Adam Richman's Fandemonium

Adam Richman's always got something in the work now that he is the three-time Greatest Person and an international celebrity. Man v. Food and Best Sandwich in America are on his resume and he's now moved on to his new NBC game show, but first, Adam Richman's Fandemonium on Travel Channel. Travel Channel really grabbed a gem in Richman. He keeps churning out hit after hit. I've seen four episodes of Fandemonium and he's gone to an Alaskan competition, mud festival, the Daytona 500 and a Renaissance fair. It's pretty quality. I'm impressed that he's able to just immerse himself in tradition and experience with everyone around him and just have a great time. He'll see a sign and be interested and just walk right in. Something interests him and he checks it out to truly understand the dedication these people give to their beloved local events. It's quality.

This is SportsCenter

My favorite commercial of the This is SportsCenter ad campaign, will always be, the Albert Pujols one.



Don't get me wrong, I appreciate most of them all. David Ortiz and Jorge Posada, Brett Favre, Henrik Lundqvist, John Clayton, Alexander Ovechkin. They're all quality. SportsCenter is asking, though, what the viewers think is the all-time best one. They made a playlist on YouTube for voting. The results will be revealed by Jason Sudeikis tomorrow at 8:00. You can't go wrong with any of them, really.

Saving Mr. Banks Poster

Just a short while after the release of the Saving Mr. Banks trailer, the poster was also released. To me, this poster works on many levels. Yes, the story is about how Walt Disney tried to acquire the rights to Mary Poppins from PL Travers, all three of which are pictured here. It's also about how Walt found the true meaning behind the Mary Poppins story, which is in the title. The tagline is cliche, but my favorite part of the poster is that the shadows they cast are also their biggest impact on the world. Walt Disney made Mickey Mouse, but he is Mickey Mouse, their names are synonymous. The same goes for Travers and Poppins, making for the perfect shadows.

2013 Disney Legends

The Disney Legends is a 26-year program for Disney that kind of acts as a Disney Hall of Fame for people who have contributed a lot to the success of Disney. This year, at the D23 Expo in Anaheim on August 10 at 2:00 PM, 2013's inductees will be enshrined. They are,

Tony Baxter, a Disney Imagineer for 43 years. He developed such attractions as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, Journey into Imagination with Figment and more.

Collin Campbell, a Disney jack-of-all-trades who helped in the TV and movie walks of the company and went on to help develop Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Enchanted Tiki Room.

Dick Clark, an American legend and ABC star and staple as the host, figurehead and producer of many programs like American Bandstand, New Year's Rockin' Eve, and even the Golden Globe Awards.

Billy Crystal, the man who provides the voice for one of the stars of Pixar's Monsters Inc and Monsters University, Mike Wazowski.

John Goodman, the man who provides the voice for James P. Sullivan, Sully, of Pixar's Monsters Inc and Monsters University and also Pacha from The Emperor's New Groove.

Steve Jobs, an early investor and executive of Pixar and he became Disney's largest shareholder in 2006. He was also on Disney's Board of Directors until 2011.

Glen Keane, one of Disney's best and most popular animators. He brought many beloved characters to life such as, Penny in The Rescuers, Elliott in Pete's Dragon, Ratigan in The Great Mouse Detective, Beauty and the Beast's Beast, The Little Mermaid's Ariel, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Tarzan and the entire cast of Tangled.

Ed Wynn, he appeared in many Disney classics including Mary Poppins, Babes in Toyland, That Darn Cat, The Absent-Minded Professor, Son of Flubber and he was the voice of the Mad Hatter in Alice and Wonderland.

A good, deserving bunch!

Nubble Lighthouse Facts

Yankee Magazine has made a list of Nubble Lighthouse facts that we never knew before! For example, did you know that it's called the Nubble because the land that it's on is called a nub? Who would have thought it'd be so obvious? I did know that it can be viewed from Sohier Park, however. Neat facts!

Best Bench Reactions

It's the highlight reel for all those players who never get to play or be on a highlight reel. It's the NBA's Best Bench Reactions of the 2012-13 season! Some guy will throw down and his teammates just go crazy. It's insane!

This Week's Sports by David

2012-13's TV Second Round

The second round was a bit late, but better late than never! We're down to 16 of the many shows aired between September 2012 and May 2013. Out of the following matchups, which show do you think is the better of the two? After all, it is up to you!

The Office v. Go On
The Middle v. Happy Endings
Parks and Recreation v. Rules of Engagement
Leverage v. Psych
New Girl v. Hawaii Five-O
Billy on the Street v. Bob's Burgers
Community v. Modern Family
30 Rock v. The Amazing Race

MLB Poll

The 2013 MLB season is in full swing and we're around the halfway point and approaching the Trade Deadline. Now, halfway through the year, the Cardinals have the best record, but are they the best overall team? That's what the poll is all about! Teams represented are Boston, Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Detroit, Oakland, Texas, Atlanta, Washington, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Arizona. What do YOU think?

Saving Mr. Banks Trailer

This could be my favorite trailer of the year right here. This film looks really good actually and I genuinely can't wait to see it. This movie is about the challenging ordeal that Walt Disney went through to try to convince P.L. Travers to help fulfill his promise to his daughters and bring Mary Poppins to the big screen. We all know the outcome, but just in case, I'll say nothing. This trailer makes the film look really good. Tom Hanks might not be completely convincing as Walt Disney, but that's okay because he looks the part, at least. It will be very interesting to see classic, vintage Los Angeles and the ol' Disneyland with Walt himself! My favorite part of the trailer actually came from a BJ Novak scene (yay, BJ Novak)! When she tells the Sherman Brothers (the two who wrote the songs for Mary Poppins, Novak plays Robert B. Sherman) to "unmake up" the word responstable, at which point Sherman (Novak) slides the classically famous song, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, away from view. Can't wait to see it! Maybe this will inspire a Walt biopic? Who knows?

Monsters University

Rich with celebrity vocal work (Steve Buscemi, Charlie Day, Helen Mirren, Alfred Molina, Nathan Fillion, Aubrey Plaza, Bonnie Hunt, Tyler Labine, Beth Behrs, Bill Hader, John Krasinski), the movie eventually finds its way back to Billy Crystal and John Goodman, the core of Monsters Inc. The story was quality and the film was overall enjoyable. The funniest line was probably, "I can't go back to jail!" from one of the Oozma Kappa nerds. It's never addressed again, making it all the more funnier. The funniest series of events is when Buscemi provides the reasoning for why Randall is the way that he is. He's a wide-eyed kid ready to start college. He even brings cupcakes to a party that say 'Be My Pal,' but they get rearranged to say 'Lame.' When he loses to Sulley in an event, he ditches the glasses and says "that's the last time I ever lose to James P. Sullivan." In the end the tale was as much about Mike Wazowski as it was about Mike's friendship with Sulley. The call-backs were great. You could see George and Flint walking around the MU campus. Mike was excited about his College ID card despite the fact his face was cut off. Mike's workout technique has carried through all these years. The best was the last bunch of scenes when Roz walks by saying that "she's always watching" the students of Monsters University. Then, when Mike and Sulley are in the Monsters Inc mailroom, the Abominable Snowmonster (John Ratzenberger) walks by and says that they have to be careful to avoid mail fraud because that can land a monster in banishment! So we finally learn why he was banished after all these years. The best scenes of all were when my childhood was reaffirmed and validated and it all came rushing back when we saw the Scare Floor on the big screen after all these years. That's where the incredible original film took place and it just mad me feel all warm and happy seeing it again after 12 years. It was magical. Great film.

