern Illinois, Payton would go on to play in the inaugural season of the Arena Football League in 1987. He was subsequently sold for $1,000 to the CFL's Ottawa Rough Riders before landing in the NFL as a Chicago "Spare Bear" scab during the '87 player's strike. Once n
ormal play resumed, Payton fell to the UK Budweiser National League, where he led the Leicester Panthers to the quarterfinals in his first and only year. However, his journey had just begun. Payton would ultimately coach at four different colleges and three different NFL teams before finally finding a home with the New Orleans Saints in 2006.
John Fox (Broncos)- Fox was a defensive back at San Diego State under future NFL head coach Herman Edwards.
Norv Turner (Chargers)- Backed up future Hall-of-Famer Dan Fouts for the Oregon Ducks of the early seventies.
Jim Harbaugh (49ers)- An all time Michigan great, Harbaugh excelled under center for the Bears and Colts, the latter electing him to their Ring of Honor for his winning leadership of their mid-nineties clubs. Despite his success, he is perhaps best remembered around Indianapolis as the guy Peyton Manning replaced.
John Harbaugh (Ravens)- Older brother John was a defensive back at Miami.
Chan Gailey (Bills)- Quarterback at Florida.
Pat Shurmur (Browns)- Co-captained the Rose Bowl Champion 1988 Michigan St. Spartans.
Jason Garrett (Cowboys)- Long time backup to Troy Aikmen during the mid-nineties.
Jim Caldwell (Colts)- Defensive back at Iowa.
Leslie Frazier (Vikings)- Member of the "G Crew" who spent the early '80s as a defensive back with the Bears. Coaches Frazier, Mike Singletary, Jeff Fisher, and Ron Rivera all received rings as players from the 1985 Super Bowl Champion Bears.
Jim Schwartz (Lions)- Schwartz played four years of linebacker for the Hoyas.
Andy Reid (Eagles)- Offensive guard for BYU.
Mike Shanahan (Redskins)- Quarterbacked at Eastern Illinois until a crushing hit on the practice field ruptured one of his kidney's, causing his heart to stop for over 30 seconds. Shanahan was so close to death that a Catholic priest was actually summoned to read him his last rites. Needless to say, that would mark the end of his playing days.
Mike Smith (Falcons)- An All-State linebacker in high school, Smith went on to grab defensive MVP honors twice for East Tennessee State before landing in the CFL for a short stint in 1982.
Rex Ryan (Jets)- Sexy Rexy served as a loyal foot soldier for Southwestern Oklahoma St Bulldogs, playing defensive end opposite his twin brother Rob in 1986.
Alabama Crimson Tide- 14 claimed national championships (9 national polls) and 34 bowl victories.First season: 1892
Current conference: SEC
Defining Coach: Bear Bryant
Top 15 NFL Alumni: Bart Starr, Joe Namath, John Hannah, Don Hutson, Ozzie Newsome, Derrick Thomas, Dwight Stevenson, Ken Stabler, Chris Samuels, Bob Baumhower, Cornelius Bennett, Lee Roy Jordan, Shaun Alexander, E.J. Junior, Le'Ron McClain.
2)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish- 11 claimed national championships (8 national polls) and 15 bowl victories.First season: 1887
Current conference: Independent
Defining Coaches: Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy, Lou Holtz
Top 20 NFL Alumni: Joe Montana, Alan Page, Tim Brown, Paul Hornung, Curly Lambeau, Nick Buoniconti, Dave Casper, Joe Theismann, George Trafton, Wayne Millner, George Conner, Jerome Bettis, George Kunz, Ricky Watters, Bryant Young, Bob Kuechenberg, Daryle Lamonica, Justin Tuck, Mark Bavaro, Bob Toneff.
3)
USC Trojans- 11 claimed national championships (7 national polls including vacated 2004 season) and 31 bowl victories.First season: 1888
Current conference: Pac-12
Defining Coaches: Howard Jones, John McKay, Pete Carroll
Top 30 NFL Alumni: Ronnie Lott, O.J. Simpson, Bruce Matthews, Junior Seau, Troy Polamalu, Marcus Allen, Anthony Muñoz, Ron Yary, Lynn Swann, Clay Matthews, Red Badgro, Frank Gifford, Ron Mix, Keyshawn Johnson, Marvin Powell, Willie Wood, Willie McGinest, Joey Browner, Tony Boselli, Dennis Smith, Tim McDonald, Jon Arnett, Rod Martin, Mark Sanchez, Carson Palmer, Chip Banks, Sam Cunningham, Mosi Tatupu, Lofa Tatupu, Matt Cassel.
4)
Oklahoma Sooners- 7 national championships (7 national polls) and 27 bowl victories.First season: 1895
Current conference: Big 12
Defining Coaches: Bennie Owen, Barry Switzer
Top 10 NFL Alumni: Lee Roy Selmon, Adrian Peterson, Ralph Neely, Bobby Boyd, Tommy McDonald, Greg Pruit, Billy Simms, Roy Williams, Keith Jackson, Tommie Harris.
5)
Michigan Wolverines- 11 claimed national championships (2 national polls) and 20 bowl victories.First season: 1879
Current conference: Big Ten
Defining Coaches: H. Fielding Yost, Bo Schembechler
Top 25 NFL Alumni: Tom Brady, Charles Woodson, Len Ford, Dan Dierdorff, Tom Mack, Bill Hewitt, Mike Ken, Elroy Hirsch, Steve Hutchinson, Al Wistert, Ty Law, Anthony Carter, Trevor Price, Rick Volk, Joe Runyan, Randy Logan, Reggie McKenzie, Amani Toomer, Jake Long, Desmond Howard, Dave Brown, Jim Harbaugh, Ron Kramer, Jumbo Eliot, John Morrow.
6)
Ohio St Buckeyes- 7 national championships (5 national polls) and 19 bowl victories.First season: 1890
Current conference: Big Ten
Defining Coach: Woody Hayes
Top 25 NFL Alumni: Lou Groza, Orlando Pace, Jim Parker, Chris Carter, Paul Warfield, Bill Willis, Dante Lavelli, Jim Tyrer, Dick Schafrath, Eddie George, Jim Lachey, Jim Marshall, Mike Vrabel, Santonio Holmes, Nick Mangold, Randy Gradishar, Bob Vogel, Chris Spielman, Jack Tatum, Joey Gallaway, Terry Glenn, Dick LeBeau, A.J. Hawk, Pepper Johnson, Jim Houston.
7)
Nebraska Cornhuskers- 5 national championships (5 national polls) and 24 bowl victories.First season: 1890
Current conference: Big Ten
Defining Coach: Tom Osbourne
Top 10 NFL Alumni: Bob Brown, Will Shields Mike Tingelhoff, Irving Fryar, Ron McDole, Ndamukong Suh, Neil Smith, Ahman Green, Roger Craig, Pat Fischer.
