Page 2 columnist
So the U.S. Golf Association has reversed course and outlawed the controversial "hot driver," eh? Nothing makes a product hotter than verboten status -- how's that MP3 player treating you? -- and all that the ban signals is:
Time to buy.
Retailers are freaked that they will be left holding the (golf) bag, meaning potentially steep discounts for Joe Duffer. Can't use the club to post a score for your handicap index? Your ego will be soothed when you actually have a better time just knocking the ball around with the more forgiving club. If you don't get one, you know you will be asking to try a friend's, so why not try to snag one yourself on the cheap?
Now that you've got the scoop on one thing that's fashionable, 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, golfing partners and significant others:
| What's Hot, What's Not this week | ||
| Category | Hot | Not |
| Baseball records | Lifetime achievement | Single-season |
| The fix is in | Taekwondo in Sydney | Figure skating in Salt Lake City |
| Stadium naming rights | Razors | Fundamentally unsound Internet companies |
| Best hope against Shaq | ![]() Dikembe and decent team D |
![]() MacCulloch and a hot AI |
| Fan-friendly team promotion | Online ticket exchanges | "Silent Night" (no electronic/video scoreboard) |
| Analysis style | ![]() Boom! |
![]() Highbrow comedy |
| MLB hot-button executive | CFO Jonathan Mariner | VP/Labor Relations Rob Manfred |
| Education for athletes in offseason | Business school | Broadcasting school |
| Radio-station format | Sports | Religion |
| Arena Football League hotbed | Cincinnati | Raleigh, N.C. |
| Chris Webber's big problem | Possible indictments | Possible work in post vs. Shaq |
| Hobby for retired athletes | Attend political fund-raisers | Train to get back into playing shape |
| Takin' heat as butt of jokes | ![]() Anna Nicole Smith |
![]() Bud Selig |
| Cheerleaders' promotional tool | Old-fashioned cheesecake calendars | Websites no one visits |
| Weekend flick | "XXX" | "Full Frontal" |
| Spurrier Watch | ![]() Danny Wuerffel |
![]() Sage Rosenfels |
| Good-faith sign | Players OK with steroid testing | Owners complain about $220 million loss |
| Three key letters for would-be college athlete | GPA | SAT |
| Unnecessary airport-related whining by pro athletes | Security-related delays in travel | Obsessive fans staking out |
| Lighten up, Francis, it's just the preseason | ![]() Steve Mariucci |
![]() Jeff Garcia |
| Fun at the ballpark | Fans decide whether married couple should split | Harassing opposing outfielders from the bleachers |
Shanoff: What's hot, not for week of July 25-31
Shanoff: What's hot, not for week of July 18-24
Shanoff: What's hot, not for week of July 11-17
Shanoff: What's hot, not for week of July 3-10
Shanoff: What's hot, not at MLB All-Star Game
Shanoff: What's hot, not for week of June 27-July 2
Shanoff: What's hot, not for week of June 20-26
Shanoff: What's hot, not for week of June 13-19
Shanoff: What's hot, not for week of June 6-12
Shanoff: What's hot, not for week of May 30-June 5
Shanoff: What's hot, not for week of May 23-29
Shanoff: What's hot, not for week of May 16-22
Shanoff: What's hot, not for week of May 9-15
Shanoff: What's hot, not for week of May 3-8
Shanoff: What's hot, not for week of April 26-May 2









