Last week, a friend shared with me an article found on SI.com where they list and rank the 68 schools in the NCAA tournament based on their "coolest" alum (
Find the article here). A great idea, but terribly executed in my opinion. First, there is no criteria explained for the "coolness" factor. Second, and more annoying to me, is the fact that it credits schools with alumni who attended for one semester. So I will set rules for what constitutes cool and an alumnus, and make my own list and ranking of the coolest alums. With all that being said, remember, this list is subjective. I'm a nerd. My idea of cool will differ from yours. Anyways, no more disclaimers, let's get down to business!
Rules:
- Coolness factor: To be cool, I must see your name and have an emotional reaction. In more vulgar, animalistic terms, I need a stirring in my loins. So, while Gerald Ford is influential and a great American, there is nothing there that makes me excited. I also decided early on that this list would not enjoy the likes of athletes unless there was no other choice. So Jim Brown, Jackie Robinson, Michael Jordan and others of the like will not be gracing this article.
- Alumnus factor: You CANNOT have dropped out to pursue a career. My reasoning is simple. If somebody came up to me and told me they went to Michigan for one semester, I would not consider them a fellow Wolverine. I'd consider them someone who knows how great Ann Arbor and Michigan is, but they do not share that common bond of putting in the work to get the degree I received. This eliminates the Madonna (Michigan), Anthony Kiedis (UCLA) and Charles Lindbergh (Wisconsin) types from consideration, but it's necessary. A graduate degree, on the other hand, will count. You spent a decent amount of time and left with a degree. You can claim that school and they can claim you. Any other close calls, I will decide upon and explain if necessary.
That's the two rules that will shape this list. Without further ado, it's list time!
68.
Northwestern State - Speedy Long
No honorable mention for this school because the best I could do was a politician from a famous political Louisiana family with a cool name.
67.
Boise State - Tera Patrick
It's a sad state of affairs, but the Broncos' best choice is a porn star. I've heard of her, so I guess that's better than being named Speedy.
66.
New Mexico State - Harold Reitsema
Another school with no honorable mention, but the Aggie beats the Demon for one reason: space beats politics. Harold found the fifth moon of Neptune and the thirteenth moon of Saturn. And unlike the politician, he stayed away from Uranus.
65.
South Dakota State - Stephen Foster Briggs
Here we find one of the co-founders of the engine company, Briggs & Stratton. Not sure what else to say. I'm not big into engineering, so there aren't many cool points to be found here. Still, I've heard of Briggs & Stratton, while I've never heard of Neptune's moon, Larissa. So, there ya go!
HM: Tom Daschle
64.
Bucknell - David Kahn
A historian who is an expert in the fields of cryptography and military intelligence, Kahn wrote the book considered to be the definitive account of the history of cryptography up until the time of publishing in 1967. I always have been intrigued by codebreaking, so that'll earn him a few points in my book.
HM: Philip Roth
63.
Saint Mary's - Mahershalalhashbaz
Ali
St Mary's continues the list as another school with no honorable mention thanks to the severe lack in cool alumni. This actor gets the Gaels above two other schools, not for his role in The 4400, but for his really sweet name.
62.
Davidson - Patricia Cornwell
I don't believe I have ever read a Patricia Cornwell novel. If I have, it wasn't very memorable. Being a bibliophile, though, I have seen her name over a million times in my lifetime while browsing in a book store. That sort of production over time is impressive and such longevity in the writing business is pretty cool.
HM: Laeta Kalogridis
61.
Louisville - Sue Grafton
Exact same as Patricia Cornwell but with a very clever titling system for her beloved book series (M is for Marketing). As a result, I'll rank her a step above her fellow author.
HM: James Patterson
60.
Southern - Randy Jackson
I don't like American Idol but a lot of people apparently do think it's cool. As a result, I'll put my dawg right here.
HM: David Banner
59.
Akron - George Wallace
I solely know him as the mayor of NYC in Little Nicky, but Adam Sandler connection points move him up the list. He's also great friends with Jerry Seinfeld, so let's put him above a bunch of people for his coolness by association. Yet, you can only climb so high on the shoulders of others before you have to pull yourself higher and George just doesn't do it.
HM: Yvette Nicole Brown
58.
Florida Gulf Coast - Courtney Jolly
I have never heard of this young woman. She drives monster trucks. She is attractive. Simple logic deduces that she is a hot chick who drives monster trucks. THAT is pretty cool.
 |
| Courtney Jolly of FGCU |
57.