8)
Miami Hurricanes- 5 national championships (5 national polls) and 18 bowl victories.First season: 1926
Current conference: ACC
Defining Coaches: Jimmy Johnson, Dennis Erickson
Top 30 NFL Alumni: Ray Lewis, Jim Otto, Michael Irvin, Warren Sapp, Jim Kelly, Ted Hendricks, Ed Reed, Reggie Wayne, Edgerrin James, Andre Johnson, Devin Hester, Clinton Portis, Cortez Kennedy, Frank Gore, Jeremy Shockey, Vince Wilfork, Vinny Testaverde, Santana Moss, Chuck Foreman, Ottis Anderson, Jon Beason, Willis McGahee, Dennis Harrah, Jessie Armstead, Jonathan Vilma, Antrel Rolle, Bryant McKinnie, Jerome Brown, Kellen Winslow II, Brandon Meriweather.
Texas Longhorns- 4 claimed national championships (4 national polls) and 26 bowl victories.First season: 1893
Current conference: Big 12
Defining Coach: Darrell Royal
Top 15 NFL Alumni: Earl Campbell, Bobby Layne, Steve McMichael, Bobby Dillon,Tommy Nobis, Priest Holmes, Ox Emerson, Bud McFadin, Ricky Williams, Raymond Clayborn, Diron Talbert, Eric Metcalf, Doug English, Vince Young, Jamaal Charles.
10)
Penn St Nittany Lions- 7 claimed national championships (2 national polls) and 27 bowl victories.First season: 1887
Current Conference: Big Ten
Defining Coach: Joe Paterno
Top 15 NFL Alumni: Jack Hamm, Franco Harris, Mike Muncheck, Lenny Moore, Mike Michalske, Steve Wisniewski, Kerry Collins, Lydell Mitchell, Rosey Grier, LaVar Arington, Stew Barber, Dave Robinson, Ted Kwalick, John Capiletti, Larry Johnson.
11)
Tennessee Volunteers- 6 claimed national championships (2 national polls) and 26 bowl victories.First season: 1891
Defining Coach: Robert Neyland
Top 25 NFL Alumni: Peyton Manning, Reggie White, Doug Atkins, Al Wilson, Jamal Lewis, Jason Witten, Albert Haynesworth, Stanley Morgan, Mike Stratton, Anthony Miller, Jack Reynolds, Arian Foster, Dick Huffman, Terry McDaniel, Leonard Little, Carl Pickens, Dale Carter, Bill Bates, John Henderson, Travis Henry, Jerod Mayo, Chad Clifton, Shaun Ellis, Charlie Garner, Donte Stallworth.
12)
LSU Tigers- 4 claimed national championships (3 national polls) and 23 bowl victories.First season: 1893
Current conference: SEC
Defining Coach: Charles McClendon
Top 15 NFL Alumni: Y.A. Tittle, Jim Taylor, Alan Faneca, Johnny Robinson, Kevin Mawae, Bert Jones, Charley Hennigan, Billy Cannon, Dwayne Bowe, Henry Thomas, Roy Winston, Tommy Casanova, Fred Miller, Kevin Faulk, Joseph Addai.
13)
Pittsburgh Panthers- 9 claimed national championships (2 national polls) and 12 bowl victories.First season: 1890
Current conference: Big East
Defining Coach: Glen "Pop" Warner, John "Jock" Sutherland
Top 20 NFL Alumni: Dan Marino, Mike Ditka, Russ Grimm, Joe Schmidt, Tony Dorsett, Curtis Martin, Larry Fitzgerald, Darrell Revis, Ricky Jackson, Chris Doleman, Joe Stydahar, Ruben Brown, Mark Stepnoski, Bill Fralic, John Reger, Joe Flacco, Keith Hamilton, Andy Lee, Craig Heyward, LeSean McCoy.
14)
Florida Gators- 3 claimed national championships (3 national polls) and 20 bowl victories.First season: 1906
Current conference: SEC
Defining Coach: Steve Spurrier, Urban Meyer
Top 15 NFL Alumni: Emmitt Smith, Jack Youngblood, Lomas Brown, Wilbur Marshall, Wes Chandler, Fred Taylor, Kevin Carter, Jevon Kearse, Lito Sheppard, Chris Collinsworth, Rick Casares, John L. Williams, Nat Moore, Percy Harvin, Neal Anderson.
15)
Minnesota Golden Gophers- 6 claimed national championships (4 national polls) and 5 bowl victories.First season: 1882
Current conference: Big Ten
Defining Coach: Bernie Bierman
Top 10 NFL Alumni: Carl Eller, Bobby Bell, Bronko Nagurski, Leo Nomellini, Karl Mecklenburg, Charlie Sanders, Gino Cappelletti, Keith Fahnhorst, Marion Barb er III, Rick Upchurch.
_Note: Princeton and Yale actually lead all schools in national championships with 26 and 18 respectively. However, given the state of their current programs and the fact that most of these wins occured at the turn of the century when far less teams were participating, they are not up for top 15 consideration. The same applies to Harvard (10 championships) and Penn (4 championships).
Other elite NFL talent producers:
---Syracuse: Jim Brown, Art Monk, Jim Ringo, Larry Csonka, John Mackey, Marvin Harrison, Walt Sweeney, Donavan McNabb, Dwight Freeney, Floyd Little, Jim Nance, Gary Anderson, Rob Burnett, Keith Bullock, Mike Williams.
---Florida St: Deion Sanders, Derrick Brooks, Walter Jones, Fred Biletnikoff, Warrick Dunn, Leroy Butler, Antonio Cromartie, Anquan Boldin, Brad Johnson, Samari Rolle, Darnell Dockett, Sebastian Janikowski, Javon Walker, Chris Hope, Laveranues Coles, Leon Washington, Peter Boulware, Rohn Stark, Tra Thomas.
---Purdue: Ron Woodson, Drew Brees, Bob Griese, Len Dawson, Erich Barnes, Jim Everett, Mike Alstott, Matt Light, Kyle Orton, Dick Barwegan, Erich Barnes, Dave Butz, Cris Dishman, Ed Flanagan, Abe Gibron.
---Georgia: Fran Tarkenton, Champ Bailey, Herschel Walker, Richard Seymour, Hines Ward, Terrell Davis, Jake Scott, Ray Donaldson, Bill Sanfill, Len Hauss, Mo Lewis, Guy McIntyre, Marcus Stroud, Jimmy Orr, Knowshawn Moreno.
---UCLA: Troy Aikmen, Jonathan Ogden, Jimmy Johnson, Carnell Lake, Bob Waterfield, Maurice Jones-Drew, Ken Norton, Freeman McNeil, Kenny Easley, Randy Cross, Max Montoya, Donnie Edwards, Luis Sharpe, Jerry Robinson, Mercedes Lewis.