40 Years. 1 Outfit.

A Dallas high school teacher is retiring after 40 years. One notable thing about his career as a gym teacher is that on his second year of yearbook pictures, he noticed that he wore the same outfit that he had worn the year before. He was surprised and a little bit upset, but his wife said, "Why stop there?" So, for the next 38 years he wore the same outfit again and again until he retired. It's pretty cool. He said it "got a little snug," in the later years.

Logic is Not in Dwight Howard's Repertoire

Here's a graph showing the respect I have for Dwight Howard over the years since his days on my favorite team, the Magic, then his whining to leave, then his demise in Los Angeles and then his indecision for Houston.

Anyway, it's interesting because the two cities Dwight Howard played for were Orlando with the Magic and Los Angeles with the Lakers. Those are the two cities in America that contain a Disney theme park. However, there is no Disney park in Houston, the place Howard will play next with the Rockets. He aptly chose a Walt Disney quote to explain his leaving of L.A. This is the full quote from Howard:

"Walt Disney said, 'Big risks, big rewards.' He put everything he had into Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and the sky is the limit. Now there's Disneyland and Disney World."

There are three things wrong with that. One: none of it makes any sense. Two: it doesn't apply to Dwight at all. Three: Walt Disney never coined that.

Oh, Dwight. You are a fool.

#CosbySweater

Bill Cosby took to the Today Show to promote a new competition he's having. He wants America to decide what the all-time greatest Cosby sweater was. You just have to tweet a picture of it with the hashtag, #CosbySweater, to count your vote. My personal choice is shown above.

The Worst Bunt Attempt in History

In a Japanese baseball league, the pitcher was issuing the batter an intentional walk so that way they could try to work a double play. The hitter wanted to bunt so he could plate the tying run. What occurred was, despite the wide pitch out, the batter kept his batting stance and dove to try to bunt anyway! I had to laugh at this because I just don't understand the hitter's point of view. Even if he had made contact, he was lying on the ground! Too funny.

Depressing Dedication

The Cleveland Browns haven't won a Super Bowl since 1964, a whopping 49 years ago, almost half of a century. Cleveland Browns fan, Scott, was 45 years old when he passed away. He never saw a Super Bowl victory in Cleveland. However, he made sure to include his lifelong passion in his obituary. It read, "He respectfully requests six Cleveland Browns pall bearers so the Browns can let him down one last time." It's a humorous final dig. The Browns didn't send six players, but they did send a custom jersey to the family.

The Awesomes Trailer

I doubt that I'll end up watching this, because I don't know how awesome it will be. I do know that Seth Meyers is awesome so it's worth sharing because something with Seth Meyers can't be a total bomb. Plus, it's on Hulu, making it even harder to watch.

Anthony Melchiorri...Follows Me?!

The man who was Number 60 on my list of the 100 Greatest People of 2013 has just started following me on Twitter! I have no idea why, I didn't even write to him. I favorited a tweet, but that's all. Still cool, though! Also, Chili's follows me, but I don't follow them. I'm stringing them along. Maybe they...have to buy me dinner first. Oh ho ho! Oh yes. Yes quite.

Grown Ups 2

Spoilers ahead!

Remember way back when and I was REALLY excited about the prospects of Grown Ups 2 possibly being made? The time finally came when I sat down in a movie theater and watched it. And it was worth the wait. Let me get this out of the way, first. To everyone who says that this is America's worst piece of crap and it's a terrible movie, the worst thing they've ever seen. Could you please leave? I am 100% certain that Adam Sandler did not plan to make an Oscar-winning movie here. That's not what it's meant to be! Roger Ebert said it best. "When you ask a friend if Hellboy is any good, you're not asking if it's any good compared to Mystic River, you're asking if it's any good compared to The Punisher. And my answer would be, on a scale of one to four, if Superman is four, then Hellboy is three and The Punisher is two. In the same way, if American Beauty gets four stars, then The United States of Leyland clocks in at about two." Apply this to Grown Ups 2. "When you ask a friend if Grown Ups 2 is any good, you're not asking if it's any good compared to Annie Hall, you're asking if it's any good compared to The Hangover. And my answer would be, on a scale of one to four, if The Hangover is four, then Billy Madison is three and Grown Ups 2 is two." Understand? I knew what I was expecting. Those who didn't, are trying to hard to make it as a movie critic. I'd like to rate you. Just an FYI, critics gave Grown Ups 2 a 7 on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences gave it a 90. Perspective is relative, people. Anyway, I will say that logic and plot were thrown out the window. But that doesn't matter because I enjoyed it. It was another fun romp with the familiar faces of Adam Sandler (Lenny Feder), Kevin James (Eric Lamonsoff), Chris Rock (Kurt Mackenzie), David Spade (Marcus Higgins), and (instead of Rob Schneider), Nick Swardson (Nick Hilliard). There were lots of humorous scenes (Lamonsoff's son, David Spade in a tire, Shaq and Andy Samberg at the car wash), surprise guest stars (hello Oliver Hudson and the J. Geils Band!), some nice callbacks (grandma's bunyuns, peeing in the pool) and also some cringe-worthy scenes (Sandler's son oh that scene was rough). Suddenly, Colin Quinn stands up for Lenny, a reversal of the original.  I am so happy to have finally seen this movie. Plus, it wasn't just joke after joke strung together, there was an underlying meaning. Sandler, James, Rock and Spade are not the youthful, up-and-coming comedians we once knew. They're somewhat old news. But that doesn't mean they're not content. It showed that they love the way their lives are and they wouldn't change them. Plus, they can still have some fun. Also, Taylor Lautner? Surprisingly funny. Surprised that Higgins had a son as well. Quality film, in my opinion!

Splash Mountain Construction Image Surfaces

Feels like a news headline, doesn't it? "Breaking news, this just in to WCVB Los Angeles, we are getting word here that an image has surfaced from the very construction of the popular Splash Mountain attraction in Walt Disney World. We go now to our theme park correspondent, Rob who's going to break it down for us. Rob, what does this all mean?" That didn't actually happen, but this picture is still pretty cool to see anyway. I like it.

This Week's Entertainment by David

The Royal Baby

The Half-Blood Prince is here! He's named George Alexander Louis, he was born on July 22. So, basically, he's not a she, he's not named Diana and he wasn't born on July 17. So my prediction on the Today Show website was completely wrong! Otherwise, I had no rooting interest. Full statistics here for the guess, not the baby. Can't really be statistics for a baby!

Danny Pudi and Dule Hill

Psych! That's Yvette Nicole Brown and Dule Hill. (Get it?) Apparently, in an upcoming episode of Psych, Yvette Nicole Brown will be a guest star. That's fantastic news because she hasn't been a guest star on any scripted show since Chuck. Imagine a Chuck-Psych-Community crossover? That'd be kay-razzy.

Glitter and Ribs

Taylor Swift has written yet another breakup song. This time it's called Glitter and Ribs. It's a weird song. She looks awful, though. This one must have taken it's toll on her.

Taylor Swift in "Glitter and Ribs" - watch more funny videos      

EICHNER! Hilarious.

Temporary Shun?

Donald Glover has worked out a deal to appear in only five episodes of the thirteen in Community's fifth season. He's doing this to spend more time with his rap career as Childish Gambino. First Chevy Chase and now Glover. The Greendale Seven is deteriorating! Glover was in the first draft of My Greatest People list, but he was removed in the re-work. Vulture at least made some fun with it. "Reps for Sony and Glover couldn't immediately be reached for comment, while reps for Abed Nadir were doing all they could to keep the news from him." Troy and Abed :( :( :(. It doesn't seem like Dan Harmon and the rest of the Community crew are too happy about this. I think that this is warranted. Donald Glover has been placed on a temporary shun. The second one on this blog to ever be given a temporary shun and the first since Steve Carell. That's right Carell got removed. Maybe (shunned) can redeem himself sometime.