Colorado State - Keith Carradine
I put Keith Carradine as the top Ram because he has had significant roles in two serial killer shows I love, Dexter and Criminal Minds, playing characters on both sides of the serial killer-FBI coin. There's something intriguingly cool about being able to successfully pull that off.
HM: John Amos, Becky Hammon
56.
Pacific - Chris Isaak
He has one song that I know. I enjoy that song. I also enjoy the unintentional comedy of the accompanying music video (
Seen in its full glory here). As a result, Isaak gets a little extra bump in the rankings to jump a few others at the lower end of this spectrum.
55.
Liberty - Samantha Ponder
A strong replacement for Erin Andrews on the ESPN sidelines, Sam Ponder has exploded in air time the past year. At this point, she is pretty low on the list, but I bet she might be a little higher up the next time that Liberty makes the tourney.
54.
Creighton - J. Joseph Ricketts
Just like Samantha Ponder before, this is a pretty low ranking for someone who very soon might be much much higher. He founded TD Ameritrade, made his billions, and now owns the Chicago Cubs. If he can turn around everybody's favorite lovable losers, he flies up the list. Until then, he's an old man from Nebraska with a lot of money and a baseball team. Cool? Yes. Very cool? Not really.
HM: James Keogh
53.
Middle Tennessee State - Hillary Scott
The lady part of Lady Antebellum, Hillary Scott provides great vocals to one of the better modern country music groups. It's a worthy addition to the list, but definitely deserving of being on the lower end as well.
HM: Bill Boner
52.
Iona - John Gilchrist
He may not be a recognizable name, but he is one of the most recognizable little boys of all-time. John Gilchrist is Mikey from the Life cereal commercials. I like it! Hey Mikey! You made the list!
51.
Valparaiso - JoBe Cerny
Another commercial icon, JoBe is famous for using his voice to help put the biscuit in the basket. Just give
this link a poke and you'll understand. When it came time to make a decision, I put JoBe ahead of John because his commercial icon has survived to modern times and that's pretty cool.
HM: John Lutz
50.
James Madison - Steve James
Steve James is a pretty good film director, best known for his documentary, Hoop Dreams. He ends up right behind the next person on this list because unlike the New Mexico grad, I've never seen his film, even if it's on my to-see list. Still, award-winning documentary director is a pretty cool title.
HM: Reshma Shetty
49.
New Mexico - Penny Marshall
She directed one of my favorite sports movies in A League of Their Own. She was Laverne, in Laverne & Shirley. Outside of that, I don't know much about her, but A League of Their Own carries her past all the mediocrity below her on this list.
48.
VCU - GWAR
I struggled with this choice, as it's a good group of middle of the road coolness. In the end, I went with a band that is reknowned for putting on a great live show and for being one very weird band. Such reknown and intrigue results in a few more coolness points in my ledger and a decent ranking on this list.
HM: Patch Adams, Stephen Furst, Lamb of God
47.
North Carolina A&T - Jesse Jackson
It might be poor taste for me to put a famed civil rights activist behind an actor famous for playing a racist character, but I just can't give Jesse Jackson too much credit. Yes, he was on the front lines for the civil rights movement, so that's cool. On the flip side, he's an idiot who used his charity's money to pay off his mistress after she had his love child. You lose a lot of points in my book for that and so, he lands here, purely as recognition for being a big part of a great movement in US history.
HM: Terrence J, Taraji Henson
46.
Montana - Carroll O'Connor
Archie Bunker is one of the great TV characters of all-time. Unfortunately, I've never seen an episode or know of him from anything else. He gets cool credit for being able to make that claim, but that's about as far as that goes and thus, he ends up near the bottom of the list.
HM: Eric Braeden
45.
Michigan State - Chris Hansen
To Catch a Predator is so entertaining and it all comes from the mind of this man. "Now put the condoms down and let's read some of these chat messages you sent me. Don't try to leave, the cops are outside waiting." That, my friends, is television gold and societal protection wrapped in one, a very cool combination.
HM: Dan Gilbert, Jim Delligatti
44.
Albany - Steve Guttenberg
Steve Guttenberg was a large part of my childhood, as he was in a number of great movies that I watched from the 80s (Three Men and a Baby, Cocoon, Police Academy, Short Circuit). Add in his later role in one of my favorite shows of all-time (Veronica Mars) and he is the coolest Great Dane around.
HM: Harvey Milk
43.