---Cal: Tony Gonzalez, Aaron Rodgers, Nnamdi Asomugha, Hardy Nickerson, Les Richter, DeSean Jackson, Ed White, Perry Schwartz, Tarik Glenn, Marshawn Lynch.
---UNC: Lawrence Taylor, Julius Peppers, Chris Hanburger, Jeff Saturday, Harris Barton, William Fuller, Alge Crumpler, Ken Willard, Willie Parker, Dre Bly, Greg Ellis, Hakeem Nicks, Vonnie Holliday, Jeff Reed, Sam Aiken.
-
The Mannings (Archie, Peyton and Eli) In the world of sports, the quarterback is king. In the world of quarterbacks, the Mannings reign supreme. When you're a #2 pick, and #3 in your own family in terms of draft selection, you know you're dealing with one hell of a gene pool. Bear Bryant once called Archie the best college quarterback he'd ever seen, a patron saint at Ole Miss and an all-time Saint in Louisiana. Not bad pops, but where's the ring? Peyton and Eli are each Super Bowl MVPs, the former one of the top three or four players to every throw the pigskin. Love 'em or hate' em, there's just no arguing with success. -
The Hulls (Bobby, Dennis and Brett) The Golden Jet, Silver Jet, and Golden Brett. Only 18 players in the history of the NHL have scored more than 600 goals over the span of a career. Only 16 of those are not name Hull. Bobby and his son Brett were hockey royalty in their days, with slapshot prowess that is nearly unparalleled to this day. Silver Jet Dennis would never land a spot in the Hall like his brother and nephew, but 303 career goals and five All-Star nods ain't too shabby either.
-
The Williams (Serena and Venus) Serena and Venus have amassed a ridiculous 48 combined Grand Slams, a number that would no doubt be even higher were they not having to constantly face off against one another (they have met in 8 Slam finals, including 4 straight). Both rising to the rank of #1 over the past decade, the Williams sisters are in a league of their own when it comes to women's tennis in the 21st century.
-
The Gracies (Helio, Carlos, Royce, Rorion, Rickson, Rolls,....) The Gracies aren’t just a great sports family, they’re a certifiable dynasty. Brothers Helio and Carlos are regarded to be the creators of modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and on top of imparting this revolutionary martial arts style to the world, their tutelage created a virtual army of fighting Gracies. Carlos’ offspring alone included 13 children who rose to the rank of black belt. Among Helio’s numerous sons were the acclaimed Rickson, Relson, Royler, Royce, and Rorion. Rorion co-founded UFC and Royce helped bring it to the masses, winning three out of the first four UFC tournaments to go down as one of the most influential and dominant fighters in MMA history. All in all over 60 Gracies have achieved prominence in the field of mixed martial arts.
-
The Sutters (Brian, Daryl, Duane, Rich, Ron, Brent, Brandon, and Brett) The six
Sutter brothers played over 5000 combined games and captured six Stanley Cups throughout the 70's and 80's. Brent's son Brandon and Daryl's son Brett are currently members of the Carolina Hurricanes. -
The Howes (Gordie, Mark, Marty, and Vic) Nicknamed Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe is of course regarded as one of the greatest hockey players to ever pick up a stick. However, his son Mark resides with him in the Hall, a prolific two-way defenseman who spent 16 years with the Whalers, Flyers, and Red Wings. Gordie's other son Marty and brother Vic also had significant careers in professional hockey.
-
The Richards (Maurice and Henri) The first player to ever reach 500 goals, Maurice "Rocket" Richard was the heart of the Canadiens dynasty of the 40's and 50's, winning 8 Stanley Cups in that span. Henri "Pocket Rocket," 15 years Maurice's junior, would eventually join his brother in the Hall after 20 years of service to Montreal.
-
The Dimaggios (Joe, Dom, and Vince) Joltin Joe's 56-game hit streak may be one of the most celebrated records in all of sports, but not many know that little brother Dom had a nifty little streak of his own, 34 games in 1949, which remains a Red Sox record. Along with Vince, the three brothers combined for 22 All-Star appearances over 34 years of service.
-
The Waners (Paul and Lloyd) Nicknamed "Big and Little Poison," the Waner brothers patrolled the Pirates' outfield during much of the 20's and 30's. Paul would collect over 3,100 hits despite playing many of his games hungover. According to Casey Stengel, "he had to be a very graceful player, because he could slide without breaking the bottle on his hip." Both Waners would wind up in the Hall of Fame, boasting the most combined career hits by brothers with 5,611.
-
The Espositos (Phil and Tony) A ten-time All-Star, Phil was one of the best centers to ever play the game, winning two Stanley Cups with the Bruins before retiring with 717 goals. Tony was a long time Blackhawk who revolutionized the goalie position with his development of the butterfly style, joining his brother in the Hall of Fame in 1988.
-
The Sharpes (Shannon and Sterling) Sterling was a 6-time All-Pro wideout who brought in 65 touchdowns before a neck injury cut his career short, only two years before his Packers won the title in '96. Luckily for him, his brother Shannon bequeathed his first of three rings to his big bro. Shannon would go on to appear in 8 Pro Bowls and become the era's greatest tight end outside of Tony Gonzalez
-
The Matthews (Clay Sr, Bruce, Clay Jr, Clay III, Kevin, Jake and Casey) Stay with me here because running down the exploits of the Matthews clan is enough to make your head spin. While Bruce might be the greatest offensive lineman of all-time, his brother Clay Jr was a four-time Pro-Bowler who played linebacker into his forties. Clay Jr's son Clay III is a defensive force for the Packers who has the potential to join his uncle in the Hall, while his other son Casey was an Oregon linebacker who you might remember forced a key fourth quarter fumble in the national championship game against Auburn and was just signed as an undrafted free agent by the Eagles. Bruce's son Jake is promising offensive tackle at Texas A&M and his other son Kevin is a young center for the Tennessee Titans. And of course there's Clay Sr, patriarch of the Matthews clan, who played four seasons for the Niners in the early fifties.
-
The Barrys (Rick and sons Scooter, John, Brent, and Drew) NBA legend Rick Barry had four sons who all ascended to the ranks of professional basketball.
-
The Klitschkos (Wladamir and Vitali) When it comes to the heavyweight division nowadays, there are the Klitschko brothers, and then there's everyone else. The Ukranian man-beasts are positively unrivaled over the last generation, combining for a record of 98-5 with 88 knockouts. Vitali is the current WBC heavyweight champion, while Wlad holds the WBA Super, IBF, WBO Super, and IBO crowns.
-
The Alous/Rojas (Felipe, Matty, Jesus, Moises, Mel Rojas, and Mel Rojas Jr) Brothers Felipe, Matty, and Jesus combined to form the first and only all-brother outfield for the mid-60's Giants. A generation later, Felipe's son Moises would outdue them all en route to six All-Star appearances and two Silver Slugger awards. Even Felipe's nephew Mel had a solid decade-long pitching career that spanned the 1990's and Mel Jr is carrying the family into a third generation with his recent selection by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2010 draft.
