Monday, December 20, 2010

It was a bad year for (part two)...

It wasn't the best of years for the following:

- Aging rockers: The year started with The Who's underwhelming performance at halftime of the Super Bowl and then devolved into a series of injuries which kept rockers from performing on tour, e.g., various members of Aerosmith and Bono of U2.

- Tiger Woods: El Tigre's problems started during Thanksgiving week of 2009 and continued throughout 2010 as several so-called lovers came forward to spill their beans about Tiger's sexual appetites. Woods lost sponsors, his reputation, and, ultimately, his marriage.

- University of Kansas athletics: It pains me to write this but it was a tough year for Jayhawk athletics--Mark Mangino, Lew Perkins, Northern Iowa, ticket scandal, conference realignment and a Chancellor who was MIA, Gridiron Club fund-raising, North Dakota State, no cell phones or post-10:00 p.m. dates for football players, Charles "Bay" Frazier and improper benefits, Bubba Cunningham, and Mario Little. Whew...that was a mouthful.

- Re-branding efforts: Tropicana failed miserably with its re-branding efforts only to be followed by an even more public mis-step when Gap changed its iconic brand identity. The Big Ten introduced its Legends and Leaders conference divisions and now has conference commissioner Jim Delaney admitting that the league will reconsider the naming and decision given the public outcry from fans.

- Kansas City Royals: The team's poor performance on the field was followed by trading away former Cy Young winner, Zack Greinke, yesterday. While the trade may be the right business decision for the franchise, it illustrates yet again a quality performer leaving Kansas City for a supposedly better pennant chance elsewhere.

- Couples: Tiger and Elin, Courteney and David, Sandra and Jesse, Charlie and whoever, Kate and Sam, Billy Ray and Tish, Al and Tipper, Elisabeth and Fred. (See full names below...)

- Mel Gibson: Dude...have you ever considered anger management counseling?

- Network television: Yes, we were treated to great sophomore seasons from Glee, Modern Family and The Good Wife. But, seriously, the batting average of original programming on CBS, NBC, ABC and FOX is hovering around the Mendoza line. (Look it up...)

- Newspapers: We wrote in this space about the demise of several major daily newspapers during 2010. Look for the trend to continue in '11.

- U.S. success in world negotiations for major sports properties: President Obama was unsuccesful at trying to get the Olympics to Chicago in 2016. Former president Bill Clinton didn't fare any better with FIFA, who awarded a future World Cup to a country smaller than the state of Connecticut.

(Answer to couples' names above: Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, Sandra Bullock and Jesse James, Charlie Sheen and whoever, Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes, Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus, Al and Tipper Gore, Elisabeth Moss and Fred Armisen.)

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