FanHouse Michael Jackson

Somebody call Tommy Lee Jones and tell him he can stop searching every warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in the Chicagoland area for missing White Sox pitcher Bartolo Colon has been found. Of course, had he started his search at a Waffle House it probably wouldn't have taken nearly as long to find him.

Colon is scheduled to start in Charlotte for the White Sox' Triple-A affiliate on Thursday but was nowhere to be found this week as the White Sox tried in vain to reach him. Where Colon was I'm not quite sure, but at least Ozzie Guillen was nice enough to explain why he was so hard to find for us.

They memorialized Michael Jackson on Tuesday in Los Angeles, and they'll do the same for Steve McNair on Thursday in Nashville. Before I continue, neither McNair nor anybody else ever will match Jackson as a universal icon for the ages, but comparisons exist nonetheless.

They both had their devout followers in life, and they both continue to have them in death. More important, when it comes to those who deeply sit inside the public's consciousness -- particularly entertainers and athletes -- they both delivered a couple of lessons for posterity with their shocking departures.

---

---

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

NBA superstar Kobe Bryant was a close friend of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, and Tuesday as millions of people from all over the world will tune in to watch Jackson's memorial at the Staples Center, Kobe will take center stage as part of the ceremony. In this video we hear from Kobe about how Jackson impacted his life, his choice in movies, and even his training.

Check out the video after the jump.

Michael Jackson will be laid to rest following a star-studded affair at the Staples Center on Tuesday, featuring noted performers such as Mariah Carey, John Mayer, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson. Although I doubt he'll be invited to perform, Ron Artest, who will soon call the Staples Center home once he officially signs with the Lakers on Wednesday, penned a surprisingly catchy tribute song of his own. If you're at work, be wary of the explicit lyrics, and keep reading after the jump to see how else Ron-Ron plans to honor MJ.

Kerry Joseph (no, not that Kerry Joseph)* Arland Bruce leads a relatively obscure life as a wide receiver for the Toronto Argonauts; such is life in the CFL. But something tells me Mr. Joseph* Bruce will be getting a little more attention soon. You see, the CFL is currently reviewing a recent touchdown celebration in which Joseph* Bruce honored Michael Jackson by pretending to be buried. See for yourself and then we'll debate!

It seems like everybody has a distinct memory of what Michael Jackson meant to them, particularly those of us in our 30s, who grew up listening to him. For me, it was convincing my parents to buy the "Thriller" album (33 RPMs!), and listening to it for hours at a time on our sweet Curtis Mathes all-in-one home entertainment system that looked a lot like this.

For a college buddy of mine (who shall remain nameless to spare him the shame of what I'm about to write) it was probably attending breakdancing classes as a chubby preteen while sporting one sparkly glove and a backpack stuffed with his Cabbage Patch Kid. (Amazingly, he now holds down a full-time job and spent very little time in therapy.)

---

---

And for Terrell Owens, the enigmatic NFL wideout currently with the Bills, it was a Michael Jackson dance contest. Via BuffaloBills.com's Chris Brown:

No offense to those who have turned Never Can Say Goodbye into their Amazing Grace these days. It's just that, even though Michael Jackson is everybody's favorite icon, he mostly belongs to us. I'm referring to those of us from northern Indiana. He couldn't become the biggest celebrity of all time until he discovered ways to surpass the elite of the elite within his own state.

Actually, I should say within his own region.

This was tougher than you think.

Lou Ferrigno was the second-best bodybuilder of the 1970s, a defensive lineman for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, a World's Strongest Man competitor and, of course, the guy who played The Hulk on The Incredible Hulk. But now Ferrigno is getting attention for something else: He was Michael Jackson's personal trainer.

Even Tiger Woods, the man that tends to stay away from the hot button topics, spoke up this week at the AT&T National, the tournament Woods hosts, about Michael Jackson.

As you now know, Jackson died on Thursday at the age of 50, leaving most Americans mourning the passing of a music legend. Tiger, who grew up listening to Jackson's music, said that he was one of the best entertainers of all time.

If I told you that, "Kobe Bryant grew up idolizing MJ," you would undoubtedly nod your head and say, "Yes. I can easily see how Michael Jordan was a big influence on Mamba." But, as it turns out, 24 was also heavily influenced by the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Which seems weird, but, as Holly MacKenzie put it, also makes total sense: Jackson, for all his eccentricities, was a brilliant performer and the best at what he did. So it's not irrational at all to think that his work ethic and dedication to his craft inspired Bryant.



Via The Hoop Doctors