-
The Deans (Dizzy and Paul) In 1934, Dizzy famously proclaimed "Me an' Paul are gunna win 45 games." They would win 49, with Dizzy contributing a mind-boggling 30. That same year, the duo would go on to win two games apiece in the World Series for the Cardinals' "Gashouse Gang", combining for 28 strikeouts and a 1.43 ERA to overtake the Tigers in seven. Sadly, both brothers had their careers cut short by injury, but though Dizzy had only four healthy years in the Show, his overwhelming dominance was enough to get a ticket to the Hall in 1953.
-
The Millers (Reggie, Cheryl, and Darrell) We all know Reggie as one of the greatest pure shooters of the past generation, but sister Cheryl could give him a run for his money. A three-time Naismith college player of the year, she led her Trojans to two championships and owns just about every record in USC's books. When Reggie inevitably gets his Hall of Fame bid, he will be joining his sister, whose likeness has resided in Springfield for over fifteen years. Even more, the third Miller child Darrell spent four years at catcher and outfield with the California Angels.
-
The Browners (Ross, Jim, Joey, Keith, Keith Jr and Ross' son Max Starks) Joey was a 6-time Pro Bowl strong safety for the Vikings who was named to the 1980 All-Decade team. Brother Ross was a two-time All-American for Notre Dame who was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame and played 11 seasons in the NFL at defensive end. His son Max is currently a offensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers who has contributed to their two recent Super Bowl victories. Keith had an four year stint in the NFL and his son Keith Jr is following in his father's footsteps at defensive end, currenly playing at Cal Berkley.
-
The Perrys (Gaylord, Jim, and Chris) Hall of Fame hurler Gaylord was said to have approached Vaseline about doing an endorsement due to his widely known habit of doctoring baseballs. In fact, Gene Tenace, long time catcher of the prolific pitcher, once remarked that at times he would have to walk the ball back to the mound as it was so greasy he couldn't even through it back. Still, a Hall bid was hard to deny, as Gaylord accumulated 314 wins and 3,534 strikeouts over his 22 year career. Brother Jim won a Cy Young and 215 games in h
is 17-year career while Jim's son Chris was a successful golfer on the PGA tour. -
The Bonds (Bobby and Barry) Only two players in MLB history have gone 30 and 30 five or more times. One is named Barry Bonds. The other is his father.
-
The Niekros (Phil, Joe, and Lance) Masters at the art of the knuckleball, Phil and Joe's 539 combined wins makes for the most successful brother combination in baseball history. Joe's son Lance also spent limited time with the Giants as a first baseman.
-
The Barbers (Tiki and Ronde) Tiki was the football version of Nomar Garciaparra, a top notch player who for whatever reason prevented his team from winning a championship until immediately after his exit. However maligned, with 10,000+ rushing and 5000+ receiving yards (one of three in NFL history alongside Marcus Allen and Marshall Faulk), his place in the Giants pantheon is indisputable. Lining up on the other side of the ball was identical twin, Ronde, who accomplished quite the combo of his own as the only player in NFL history with 25+ sacks and 40 interceptions over a career.
-
The Griffeys (George Kenneth Sr, Ken Jr, and Craig) Ken Sr was an integral member of Cincinatti's Big Red Machine, hitting .336 in 1976 en route to their second title in as many years. Fourteen years later, he would sign with the Seattle Mariners, joining his son who had a year earlier been called up from the minors. On September 14th, 1990, the father-son tandem would hit back-to-back home runs in a moment right out of a Disney movie. Junior would of course blossom into one of the greatest, most exciting players of his era. Younger brother Craig even played in the Mariners farm system, but never made it to the big leagues.
-
The Laudrups (Brian and Michael) Soccer siblings for the ages, Brian collected a record four Danish Footballer of the Year Awards from 1989-1997 while his brother piled up four straight La Liga championships with Barcelona en route to being named the greatest Danish player of all time by the Danish Football Association in 2006.
-
The Alomars (Sandy, Roberto, and Sandy Jr.) Roberto just entered the
Hall as one of the greatest second baseman of all-time. A tough act to measure up to, Sandy Jr still held his own, winning Rookie of the Year and going to six All-Star games as a catcher. Their father Sandy Sr was a mediocre hitter best known for his defense at second base and subsequent coaching career. Sandy had the pleasure of coaching his two sons on the 1989 Padres. -
The Nevilles (Gary, Phil, Tracy and Neville) Yes, you read that right. The Patriarch of the Neville clan is indeed named Neville Neville, and was a well known cricketeer in the 1980's. Gary and Phil played together on Man U for over a decade, winning 6 Premier League titles (Gary would win two more after Phil departed to captain Everton). They concurrently compiled a combined 144 caps with the English national team. Moreover, their sister Tracy was a long serving netball player for England, compiling 74 caps in her own right.
-
The Spinks (Michael, Leon, Cory, Leon Calvin, and Darrell) Michael went undefeated in his first 31 professional fights to become the undisputed light-heavyweight champion of the world, and later the heavyweight champion with his defeat of Larry Holmes. Mike's only loss would be his final fight, a knockout by the surging Mike Tyson in 1988. He is enshrined in both the International and World Boxing Hall of Fames. His brother "Neon Leon" is best known for upsetting Muhammad Ali to become the WBC/WBA heavyweight champion of the world in 1978. Born just five days later, Leon's son Cory would go on to become the undisputed Welterweight Champion in 2003. Two other sons, Leon Calvin and Darrell, also had brief professional careers.
-
The Bells (Gus, Buddy, David, Mike) A rare three-generation baseball family. Grandfather Gus was a four-time All-Star currently enshrined in the Reds' Hall of Fame, while his son Buddy racked up 2,514 hits and six Gold Gloves with the Rangers. Son David had a solid 11 year career at third base for six different teams while his brother Mike was the black sheep of the family, appearing on the 2007 Mitchell report despite only managing to hit a mere two career dingers in his less-than-illustrious 1-year professional career
-
The Alis (Muhammad, Laila, Rudy, and Ibn) Muhammad is of course the greatest boxer of all time. However, his daughter Laila is gunning to be the greatest female, boasting a 2
4-0 record with 21 knockouts. Muhammad's brother Rudy also found success as a professional heavyweight, as did Rudy's son Ibn -
The Nessers (Al, Frank, Fred, John, Phil, Ray and Ted) The seven Nesser brothers composed the most famous football family in the country in the early 1900s, all playing for a Columbus Panhandles team that would eventually contribute to the formation of the modern day NFL. Legendary Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne once said of them, "Getting hit by a Nesser brother is like falling off a moving train."
