This week's Lycos 50 sees football continue to heat up, as well as the appearance of the summer's last blockbuster.
The NFL is up to #21 as the season approaches, and fantasy football (#34) makes its first ever appearance on the Lycos 50 (prior to this year, we counted these searches as just "football").
For those wondering what fantasy football is, it is a game where you "draft" real football players and then count their statistics each week. At the end of the season, the team with the best stats wins. If you're looking to try it out, look no further: Lycos has its own easy-to-play fantasy football game.
Here's my free advice: Stay away from Jamal Lewis.
SUPER SEQUEL: American Pie 2 (#37) finishes up the summer blockbuster season, and makes its expected appearance on the Lycos 50. Once again, Shannon Elizabeth (#45) was Miss American Pie, outdistancing her co-stars in searches. She also stars in Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back, which comes out in two weeks.
DRUG OF THE WEEK: Baycol (#43) is a cholesterol-lowering drug taken by 700,000 Americans. Producer Bayer took it off the market Wednesday because it may lead to muscle destruction. The drug has been linked to at least 40 deaths so far.
THE UNDERNEATH: Another drug making waves is Viagra. Yes, the old gentleman's drug of choice is on the rise for reasons we cannot fathom, and it nearly makes the Lycos 50 this week at #53.
But Viagra is not the only interesting topic to just miss the list this week. For example, the return of Andrea Thompson is at #61. Thompson is the actress-turned-anchor who made it to #2 back in May thanks to naked photos released on the Internet. The premiere of the new Headline News this week put her back in the spotlight.
One slot above Thompson, spurred by President Bush's big speech, stem cells make it to #60. By the way, am I the only one out here who thinks that our President has never read Brave New World, despite his liberal quoting from it in his speech? Perhaps he has read the Cliffs Notes.
SCI FI SHOWDOWN: The announcement of the title for next summer's Star Wars Episode II placed the cinema series back in the Lycos 50 at #42. The title, Attack of the Clones, was searched on its own by a good number of people. No word yet on whether Episode III will be called Attack of the Stem Cells.
Clone fever aside, Star Wars still can't top the recently hot Star Trek (#40). Trek is riding a wave of interest caused by this fall's premiere of the fifth television series, Enterprise.
SHORT SUBJECTS: As the multi-state Powerball (#48) jackpot makes it above $100 million, the searches get stronger? After five weeks, the search for Chandra Levy falls off the Lycos 50? Both the Code Red virus (#16) and the Sircam virus (#36) drop in search traffic, but both stay on the list? After 68 weeks on the list, Enimem (#50) hangs on by a fingernail.
NEW THIS WEEK: Fantasy football, American Pie 2, NASA, Star Wars, Baycol, Shannon Elizabeth, Powerball
DROPOUTS: Naked survivor Jerri Manthey, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Chandra Levy, Howard Stern, Backstreet Boys, Estella Warren, Niagara Falls.
BIGGEST RISE: The NFL, up 17 places to #21.
BIGGEST DROP: Sircam virus, down 25 places to #36.
ONE YEAR AGO: The Firestone Tire Recall nearly topples Britney Spears to take the top slot. Current champion Dragonball was #3.
TOMORROW: The hottest girl group of 2002?
