World's Greatest Draft (1 Viewer)

[Big Rocks]

Andy Dufresne's pick via PM.5.16 - Qin Shi Huang (First emperor of China) - Leader

I'm surprised he got a collective yawn. Damn westerners.

My pick also. The art lovers here are just blind to the greatness of our leader picks.

 

[timschochet]

Busy at work, will add more later, but this one needs little intro:

5.18 (98th pick) - Marcel Proust - Novelist

(10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, essayist and critic, best known as the author of À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time; aka Remembrance of Things Past), a monumental work of twentieth-century fiction published in seven parts from 1913 to 1927.

Gotta be Flysack's #5. Try to imagine Joyce, only more boring and long winded. Thousands and thousands of empty pages where NOTHING HAPPENS. I'd rather spend my time reading the Yellow Pages. But the "Critics" love him.

 

[thatguy]

Andy Dufresne's pick via PM.5.16 - Qin Shi Huang (First emperor of China) - Leader

I'm surprised he got a collective yawn. Damn westerners.

My pick also. The art lovers here are just blind to the greatness of our leader picks.

My leader also received little attention, save for a few shoutouts from some video gamers.

 

[timschochet]

so..I have downloaded both the "10th anniversary" play Les Miserables and the movie (the one with Claire Danes)...which should I watch first?

Movie first. That way you know the story.

 

[mad sweeney]

Andy Dufresne's pick via PM.5.16 - Qin Shi Huang (First emperor of China) - Leader

I'm surprised he got a collective yawn. Damn westerners.

My pick also. The art lovers here are just blind to the greatness of our leader picks.

My leader also received little attention, save for a few shoutouts from some video gamers.

It's tough to comment on the Easterners. They're society is so different from ours and we don't have the background, not having been taught, to necessarily discuss them. I doubt I ever heard or read about him until I started researching for this draft and turns out he's one of the top leaders in history. No exposure...

 

[krista4]

Busy at work, will add more later, but this one needs little intro:

5.18 (98th pick) - Marcel Proust - Novelist

(10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, essayist and critic, best known as the author of À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time; aka Remembrance of Things Past), a monumental work of twentieth-century fiction published in seven parts from 1913 to 1927.

Hmmm, thought you'd go a different way here. Yep, I'd imagine this is flysack's #5.

 

[Fennis]

so..I have downloaded both the "10th anniversary" play Les Miserables and the movie (the one with Claire Danes)...which should I watch first?

Movie first. That way you know the story.

I vote neither one. The movie was eh and not a musical. The "10th anniversary" is a concert I believe.

 

[timschochet]

One thing to remember, Larry: both the movie and musical of Les Miserables downplay the religious aspect of the novel- probably because the writers were more secularist than Hugo. While I am a secularist myself, I think this was a disservice- the book's central theme is that one must always do what is right no matter what the personal cost- and the "right" to Hugo is defined by the altrustic teachings of Jesus Christ.

 

[thatguy]

Busy at work, will add more later, but this one needs little intro:

5.18 (98th pick) - Marcel Proust - Novelist

(10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, essayist and critic, best known as the author of À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time; aka Remembrance of Things Past), a monumental work of twentieth-century fiction published in seven parts from 1913 to 1927.

Hmmm, thought you'd go a different way here. Yep, I'd imagine this is flysack's #5.

This is not a promising response for BL.

 

[thatguy]

Mister CIA is on autoskip correct? If so, Abrantes on the clock until 4:49 ET.

 

[krista4]

Busy at work, will add more later, but this one needs little intro:

5.18 (98th pick) - Marcel Proust - Novelist

(10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, essayist and critic, best known as the author of À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time; aka Remembrance of Things Past), a monumental work of twentieth-century fiction published in seven parts from 1913 to 1927.

Hmmm, thought you'd go a different way here. Yep, I'd imagine this is flysack's #5.

This is not a promising response for BL.

Didn't mean to imply anything there.

 

[Mister CIA]

I've changed my mind multiple times in the last few minutes.

Mawlānā Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī (مولانا جلال الدین محمد بلخى), also known as Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (جلال‌الدین محمد رومی), but known to the English-speaking world simply as

5.19 - Rumi, Poet.

In the end, I decided that a team with Buddha, Lao Tzu and Rumi was too good to pass up.

Borrowing from Wiki:

Poetic works

* Rumi's major work is the Maṭnawīye Ma'nawī (Spiritual Couplets; مثنوی معنوی), a six-volume poem regarded by some Sufis[25] as the Persian-language Qur'an. It is considered by many to be one of the greatest works of mystical poetry.

* Rumi's other major work is the Dīwān-e Kabīr (Great Work) or Dīwān-e Shams-e Tabrīzī (The Works of Shams of Tabriz; دیوان شمس تبریزی named in honor of Rumi's great friend and inspiration, the dervish Shams) and comprising some forty thousand verses. Several reasons have been offered for Rumi's decision to name his masterpiece after Shams; some argue that since Rumi would not have been a poet without Shams, it is apt that the collection be named after him.