-
The Martinezes (Pedro and Ramon) A dominant force in his day, Pedro put up mesmorizing numbers during a time when steroid-use was wreaking havoc on ERAs everywhere. However, ever in the shadow of his younger brother, Ramon was one of the more underrated hurlers of the early 90's, eventually boasting a 135-88 career record with a 3.67 ERA.
-
The McEnroes (John and Patrick) Brothers John and Patrick won a combined 192 tennis titles and each ascended to at least a top three doubles ranking.
-
The Fielders (Cecil and Prince) The Fielders are the only father-son combination to each hit 50 home runs in a season.
-
The Bryans (Dan and Mike) Together, the Bryan twins have won 11 Grand Slam tennis titles, spending over 200 weeks ranked at #1 to be named the doubles team of the decade for 2000-2009.
-
The Sislers (George, Dave and Dick) A titan in his day, "Gentleman George" Sisler hit a ridiculous .420 in 1922 en route to 2,812 career hits and a career .340 AVG. Despite a mediocre seven-year career, son Dick would go down in history for hitting a 10th-inning walk-off home run that would help win his Phillies their first pennant in 35 years. His younger brother Dave was once deemed "Yankee Killer" for going 5-0 against them in a 4-year stint as a reliever for the Boston Red Sox in the late fifties.
-
The Johnsons (Jimmy, Rafer, and Jennifer) Rafer won Olympic gold as a decathlete at the 1960 Rome games. Brother Jimmy is a Pro Football Hall of Famer who played 16 seasons with the 49ers. Rafer's daughter Jennifer won silver at the 1999 Beach Volleyball World Championship in Marseille.
-
The Delahantys (Ed, Jim, Joe, Frank, and Tom) Hall of Famer Ed Delahan
ty was known as one of the great power hitters of the late 1800's (of course this meant leading the league with 13 home runs, but still...) His four brothers also had stints in the majors. -
The Rivers (Doc, uncle Jim Brewer, cousins Ken Singleton and Byron Irvin, and children Austin, Jeremiah, and Callie) Before capturing banner #17 as coach of the Celtics, Doc played point alongside Dominique Wilkins, where he would average nearly 11 points and 6 assists a game. Jim and Byron served nine and three years respectively in the NBA, and Doc's cousin Ken Singleton spent the majority of his career playing right field for the Orioles, where he would go to three All-Star games and win a World Series in 1983. Doc's son Austin may prove to outdo them all, heralded as one of the best recruits to come out of the 2011 class who will soon begin his college basketball career as a Blue Devil. Jeremiah played hoops for Georgetown while Callie is thought to be one of the best college volleyball players in the country.
-
The Ripkens (Cal, Cal Jr, Billy) Cal Sr spent 36 years in the Orioles organization as manager, base coach, player, and scout. Like Papa Alomar, he coached his two sons in 1987, the first father to ever do so. Though Billy had a largely unremarkable career, Cal Jr's was about as remarkable as they come, starting an unfathomable 2,632 consecutive games and going to all but 2 All-Star games in his 21-year career.
-
The Sedins (Henrik and Daniel) After Vancouver secured both the 2nd and 3rd overall picks in the 1999 NHL draft, they scooped up the Sedin duo, who would bring them five division titles over the past decade The Swedish identical twins won gold at the 2006 Turin Olympics and are 4th and 5th in all-time points for the Canucks.
-
The Mayweathers (Floyd Sr, Roger, Jeff, and Floyd Jr) Floyd Sr's two brothers each won professional featherweight titles, while he himself was a welterweight contender for much of the 70's and 80's. His training was of course integral to the development of the undefeated, nine-world title winning prima donna Floyd Jr.
-
The Chavezes (Julio Cesar, Julio Jr, and Omar) A prolific Mexican boxing family. Julio Cesar Chavez was a six-time world champion across three weight divisions over a 25 year career, widely considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters ever at his peak in the 1980’s. Julio retired holding the record for most title fight victories with 31 and the longest undefeated streak in boxing history at 13 years, accumulating an astounding 89 wins before taking his first loss in 1994. Julio planted the boxing seed in his two sons Omar and Julio Jr at an early age, ceremonially inviting them into the ring before each of his fights. Sure enough, both have followed in their father's footsteps with resounding success, undefeated in a combined 72 contests with Julio Jr currently holding the WBC Middleweight championship belt.
-
The Van Arsdales (Dick and Tom) Identical twins Dick and Tom Van Arsdale had nearly as identical basketball careers. Both played hoops at Indiana, both played on the NBA All-Rookie team in 1966, both were 3-time All-Stars, and both retired in 1977 after 12 years in the league.
-
The Bibbys (Henry, Mike, and Jim) Henry and his son Mike Bibby each had careers in the NBA while Henry's brother Jim won a World Series with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979.
-
The Robinsons (Jackie and Mack) Though we all are well-versed in the illustrious career of Jackie Robinson, brother Mack had his own feat of courageousness, competing in the historic, racially-charged 1936 Berlin Olympics and capturing silver in the men's 200 meters by finishing .4 seconds behind Jesse Owens.
-
The Bretts (George, Ken, Bobby and John) Ken played 14 years for 10 different teams, and most notably remains to this day the youngest player to ever pitch in a World Series, coming into game 4 of the 1967 Fall Classic at 19 years and 3 weeks. Brothers Bobby and John played minor league ball while George of course was a 13-time All-Star, first-ballot Hall of Fame third baseman who is one of four players in MLB history to finish with 3000 hits, 300 home runs, and a .300 average.
-
The Madduxes (Greg and Mike) Mike was a journeyman pitcher who played 15 years in the bigs, a career vastly overshadowed by the magnificence of brother Greg, an unparalled control pitcher who at one point would capture four consecutive Cy Young awards during which he would post a mind-boggling 1.98 ERA.
-
The Molinas (Bengie, Jose, and Yadier) The only three brothers in MLB history to each win a World Series.
-
The Uptons (BJ and Justin) Selected #1 and #2 respectively, Justin and big bro BJ are the highest drafted siblings in baseball history. The jury is still out on just how good these two will get.
- The Tatupus (Mosi and Lofa) A former classmate of President Obama at Punahou high school, Mosi made a name for himself as a special teams wizard for the New England Patriots, where he was named to both the 1970s and 1980s Patriots All-Decade teams. His son Lofa was a three-time Pro Bowl linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks.
The Williams (Dominique and Gerald)
The Leiters (Al and Mark) Mark had a mediocre 11-year career in the MLB posting a 4.57 ERA and 65 wins. Al was a 3-time champion, two-time All-Star who won 162 games and struck out over 1900 batters over an 18 year career.