Duke - Ken Jeong
Ken Jeong exploded onto the scene like a naked Asian jumping out of a trunk with his role in
The Hangover. Since then, he's been a major member of the most underrated show on television (
Community), in various commercials, and had another
Hangover. I feel like I had more to say, but it must have slipped my mind. Damn Changnesia...
HM: Charlie Rose, Tucker Max
42.
Oregon - Chuck Palahniuk
I didn't find many to choose from at Oregon, but the two I did find were giants. In the end, I went with one of the great writers of the past 20 years. I mean, I'd go into more detail but the first rule of Fight Club is...
HM: Phil Knight
41.
Indiana - Mark Cuban
I absolutely despise this man with every fiber of my being. With that being said, he owns a franchise in my favorite professional league. He turned around said franchise and took it from laughingstock to championship-winning in about a decade. He is worth over a billion dollars and is on the television show, Shark Tank. It's a pretty cool life he lives, even if I wish terrible terrible things would happen to him.
HM: Suzanne Collins, Lee Majors
40.
Wichita State - Dan and Frank Carney
This vote for cool comes via the fat kid in me, as I show some representation to the founders of Pizza Hut. The P'Zone, breadsticks and lunch/dinner buffets are all high up on my list of great dining. These brothers made that possible and brought the Hut into our lives. This is my way of showing them appreciation for their world-changing work.
39.
Minnesota - Garrison Keillor
Minnesota presents the man who has brought us
A Prairie Home Companion every week for the past 39 years. He makes a great show with a ton of pretty funny skits accumulated over the years. As much as I would like to give him more credit for his work, the coolness factor of the show just doesn't have the cache of the work of the people in front of him on this list.
HM: Henry Fonda, Ron Perlman
38.
Belmont - A Gaggle of Modern Country Music Stars
Is this a cop out? Maybe, but I don't care. It's amazing how many modern country music singers are Belmont Bears. Florida Georgia Line, Brad Paisley, Trisha Yearwood, Lee Ann Womack, and Josh Turner all will be rooting for the Bears to beat Arizona in the second round of this year's tournament. That would be one hell of an alumni weekend concert, and that fantasy concert gets a high cool factor score from me.
37.
LIU-Brooklyn - Nicholas Pileggi
If you enjoy mobster stories, then Pileggi is the guy for you. He wrote the novel and subsequent screenplays for
Goodfellas, Casino, and
American Gangster. He is the ultimate wiseguy writer. Unfortunately for him, when it comes to mobster stories, I can take it or leave it, so he ends up lower on my list than he most likely would for others.
HM: Dina Meyer
36.
Missouri - George C Scott
Patton. Dr Strangelove. 12 Angry Men. I see the name George C Scott and I immediately get a sense of the intensity he always put in his roles. I'm an unabashed admirer of his and as a result, he beats out the others from Mizzou and ranks higher than most would put him.
HM: Jon Hamm, Brad Pitt, Robert Loggia
35.
San Diego State - Carl Weathers
He's this high on my list because he's played three characters of note. He played Apollo Creed in the Rocky movies, a character of great reknown in the sports movie genre. He played Dillon in one of the most fun movies to watch, Predator. And most importantly, he taught me that it's all in the hips as Chubbs on both Happy Gilmore and Little Nicky. My love for Adam Sandler movies helps Carl Weathers coolness factor out greatly.
HM: Raquel Welch
34.
Memphis - Kathy Bates
There are a plethora of Stephen King films, some good and some bad, but all filled with strong characters. As a result, it's hard to make yourself stand out as the best portrayer of a Stephen King character, but I would put Kathy Bates' turn as Annie in
Misery right near the top of that list. She also benefits from the Sandler effect, starring as Bobby Boucher's mom in
The Waterboy. That's two awesome roles that really make her stand out in my mind.
HM: Fred Thompson, Jerry Lawler
33.
Notre Dame - Regis Philbin
He gets my respect for putting up with crazy people for years as the host of a morning show. There's also the time when everyone in the country watched him on their television screen five nights a week, as he asked that simple question: Who wants to be a millionaire? I can't put him much higher, but middle of the pack isn't anything to scoff at either.
HM: Hannah Storm, Nicholas Sparks
32.
Syracuse - Lou Reed
A mediocre group for me to choose from, as all it had to offer were guys who were cool well before my time. The name that stood out to me, though, was that of Mr Reed. While the Velvet Underground is better known for being influential than rocking the charts, Lou's work in the industry is great. Also, just watch his performance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th Anniversary concert to understand this pick.