Poll Results

The latest poll has concluded with a total of 15 votes! Which summer movie are you most excited for? was the question. The four films that tied for first were The Hangover Part III, Monsters University, Man of Steel and Grown Ups 2. Here are the full results!

Fast and Furious 6: 2 votes, 13%
Star Trek into Darkness: 2 votes, 13%
The Hangover Part III: 6 votes, 40%
Iron Man 3: 5 votes, 33%
This Is the End: 4 votes, 26%
Monsters University: 6 votes, 40%
The Heat: 2 votes, 13%
Man of Steel: 6 votes, 40%
The Lone Ranger: 2 votes, 13%
Despicable Me 2: 3 votes, 20%
Grown Ups 2: 6 votes, 40%
Pacific Rim: 1 vote, 6%
The Wolverine: 2 votes, 13%
The Smurfs 2: 2 votes, 13%

What do you think the next poll should be?

The TV Bracket!

Remember when I ranked the 31 TV shows I watched this year? Sure you do! It was only two months ago! Well, I had an idea. I should have YOU determine which one of them is your favorite. The rankings will be based on my rankings, but the champion will be up to YOU. I ranked The Office number one so they will get a BYE because there are no 31 team brackets, but there are 32. Vote for each matchup and the next round will be on July 26!

The Office v. The Office
Raising Hope v. Go On
The Middle v. The Big Bang Theory
Happy Endings v. 2 Broke Girls
Parks and Recreation v. The Simpsons
Rules of Engagement v. Parenthood
How I Met Your Mother v. Leverage
Psych v. Partners
New Girl v. How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life)
Hawaii Five-O v. 1600 Penn
Billy on the Street v. The Mindy Project
Bob's Burgers v. The New Normal
Community v. Two and a Half Men
Modern Family v. Mike & Molly
30 Rock v. Family Guy
The Amazing Race v. The Neighbors

When voting, think of this, which did you enjoy more?

The British Office

I concluded my viewing of the British Office on Netflix. It was only fourteen episodes, so I didn't expect it to take too long. I must say it was very quality. Naturally, I prefer the American Office, but this is probably one of my top 25 all-time favorite television shows. It was very funny. Very good humor, most of it passed by me. I thought that British Jim, Tim Canterbury, would be my favorite, but it ended up being British Dwight, Gareth Keenan. British Michael, David Brent, was so much more cringe-worthy, and British Pam, Dawn Tinsley was so much more weird-looking. The finale of the U.K. Office was some mighty fine television. The greatest moment was when David Brent told off the British Todd Packer, Chris Finch, but there was much more that I loved in that finale and the show as a whole that I won't spoil. Great quality.

First Pitches

They can either be really good or really bad. In this case, we have the best first pitch in history and also the worst. Here is the best from gymnast, Shin Soo-ji:



And the worst from pop star, Carly Rae Jepsen:



It didn't even roll the right way. Look into the stands. Good thing no one was there to see it.

This Week's Sports by David

New Header!

The new header features every single person listed on this year's List of the Greatest People. It's pretty packed, but it's also pretty awesome, in my opinion. Can you spot everyone?

2013 Maine

The 2013 Maine vacation (much thanks to everyone who made it awesome) was awesome! We ate at many great restaurants such as The Goldenrod, When Pigs Fly Pizzeria, The Weathervane, and Maine Diner, Fox's Lobster House. We visited Yummies, Le Gourmet Chef, Cape Cod Crafters and many more shops in Kittery, including the Pepperidge Farms store with shortbread cookies. Seven family members visited us there and that naturally made for some great fun. There was ladderball, frisbee catch, football catch and an awesome game in the surprisingly warm water of Maine where we'd throw a tennis ball and if you didn't catch it, you had to do a flip or handstand underwater. To give you an idea of the warmth, I didn't mind doing it. The Nubble was great as always, but I've got a beef with the rocks. I read two books by the water, Bossypants and Wicked Good Year. We had good fun in the house too. The ground was very hot with bare feet, which can be proven by when I walked from one end of Long Sands Beach in York to the other, I had to go up on the sidewalk for a little, I had to go in shadows and grass as I cooked my feet to medium rare. It was still a nice walk as I listened to music on my iPod (If It Kills Me) and took in the sights. Maine vacations are always great and I always go through vacation withdrawal after. But like the shirt of the sad-looking person at the Maine Diner said, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." She didn't look like she was smiling and she was kind of sweaty, but it fits nonetheless!

The General Manager Career

On MLB 2K7, they have a GM Career mode which I began as the GM of the Pirates. I was in Pittsburgh from 2007 to 2010, winning three World Series titles and four National League pennants. My team was stacked MoneyBall style and consisted of Jonah Bayliss, Mike Gonzalez, Chris Miller, Wade Miller, John Grabow, John van Benschoten, Manny Delcarmen, Kenny Lofton, Russ Adams, Zach Duke, Jason Marquis, Matt Cain, Barry Zito, Chad Billingsley, Jason Bay, Andrew McCutchen, Cliff Floyd, Jose Bautista, Nick Swisher, Jack Wilson, Xavier Nady, Freddy Sanchez, Omar Infante, David Murphy, Billy Johnson, Trot Nixon, Russell Branyan, Nook Logan, Tim Thomas, Lloyd DiMaggio, Doug Minetkiewicz, Jason Phillips, George Hubbell, Nate McLouth, Casey Kotchman and Jason Giambi. In that time, Bay won four MVPs, Duke won four Cy Youngs, Gonzalez won a Reliever of the Year award. Bay, McCutchen, Swisher, Floyd and Bautista all won four Silver Sluggers and Gold Gloves and All-Star appearances. Bay, McCutchen and Duke all set MLB records. Also in that time, Giambi, Phillips, Hubbell, Logan, Wilson and Lofton retired. I ended up trading away Lofton, Adams, Sanchez, Nixon, Branyan, Thomas, Mientkiewicz, and Kotchman for prospects. In the end, I was left with the core group of Bayliss, Gonzalez, Miller, Grabow, Benschoten, Delcarmen, Duke, Marquis, Cain, Zito, Billingsley, Bay, McCutchen, Floyd, Bautista, Swisher, Wilson, Nady, Infante, Murphy, Johnson and McLouth. They were the last ones I had from the 2007 in 2010 when I won my final Pittsburgh title. After that, my contract expired and I knew it was time to move on. I signed a deal with Toronto and immediately got to work. I cut players who I knew wouldn't be valuable going forward (Bengie Molina, Brandon League). I brought in some players who are known for being Blue Jays such as Edwin Encarnacion and Shaun Marcum. I worked with what I had and I made some deals. I brought two players from my time in Pittsburgh to Toronto, Billy Johnson and Lloyd DiMaggio. I shipped Brandon Inge and Eric Hinske to New York for Boof Bonser, Adam Dunn and Jonny Gomes. I shipped Wes Helms to the Red Sox for Mike Gosling, Matt Clement and Wily Mo Pena. I signed free agent, Paul Lo Duca, Nick Markakis, Johnny Damon and CJ Wilson. Now, my starting rotation consists of Marcum, Wilson, Tom and Brandon Morrow, and AJ Burnett. I let BJ Ryan, my closer, walk and promoted Dick Gardner to closer with Bonser at setup with Joe Kennedy, Gustavo Chacin, Mark Michaels, Chris Capuano, Gosling and Clement rounding out the bullpen. Since, Michaels has left. My manager is no longer, Jim Tracy, but Tony La Russa. My offense consists of Marco Scutaro, Gomes, Shane Victorino, Eric Chavez, Markakis, Curtis Granderson, Aaron Hill, Johnson, Dunn, Duca, DiMaggio. I drafted a great player named Irish Wetzel. Encarnacion and Damon have since departed. I've won a title already, Johnson, Wilson, Gardner and Ryan have won awards and Billy has set MLB records.