The Grants (Horace and Harvey)
h retired with sub-.230 career averages (Jayson's grandfather, uncle, and stepfather respectively), but 45 years of combined MLB service within one family is pretty hard to ignore. Jayson's mother Kim competed at the Olympic trials in long jump and the 100m.1) 
The Notorious BIG- Ready to Die
2) 
Nas- Illmatic
3) 
Dr. Dre- The Chronic
4) 
Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
5) 
Public Enemy-It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
6) 
The Wu-Tang Clan- Enter The Wu-Tang Clan - 36 Chambers
7) 
NWA- Straight Outta Compton
8) 
A Tribe Called Quest- The Low End Theory
9) 
Snoop Doggy Dogg- Doggystyle
10) 
Raekwon- Only Built 4 Cuban Linx --(1995) Raekwon brought producer RZA and Ghostface Killah along for his solo debut, an album widely regarded as the pioneer of Mafioso rap, a genre later perfected by Biggie and Jay-Z (It was also the first hip hop album to name drop Cristal). It's title suggests that the music was as tough as Cuban link chain jewelry. Key Tracks: Criminology, Glaciers of Ice, Rainy Dayz.
11) 
Outkast- Aquemini
12) 
The Fugees-The Score
13) 
2Pac- All Eyez On Me
14) 
Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force- Planet Rock: The Album--(1986) Respectfully known as the "Grandfather" for his monumental impact on the early development of hip hop (it was he who in fact coined the term), Bambaataa recently became one of the first hop hop artists to enter the rock and roll hall of fame. Representing Zulu Nation, he released the seminal Planet Rock over two decades ago as a collection of previous singles that had up until then never appeared on an album. Key Tracks: Planet Rock, Looking For the Perfect Beat, Renegades of Funk.
15) 
Boogie Down Productions-Criminal Minded
16) 
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five- The Message
17) 
Eric B. & Rakim-Paid In Full
18) 
Dr. Dre-Chronic 2001
19) 
The Notorious BIG-Life After Death
20) 
Run D.M.C.- Run DMC
21) 
Beastie Boys- Licensed To Ill
22) 
2Pac- Me Against The World
23) 
Eminem- The Marshall Mathers LP
24) 
Ice Cube- AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
25) 
Jay-Z- The Blueprint--Despite the unfortunate coincidence of being released on September 11, 2001, The Blueprint sold over 426,000 copies in its opening week, becoming Jay-Z's fourth consecutive album to reach number one on the Billboard 200 chart. Produced by Kanye West and Just Blaze, The Blueprint was reportedly cut in two weeks, with Jay-Z allegedly writing the lyrics in two days. Key Tracks: Izzo (H.O.V.A.), Renegade, Girls, Girls, Girls.
26) 
Big L- Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous
27) 
Mobb Deep- The Infamous
28) 
LL Cool J- Radio
29) 
Outkast- ATLiens
30) 
Run DMC- Raising Hell
31) 
Bone Thugs N Harmony- E. Eternal 1999
32) 
Black Star- Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star- (1998) The sole album release from this power collaboration, the hyper-intelligent Black Star is a nod to the Black Star Line, an early 20th-century African-American shipping line incorporated by Marcus Garvey. Key Tracks: Definition, Brown Skin Lady, Respiration.
33) 
Nas- Stillmatic
34) 
GZA- Liquid Swords
35) 
Lauryn Hill- The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
36) 
Mos Def- Black On Both Sides
37) 
Wu-Tang Clan- Wu-Tang Forever
38) 
Jay-Z- The Black Album
39) 
Cypress Hill- Black Sunday
40) 
Gang Starr- Moment of Truth--(1998) The fifth studio album from DJ Premier and the late great Guru (Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal), Moment was the high water mark within a brilliant, nearly two decade-long career. Key Tracks: You Know My Steez, Brooklyn Trooper, Moment of Truth.
41) 
De La Soul- 3 Feet High and Rising--(1989) Produced by Prince Paul, this album takes its title from a Johnny Cash song called "Five Feet High and Rising". Key Tracks: Me Myself and I, Buddy, Eye Know.
42) 
Eminem- The Slim Shady LP
43) 
Beastie Boys- Paul's Boutique
44) 
Big Pun-Capital Punishment--(1998) As The Source put it, "Capital Punishment is all about execution." To be sure, Pun positively killed it in this debut effort, his spitfire rhyming skills asserting him as one of the most promising figures in hip hop before a heart attack killed him just two short years later. Key Tracks: Still Not a Player, Twinz (Deep Cover 98), You Came Up.
45) 
EPMD- Strictly Business
46) 
The Roots- Things Fall Apart
47)
Wyclef Jean- The Carnival
48) 
Jurassic 5- Quality Control-- (2000) The major label debut of Chali 2na and company played a central role in alternative rap scene that was burgeoning at the turn of the century. Key Tracks: Quality Control, The Influence, World of Entertainment (W.O.E. is Me)
49) 
Puff Daddy & the Family- No Way Out --(1997) Originally titled 'Hell Up In Harlem' until the The Notorious B.I.G.'s death, the album topped the album charts in the US with 561,000 units sold in its first week of release. It would go on to win the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. Key Tracks: Victory, Been Around the World, It's All about the Benjamins.
50) 
Busta Rhymes- When Disaster Strikes
Honorable Mentions:
Pete Rock and CL Smooth- Mecca and the Soul Brother, Method Man-Tical, Outcast-Stankonia, Nas-I Am..., LL Cool J-Mama Said Knock You Out, Beastie Boys-Check Your Head, Notorious BIG-Born Again, Run DMC-King Of Rock
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Written and directed by Christopher Nolan. Starring Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine. The terrorist leader Bane arrives in Gotham City, and pushes its hero Batman to breaking point and beyond.
Lincoln (2012) Directed by Steven Spielberg. Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Tommy Lee Jones. Based on the book by Doris Kearns Goodwin. The sixteenth President of the United States guides the North to victory during the Civil War.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) Directed by Peter Jackson. Written by Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, and Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labrynth). Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit, journeys to the Lonely Mountain accompanied by a group of dwarves to reclaim a treasure taken from them by the dragon Smaug.
The Hobbit: There and Back Again (2013)
Skyfall (2012) Starring Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, and Javier Bardem. James Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.
Total Recall (2012) Starring Colin Farrell, Bryan Cranston, Kate Beckinsale, and Ethan Hawke. As the nation stations Euromerica and New Shanghai vie for supremacy, a factory worker begins to suspect that he's a spy, though he is unaware which side of the fight he is on.
Man of Steel (2012) Starring Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, and possibly Russell Crowe with writing contributions by Christopher Nolan.
Human Nature (2013) Directed by Darren Aronofsky. Starring George Clooney. A man who is cryogenically frozen for years awakens to a world where humans are no longer the dominant species.
Django Unchained (2012) Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson, and Christoph Waltz. A slave-turned-bounty hunter sets out to rescue his wife from the brutal Calvin Candie, a Mississippi plantation owner. 
The Dictator (2012) Directed by Larry Charles, written by Sacha Baron Cohen and starring Sacha Baron Cohen, Megan Fox, Ben Kingsley, JB Smoove, John C. Reily, and Anna Faris. The heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.