HM: Dick Clark, Jerry Stiller
31.
Villanova - Jim Croce
I love Jim Croce. His song, I Got A Name, is one of my faves. On the flip side, his star has definitely faded with time and his premature death (coincidentally, in a plane crash leaving a concert from the school in last on this list) really limited what could have been a much more prolific discography. As a result, he's cool, but much lower on this list than he probably should be.
HM: Maria Bello
30.
Ole Miss - William Faulkner
You know what? I should write this how ol' Willie would have. Nah! Screw it. No one would get it. Hmmm, where should I put him on the list? He did win a Nobel and Pulitzer Prize for his writing, but he also isn't high on my list of writers I love. Let's see, how about putting him...
HM: John Grisham
29:
Gonzaga - Bing Crosby
I love his voice and his songs are stables of the American musical library. Still, Bing just doesn't do it for me and as a result, he's ranked here. I have no real reason other than gut feeling. A few extra points go his way for winning an Oscar.
28.
Pittsburgh - Fred Rogers
The quintessential example of a nice guy, Mr. Rogers brought us into his neighborhood and asked each and every one of us if we would be his neighbor. My answer is of course, I'd love to be your neighbor, Mr. Rogers. I also give him some points for being the inspiration behind an amazing SNL skit as well (
this one).
HM: Gene Kelly, Adrian Cronauer
27.
North Carolina State - John Tesh
He's here for one reason: he is the creator of the greatest sports theme of all-time (sorry Masters folks). I won't blabber on and just let
this do all the talking.
HM: Zach Galifianakis
26.
Arizona - Jerry Bruckheimer
A television and movie producer made the coolest alums list? How is that possible? I'll answer that with a list: CSI, Without A Trace, Cold Case, The Amazing Race, Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun, The Rock, Con Air, Armaggedon, Bad Boys, Black Hawk Down, The Pirates of the Caribbean, and National Treasure. He's the man behind all of those.
HM: Don Knotts, Craig T. Nelson, Kristen Wiig
25.
Oklahoma State - Garth Brooks
I grew up in Texas in the early '90s and some of my first memories of listening to music came from that time frame. Now if you have never been to Texas, let's just say that country music is pretty big down there and as a result, the best of country in the early '90s was the biggest. Garth Brooks will always hold a moment in time where he was the coolest celebrity in the world I lived in, and that is worth something, especially for guys with Friends in Low Places.
HM: Gary Busey
24.
Florida - Erin Andrews
A sideline reporter worth anything is a rarity. One that you look forward to working your games was damn near impossible to find before Erin Andrews came along. She's a smart, well-spoken, very attractive woman who could banter with the fellas and has the respect of most sports fans. I've met her before at Michigan games and I was amazed at how she is able to juggle her professional responsibilities with shaking hands and taking pictures with her adoring fans.
HM: Darrell Hammond, Stephen Root, Stephen Stills
23.
Kansas - Bill James
Sports nerds unite! Bill James is the father of statistical analysis in baseball. His use of sabermetrics opened the eyes of the baseball world to how predictable the sport can be if viewed through the correct lens. He's been made into a baseball deity by the likes of Theo Epstein and Billy Beane using his stats to create baseball teams. His ideas on baseball led to the Moneyball Revolution and has forever changed "America's pastime".
HM: Rob Riggle, Don Johnson
22.
Temple - Bill Cosby
Now he gave us the zim zam and the bobbidy bibidy. And calls out the young gimme gimme culture VOOOM! So get ready for the most splendiforous pudding pop you have ever seen.
HM: Bob Saget, Irving Berlin, Hall & Oates
21.
North Carolina - Andy Griffith
This ranking comes from a place deep in my heart and childhood memories. My father loves
The Andy Griffith Show and some of my fondest memories growing up was of watching the show with him (just seeing his name makes
this pop into my mind). An actor who had a huge part in my some of my favorite childhood memories means he has a very cool ranking in my mind.
HM: Jim Rash, Lewis Black
20.
Western Kentucky - John Carpenter
There is something to be said for a good horror film. Halloween is one of the greats, and that's thanks in large part to the direction John Carpenter gave the film to bring Michael Myers to life and put him outside our windows when we are home alone watching the movie in the dark. Add in The Thing, Escape from New York and Big Trouble in Little China and you have one hell of a cool director.
HM: Nappy Roots, Cage The Elephant, Duncan Hines
19.