The prospects are good and I just thought I'd share so that way in thirty years I can remember my players.

2013's List of Greatest People: 10-1

Here we go! Top 10! It all comes down to this. 101 people have been named before this. These are the big guns. Surefire Power Hall of Famers if they're not they're already. Any predictions. See if they're correct, right now:

Surprised?

10. Marc Summers - The host of Unwrapped! When I think of him, I think of laying on the couch after not being able to fall asleep on a nice December night nearer to Christmas. I'll flick through the guide and find out that Unwrapped: Holiday Treats is on! It makes my entire self feel all warm and at peace. He welcomes me into that diner and I go on a journey with him to find out why candy canes are shaped that way.

9. Bill Simmons - He's the guy to look up to as aspiring sports journalists. Not only is he a columnist for ESPN and an NBA analyst too, but he has his own website called Grantland. He brings such a voice to his articles that you know it's him and you know it's going to be good whenever you read one of his pieces.

8. Jason Mraz - My favorite singer. The best singer ever, in my opinion. Need some evidence to back it up? Here's some: I'm Yours, The Remedy, Summer Breeze, Plane, Winter Wonderland, I Won't Give Up, 93 Million Miles, Beautiful Mess, You and I Both, If It Kills Me. All fantastic songs.

7. Ed Helms - He seems like a genuinely good person. He was fantastic in The Office, obviously. The Hangover, too. The Lorax, Jeff, Who Lives at Home. They're all quality. Ed Helms is what they have in common. Not only is he very funny, but he's actually an incredibly good actor.

6. Buddy the Elf - He's the kind of person that if everyone was just a little bit more like him, the world would be a better place. He's so upbeat, optimistic and has a sense of childlike wonder. You'd never see anyone hop through crosswalks, get hit by a taxi and then apologize to the driver. He's the opposite of cynicism. He's the spirit of Christmas.

5. Tim Tebow - My favorite player in the NFL. Not only did I love him in Denver, but I loved him in Gainesville. Now he's coming to New England! It's like the perfect storm! Tebow and the Patriots. With Belichick at the helm, I wouldn't be surprised if Tebow does me proud and then gets higher than #5 next year, which is nothing to scoff at.

4. Jimmy Fallon - Fever Pitch? Saturday Night Live? Those aren't the reasons why he's number four. He's number four because of Late Night. I've posted over 50 videos of his work on Late Night on this blog. He's so funny and musical and talented that it's a no-brainer for him to not only be number four, but to also be the new host of The Tonight Show. NBC's got a keeper.

3. Jim Halpert - The highest ranking person on this list with a connection to The Office and he comes in at number three! Not anything to scoff at, to paraphrase my Tebow description. I was nervous about where he'd place after he wasn't really being the best guy midway through Season 9, but then that last stretch of episodes and a re-watch of The Job and Product Recall really hammer home the fact that Jim Halpert is, and always will be, phenomenal.

2. Dustin Pedroia - I write this as the Red Sox have locked the Laser Show up through 2021. His attitude and work ethic are complete opposites, but they're cohesive, making him the perfect teammate and the ideal, model baseball player. The Muddy Chicken is all hustle. The next step in his already lavish career that feature a Rookie of the Year, an MVP, two Gold Gloves, four All-Star selections and a championship will be a C on his chest. He's truly deserving of it. After all, could he be any more of an embodiment of what Boston, the Red Sox and baseball are all about?

1. Adam Richman - Expect anyone different? Adam Richman has just won the title of the Greatest Person for the third consecutive year! Man v. Food and Best Sandwich in America are his claims to Power fame right now, but he's sure to expand. Every time you turn on an episode of Man v. Food, you can bet that you're going to see Adam Richman doing his thing, which is being awesome. Every word out of his mouth, every action that he takes is just pure legendary greatness. He is truly my hero.


A great list, wouldn't you say? See how it all shuffles out in 2014! For now, here's the comprehensive 2013 list:

111. Will Arnett
110. Jameer Nelson
109. Matthew Stafford
108. Zachary Knighton
107. Chris Traeger
106. David Krumholtz
105. Jonny Gomes
104. Angela Kinsey
103. The Lonely Island/Britanick
102. Gary Sinise
101. John McBain
100. Casey Affleck
99. Wilfred
98. Steve Burns
97. Dr. Seuss
96. Johnny Boychuk
95. Juan Barlos
94. Tom Bergeron
93. Matt Harding
92. Billy Mays
91. Kevin Love
90. Slinky Dog
89. Edward Talpey
88. Ryan Seacrest
87. John van Benschoten
86. Brian Wilson
85. Jimmy Olson
84. Nick Cannon
83. Mike Rosario
82. Adam Levine
81. Dule Hill
80. Michael Phelps
79. Jake Johnson
78. Gareth Keenan
77. Josh Reddick
76. Brian Regan
75. Kevin Millar
74. Patrick Warburton
73. Ellen DeGeneres
72. Stan Verret and Neil Everett
71. Guy Fieri
70. Ken Jennings
69. Jack Sparrow
68. Bradford Howe
67. George Takei
66. The Swedish Chef
65. David Spade
64. Charles Nelson Reilly
63. Happy Gilmore
62. Danno Williams
61. Lucille Ball
60. Anthony Melchiorri
59. Ferris Bueller
58. Jonah Hill
57. Creed Bratton
56. Cliff Paul
55. Tina Fey
54. Josh Gad
53. Jim Gaffigan
52. Kevin James
51. Tom Hanks
50. Rajon Rondo
49. Milan Lucic
48. Stephen Curry
47. Barney Stinson
46. Nick Markakis
45. Keegan Bradley
44. Tomie dePaola
43. Kevin Hart
42. Paul Rudd
41. Walt Disney
40. Mindy Kaling
39. Steve Carell
38. Chandler Bing
37. Matt Lauer
36. Jason Ritter
35. Ron Swanson
34. Jerry Seinfeld
33. Shawn Spencer
32. Ryan Gosling
31. Joel McHale
30. Schmidt
29. John Krasinski
28. Amy Adams
27. Arthur Fonzarelli
26. Barack Obama
25. Santa Claus
24. Jenna Fischer/Pam Beesly
23. Seth Meyers
22. John D. Ryder
21. Dan Andelman
20. Rob Gronkowski
19. Andy Bernard
18. Billy Eichner
17. Dagwood Bumstead
16. BJ Novak
15. Ben Stiller
14. Dwight Schrute
13. Roger Federer
12. Jean Shepherd
11. Zooey Deschanel
10. Marc Summers
9. Bill Simmons
8. Jason Mraz
7. Ed Helms
6. Buddy the Elf
5. Tim Tebow
4. Jimmy Fallon
3. Jim Halpert
2. Dustin Pedroia
1. Adam Richman

Another Blow to FOX

FOX Sports has been in decline in recent years. The health of one of their reporters may also be in decline.



At a high school football game, FOX Sports reporter, Amy Campbell got flattened by Floridian receiver, Ermon Lane. She's alright, though. She's the one who uploaded the video. Crazy happenings.

The Driskel Red Sox Saga Continues

Remember when I told y'all about Jeff Driskel being drafted by the Red Sox for baseball, but he decided to stay at Florida to play football? It's not over yet. Driskel signed with the Red Sox. He said he signed with Boston, but will remain a committed and full-time student and quarterback at the University of Florida. That's good, I guess. He stays at Florida and will play well and then he will try a football career and if it doesn't work out, he'll come to Boston! A win-win-win scenario, but a strange one at that.