Philosophical Outlook

Rumi was an evolutionary thinker in the sense that he believed that the spirit after devolution from the divine Ego undergoes an evolutionary process by which it comes nearer and nearer to the same divine Ego. All matter in the universe obeys this law and this movement is due to an inbuilt urge (which Rumi calls "love") to evolve and seek enjoinment with the divinity from which it has emerged. Evolution into a human being from an animal is only one stage in this process. The doctrine of the Fall of Adam is reinterpreted as the devolution of the Ego from the universal ground of divinity and is a universal, cosmic phenomenon. This synthesis of evolution and creationism is a culmination of the ideas of Plotinus and of previous Muslim philosophers like Al Farabi. The French philosopher Henri Bergson's idea of life being creative and evolutionary is similar, though unlike Bergson, Rumi believes that there is a specific goal to the process: the attainment of God. For Rumi, God is the ground as well as the goal of all existence.

I died as a mineral and became a plant,

I died as plant and rose to animal,

I died as animal and I was Man.

Why should I fear? When was I less by dying?

Yet once more I shall die as Man, to soar

With angels bless'd; but even from angelhood

I must pass on: all except God doth perish.

When I have sacrificed my angel-soul,

I shall become what no mind e'er conceived.

Oh, let me not exist! for Non-existence

Proclaims in organ tones,

To Him we shall return.

 

[Abrantes]

I've changed my mind multiple times in the last few minutes.

Mawlānā Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī (مولانا جلال الدین محمد بلخى), also known as Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (جلال‌الدین محمد رومی), but known to the English-speaking world simply as

5.19 - Rumi, Poet.

In the end, I decided that a team with Buddha, Lao Tzu and Rumi was too good to pass up.

Borrowing from Wiki:

Poetic works

* Rumi's major work is the Maṭnawīye Ma'nawī (Spiritual Couplets; مثنوی معنوی), a six-volume poem regarded by some Sufis[25] as the Persian-language Qur'an. It is considered by many to be one of the greatest works of mystical poetry.

* Rumi's other major work is the Dīwān-e Kabīr (Great Work) or Dīwān-e Shams-e Tabrīzī (The Works of Shams of Tabriz; دیوان شمس تبریزی named in honor of Rumi's great friend and inspiration, the dervish Shams) and comprising some forty thousand verses. Several reasons have been offered for Rumi's decision to name his masterpiece after Shams; some argue that since Rumi would not have been a poet without Shams, it is apt that the collection be named after him.

Philosophical Outlook

Rumi was an evolutionary thinker in the sense that he believed that the spirit after devolution from the divine Ego undergoes an evolutionary process by which it comes nearer and nearer to the same divine Ego. All matter in the universe obeys this law and this movement is due to an inbuilt urge (which Rumi calls "love") to evolve and seek enjoinment with the divinity from which it has emerged. Evolution into a human being from an animal is only one stage in this process. The doctrine of the Fall of Adam is reinterpreted as the devolution of the Ego from the universal ground of divinity and is a universal, cosmic phenomenon. This synthesis of evolution and creationism is a culmination of the ideas of Plotinus and of previous Muslim philosophers like Al Farabi. The French philosopher Henri Bergson's idea of life being creative and evolutionary is similar, though unlike Bergson, Rumi believes that there is a specific goal to the process: the attainment of God. For Rumi, God is the ground as well as the goal of all existence.

I died as a mineral and became a plant,

I died as plant and rose to animal,

I died as animal and I was Man.

Why should I fear? When was I less by dying?

Yet once more I shall die as Man, to soar

With angels bless'd; but even from angelhood

I must pass on: all except God doth perish.

When I have sacrificed my angel-soul,

I shall become what no mind e'er conceived.

Oh, let me not exist! for Non-existence

Proclaims in organ tones,

To Him we shall return.

Excellent pick, man. One of the first poets I considered, actually.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Busy at work, will add more later, but this one needs little intro:

5.18 (98th pick) - Marcel Proust - Novelist

(10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, essayist and critic, best known as the author of À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time; aka Remembrance of Things Past), a monumental work of twentieth-century fiction published in seven parts from 1913 to 1927.

Hmmm, thought you'd go a different way here. Yep, I'd imagine this is flysack's #5.

This is not a promising response for BL.

Didn't mean to imply anything there.

 

[The Real Hipster Doofus]

so..I have downloaded both the "10th anniversary" play Les Miserables and the movie (the one with Claire Danes)...which should I watch first?

Have never seen the play but have read the book and seen the movie. The movie is excellent.

 

[Abrantes]

5.20 Cyrus The Great Leader/Military

Not sure how it'll be received (depends on familiarity with his rule, I suppose), but Cyrus II is one of my all-time favorite historical figures. Absolutely fascinating character for the thoroughness, breadth and depth of his accomplishments. Just felt like he should've been taken a while ago.

Cyrus the Great (Old Persian: ?????[3], IPA: [kʰuːrʰuʃ], Kūruš[4] > Persian: کوروش بزرگ, Kūrošé Bozorg), (c. 600 BC or 576 – August 530 BC or 529 BC), also known as Cyrus II of Persia and Cyrus the Elder,[5] was the first Zoroastrian Persian Shāhanshāh (Emperor). He was the founder of the Persian Empire under the Achaemenid dynasty an empire without precedent—a first world-empire of historical importance[6] and perhaps the most wealthy and magnificent in history.[7]

It was under his own rule that the empire embraced all previous civilized states of the ancient Near East,[6] expanded vastly, and eventually conquering most of Southwest Asia and much of Central Asia, from Egypt and the Hellespont in the west to the Indus River in the east, to create the largest empire the world had yet seen.[8]

The reign of Cyrus lasted twenty nine to thirty years. Cyrus formed his empire by fighting and conquering first the Median Empire then Lydian Empire and the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Either before or after Babylon, he led an expedition into central Asia, which resulted in major campaigns that brought "into subjection every nation without exception."[9] Cyrus did not venture into Egypt, as he himself died in battle, fighting the Scythians along the Syr Darya in August 530 BC or 529BC.[10] He was succeeded by his son, Cambyses II, who managed to add to the empire by conquering Egypt, Nubia, and Cyrenaica during his short rule.

