ESPN.com - What's hot, not for the week

ESPN.com: Page 2

Wednesday, July 10, 2002
Updated: July 11, 3:58 PM ET
What's hot, not for the week

By Dan Shanoff
Page 2 columnist

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.