Ohio State - George Steinbrenner
While many people hate the Yankees and their former owner with a passion that burns with the fury of a thousand suns, we all must admit how great and influential an owner he was in baseball. He took a fallen empire and returned it to its previous glory, even if it became an evil empire. His life is the dream of all sports fans, and to have lived the dream makes Mr. Steinbrenner very cool.
HM: R.L. Stine, Charlie Pruitt
18.
La Salle - Bill Raftery
My favorite color commentator in basketball, Raftery sits high on this list because excellence in broadcasting is really cool to me. He says what is on his mind and gives great basketball analysis to go with entertaining catchphrases. This man has ONIONS and we all benefit as a result.
HM: Peter Boyle
17.
Iowa State - George Washington Carver
There's a point while doing these lists where I am stuck choosing between classical definition of cool and my version of cool. In this scenario, my version wins out and I rank highly a man who was one of the great inventors and scientists in American history. Add in that he was believed to have been born into slavery, broke the color barrier at Iowa State as both a student and professor, and had 150 recipes involving the peanut and you get one really badass individual.
16.
Illinois - Abe Saperstein
No idea who this is? Well, let me list his accomplishments for you: founder of the Harlem Globetrotters, Commissioner of the ABL, and early implementer/creator of the three point shot. I'm a basketball aficionado, so Abe and his contributions to the game I love makes him one of the coolest in my book. Whodathunk we'd find a 5'5" London-born Jewish man on this list?
HM: Ang Lee, Robert Johnson (creator of BET), Jawed Karim/Steve Chen (creators of Youtube)
15.
UNLV - Jimmy Kimmel
Jimmy Kimmel is a hilarious man. Him and his partner-in-crime, Adam Carolla, started out with The Man Show on Comedy Central. Afterwards, he moved on to a late night show on ABC, where he has thrived. I wouldn't be surprised if this ranking is considered too low five to ten years down the road. I mean, this is the same guy that gave us my favorite late-night sketch EVER (
The initial sketch,
the response), so he's definitely going to get high marks in my book.
HM: Suge Knight, Gina Carano
14
. Saint Louis - Gene Kranz
Gene Kranz was the man in charge in Houston for the Apollo 11 moon landing and the Apollo 13 near-disaster. What's cooler than being able to stay cool under pressure while three of your astronauts are in a crisis outside of the Earth's atmosphere that could cost them their lives? He's so cool that he had another member of this list play him in the Ron Howard movie, Apollo 13.
HM: Andreas Katsulas
13.
Butler - Bobby Plump
The real-life Jimmy Chitwood! Plump is the star of the 1954 Milan High team which inspired the movie Hoosiers, one of the greatest sports movies of all-time. No words will do this justice...(
*clap...clap...clap clap clapclapclapclap*)
12.
Miami - Vincent Bugliosi
This choice comes purely from the Andrew Seid school of thought. Others would definitely have won if someone else was making this list, but here I am and here's my reasoning. Charles Manson is the most interesting man ever to me. His crimes and life enthrall me. Another subject that tickles my intellect is the law, thus my past three years of study here in Dayton. Vincent Bugliosi is the prosecutor who put Manson behind bars. He is the manifestation of the cross section of two of my greatest interests in life and for me, that is really cool.
HM: Ray Liotta, Ben Folds, The Rock
11.
Georgetown - Antonin Scalia
One of my dream jobs would be to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States of America. This man does that and does that with flair. If you've ever read a Scalia opinion, you will either find it infuriating or entertaining. I'm in the entertaining group and really enjoy his opinions, even if I don't often agree with them. An entertaining writer on the Supreme Court. That's freaking cool.
HM: Bill Clinton, Bradley Cooper
10.
Cincinnati - William Howard Taft
The only man in the history of the United States to both serve as a Supreme Court Justice and as President, Taft beats out Scalia for that little fact of serving as President as well. It would require a man larger than life to be able to do so much in his lifetime, so it's no surprise that the man who was so big, he got stuck in a White House bathtub would be the one to do as much.
HM: Times Square Naked Cowboy, Kenesaw Mountain Landis
9.
Wisconsin - Steve Miller
I love the Steve Miller Band. Steve Miller's music puts me in a different place altogether. I listen to it and transport to a world of serenity and Lisa Frank-esque color schemes. His music helped him run like a river to the setting sun, run like a river to just below number one.
HM: Michael Mann
8.