As a military leader, Cyrus left an everlasting legacy on the art of leadership and decision-making and he attributed his success to "Diversity in counsel, unity in command."[11] Cyrus the Great respected the customs and religions of the lands he conquered.[12] It is said that, in universal history the role of the Achaemenid empire founded by Cyrus lies in its very successful model for centralized administration and establishing a government working to the advantage and profit of its subjects.[6] In fact, the administration of the empire through satraps and the vital principle of forming a government at Pasargadae were the work of Cyrus.[13] Aside from his own nation, Iran, Cyrus also left a lasting legacy on Jewish religion (through his Edict of Restoration), human rights, politics, and military strategy, as well as on both Eastern and Western civilizations.

In scope and extent his achievements ranked far above that of the Macedonian king,

Alexander("the great") who was to demolish the empire in the 320's but fail to provide

any stable alternative.

—Charles Freeman in 'The Greek Achievement'[56]

Such extraordinary achievements of Cyrus the Great is well reflected in the way he is remembered today. His own nation, the Iranians, regarded him as "The Father", the Babylonians as "The Liberator", the Greeks as the "Law-Giver", and the Jews as the "Anointed of the Lord".[57]

Cyrus was distinguished equally as a statesman and as a soldier. By pursuing a policy of generosity instead of repression, and by favoring local religions, he was able to make his newly conquered subjects into enthusiastic supporters.[58] Due in part to the political infrastructure he created, the Achaemenid empire endured long after his demise.

The rise of Persia under Cyrus's rule had a profound impact on the course of world history. Persian philosophy, literature and religion all played dominant roles in world events for the next millennia. Despite the Islamic conquest of Persia in the 7th century CE by the Islamic Caliphate, Persia continued to exercise enormous influence in the Middle East during the Islamic Golden Age, and was particularly instrumental in the growth and expansion of Islam.[citation needed]

Many of the Iranian dynasties following the Achaemenid empire and their kings saw themselves as the heirs to Cyrus the Great and have claimed to continue the line begun by Cyrus.[citation needed] However there are different opinions among scholars whether this is also the case for the Sassanid Dynasty.[59] Mohammad Reza Shah of Pahlavi dynasty celebrated the 2500th anniversary of the Iranian monarchy in 1971, though it ended with the 1979 revolution.

According to Professor Richard Frye[60]:

“It is a testimony to the capability of the founder of the Achaemenian empire that it continued to expand after his death and lasted for more than two centuries. But Cyrus was not only a great conqueror and administrator; he held a place in the minds of the Persian people similar to that of xxxxxxxx or Moses for the Israelites. His saga follows in many details the stories of hero and conquerors from elsewhere in the ancient world. The manner in which the baby Cyrus was given to a shepherd to raise is reminiscent of Moses in the bulrushes in Egypt, and the overthrow of his tyrannical grandfather has echoes in other myths and legends. There is no doubt that the Cyrus saga arose early among the Persians and was known to the Greeks. The sentiments of esteem or even awe in which Persians held him were transmitted to the Greeks, and it was no accident that xxxxxxxxxxx chose Cyrus to be the model of a ruler for the lessons he wished to impart to his fellow Greeks.

In short, the figure of Cyrus has survived throughout history as more than a great man who founded an empire. He became the epitome of the great qualities expected of a ruler in antiquity, and he assumed heroic features as a conqueror who was tolerant and magnanimous as well as brave and daring. His personality as seen by the Greeks influenced them and Alexander the Great, and, as the tradition was transmitted by the Romans, may be considered to influence our thinking even now. In the year 1971, Iran celebrated the 2,500th anniversary of the founding of the monarchy by Cyrus.

 

[Abrantes]

Undecided on my next pick, but I'll try not to dawdle too long.

 

[The Real Hipster Doofus]

5.20 Cyrus The Great Leader/Military

Not sure how it'll be received (depends on familiarity with his rule, I suppose), but Cyrus II is one of my all-time favorite historical figures. Absolutely fascinating character for the thoroughness, breadth and depth of his accomplishments. Just felt like he should've been taken a while ago.

Cyrus the Great (Old Persian: [3], IPA: [kʰuːrʰuʃ], Kūruš[4] > Persian: کوروش بزرگ, Kūrošé Bozorg), (c. 600 BC or 576 – August 530 BC or 529 BC), also known as Cyrus II of Persia and Cyrus the Elder,[5] was the first Zoroastrian Persian Shāhanshāh (Emperor). He was the founder of the Persian Empire under the Achaemenid dynasty an empire without precedent—a first world-empire of historical importance[6] and perhaps the most wealthy and magnificent in history.[7]

It was under his own rule that the empire embraced all previous civilized states of the ancient Near East,[6] expanded vastly, and eventually conquering most of Southwest Asia and much of Central Asia, from Egypt and the Hellespont in the west to the Indus River in the east, to create the largest empire the world had yet seen.[8]

The reign of Cyrus lasted twenty nine to thirty years. Cyrus formed his empire by fighting and conquering first the Median Empire then Lydian Empire and the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Either before or after Babylon, he led an expedition into central Asia, which resulted in major campaigns that brought "into subjection every nation without exception."[9] Cyrus did not venture into Egypt, as he himself died in battle, fighting the Scythians along the Syr Darya in August 530 BC or 529BC.[10] He was succeeded by his son, Cambyses II, who managed to add to the empire by conquering Egypt, Nubia, and Cyrenaica during his short rule.