2013's List of Greatest People: 20-11

The second to last installment of 2013's comprehensive list! After this there's just the top ten. Any surprises today or predictions for tomorrow?

20. Rob Gronkowski - Aaron Hernandez was in the first draft of this list. Aaron Hernandez was not in the second draft of this list. Gronk has been in both. He's such a fun, free-spirit on the Patriots that I hope he keeps yo soy fiesta-ing through his injuries.

19. Andy Bernard - During my re-watch of The Office, I noticed what a great character Andy is. His music is actually good and he dresses amazingly. He's a good guy, but he also has a dark side. I'll always love the Nard Dog.

18. Billy Eichner - Imagine this: you're walking down the streets of New York City when suddenly a crazed man with a microphone and a blue t-shirt sprints up to you, screaming questions about Meryl Streep and Bunheads at you. Wouldn't that guy be in your top 20 too?

17. Dagwood Bumstead - The highest ranking cartoon character on this strip. He dresses like he eats: fantastically. There's not much more I can say about this legend.

16. BJ Novak - He's played Ryan Howard, Robert Sherman and an unnamed Spiderman character. In addition to that, he's overtaken Ken Jennings as the funniest man on Twitter. Here's an example:

I bet the parties at Monsters University are fucking insane
— B.J. Novak (@bjnovak) June 15, 2013

15. Ben Stiller - Last year's Number 10, drops down a bit, but not too far. It's only because he hasn't really been in anything this year, but he'll skyrocket again after Dodgeball 2. His filmography is so big that it has it's own Wikipedia page! Like Kevin James and Tom Hanks, he's also been in many of my favorite films: Happy Gilmore, Dodgeball, Tower Heist, etc.

14. Dwight Schrute - Modern day Renaissance man. Paper salesman. Regional manager. Beet farmer. He even plays the recorder! He'll go down as one of the most legendary television characters of all-time.

13. Roger Federer - Easily the nicest guy in all of sports. There's no man I'd rather shake hands with after a tennis match, presumably in a loss because he's the all-time winningest tennis player.

12. Jean Shepherd - Voice? He's got it. This man possessed the greatest voice in the history of mankind until his death in 1999. Not only did he narrate A Christmas Story, but he also played the lead role in A Carousel of Progress. I wish his voice always reverberated in my head.

11. Zooey Deschanel - She lucked out after Elf. Up until New Girl, I would watch Elf and be like who's that girl? I'd find out and would say that I've never heard of her. Now I'm like who's that girl when the New Girl theme song comes into play. Fox is really banking on that a-dork-able factor aren't they?

The Return of Brian Wilson

We all know the zany bearded man who took the MLB and ESPYs by storm with his crazy antics and crazy skills. After having Tommy John's surgery, he dropped off the face of the Earth. Apparently, Brian Wilson's been working out and making progress in Hawaii. Sounds like The Beach Boys! What a strange, mysterious guy. He could make a return to the MLB as early as August. I'd love to see him in Boston! Red Sox need some relief anyway...?

Daylight Savings Shouldn't Exist

It never really made sense to me. If they want to change the time, I wouldn't understand why, but if they did want to, why not just do one half hour and leave it at that? Turns out, the whole idea shouldn't have ever happened at all because it was proposed as a joke by Benjamin Franklin! What do you say we turn back time (boom) and change the Daylight Savings era? There's a full OMG Facts article here.

2013's List of Greatest People: 30-21

The start of the top 30. It's not like the top 40, as Ryan Seacrest would say back in the top 80. However, it does start to get whittled down some more. Any predictions?

30. Schmidt - I have no idea what his full name is. They've never said it. I do know that the New Girl scene-stealer is one of the funniest characters on television today.

29. John Krasinski - Another strong candidate for People's Sexiest Man Alive, but enough about that. He started out playing the young Jim Halpert and has grown into a genuine celebrity who seems like a great overall person.

28. Amy Adams - Sorry Jonah Hill, but I think Amy Adams is the true American sweetheart. She'll do any role so long as it doesn't suck. She's played everyone from Amelia Earhart to the girl in The Muppets to some dramatic role probably. Billy Eichner once said, "Tell your girlfriend to be more like Amy Adams and if she's not more like Amy Adams, tell her to pack her bags AND GET THE HELL OUT!"

27. Arthur Fonzarelli - The coolest guy of the 50s. Or is it the 70s? Henry Winkler will never tell. Probably because he's too senile to figure it out himself. Nonetheless, somewhere in Milwaukee, he's probably still fictionally punching jukeboxes and getting that music going again. Ayyyy!

26. Barack Obama - The Barack-ness monster. The Preezy of the United Steezy. He's probably the coolest President I've ever known! Hopefully he doesn't get impeached!

25. Santa Claus - The jolliest man ever. He is the definition of Christmas joy. He is the embodiment of happiness. Isn't that just the kind of guy you hope is truly out there somewhere - immortal or not.

24. Jenna Fischer/Pam Beesly - I had no idea how to decide between the two. Jenna Fischer seems like one of the nicest human beings and Pam Beesly Halpert is one of the most dynamic TV characters ever. So I grouped them together.

23. Seth Meyers - He's like the host to end all hosts. He hosted Weekend Update flawlessly. He hosted the ESPY's twice hilariously. He's sure to be a great host of the new 2014 Late Night.

22. John D. Ryder - My favorite radio personality on WEEI. He has a valuable insight and in-depth knowledge of the history of the Red Sox and Celtics. A great guy to fall asleep listening to as he talks sports.

21. Dan Andelman - He's a New England hero as the host of Phantom Gourmet. We share similar food taste, but he's a Sunday morning Massachusetts staple.

2013 MLB All-Star Game

The All-Star festivities have come to an end with a Brian Baumgartner cameo, Yoenis Cespedes winning the Home Run Derby and the American League topping the National League, 3-0 with Mariano Rivera as the MVP. It's my favorite All-Star game out of the four major sports (MLB, NBA, NHL, NFL). That's also the rankings. I'm going to provide the rosters of both the American and National Leagues. Bold denotes a Scranton Paper Salesman (my fantasy team) and italicized font denotes a Red Sock.

American League

Joe Mauer: Minnesota Twins
Chris Davis: Baltimore Orioles
Robinson Cano: New York Yankees
JJ Hardy: Baltimore Orioles
Miguel Cabrera: Detroit Tigers
Mike Trout: Anaheim Angels
Adam Jones: Baltimore Orioles
Jose Bautista: Toronto Blue Jays
David Ortiz: Boston Red Sox
Grant Balfour: Oakland Athletics
Clay Buchholz: Boston Red Sox
Brett Cecil: Toronto Blue Jays
Bartolo Colon: Oakland Athletics
Jesse Crain: Chicago White Sox
Yu Darvish: Texas Rangers
Steve Delabar: Toronto Blue Jays
Felix Hernandez: Seattle Mariners
Greg Holland: Kansas City Royals
Hisashi Iwakuma: Seattle Mariners
Justin Masterson: Cleveland Indians
Matt Moore: Tampa Bay Rays
Joe Nathan: Texas Rangers
Glen Perkins: Minnesota Twins
Mariano Rivera: New York Yankees
Chris Sale: Chicago White Sox
Max Scherzer: Detroit Tigers
Chris Tillman: Baltimore Orioles
Justin Verlander: Detroit Tigers
Jason Castro: Houston Astros
Salvador Perez: Kansas City Royals
Prince Fielder: Detroit Tigers
Jason Kipnis: Cleveland Indians
Dustin Pedroia: Boston Red Sox
Ben Zobrist: Tampa Bay Rays
Jhonny Peralta: Detroit Tigers
Manny Machado: Baltimore Orioles
Nelson Cruz: Texas Rangers
Alex Gordon: Kansas City Royals
Torii Hunter: Detroit Tigers
Edwin Encarnacion: Toronto Blue Jays

