Based on Tuesday night's All-Star Game, you might think the concept of "tying" would be a strong pick for the least hot trend of the week.
But the Hot-Not List demands more: We project a tie-related backlash that, while it may not sink Bud Selig, will certainly cast a shadow on the entire industry of exhibition games. If they don't count anyway -- and the administrative powers can cancel them on a whim -- why should fans bother to check them out at all?
If tying is like kissing your sister, then a tie exhibition game is like kissing a cryogenically frozen relative; give us contests with an actual result -- one that matters, while we're at it -- anytime.
Now that you've got the scoop on one thing that's passé, take a look at the rest of what's hot and what's not this week. Feel free to share with your co-workers, buddies, significant others and fellow outraged baseball fans:
What's Hot, What's Not this week
|
Category |
Hot |
Not |
All-Star travesty |
A tie?!?! |
No Thome |
New Iverson nickname |
B&E |
AI |
Garish baseball jersey |
Powder-blue, Yount-rejected Brewers retro |
The strange taupe NL All-Star warm-up jerseys |
Sponsored stadium nickname |
"Too Tall Field" (St. Louis' Edward Jones Field) |
"Bankruptcy Arena" (D.C.'s MCI Center) |
Bonds-related All-Star moment |
Torii Hunter's home-run robbery |
Bonds' HR Derby fizzle |
Baseball's greatest moment |
Kirk Gibson homer |
Rickey Henderson record-setting stolen base |
Baseball fan chant |
"Let them play!" |
"Strike! Strike! Strike!"
|
Jersey to be seen in |
Tour De France's "yellow" |
U.S. soccer |
Future of U.S. Soccer |
Keeping Bruce Arena |
MLS development |
NFL star-turned-hoopster |
Tony Gonzalez |
Terrell Owens |
Growth sport |
Pro bull-riding |
Men's tennis |
Sports power couple |
The Williams sisters |
Jeter and Jordana |
Heisman hype |
Pic on a grain silo |
Pic on an NYC billboard
|
Hoops summer-camp development |
Inviting middle-school kids |
Finding next McGrady-like sleeper |
Clever minor-league gimmick |
"Tie One on for Bud" (St. Paul Saints) |
Zero-attendance night (Charleston Riverdawgs) |
People we'd like to see streak at tennis tourneys |
How about Anna? (As long as she's not winning ...) |
The Wimbledon streaker (Too much information) |
Vikings endorser |
Daunte Culpepper |
Randy Moss |
Elway's Colorado Arena League story |
Was team-naming contest fixed? |
Team-naming contest is marketing genius |
Award to win |
ESPY |
AFI Lifetime Achievement |
Dan Shanoff is a columnist for Page 2. His "What's Hot, What's Not" trend-spotting list appears Thursdays. Got inside scoop on an up-and-coming trend? Want to declare something passé? Send this glimpse of your hipness to hotnotlist@yahoo.com.