As a military leader, Cyrus left an everlasting legacy on the art of leadership and decision-making and he attributed his success to "Diversity in counsel, unity in command."[11] Cyrus the Great respected the customs and religions of the lands he conquered.[12] It is said that, in universal history the role of the Achaemenid empire founded by Cyrus lies in its very successful model for centralized administration and establishing a government working to the advantage and profit of its subjects.[6] In fact, the administration of the empire through satraps and the vital principle of forming a government at Pasargadae were the work of Cyrus.[13] Aside from his own nation, Iran, Cyrus also left a lasting legacy on Jewish religion (through his Edict of Restoration), human rights, politics, and military strategy, as well as on both Eastern and Western civilizations.

In scope and extent his achievements ranked far above that of the Macedonian king,

Alexander("the great") who was to demolish the empire in the 320's but fail to provide

any stable alternative.

—Charles Freeman in 'The Greek Achievement'[56]

Such extraordinary achievements of Cyrus the Great is well reflected in the way he is remembered today. His own nation, the Iranians, regarded him as "The Father", the Babylonians as "The Liberator", the Greeks as the "Law-Giver", and the Jews as the "Anointed of the Lord".[57]

Cyrus was distinguished equally as a statesman and as a soldier. By pursuing a policy of generosity instead of repression, and by favoring local religions, he was able to make his newly conquered subjects into enthusiastic supporters.[58] Due in part to the political infrastructure he created, the Achaemenid empire endured long after his demise.

The rise of Persia under Cyrus's rule had a profound impact on the course of world history. Persian philosophy, literature and religion all played dominant roles in world events for the next millennia. Despite the Islamic conquest of Persia in the 7th century CE by the Islamic Caliphate, Persia continued to exercise enormous influence in the Middle East during the Islamic Golden Age, and was particularly instrumental in the growth and expansion of Islam.[citation needed]

Many of the Iranian dynasties following the Achaemenid empire and their kings saw themselves as the heirs to Cyrus the Great and have claimed to continue the line begun by Cyrus.[citation needed] However there are different opinions among scholars whether this is also the case for the Sassanid Dynasty.[59] Mohammad Reza Shah of Pahlavi dynasty celebrated the 2500th anniversary of the Iranian monarchy in 1971, though it ended with the 1979 revolution.

According to Professor Richard Frye[60]:

“It is a testimony to the capability of the founder of the Achaemenian empire that it continued to expand after his death and lasted for more than two centuries. But Cyrus was not only a great conqueror and administrator; he held a place in the minds of the Persian people similar to that of xxxxxxxx or Moses for the Israelites. His saga follows in many details the stories of hero and conquerors from elsewhere in the ancient world. The manner in which the baby Cyrus was given to a shepherd to raise is reminiscent of Moses in the bulrushes in Egypt, and the overthrow of his tyrannical grandfather has echoes in other myths and legends. There is no doubt that the Cyrus saga arose early among the Persians and was known to the Greeks. The sentiments of esteem or even awe in which Persians held him were transmitted to the Greeks, and it was no accident that xxxxxxxxxxx chose Cyrus to be the model of a ruler for the lessons he wished to impart to his fellow Greeks.

In short, the figure of Cyrus has survived throughout history as more than a great man who founded an empire. He became the epitome of the great qualities expected of a ruler in antiquity, and he assumed heroic features as a conqueror who was tolerant and magnanimous as well as brave and daring. His personality as seen by the Greeks influenced them and Alexander the Great, and, as the tradition was transmitted by the Romans, may be considered to influence our thinking even now. In the year 1971, Iran celebrated the 2,500th anniversary of the founding of the monarchy by Cyrus.

Excellent choice.

 

[flysack]

Dualism



Descartes suggested that the body works like a machine, that it has the material properties of extension and motion, and that it follows the laws of physics. The mind (or soul), on the other hand, was described as a nonmaterial entity that lacks extension and motion, and does not follow the laws of physics. Descartes argued that only humans have minds, and that the mind interacts with the body at the pineal gland. This form of dualism or duality proposes that the mind controls the body, but that the body can also influence the otherwise rational mind, such as when people act out of passion. Most of the previous accounts of the relationship between mind and body had been uni-directional.

Pogue Colonel: Marine, what is that button on your body armor? Private Joker: A peace symbol, sir.

Pogue Colonel: Where'd you get it?

Private Joker: I don't remember, sir.

Pogue Colonel: What is that you've got written on your helmet?

Private Joker: "Born to Kill", sir.

Pogue Colonel: You write "Born to Kill" on your helmet and you wear a peace button. What's that supposed to be, some kind of sick joke?

Private Joker: No, sir.

Pogue Colonel: You'd better get your head and your [backside] wired together, or I will take a giant [dump] on you.

Private Joker: Yes, sir.

Pogue Colonel: Now answer my question or you'll be standing tall before the man.

Private Joker: I think I was trying to suggest something about the duality of man, sir.

Pogue Colonel: The what?

Private Joker: The duality of man ..., sir.

Pogue Colonel: Whose side are you on, son?

Private Joker: Our side, sir.

Pogue Colonel: Don't you love your country?

Private Joker: Yes, sir.