National League

Yadier Molina: St. Louis Cardinals
Joey Votto: Cincinnati Reds
Brandon Phillips: Cincinnati Reds
Troy Tulowitzki: Colorado Rockies
David Wright: New York Mets
Carlos Beltran: St. Louis Cardinals
Carlos Gonzalez: Colorado Rockies
Bryce Harper: Washington Nationals
Madison Bumgarner: San Francisco Giants
Aroldis Chapman: Cincinnati Reds
Patrick Corbin: Arizona Diamondbacks
Jose Fernandez: Miami Marlins
Jason Grilli: Pittsburgh Pirates
Matt Harvey: New York Mets
Clayton Kershaw: Los Angeles Dodgers
Craig Kimbrel: Atlanta Braves
Cliff Lee: Philadelphia Phillies
Jeff Locke: Pittsburgh Pirates
Mark Melancon: Pittsburgh Pirates
Edward Mujica: St. Louis Cardinals
Sergio Romo: San Francisco Giants
Adam Wainwright: St. Louis Cardinals
Travis Wood: Chicago Cubs
Jordan Zimmermann: Washington Nationals
Buster Posey: San Francisco Giants
Brian McCann: Atlanta Braves
Paul Goldschmidt: Arizona Diamondbacks
Allen Craig: St. Louis Cardinals
Freddie Freeman: Atlanta Braves
Matt Carpenter: St. Louis Cardinals
Marco Scutaro: San Francisco Giants
Everth Cabrera: San Diego Padres
Jean Segura: Milwaukee Brewers
Pedro Alvarez: Pittsburgh Pirates
Domonic Brown: Philadelphia Phillies
Michael Cuddyer: Colorado Rockies
Carlos Gomez: Milwaukee Brewers
Andrew McCutchen: Pittsburgh Pirates

This Week's Entertainment by David

2013's List of Greatest People: 40-31

We're really getting close now! After this, there will be only 30 people left! Anything goes from there. I wonder how it'll play out...

40. Mindy Kaling - I'll always prefer Kelly Kapoor over Mindy Lahiri, but Kaling has done more than that. Her interactions with BJ Novak on Twitter are amazing and she was also in 2013's Time 100...and This Is the End for some reason.

39. Steve Carell - What a roller coaster year for Carell! He goes from a hopeful guest in The Office finale to a temporary shun on this blog (I didn't say his name) to number 39 on the top 100. I'll never be able to say enough thanks to him for returning as Michael Scott one last time.

38. Chandler Bing - Ah, the best character on Friends. His humor revolved around sarcasm, but it was still guaranteed hilarity when he appeared on screen. I also like Miss Chanandler Bong.

37. Matt Lauer - I'll never understand my fascination with this man. It might be because when I see him on the Today show, I'm reminded of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade which reminds me of the beginning of Christmastime, the best time of the year. Hey, I think I just found out the reason!

36. Jason Ritter - This man just cannot get a show! The Class: cancelled. The Event: cancelled. Parenthood: He's written out. He's got a new doctor show coming so hopefully that will stick. This hero of television will always be in America's graces.

35. Ron Swanson - He's achieved legend status among manly men. He is the stereotypical manly men. It's hard to determine his all-time greatest quote, so I'll go with his all-time greatest Season 5 quote. "The only thing I hate more than lying is skim milk which is water that's lying about being milk."

34. Jerry Seinfeld - My personal favorite comedian. I just love the observational humor. "One thing horses don't know during races is that if at one point they trip and break their leg. We're gonna blow their brains out."

33. Shawn Spencer - Roday might not have made the list, but his character sure will. He does everything so flawlessly in Psych and all of his humor is just so quick and witty that it's hard not to love him.

32. Ryan Gosling - The biggest snub in history. Bigger than Dustin Pedroia being snubbed as the 2008 ESPY's Best MLB Player. He absolutely should have been People's Sexiest Man Alive in more years than one.

31. Joel McHale - He wouldn't be the guy we know and love on Community if not for the hysterical part he has as host of The Soup. Am I the only one who thinks that he'd make a great villain in a Muppet film?

American Ninja Streaker

American Ninja Warrior is like Wipeout on steroids. Plus, it's awesome.



That guy went streaking on it. He was so good too! He was one more try at the Warped Wall away from completing it at a blistering space. The commentary is top notch too.

The Heat

It seems that all you need to give Melissa McCarthy is a lot of swears and a good path for insults and hilarity will certainly ensue. Set in Boston, Paul Feig created a very very funny buddy cop movie, The Heat with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. There were also three Office cast cameos! Andy Buckley (David Wallace), Zach Woods (Gabe Lewis), and Noel Pentok (Troy)! But the main focus was on Bullock and McCarthy who put a new spin on buddy cop. I enjoyed it and thought that this was one of, if not the, best role that McCarthy has had to date.

8.6983 out of 10 stars.

2013's List of Greatest People: 50-41

Here we go! The beginning of the Top 50. There's so many famous people, but these. These are the Top 50. Well, these are actually 50-41, but from here on it's the Top 50.

50. Rajon Rondo - My favorite NBA player, 2008 champion, triple-double and assist leader, Connect Four master and he's still a Celtic for now!

49. Milan Lucic - My favorite NHL player, 2011 champion, fights and assist leader, master of American/Russian/Canadian hockey players and he's still a Bruin for now!

48. Stephen Curry - I know what you're thinking. But he's an NBA player! How can Rondo be your favorite? Curry is here because he was amazing in college at Davidson University and that Cinderella run back in 2008.

47. Barney Stinson - What is there to say about this man? You hear the name and you immediately think: awesome. He wrote the Bro Code! He can never take a bad picture! He wears suits! Whenever he gets sad, he stops being sad and becomes awesome instead!

46. Nick Markakis - In my opinion, the greatest Oriole of all-time. Obviously he's not the greatest Oriole of all-time, but he's a nice addition to a Baltimore baseball team that is no longer a cellar-dweller.

45. Keegan Bradley - He's Irish. He's from Boston. He's a pro golfer. What more is there to want in a person?

44. Tomie dePaola - My all-time favorite children's author. Sorry, Dr. Seuss. I know that he writes for children, but I still have fond memories about reading his autobiographies as a child. Great tales. And he's not dead yet!

43. Kevin Hart - A great stand-up comedian who took his comedy routine to the big screen in Let Me Explain to go along with other flicks in his filmography, Think Like a Man and This Is the End.

42. Paul Rudd - Jeff Winger once said, "To me, religion is like Paul Rudd. I see the appeal and I'd never take it away from anyone, but I also wouldn't stand in line for it." For once, I disagree with Community. I'd say the same thing, but with The Big Bang Theory or Rachel McAdams, not Paul Rudd because he's cool.

41. Walt Disney - The creator of twentieth-century happiness and wonder. It's hard to imagine the world without him because he truly made it a better place through imagination and dreams.

The Getaway

I can already tell that this show will be amazing. It's called The Getaway and it will be on the new Esquire Network and debut at 9:00 PM on September 25. It will be an hour long and will center around a celebrity who takes viewers on a tour of world-famous cities. Some of the celebrities already enlisted are Joel McHale who will go to Northern Ireland, Aisha Tyler who will go to Paris, Aziz Ansari will go to Hong Kong, Josh Gad will go to New York City, Seth Meyers will go to Amsterdam, Rashida Jones will go to London, Paul Feig will go to Boston, and there's many more. Sounds awesome!