The Master (2012) Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, and Amy Adams. A 1950's-set drama centered on the relationship between a charismatic intellectual known as "the Master" whose faith-based organization begins to catch on in America, and a young drifter who becomes his right-hand man.
Kill Bill Volume 3 (2014) Directed by Quentin Tarantino. Starring Uma Thurman.
Silence (2013) Directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Benicio Del Toro. In the 17th century, two Jesuit priests face violence and persecution when they travel to Japan to locate their mentor and to spread the gospel of Christianity.
Sin City 2 (?) Written and directed by Frank Miller. In the dark bowels of Sin City, Dwight plans to have his vengeance against the woman who betrayed him, Ava Lord, while Nancy is trying to cope with Hartigan's death.
The Comedian (2014) Directed by Sean Penn. Starring Robert De Niro and Kristen Wiig. A look at the life of an aging insult comic.
Leningrad (2012) Written by Sergio Leon and starring Al Pacino. The histrical epic depicts the seige of Leningrad by the German army during World War II. The Russians suffered terrible losses but the the Communists would not give up the birthplace of the Russian revolution.
Sinatra (2013) Directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The life story of legendary singer and actor Franck Sinatra.
The Three Stooges (2012) Directed by the Farrelly Brothers. Set in modern day and centering on the slapstick adventures of Moe, Larry, and Curly.
Pablo Escobar (2012) Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) and written by David McKenna (American History X).
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) Starring Leonardo Dicaprio. Based on the autobiography of Jordan Belfort. A New York stockbroker refuses to cooperate in a large securities fraud case involving corruption on Wall Street, corporate banking world and mob infiltration.
Cogan's Trade (2012) Starring Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Mark Ruffalo, Casey Affleck, Ray Liotta, and James Gandolfini. Jackie Cogan is a professional enforcer who investigates a heist that went down during a mob-protected poker game.
Lombardi (???) Starring Robert De Niro and written by Eric Roth (Forrest Gump). The story of Green Bay Packers coach Vinco Lombardi and how he led his team to victory during the 1967 NFL Champioship.
Moonrise Kingdom (2012) Written and directed by Wes Anderson. Starring Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Harvey Keitel, Frances McDormand, and Jason Schwartzman. A pair of lovers flee their New England town, which causes a local search party to fan out and find them.
Gotti: In the Shadow of My Father (2012) Directed by Barry Levinson. Starring Al Pacino, John Travolta, and Joe Pesci. The story of crime boss John Gotti and his son.
Savages (2012) Directed by Oliver Stone. Starring John Travolta, Benicio Del Toro and Uma Thurman. Pot growers Ben and Chon face off against the Mexican drug cartel who kidnapped their shared girlfriend.
The Wizard of Lies (2012 on HBO) Starring Robert De Nero as Bernie Madoff.
Untitled Whitey Bulger Project (2014) Directed by Ben Affleck and starring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck. The story of notorious Boston mobster Whitey Bulger
The Trade (2012) Written by Ben and Casey Affleck. A chronicle of the 1970s scandal caused by New York Yankees Fritz Petterson and Mike Kekich, who admitted to swapping wives with one another.
Hemingway and Fuentes (2012) Starring Anthony Hopkins, Annette Benning, and Andy Garcia. Directed and written by Andy Garcia. Ernest Hemingway befriends boat captain, Gregorio Fuentes, who inspires him to pen the famous tale "The Old Man and the Sea."
Twelve Years A Slave (2014) Starring Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. A man living in New York during the mid-1800s is kidnapped and sold into slavery in the deep south.
The Gangster Squad (2013) Starring Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, and Brian Cranston. A chronicle of the LAPD's fight to keep East Coast Mafia types out of Los Angeles in the 1940s and 50s
The Lone Ranger (2013) Directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer.
The Avengers (2012) Starring Robert Downey Jr, Scarlet Johanssen, Samuel L Jackson, and Jeremy Renner. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agency brings together a team of superhumans to save the Earth from annihalation by extraterrestrial invadors.
Interstellar (2014) Directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Jonathan Nolan. An exploration of physicist Kip Thorne's theories of gravity fields, wormholes and several hypotheses that Albert Einstein was never able to prove.
Waco (2012) Starring Adrien Brody, Sharon Stone, and Kurt Russell. A retelling of the 1993 stand-off between the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and David Koresh, leader of the Branch Davidian cult in Waco, Texas.
Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (2013) Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and produced by Martin Scorsese. A look at the formative years of the 26th President, from his transformation from a privileged New York politician to commander of the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War.
Gambit (2012) Written by the Coen brothers and starring Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz. An art curator enlists the services of a Texas steer roper to con a wealthy collector into buying a phony Monet painting.
Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie (2012) Starring Will Ferrell, Zack Galifianakis, John C. Reilly, Jeff Goldblum, and Will Forte.
Rush (2013) Directed by Ron Howard and written by Peter Morgan (The Last King of Scotland). Starring Chris Hemsworth, Russell Crowe and Olivia Wilde. A biography of Formula 1 champion driver Niki Lauda and the 1976 crash that almost claimed his life. Mere weeks after the accident, he got behind the wheel to challenge his rival, James Hunt.
Lovelace (2012) Starring Amanda Seyfried, Peter Sarsgaard and Sharon Stone. The story of Linda Lovelace, who is used and abused by the porn industry at the behest of her coercive husband before taking control of her life.
The Mission (2013) Directed by David O. Russell and starring Brad Pitt (rumored). An action thriller about the 2008 rescue of 15 hostages from a guerrilla group in the Columbian jungle.
The Great Gatsby (2012) Starry Leonardo Dicaprio and Tobey Maguire. An adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Long Island-set novel, where Midwesterner Nick Carraway is lured into the lavish world of his neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Soon enough, however, Carraway will see through the cracks of Gatsby's nouveau riche existence, where obsession, mad
ness, and tragedy await.
The Odyssey (?) Directed by George Miller. Odysseus and his 10-year journey home after the Trojan War, during which he is confronted by natural and supernatural threats including shipwrecks, battles, monsters, and the sea god Poseidon. Tale is told through Odysseus' son Telemachus.
On the Road (2012) Based on the novel by Jack Kerouac. Directed by Walter Salles (The Motorcycle Diaries) Starring Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Viggo Mortensen, and Steve Buscemi. Dean and Sal are the portrait of the Beat Generation living in the here and now during the Fifties. Their search for "It" results in a fast paced, energetic roller coaster ride with highs and lows throughout the U.S.
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) Written and directed by the Coen brothers. Starring Carey Mulligan, John Goodman and Justin Timberlake (rumored) A singer-songwriter navigates New York's folk music scene in the 1960's.
Arrested Development (?) Starring Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Portia de Rossi, David Cross, Michael Cera, and Jeffery Tambor. Presented by Ron Howard (executive producer). A big screen adaptation of the critically-acclaimed television series centering on the adventures of the dysfunctional Bluth family.