Pogue Colonel: Then how about getting with the program? Why don't you jump on the team and come on in for the big win?

Private Joker: Yes, sir.

Pogue Colonel: Son, all I've ever asked of my marines is that they obey my orders as they would the word of God. We are here to help the Vietnamese, because inside every [Vietnamese] there is an American trying to get out. It's a hardball world, son. We've gotta keep our heads until this peace craze blows over.

Private Joker: Aye-aye, sir.

(I actually had to make an anti-spotlighting edit there )

A couple of bad words and spotlighting not removed:

The pause between Joker's mentioning of "the duality of man" and the colonel's reply is priceless.That director was a genius.

 

[flysack]

Busy at work, will add more later, but this one needs little intro:

5.18 (98th pick) - Marcel Proust - Novelist

(10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, essayist and critic, best known as the author of À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time; aka Remembrance of Things Past), a monumental work of twentieth-century fiction published in seven parts from 1913 to 1927.

Hmmm, thought you'd go a different way here. Yep, I'd imagine this is flysack's #5.

Great pick. No time for comment, and frankly, I know Proust through others more than reading his own stuff. His stature among novelists is immense though. Some of my friends will argue for hours that he's greater than Joyce.

 

[flysack]

I've changed my mind multiple times in the last few minutes.

Mawlānā Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī (مولانا جلال الدین محمد بلخى), also known as Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (جلال‌الدین محمد رومی), but known to the English-speaking world simply as

5.19 - Rumi, Poet.

Again, love the poet, I read him often, but I have no clue how to rank him among the world's poets and playwrights.

 

[Uncle Humuna]

Musicians taking a real beating in here.

Thread imitates life.

You want fries with that?

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

5.5 Michael Jordan- Athlete

I actually think he's better in this draft than in the GAD. Outside of Pele, no one is more immediately recognizable and associately with his sport around the world than MJ. Basketball is also probably 2nd only behind soccer for global popularity. He was clearly going to be drafted and should probably be close to the top in the athlete rankings.

Basketball ranks 10th

I dig some digging around on this because it just seems so wrong, and I think it depends on what you mean when you say a sport is popular. There may be more people playing ping pong, for instance, but I don't think that really translates into global popularity for our purposes. I actually found this article in a sports business journal speculating on whether basketball had passed soccer in global popularity:

The English Premier League (EPL) is the "embodiment of sporting globalisation," but in recent years the popularity of soccer has "plummeted, taking down with it the sport's leading brand," the EPL, in favor of basketball and the NBA, according to Julian Borger of the Manchester GUARDIAN. The "meteoric rise of basketball in China almost certainly means basketball has now surpassed [soccer] as the world's leading sport, in terms of the number of active players." The success of basketball in China represents "one of the most stunning marketing coups of our time." Fourteen NBA games are broadcast live every week on state TV and 51 regional stations in the country. In January, the NBA set up four offices in China. The contrast with the EPL's fortunes "could not be starker," as the league "does not have an office or a single representative in Beijing." But "a lot of this is not" of the EPL's making, as "some of it is due to chance." Borger: "We are now in the midst of a second round of sporting globalisation. It is a more voluntary affair, requiring willing sellers and willing buyers, so Britain's sporting exports are facing much stiffer competition." It is "not enough for today's professional clubs, leagues and associations to collect subscriptions and ticket receipts -- like any other corporation, they must grow, and that ultimately means spilling over their borders" (Manchester GUARDIAN, 12/6).

I think you'll find Basketball is rising up the charts, but to take on the amount of active particpants/viewing public it has a way to catch Football, Cricket, Hockey, Table Tennis, Tennis and even Baseball.As someone pointed out it is booming in China, which helps it's 'stats', but is that short term?

Most of the other sports on the list are ingrained in the culture.

 

[Abrantes]

Still undecided, so I'll go with my instincts. The celebrity category is still relatively untouched, so I can pretty much just pick one of the most recognizable faces of all time. The prototypical blonde bombshell sex symbol. The list of artworks, artists and actors inspired by her (not to mention everyone else who laid eyes on her) is truly stunning.

6.01 Marilyn Monroe Celebrity

Marilyn Monroe,[1][2] (1 June 1926 – 5 August 1962), born Norma Jeane Mortenson but baptized Norma Jeane Baker, was an American actress, singer, model and sex symbol.

After spending much of her childhood in foster homes, Monroe began a career as a model, which led to a film contract in 1946. Her early roles were minor, but her performances in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve (both 1950) were well received. She was praised for her comedic ability in such films as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire and The Seven Year Itch, and became one of Hollywood's most popular performers.

The typecasting of Monroe's "dumb blonde" persona limited her career prospects, so she broadened her range. Her marriage to baseball player Joe DiMaggio failed. While married to playwright Arthur Miller, she studied at the Actors Studio and formed Marilyn Monroe Productions. Her dramatic performance in William Inge's Bus Stop was hailed by critics, and she won a Golden Globe Award for her performance in Some Like it Hot.

The final years of Monroe's life were marked by illness, personal problems, and a reputation for being unreliable and difficult to work with. The circumstances of her death, from an overdose of barbiturates, have been the subject of conjecture. Though officially classified as a "probable suicide", the possibility of an accidental overdose has not been ruled out, while conspiracy theorists argue that she was murdered.

In 1999, Monroe was ranked as the sixth greatest female star of all time by the American Film Institute.