Boston Red Sox Midseason Grades

This gives me an excellent idea for the end of next year's television! But since The Office and 30 Rock won't be there, The Office gets an A+ and 30 Rock an A-. Now onto the real point of this post.

I believed in the Red Sox. I thought that this year would be better than last year at the very least. I didn't think they'd have the best record in the MLB, however. I did have faith, though. I saw those posters that said 'What's Broken Can Be Fixed' and '162 Games To Restore Faith' with Pedroia and Ortiz in the background as the heart of the Red Sox and the reason for Boston fans to believe. The media guide was of Pedroia and Ortiz. But it's become about more than just them. It's become the whole team under the guidance of John Farrell. Gomes, Napoli, Ellsbury...you know what? We'll do it one at a time. Also, Hanrahan, JBJ and Ross didn't do enough to get a grade.

Craig Breslow: Expectations: D+, Actual: B: One of the more pleasant surprises of this year's team is the bullpen. Breslow has been one of the few relief pitchers to stay healthy. Plus he's pitching with a 2.88 ERA and 19 strikeouts to boot. Not to mention his 1.34 WHIP, which is incredible.

Ryan Dempster: Expectations: B-, Actual: C: Dempster has been kind of disappointing this year. I'd go as far as to say he's the weak link of the pitching staff. Even then, he's not terrible. Sure, he's 5-8 with a 4.28 ERA, but 108 isn't anything to scoff at. Plus, the .253 batting average against opposing hitters is respectable.

Felix Doubront: Expectations: C, Actual: B-: In a role reversal with Dempster, Doubront hasn't been half bad this year. The 25 year-old has fired 98 strikeouts with a 7-3 record and a 3.76 ERA. Plus, the eight home runs he's given up is a great improvement on last year's 24.

John Lackey: Expectations: F, Actual: A: This is one of the most surprising things I've ever seen in my life. Lackey was awful and I dreaded his return to the mound. However, he lost weight, he got down to work, he actually returned from an injury. Now, he might be 7-7, but with the 2.95 ERA, do I dare say he's the ace?

Jon Lester: Expectations: B+, Actual: B: Lester was wicked hot to start off the year with a 4-0 record, a 3.11 ERA and 33 strikeouts in April. Now he's 8-6 with 4.55 and 107 strikeouts. He's got some control issues, but with just a little bit of work, he'll back to the ace we know and love.

Junichi Tazawa: Expectations: C-, Actual: B+: I struggle to put him in the A's because of his four blown saves, but it's hard to ignore the ERA under 3.00 at 2.93 and 47 strikeouts. Plus, his 1.21 WHIP puts him in the top tier of American League relief pitchers.

Andrew Miller: Expectations: C-, Actual: B-: This bearded devil was putting up career numbers with a 2.64 ERA and 48 strikeouts in only thirty innings pitched. Unfortunately, four days ago it came to a crashing halt after he was placed on the 60 day DL for foot surgery.

Andrew Bailey: Expectations: C-, Actual: F: After Hanrahan went down, Bailey stepped in as the closer and didn't do so hot. His numbers don't look terrible with a 1.22 WHIP and a 3.77 ERA, but he only saved eight games out of thirteen opportunities. Plus, the opposition's .321 batting average with no runners on in the ninth is troubling.

Koji Uehara: Expectations: C-, Actual: A: Alas! Here stands before us the closer we were waiting for! He's saved nine games and struck out 63 in only forty-four innings. Plus, his 1.62 ERA and 0.74 WHIP are among the best in the bigs. He was also very close to the All-Star Game.

Clay Buchholz: Expectations: C, Actual: A-: He'd have an A+ if he could stay healthy, a concern even in spring training. Before his stint on the DL, he was the best pitcher in the American League with his 9-0 record, 81 strikeouts, 1.71 ERA and 1.02 WHIP and a 1.95 opposing batting average. Those are Cy Young numbers.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia: Expectations: C+, Actual: B-: He was putting up career numbers. *Cough, cough 23 RBIs in May and June.* But he's tapered off a bit. He's put up modest numbers, but they're respectable, .257 with 8 homers and 37 RBIs. He plays with heart though...and a pretty cool .991 fielding percentage.

Stephen Drew: Expectations: D, Actual: C+: Every time Drew hits a double, I think, wow! Drew's been doing great lately! But, the consistency isn't really there at all. He's only hitting .226 plus 71 strikeouts in only 69 games. One pleasing stat is those three triples. That's something to build off of.

Jose Iglesias: Expectations: B, Actual: A-: There was a brief moment where everyone thought that Iglesias might be the first guy since Ted Williams to hit over .400. He's hitting .348 now. Still pretty spectacular. His power numbers are modest, but that doesn't mean he's not a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year.

Mike Napoli: Expectations: C+, Actual: B+: There was some concern about his hip, but when he was signed to only a one year deal, there was a factor of low risk, high reward. The reward has been high. He hits well when it matters, but that doesn't mean his other numbers are modest. 13 home runs and 62 RBIs are pretty good numbers for a one-year, last-minute signing.

Dustin Pedroia: Expectations: A-, Actual: A: He's putting up the best numbers of his career. Yes, the same career that includes a 2008 MVP year. He'll be in Boston through 2021, and it doesn't hurt that he's batting .306 with 58 RBIs. He's flirting with a .400 OBP and even though his power numbers are down - six home runs - his presence is felt in much more facets.

Mike Carp: Expectations: D+, Actual: B+: It's curious why Farrell hasn't been playing Carp too often. He's been a very nice surprise, hitting .317 with eight homers. Two stats that stand out? Batting .400 with runners in scoring position and his 21 RBIs when he's down in the count, 75% of his total RBIs.

Jacoby Ellsbury: Expectations: B, Actual: A-: There's been a huge drop-off in power (32 home runs in 2011, eight home runs in 2012 and 2013 combined). No worries, though. He's still hitting over .300 and he leads the American League with 37 stolen bases. He's only been caught thrice.

Jonny Gomes: Expectations: C-, Actual: B: Probably the most clutch hitter on the team right now, Gomes had low expectations, coming in as a role player for the bench. He's started many games (71 of 102, lot more than a bench player usually does). Most of his eight home runs have come in clutch, late-game situations.

Daniel Nava: Expectations: C, Actual: A: At thirty years old, it seemed like Nava would be destined for a life of kicking around the minors, despite a grand slam in his first major league appearance. His home run after the Boston Marathon was one of ten that contributes to his 52 RBIs, .287 average and .372 OBP in only 90 games.

Shane Victorino: Expectations: B-, Actual: B: He's struggled with injuries so far this year, but despite that, he's managed to play 68 games with a .284 average and .988 fielding percentage. He's not shy about flashing the leather. Another curious stat, he has 2 home runs and 13 RBIs in both home and away games.

Will Middlebrooks: Expectations: B+, Actual: C-: Another difference between the 2012 Sox and 2013 Sox is that there's no qualms about sending someone to the minors who isn't performing and needs to get sorted out. Will would never have been sent down last year, but this year, with only a .192 average and a third of his nine homers coming in only one game, he needed to go down to figure it out. Since then, he's hitting .263 with seven homers in Pawtucket.

David Ortiz: Expectations: B, Actual: A: The ageless wonder! Ortiz is putting up career numbers at thirty-seven years old. He's only played in 82 games due to a first month injury, but he was the AL all-star starting DH anyway due to his .324 average, 19 home runs, 65 RBIs and a .406 OBP! Those numbers are all the highest on the team.