Brave New World (?) Directed by Ridley Scott. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio (rumored)
Hamdam v. Rumsfeld (?) Produced by George Clooney and written by Aaron Sorkin. A thriller set against the backdrop of the war on terror, The Challenge tells the inside story of a historic Supreme Court showdown. At its center are a Navy JAG and a young constitutional law professor who, in the aftermath of 9/11, find themselves defending their nation in the unlikeliest of ways: by suing the president of the United States on behalf of an accused terrorist in order to prevent the American government from breaking the law and violating the Constitution.
The Bourne Legacy (2012) Directed by Tony Gilroy and starring Jeremy Renner and Edward Norton.
World War Z (2012) Starring Brad Pitt and Brian Cranston. A UN representative, writing a report on the great zombie war, interviews survivors in the wake of World War Z.
Flight (2012) Directed by Robert Zemekis. Starring Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, Melissa Leo and John Goodman. An airline pilot saves a flight from crashing, but an investigation into the malfuctions reveals something troubling.
Broken City (2013) Directed by Allan Hughes and starring Russell Crowe, Mark Wahlberg, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. A neo-noir about a New York City private eye who gets pulled into a shady mayoral election.
The Irishman (??) Directed by Martin Scorsese. Starring Robert Deniro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. A mob hit man recalls his possible involvement with the slaying of Jimmy Hoffa.
Liberace (2013 on HBO) Starring Matt Damon and Michael Douglas. The life of celebrated pianist Liberace.
Yellow Submarine (??) Directed by Robert Zemeckis. A 3-D adaptation of the classic Beatles animated feature.
The Man with the Iron Fists (2012) Directed by RZA. Written by RZA and Eli Roth. Starring Russell Crowe, Jamie Chung and Lucy Lui. In feudal China, a blacksmith who makes weapons for a small village is put in the position where he has to depend himself and his fellow villagers.
Prometheus (2012) Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron and Guy Pierce.
Definitive Dose presents the 40 best directors working in Hollywood today. - Martin Scorsese: Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, The Departed, Raging Bull, Gangs of New York, Casino, Shutter Island, The Last Waltz, Cape Fear, The Color of Money, The Last Temptation of Christ, The Aviator, The Age of Innocence, Mean Streets, Kundun.
- Steven Spielberg: Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, Jaws, ET, Poltergeist, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Catch Me if You Can, Minority Report, The Color Purple, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Amistad, Munich, War of the Worlds.
- Francis Ford Coppola: The Godfather, The Godfather II, Apocalypse Now, The Conversation, You're A Big Boy Now.
- Christopher Nolan: Memento, The Dark Knight, Inception, The Prestige, Batman Begins, Insomnia, Following.
- Joel/Ethan Cohen: No Country For Old Men, The Big Lebowski, Fargo, True Grit, O Brother Where Art Thou?, Barton Fink, Miller's Crossing, Raising Arizona, The Man Who Wasn't There, Blood Simple, A Serious Man, The Hudsucker Proxy.
- James Cameron: Terminator 2, Avatar, Titanic, Aliens, The Abyss.
- Quentin Tarantino: Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, Inglourious Bastards, Jackie Brown.
- David Fincher: Se7en, Fight Club, The Social Network, The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo, Zodiac.
- Darren Aronofsky: Requiem For a Dream, The Wrestler, Black Swan, Pi, The Fountain, Below.
- P.T. Anderson: There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Hard Eight, Punch-Drunk Love.
- Oliver Stone: Platoon, Wall Street, JFK, Born on the Fourth of July, Natural Born Killers.
- Clint Eastwood: Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Mystic River, The Bridges of Madison County.
- Ron Howard: A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man, Frost/Nixon, Cocoon, Apollo 13.
- Roman Polanski: Chinatown, Rosemary's Baby, The Pianist, Tess, Pirates.
- Brian De Palma: Scarface, Carlito's Way, Mission: Impossible, The Untouchables, Carrie.
- Robert Zemeckis: Forrest Gump, Back to the Future, Cast Away, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Romancing the Stone.
- Ridley Scott: Alien, Gladiator, Blade Runner, Black Hawk Down, Thelma and Louise, American Gangster.
- Steven Soderbergh: Traffic, Erin Brockovich, Ocean's Eleven, Che, Out of Sight.
- Woody Allen: Annie Hall, Bullets Over Broadway, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Hannah and Her Sisters, The Purple Rose of Cairo.
- Peter Jackson: The Return of the King, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, King Kong, The Lovely Bones.
- David Lynch: Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, The Elephant Man, Wild atHeart, The Straight Story.
- Milos Forman: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Amadeus, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Ragtime, Man on the Moon.
- Tim Burton: Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, Ed Wood, Batman, Big Fish.
- Terry Giliam: Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 12 Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Brazil, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.
- Ang Lee: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain, Sense and Sensibility, Life of Pi, The Ice Storm.
- Michael Mann: Heat, The Insider, The Last of the Mohicans, Collateral, Ali.
- Mel Brooks: History of the World Part I, Blazing Saddles, Spaceballs, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Young Frankenstein.
- Rob Reiner: A Few Good Men, This is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, Misery.
- Gus Van Sant: Goodwill Hunting, Milk, Finding Forrester, Drugstore Cowboy, Elephant.
- Edward Zwick: Glory, Blood Diamond, Courage Under Fire, The Last Samurai, The Siege.
- Sam Mendes: American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Revolutionary Road, Jarhead, Away We Go.
- John Carpenter: Halloween, The Thing, Assault on Precinct 13, The Fog, Big Trouble in Little China.
- Kevin Smith: Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma, Chasing Amy, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
- Wes Anderson: The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Darjeeling Limited.
- Alejandro González Iñárritu: 21 Grams, Amoss Perros, Babel, Biutiful.
- Barry Levinson: Rain Man, Good Morning Vietnam, The Natural, Sleepers, Bugsy.
- Spike Lee: Malcolm X, Clockers, Do the Right Thing, Inside Man, 25th Hour.
- Terrance Malick: The Thin Red Line, The Tree of Life, Days of Heaven.
- Danny Boyle: Slumdog Milloinaire, Trainspotting, 127 Hours, 28 Weeks Later, The Beach.
- Guillermo Del Toro: Pan's Labrynth, Hellboy, Cronos.
More Articles...
- The Best Sports Cities in America
- Ten Origins of Popular Sports Terms
- The 10 Greatest MLB Franchises
- The 20 Biggest Movie Douchebags
- The 15 Greatest Drama Series of the Generation
- The 10 Greatest NBA Franchises
- Baseball's Green Jacket
- The Ten Most Successful Soccer Nations
- Paper Trails: The Highest Career Earners in NBA HIstory
- Age of Uncertainty: Getting it Right With #1
Page 1 of 9