Leader Cyrus The Great

Military

Scientist

Inventor

Discoverer/Explorer

Humanitarian/Saint/Martyr

Novelist/short story

Playwright/Poet TS Eliot

Villain

Athlete Pelé

Composer

Muscian/ Performer

Painter

Artist/ Non Painter

Philosopher Confucius

Religious Figure

Celebrity Marilyn Monroe

Intellectual

Rebel Mohandas Gandhi

Wildcard

Wildcard

Wildcard

 

[Abrantes]

Still undecided, so I'll go with my instincts. The celebrity category is still relatively untouched, so I can pretty much just pick one of the most recognizable faces of all time. The prototypical blonde bombshell sex symbol. The list of artworks, artists and actors inspired by her (not to mention everyone else who laid eyes on her) is truly stunning.

6.01 Marilyn Monroe Celebrity

Marilyn Monroe,[1][2] (1 June 1926 – 5 August 1962), born Norma Jeane Mortenson but baptized Norma Jeane Baker, was an American actress, singer, model and sex symbol.

After spending much of her childhood in foster homes, Monroe began a career as a model, which led to a film contract in 1946. Her early roles were minor, but her performances in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve (both 1950) were well received. She was praised for her comedic ability in such films as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire and The Seven Year Itch, and became one of Hollywood's most popular performers.

The typecasting of Monroe's "dumb blonde" persona limited her career prospects, so she broadened her range. Her marriage to baseball player Joe DiMaggio failed. While married to playwright Arthur Miller, she studied at the Actors Studio and formed Marilyn Monroe Productions. Her dramatic performance in William Inge's Bus Stop was hailed by critics, and she won a Golden Globe Award for her performance in Some Like it Hot.

The final years of Monroe's life were marked by illness, personal problems, and a reputation for being unreliable and difficult to work with. The circumstances of her death, from an overdose of barbiturates, have been the subject of conjecture. Though officially classified as a "probable suicide", the possibility of an accidental overdose has not been ruled out, while conspiracy theorists argue that she was murdered.

In 1999, Monroe was ranked as the sixth greatest female star of all time by the American Film Institute.

Really? The celebrity category is rather starved for strong picks, and I can't think of many in her league at all.

 

[DCThunder]

My skipped Pick-

5.08--Joan of Arc-Martyr/Saint

From the Wiki:

Joan of Arc is national heroine of France and a Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, claiming divine guidance, and was indirectly responsible for the coronation of XXXX. She was captured by the English, tried by an ecclesiastical court, and burned at the stake when she was nineteen years old. Twenty-four years later, the Holy See reviewed the decision of the ecclesiastical court, found her innocent, and declared her a martyr. She was beatified in 1909 and later canonized in 1920.[2]

Joan asserted that she had visions from God that told her to recover her homeland from English domination late in the Hundred Years' War. The uncrowned King XXXX sent her to the siege at Orléans as part of a relief mission. She gained prominence when she overcame the dismissive attitude of veteran commanders and lifted the siege in only nine days. Several more swift victories led to XXXX's coronation at Reims and settled the disputed succession to the throne.

Joan of Arc has remained an important figure in Western culture. From Napoleon to the present, French politicians of all leanings have invoked her memory. Major writers and composers who have created works about her include Shakespeare, Voltaire, XXX, XXX,XXX,XXX,XXX. Depictions of her continue in film, television, video games, song, and dance.

 

[Abrantes]

Still undecided, so I'll go with my instincts. The celebrity category is still relatively untouched, so I can pretty much just pick one of the most recognizable faces of all time. The prototypical blonde bombshell sex symbol. The list of artworks, artists and actors inspired by her (not to mention everyone else who laid eyes on her) is truly stunning.

6.01 Marilyn Monroe Celebrity

Really?

I think she was massively popular from a North American point of view but not I'm not sure how she holds up against others on a world stage.

Given the American fascination with mass media and pop culture, I'll be pretty surprised if most of the celebrities aren't American figures. Nice list of cultural references to Marilyn.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

5:13 - Pablo Picasso

#1

Even if the Artist judge came in here now and said that, I'd still swap him for Dali.Dali's work hits a home run for me, Picasso is hit and miss, probably due to the volume.

I'll take him however, espeically as Rembrandt went at the same time. Big drop for me to the next tier.

Anyway here are some of Picasso's finest moments

The old Guitarist

The Weeping Woman

Massacre in Korea

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon

Guernica

Nude in a Black Armchair

Three Musicians

Dora Maar Au Chat

Chicago Sculpture

 

[thatguy]

Nice pick.

 

[Yankee23Fan]

My skipped Pick-

5.08--Joan of Arc-Martyr/Saint

From the Wiki:

Joan of Arc is national heroine of France and a Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, claiming divine guidance, and was indirectly responsible for the coronation of XXXX. She was captured by the English, tried by an ecclesiastical court, and burned at the stake when she was nineteen years old. Twenty-four years later, the Holy See reviewed the decision of the ecclesiastical court, found her innocent, and declared her a martyr. She was beatified in 1909 and later canonized in 1920.[2]

Joan asserted that she had visions from God that told her to recover her homeland from English domination late in the Hundred Years' War. The uncrowned King XXXX sent her to the siege at Orléans as part of a relief mission. She gained prominence when she overcame the dismissive attitude of veteran commanders and lifted the siege in only nine days. Several more swift victories led to XXXX's coronation at Reims and settled the disputed succession to the throne.

