Best of 2007

Blockbuster Movie of the Year: 300

I saw this movie last March during Spring Break. By the end of the Southern Conference tournament, all I could think about was the image of the Spartans kicking the Persian messengers into the pit. In October's "Night with the 'Cats", Coach McKillop invoked the passion and emotion of 300.

Hubert Davis: Is this...McKillopville?

Bob McKillop: (pause) THIS IS DAVIDSON!


Underground Movie of the Year: Once

This movie wins the award for most money brought in with proportion to money spent. The creators took a real-life band (The Frames) and decided to make a modern-day musical with their songs contextualizing a love story where two lovers find so much truth in each other that they actually are strengthened to return to their former significant others. Give Glen Hansard and his band props for showing that there is nothing more beautiful than a soundtrack to real life, as portrayed in a movie.


Song/Dance of the Year: Soulja Boy's "Crank dat Soulja Boy"

Although Davidson has since banned the song for its less than savory lyrics, the Soulja Boy took the country by storm this summer. Stephen Curry did it on ESPNU during the "Night with the Cats," the Davidson soccer teams did the knock-off "Crank dat Spiderman" version, and even Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan got in on the action. Hopefully it's not too late to Crank dat Wildcat. Yuuuuulll!



Video Game of the Year: Guitar Hero

With its life-like plastic guitar and classic hits, Guitar Hero took the nation by storm by letting gamers young and old have the experience of playing that classic guitar solo. Except that instead of only using the air, we now had a real plastic guitar with buttons and everything. GH3 was a huge holiday hit at the video game stores and the new Rock Band game, where apartments can have a singer, guitarist, bassist and drummer all going at once, looks to be the next huge innovation in interactive gaming. Guitar Hero II was so popular with the men's soccer team over the summer that they put all of the game's songs onto a disc and used the playlist during their warmups.


Best game of the year: Fiesta Bowl: Boise State vs. Oklahoma

Although this game was nearly a full year ago, it did happen in 2007. The repercussions of Boise State's incredible comeback by converting a 4th and long on a hook and ladder and then winning in OT on a two-point conversion statue of liberty (after scoring on a halfback pass) were tremendous. In the same way that George Mason had rocked the major conferences of college basketball by making it to the Final Four, Boise State opened the door for non-traditional powers like Hawaii, Kansas and Central Florida to receive recognition on the national level.

Because of the primacy of this game and the number of crazy plays that went down at the end, I had to give it the edge over the close runner-up for game of the year: App State-Michigan. Although the Mountaineers pulled off the unspeakable upset in dramatic fashion, the stage of Boise State's win was larger. Plus EA Sports followed it up by putting Zabransky on the cover of NCAA 08. If Armanti Edwards is there next year, then we'll rethink some things.


Book of the Year: Stephen Colbert's "I Am America (And So Can You)"

Leading up to the writer's strike in the Fall, everything that Colbert touched turned to gold. He had Ben and Jerry's best-selling ice cream of the year (named Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream). He turned an accidental breaking of his wrist into an excuse to produce "Wriststrong" bracelets which ended up raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for wounded veterans. And his hilarious book, I Am America (And So Can You) was the top audiobook on iTunes for many weeks running. Colbert even tried to run for President in the South Carolina primary, but the Democratic party refused to put him on the ballot. At that time, polls had him placing fourth in the state, right behind John Edwards. Colbert was named as the AP Celebrity of the Year.


Internet Video of the Year: The Dramatic Chipmunk

Search Dramatic Chipmunk on YouTube to find all of the hilarious modifications to the original clip. I would have put Miss Teen South Carolina as the recipient of this award except that I didn't want to perpetuate any more bad stereotypes about my home state.