John Farrell (and the Red Sox, too): Expectations: D, Actual: A: No one expected much from the Red Sox, but Farrell (and Cherington too) have lead them to 61 wins in 102 games. A much more blistering pace than last year. The Sox lead the majors in runs and on-base percentage and they are in second in slugging percentage and third in batting average. Plus, they're fifth in quality starts. Not shabby.

2013's List of Greatest People: 60-51

The last installment of the first half of the 2013 list. Who do you think will headline the top 50? Who do you think will rock the numbers from 60 to 51? You can find that out right now.

60. Anthony Melchiorri - He's so aggressive and so assertive, but his passion for hotels makes you realize that they can be great. Maybe the Hotel Impossible host is here because of his general manager-ness.

59. Ferris Bueller - Leisure rules for this 80's poster boy. Matthew Broderick was great in Tower Heist, but even better in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. His whole plan is just woven together so flawlessly.

58. Jonah Hill - A quality surprise in MoneyBall, but it probably wouldn't have been enough to vault him into the list if it wasn't for This Is the End. He was by far my favorite character in both films.

57. Creed Bratton - His alias is William Charles Schneider. That is his birth name. That is also who he transfers his debt to. Am I talking about the actor or the character? I'll never tell. The mystery should be just as mysterious as Creed himself.

56. Cliff Paul - Sorry Chris Paul, but your twin that was separated at birth is the guy who makes the list. He was born to assist. I don't think that he exists. I think it's just Chris Paul in costume. However, I'm not 100% sure, which is the best part.

55. Tina Fey - Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, Date Night. Muppets Most Wanted. That's all well and good, but she can also she Russia from her house. She also wrote an amazing autobiography called Bossypants.

54. Josh Gad - He was so hilarious and charming on 1600 Penn, I thought he'd be dopey, but I was wrong. That earned him respect in my eyes and it even garnered a Twitter follow.

53. Jim Gaffigan - Little did I know when he came onto comedy Pandora, how much I'd laugh at what he had to say. I laugh the most at his Escalators bit. "Escalators kind of make you look down on stairs. You're nothing more than an organized hill."

52. Kevin James - He has had many roles in many of my favorite films. Grown Ups, Paul Blart, Here Comes the Boom, etc. He'll always be one of my favorite comedic actors.

51. Tom Hanks - He has also had many roles in many of my favorite films. Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3, Big, Forrest Gump, etc. He's like America's grandpa.

This Week's Sports by David

The Greatest Wiffleball Pitcher of All-Time

This guy knows how to play. The next time you have a cookout, see if you can get this guy on your team. Seriously, though, how does he do that? It's amazing.

Cory Monteith

Now, I haven't watched Glee for two and a half years, but when I woke up and my dad showed me the news that Cory Monteith had died, I really couldn't believe it. It's not like I was a die-hard fan, but he actually seemed genuine. He seemed like he had his life together. I had no idea about his drug issues, that's probably what shocked me the most. He was just so young. I can't help but feel for the cast of Glee and everyone else who knew him. I was just completely shocked. He was way too young. Like I said, I haven't watched Glee, but I'm watching that third episode of this coming season. R.I.P. Cory Monteith.

2013's List of Greatest People: 70-61

We're halfway in now. This is the fifth of ten installments! By now, you've probably realized that there's some surprises. Kyle Busch hasn't been on the list yet (and he won't be). Sorry NASCAR, but I don't care for you.

70. Ken Jennings - He makes the list, not for his record-breaking reign on Jeopardy, but for being one of the funniest men on Twitter.

69. Jack Sparrow - The best live action Disney character of all-time. Take that, Mary Poppins! If you listen closely to the dialogue and watch his actions vigorously, it's so much proof that he is a true winner.

68. Bradford Howe - Howe is a movie theater legend. Remember that time from March 2005 to December 2009 where everytime you went to see a film, there was a thing called Screenvision before it? Bradford was the host of Screenvision. It still warms my heart to this day.

67. George Takei - The funniest man on Facebook. That will be his repuation and legacy. I bet there's some people out there who join Facebook, like his page and then go through all of his pictures. Oh myyy....

66. The Swedish Chef - The all-time greatest Muppet, in my opinion. No offense to Grover or Animal, but everytime The Chef tries to cook lasagna and he ends up chasing a chicken dressed as a clown? Well that's just bork.

65. David Spade - Rules of Engagement. Tommy Boy. The Benchwarmers. The Emperor's New Groove. Grown Ups. Grown Ups 2. The comedy list goes on and on for the guy who plays himself everytime. And I don't mind.

64. Charles Nelson Reilly - There's Richard Dawson, Brett Somers, Gene Rayburn and Charles Nelson Reilly. The core group of Match Game, but Reilly is by far the funniest.

63. Happy Gilmore - The greatest golfer in history. He barely even plays before going on to win the Golden Jacket. He can drive a 600 yard green. He is a legend...and a Bruins fan.

62. Danny Williams - Nicknamed Dann-O by McGarrett, Scott Caan breathes new life into the character on the new show. He's so swaggerific that I don't know if it's Caan or Danno that I adore.

61. Lucille Ball - The funniest actress in history took part on one of the all-time great shows. Lucy's antics will forever be remembered through re-runs of Vitameatavegamin, the flaming nose, romps through Europe and a very quick chocolate conveyor belt.

The World's Best Hotels

Travel and Leisure have named their 100 best hotels in the world for 2013. The number one hotel is in Botswana. The number one American hotel is in Sea Island, Georgia and it's known as The Cloister. The full list can be found by clicking on this sentence.

2013's List of Greatest People: 80-71

We've reached the fourth installment. Have you seen any surprises? Have you been surprised at all? Maybe you will be now.

80. Michael Phelps - The all-time greatest Olympian. He was one of my heroes in 2008, then it kind of died down. But after that stunning show in London in 2012. Well, he deserves to be back on the list.

79. Jake Johnson - The actor who is behind the soon-to-be-legendary Nick Miller of New Girl. He seems like a genuinely, lovably angry guy in real life. This guy's going to be a success in Hollywood.

78. Gareth Keenan - My favorite character on the British version of The Office. He's so much more outlandish than Dwight, surprising to say. His one-liners are what really get me.

77. Josh Reddick - Man, if only the Red Sox never traded him away. Now he's in Oakland and Billy Beane is still moneyballing. He's produced handsomely and has also grown a handsome beard. Those are the reasons why I added him to my fantasy baseball team.

76. Brian Regan - I am delighted to hear him when he comes onto my comedy Pandora channel. "Have you ever guessed someone's gender wrong? There's no recovering from that. Walk up to them 'excuse me, Sir.' 'MA'AM!' 'Oh, okay. Goodbye person. Bye human.'

75. Kevin Millar - The greatest idiot in Red Sox history. He was the heart and soul of the 2004 championship team. Without him? I'd go as far to say that the curse continues into 2005.

74. Patrick Warburton - He's had many roles throughout his life, the Soarin' Safety Spiel guy, the Parody Safety Spiel guy, Jeff Bingham, but perhaps none was greater than the legendary - Kronk.

73. Ellen DeGeneres - My favorite female stand-up comedian. It was very close Paula Poundstone, but Ellen takes the cake. Pandora probably boosted it though. "What's this on my hoof?"

72. Stan Verett and Neil Everett - The greatest SportsCenter duo of our time. They have so much fun with it, that I have fun watching them cover sports in their clumsy, whimsical way.

71. Guy Fieri - I disagree with everything he thinks about food. I don't care for Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. He's not even the TGI Friday's spokesman anymore! But, he's still one of the all-time great DFTBA players, as a member of the Blackstone Valley team.