Joan of Arc has remained an important figure in Western culture. From Napoleon to the present, French politicians of all leanings have invoked her memory. Major writers and composers who have created works about her include Shakespeare, Voltaire, XXX, XXX,XXX,XXX,XXX. Depictions of her continue in film, television, video games, song, and dance.

Another solid pick.

 

[Arsenal of Doom]

My skipped Pick-

5.08--Joan of Arc-Martyr/Saint

From the Wiki:

Joan of Arc is national heroine of France and a Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, claiming divine guidance, and was indirectly responsible for the coronation of XXXX. She was captured by the English, tried by an ecclesiastical court, and burned at the stake when she was nineteen years old. Twenty-four years later, the Holy See reviewed the decision of the ecclesiastical court, found her innocent, and declared her a martyr. She was beatified in 1909 and later canonized in 1920.[2]

Joan asserted that she had visions from God that told her to recover her homeland from English domination late in the Hundred Years' War. The uncrowned King XXXX sent her to the siege at Orléans as part of a relief mission. She gained prominence when she overcame the dismissive attitude of veteran commanders and lifted the siege in only nine days. Several more swift victories led to XXXX's coronation at Reims and settled the disputed succession to the throne.

Joan of Arc has remained an important figure in Western culture. From Napoleon to the present, French politicians of all leanings have invoked her memory. Major writers and composers who have created works about her include Shakespeare, Voltaire, XXX, XXX,XXX,XXX,XXX. Depictions of her continue in film, television, video games, song, and dance.

This is exactly the person I had in mind when I made my earlier post about the humanitarian/saints and martyrs category being a hard one to figure. She's clearly a top name in the later group but doesn't belong in the former, which the description of the category is more tailored to. In spite of that I still nearly picked her last round and she is a major historical figure, I'm just wondering if she's going to be one who ends up better as a wildcard?

 

[Abrantes]

Once you get to this level it's not mere media attention. It's true public devotion to the person's image, and I honestly can't think of many who've endured longer than Marilyn's.

As for Joan of Arc, I really don't know where to place her in the category. Mixing saints and humanitarians makes for complicated judging.

 

[Doug B]

Did Usual and Hippo make 5th round picks? TIA

 

[HERBERT THE HIPPO]

I'm leaving work in about 10 minutes, If my turn comes I will pick.... otherwise I will think about it on my way home and pick in about an hour.

 

[HERBERT THE HIPPO]

Did Usual and Hippo make 5th round picks? TIA

We're way past that, ya dufus.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

OK, I know it's sophomoric, but ever since thatguy made his pick, I can't get the following lyric out of my head:

Rene Descartes was a drunken fart, I drink therefore I am

I can't quote the rest

Plato, they say, could stick it away, half a crate of whiskey every day,

Aristotle, Aristotle was a buggar for the bottle,

XXXXXX was fond of his dram,

And Rene Descartes was a drunken fart, "I drink therefore I am."

Yes, Socrates himself is particularly missed;

A lovely little thinker but a bugger when he's pissed

 

[thatguy]

I'm leaving work in about 10 minutes, If my turn comes I will pick.... otherwise I will think about it on my way home and pick in about an hour.

If you want to send me your pick, I'll make it for you.

 

[Yankee23Fan]

Still undecided, so I'll go with my instincts. The celebrity category is still relatively untouched, so I can pretty much just pick one of the most recognizable faces of all time. The prototypical blonde bombshell sex symbol. The list of artworks, artists and actors inspired by her (not to mention everyone else who laid eyes on her) is truly stunning.

6.01 Marilyn Monroe Celebrity

Marilyn Monroe,[1][2] (1 June 1926 – 5 August 1962), born Norma Jeane Mortenson but baptized Norma Jeane Baker, was an American actress, singer, model and sex symbol.

After spending much of her childhood in foster homes, Monroe began a career as a model, which led to a film contract in 1946. Her early roles were minor, but her performances in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve (both 1950) were well received. She was praised for her comedic ability in such films as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire and The Seven Year Itch, and became one of Hollywood's most popular performers.

The typecasting of Monroe's "dumb blonde" persona limited her career prospects, so she broadened her range. Her marriage to baseball player Joe DiMaggio failed. While married to playwright Arthur Miller, she studied at the Actors Studio and formed Marilyn Monroe Productions. Her dramatic performance in William Inge's Bus Stop was hailed by critics, and she won a Golden Globe Award for her performance in Some Like it Hot.

The final years of Monroe's life were marked by illness, personal problems, and a reputation for being unreliable and difficult to work with. The circumstances of her death, from an overdose of barbiturates, have been the subject of conjecture. Though officially classified as a "probable suicide", the possibility of an accidental overdose has not been ruled out, while conspiracy theorists argue that she was murdered.

In 1999, Monroe was ranked as the sixth greatest female star of all time by the American Film Institute.

Leader Cyrus The Great

Military

Scientist

Inventor

Discoverer/Explorer

Humanitarian/Saint/Martyr

Novelist/short story

Playwright/Poet TS Eliot

Villain

Athlete Pelé

Composer

Muscian/ Performer

Painter

Artist/ Non Painter

Philosopher Confucius

Religious Figure

Celebrity Marilyn Monroe

Intellectual

Rebel Mohandas Gandhi

Wildcard

Wildcard

Wildcard

I'm not saying this is a bad pick, but in terms of the top celebrities in the world - who haven't already been slotted in other areas - I wonder if she is there. I mean, we've had plenty of sex symbols in this country that took the place by storm. Many of them have had more time in the public eye. Many have actually done something for others that would give them some cred in other categories. I can think of several people alive now that have likely dwarfed what she accomplished in her lifetime as a world famous celebrity. But there are people still devoted to her and what she meant at the time.But again, it is Marilyn freakin Monroe. Her legend and/or symbolic place in our culture probably makes her worthy of the draft. I wonder if this may be one of the first picks truly debated as worthy or not, though.