Marquette - Chris Farley
Well la-di-freaking-da, look who we have here. Fat guy in a little coat. Faaat guy in a little coaaat. Readers, what's happening...uh oh! Chris Farley is one of my favorite comedic actors of all-time. His movies are eminently quoteable and his SNL skits will live on forever. He was a very cool actor, and unfortunately, he was a little too cool for this place and left us too soon.
HM: Danny Pudi
7.
Cal - Gregory Peck
One of my favorite movies of all-time is To Kill A Mockingbird. Peck's portrayal of Atticus Finch is one of the iconic roles in cinematic history, a role which by itself gets him high on this list. Add in his other great roles (such as Cape Fear and The Guns of Navarone), his refusal to back down from deploring the anti-communist blacklisting when McCarthyism was at its height, and his recognition of the greatness of Finns by marrying a Finnish woman, and you have one hell of a cool guy.
HM: Chris Pine
6.
Kansas State - Harold Sebring
Before doing this research, I had never heard of this man. Following this research, Harold Sebring is on the short list of men whose lives I wish I could have. Here's his resume: Served in WWI and was awarded the Silver Star twice for his actions in that war. All-Conference football player at Kansas State. Head coach of Florida's football, track and field, and boxing teams while attending the law school at UF. He was a judge in Florida from 1933-1955, including 13 years on the Florida Supreme Court. For three years following the Second World War, he took a leave of absence from the Florida Supreme Court and served as a judge for the Nuremburg Trials. After retiring from the Florida Supreme Court, he served as the dean of the law school at Stetson University until his death. Now THAT is one hell of a life.
HM: Eddie Griffin, Kirstie Alley
5.
Oklahoma - Ed Harris
Ed Harris is the man. I have never seen a movie where I didn't like Ed Harris' performance. Furthermore, he has two particular roles that will forever be etched in my mind thanks to Ed Harris. In
Apollo 13, he starred as another member of this list and was nominated for an Oscar for his performance. In
The Rock, he played the most sympathetic and kickass villian as General Hummel, a Marine general fighting for his soldiers who were disregarded by the US government. What more can you ask for from an actor than that he leaves a memory of his performance etched in your mind? Ed Harris does that nearly every time for me.
HM: Olivia Munn, James Garner
4.
Michigan - James Earl Jones
The voice of the greatest movie villian of all-time. A key character in the greatest sports movie of all-time (a debate which can be saved for another day, or maybe another podcast). The silkiest, most dulcet voice you will ever hear utter a syllable. James Earl Jones made the dark side cool. There's not much cooler than that.
HM: Arthur Miller, John DeLorean
3.
UCLA - John Williams
An amazing list full of dropouts, but one that also resulted in four badass graduates (actually 3 graduates and one almost graduate who left because he was drafted into the military. Military draft = exemption from rule two!). After much debate, I still couldn't decide, so I asked others for help on this one. The poll resulted in a win for the greatest composer in movie history. Now John didn't graduate from UCLA, but being drafted into the Air Force and serving your country will never get frowned upon here, so John gets the exemption. Just think of Jaws, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and you will immediately hear the music. That music is John's and that's pretty damn cool.
HM: Francis Ford Coppola, George Takei, Jim Morrison
2.
Colorado - Trey Parker & Matt Stone
These two men are two of the most brilliant minds of our generation and a voice of satirical genius in an entertainment industry fraught with mindless drivel. South Park is a monumental achievement that continues to churn out great content 16 years after it first hit the air. The show, by itself, lifted Comedy Central to prominence in the cable arena. They've also made an Oscar-nominated movie and a Tony-winning musical. Every genre of entertainment they play with, they find themselves in the elite few at the top. Seriously, I cannot gush too much about what amazing minds these two have and we are lucky enough to get the chance to see into the minds of these once-in-a-generation artists.
HM: Christopher Meloni, Whizzer White
1.
Harvard -
Theodore Roosevelt
No explanation necessary, but still, his stories must be told so we always remember that Teddy was a true badass. Teddy Roosevelt had the following pets while in the White House: a badger named Josiah, a bear named Jonathan Edwards, and a hyena. Teddy Roosevelt was once shot while giving a campaign speech by a would-be assassin. He finished the speech with a bleeding, undressed wound. Teddy Roosevelt was a black belt in jiu-jitsu and a champion boxer. Teddy Roosevelt is the epitome of cool. Just ask his guinea pigs
Admiral Dewey, Bishop Doane, Dr. Johnson, Father O'Grady, and Fighting Bob Evans.
HM: Michael Crichton, Tommy Lee Jones, Tom Morello
