In the year that doesn’t feel like it was 8 years ago…
- Steve Jobs announced the first generation iPhone.
- J.K. Rowlings releases “Harry Potter and The Deathly Hollows”, the fastest selling book ever.
- Track Star Marion Jones surrendered her 5 Olympic gold medals after admitting to doping.
- Legendary 49ers head coach Bill Walsh passed away at the age of 75.
- 4-time Best Drama Series Emmy award winning Mad Men premiered.
(Fingers crossed for Jon Hamm this year) And here’s the what happened in Movies, Music and Sports…
Movies
Comedy
Knocked Up, Superbad, Enchanted, Blades of Glory, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Hot Fuzz, Juno, Evan Almighty, Balls of Fury, Good Luck Chuck, Hot Rod, Death at a Funeral, Lars and the Real Girl, Epic Movie, Wild Hogs, The Game Plan, The Heartbreak Kid, Who’s Your Caddy?, Dan in Real Life, Fred Clause, The Bucket List, Mr. Woodcock, License to Wed, AND…
The Simpsons Movie
Action
The Bourne Ultimatum, Grindhouse, Zodiac, Live Free or Die Hard, Transformers, I Am Legend, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, The Kingdom, Sweeney Todd, Hitman, Death Sentence, 28 Weeks Later, Disturbia, Spiderman 3, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, Hannibal Rising, The Mist, Fracture, Ghost Rider, The Condemned, Vacancy, Rush Hour 3, War, Funny Games, Paranormal Activity, Mr. Brooks, The Hitcher, Resident Evil: Extinction AND…
Shooter
Drama
Into the Wild, Gone Baby Gone, Atonement, There Will Be Blood, American Gangster, Michael Clayton, Reign Over Me, Charlie Wilson’s War, The Visitor, The Girl Next Door, Premonition, We Own The Night, 3:10 To Yuma, In the Valley of Elah, PS. I Love You, The Lookout, Across the Universe, The Invisible, Breach, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Man From Earth, Control, Evening, Trade, Rendition, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Eastern Promises AND…
No Country For Old Men
The 80th Academy Awards
Best Actor
- George Clooney, Michael Clayton
- Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
- Tommy Lee Jones, In the Valley of Elah
- Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises
- Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood – Winner
(This was the 2nd of Daniel Day-Lewis’s 3 Best Actor Oscar wins)
Best Supporting Actor
- Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton
- Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
- Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson’s War
- Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild
- Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men – Winner
(It was Javier Bardem’s first win out of 3 Oscar nominations)
Best Actress
- Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
- Julie Christie, Away From Her
- Laura Linney, The Savages
- Ellen Page, Juno
- Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose – Winner
(Marion Cotillard has been nominated twice for Best Leading Actress. This was her first win)
Best Supporting Actress
- Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There
- Ruby Dee, American Gangster
- Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
- Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
- Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton – Winner
(Swinton is batting 1.000 going one-for-one in Oscar nominations and awards, so far)
Best Picture
- Atonement
- Juno
- Michael Clayton
- There Will Be Blood
- No Country For Old Men – Winner
(Won 4 of the 8 Oscars it was nominated, including Best Writing and Directing)
Music
Rock Albums
Hip Hop Albums
Pop Albums
Billboard Year-End Top 25
01. “Irreplaceable” – Beyonce
02. “Umbrella” – Rihanna
03. “The Sweet Escape” – Gwen Stefani and Akon
04. “Big Girls Don’t Cry” – Fergie
05. “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” – T-Pain featuring Young Joc
06. “Before He Cheats” – Carrie Underwood
07. “Hey There Delilah” – Plain White T’s
08. “I Wanna Love You” – Akon featuring Snoop Dogg
09. “Say It Right” – Nelly Furtado
10. “Glamorous” – Fergie featuring Ludacris
11. “Don’t Matter” – Akon
12. “Girlfriend” – Avril Lavigne
13. “Makes Me Wonder” – Maroon 5
14. “Party Like a Rockstar” – Shop Boyz
15. “Smack That” – Akon featuring Eminem
16. “This Is Why I’m Hot” – Mims
17. “It’s Not Over” – Daughtry
18. “The Way I Are” – Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson
19. “Fergalicious” – Fergie featuring will.i.am.
20. “Crank That (Soulja Boy) – Soulja Boy Tell’em
21. “Give It To Me” – Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake
22. “What Goes Around…Comes Around” – Justin Timberlake
23. “Cupid’s Chokehold” – Gym Class Heroes featuring Patrick Stump
24. “How To Save A Life” – The Fray
25. “Home” – Daughtry
Sports
Baseball
League Leaders
Offensive
Average: Magglio Ordonez (DET) – .363
Hits: Ichiro Suzuki (SEA) – 238
Home Runs: Alex Rodriguez (NYY) – 54
RBI: Alex Rodriguez (NYY) – 156
OPS: Alex Rodriguez (NYY) – 1.067
Stolen Bases: Jose Reyes (NYM) – 78
Pitching
Wins: Josh Beckett (BOS) – 20
ERA: Jake Peavy (SD) – 2.54
Strikeouts: Jake Peavy (SD) – 240
Complete Games: Roy Halladay (TOR) – 7
Shutouts: Brandon Webb (AZ) – 3
Saves: Jose Valverde (AZ) – 47
MVP
AL – Alex Rodriguez (NYY)
NL – Jimmy Rollins (PHI)
CY Young
AL – CC Sabathia (CLE) NL – Jake Peavy (SD)
Rookie of the Year
AL – Dustin Pedroia (BOS)
NL – Ryan Braun (MIL)
World Series
Boston Red Sox sweep the Colorado Rockies (4-0)
Basketball
NCAA
Final Four
(1) Florida, (1) Ohio State, (2) Georgetown, (2) UCLA
National Championship
(1) Florida over (1) Ohio State 84-75
NBA
League Leaders
Points Per Game: Kobe Bryant (LAL) – 31.6
Rebounds Per Game: Kevin Garnett (MIN) – 12.8
Assists Per Game: Steve Nash (PHX) – 11.6
All-NBA Team
Kobe Bryant (LAL)
Tim Duncan (SA)
Steve Nash (PHX)
Dirk Nowitzki (DAL)
Amar’e Stoudamire (PHX)
MVP – Dirk Nowitzki (DAL)
Rookie of the Year – Brandon Roy (POR)
NBA Finals
San Antionio Spurs sweep Cleveland Cavaliers (4-0)
Football
NCAA
Heisman Trophy – Tim Tebow, Florida
BCS National Title
(2) LSU over (1) Ohio State 38-24 in the Sugar Bowl
NFL
League Leaders
Passing Yards: Tom Brady (NE) – 4,806
Passing Touchdowns: Tom Brady (NE) – 50
Passer Rating: Tom Brady (NE) – 117.2
Rushing Yards: LaDainian Tomlinson (SD) – 1,474
Rushing Touchdowns: LaDainian Tomlinson (SD) – 15
Receiving Yards: Reggie Wayne (IND) – 1,510
Receiving Touchdowns: Randy Moss (NE) – 23
Receptions: T.J. Houshmandzadeh (CIN) & Wes Welker (NE) – 112
AP MVP: Tom Brady (NE)
Super Bowl XLII
New York Giants over New England Patriots 17-14
Hockey
League Leaders
Goals: Vincent Lecavalier (TB) – 52
Assists: Joe Thornton (SJ) – 92
Points: Sidney Crosby (PIT) – 120
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