 

[thatguy]

OK, I know it's sophomoric, but ever since thatguy made his pick, I can't get the following lyric out of my head:

Rene Descartes was a drunken fart, I drink therefore I am

I can't quote the rest

Plato, they say, could stick it away, half a crate of whiskey every day,

Aristotle, Aristotle was a buggar for the bottle,

#### was fond of his dram,

And Rene Descartes was a drunken fart, "I drink therefore I am."

Yes, Socrates himself is particularly missed;

A lovely little thinker but a bugger when he's pissed

I don't think this guy has been picked yet.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Andy Dufresne's pick via PM.5.16 - Qin Shi Huang (First emperor of China) - Leader

I'm surprised he got a collective yawn. Damn westerners.

................. sorry I'm late in typing Andy. When I saw it posted I, well, um, I had to run home and change suits. Granted, the euphoria I felt for your pick was likely premature given the long slow nature of this escapade, I simply couldn't help myself.So, I'm back now. All refreshed. Feeling good feeling good. How 'bout them Vikings!?! Front runner for the division this year I think. Yup. That Adrian Peterson is a great athlete. One of those guys that moves you. I mean, his performance is pleasing. Hehe, because he's fun to look at at.... I, I mean, yeah. Oh damn, I'll be back in 10 minutes.

Can't believe so many leaders are off the board already, yet nary a musician/performer, Rebel, Athlete or Celebrity

 

[Abrantes]

Definitely curious about the rest of the celebrity picks, now. I'm befuddled.

 

[HERBERT THE HIPPO]

I'm leaving work in about 10 minutes, If my turn comes I will pick.... otherwise I will think about it on my way home and pick in about an hour.

If you want to send me your pick, I'll make it for you.

OK..... but don't eff around and do something like this:ABBA - Music

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Musicians taking a real beating in here.

Thread imitates life.

You want fries with that?

Can't believe it myself. It just takes 1 to start a run and then you'll be busy

 

[thatguy]

I'm leaving work in about 10 minutes, If my turn comes I will pick.... otherwise I will think about it on my way home and pick in about an hour.

If you want to send me your pick, I'll make it for you.

OK..... but don't eff around and do something like this:ABBA - Music

I wouldn't do that.

 

[larry_boy_44]

so..I have downloaded both the "10th anniversary" play Les Miserables and the movie (the one with Claire Danes)...which should I watch first?

Movie first. That way you know the story.

that's how I was leaning since I figured the musical would have, well, awesome musical stuff...whereas the movie wouldn't...

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

My skipped Pick-

5.08--Joan of Arc-Martyr/Saint

From the Wiki:

Joan of Arc is national heroine of France and a Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, claiming divine guidance, and was indirectly responsible for the coronation of XXXX. She was captured by the English, tried by an ecclesiastical court, and burned at the stake when she was nineteen years old. Twenty-four years later, the Holy See reviewed the decision of the ecclesiastical court, found her innocent, and declared her a martyr. She was beatified in 1909 and later canonized in 1920.[2]

Joan asserted that she had visions from God that told her to recover her homeland from English domination late in the Hundred Years' War. The uncrowned King XXXX sent her to the siege at Orléans as part of a relief mission. She gained prominence when she overcame the dismissive attitude of veteran commanders and lifted the siege in only nine days. Several more swift victories led to XXXX's coronation at Reims and settled the disputed succession to the throne.

Joan of Arc has remained an important figure in Western culture. From Napoleon to the present, French politicians of all leanings have invoked her memory. Major writers and composers who have created works about her include Shakespeare, Voltaire, XXX, XXX,XXX,XXX,XXX. Depictions of her continue in film, television, video games, song, and dance.

Nice pick.What's she got to do with communism?

 

[HERBERT THE HIPPO]

I'm leaving work in about 10 minutes, If my turn comes I will pick.... otherwise I will think about it on my way home and pick in about an hour.

If you want to send me your pick, I'll make it for you.

OK..... but don't eff around and do something like this:ABBA - Music

I wouldn't do that.

Sent.......... thanks.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

OK, I know it's sophomoric, but ever since thatguy made his pick, I can't get the following lyric out of my head:

Rene Descartes was a drunken fart, I drink therefore I am

I can't quote the rest

Plato, they say, could stick it away, half a crate of whiskey every day,

Aristotle, Aristotle was a buggar for the bottle,

#### was fond of his dram,

And Rene Descartes was a drunken fart, "I drink therefore I am."

Yes, Socrates himself is particularly missed;

A lovely little thinker but a bugger when he's pissed

I don't think this guy has been picked yet.

Crap. You were right Editted

 

[larry_boy_44]

btw....

anyone have a count on how many draft picks were directly affected by Jesus vs. Muhammad?

Because I'm pretty sure Jesus is winning by at least a 10 to 1 ratio...

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

I'm leaving work in about 10 minutes, If my turn comes I will pick.... otherwise I will think about it on my way home and pick in about an hour.

If you want to send me your pick, I'll make it for you.

OK..... but don't eff around and do something like this:#### - Music

They'd be a good pick for those who were taking artists for musical influence, songwriting and longevity.