The Olympics ain't hot stuff yet, judging from Lycos user queries.
Less than two weeks before the games begin, the Olympics have yet to crack the top 5 on the Lycos 50. The summer games come in at a respectable #6 this week, but that's still below plain ol' football (#4) and fading digital diva Pokemon (#5). Meanwhile Halloween, nearly 8 weeks away, is already ranked at #24. Bottom line: people just aren't gearing up for the Games of the XXVII Olympiad -- so far.
(Note: Lycos is hosting the clubs for this year's games. Check 'em out, won't you?)
Other key points from this week's Lycos 50:
BACK TO THE BOOKS: Textbooks debut at #21 this week, no doubt thanks to the start of the new school year. About half the queries specified college textbooks. Another big rising query: Cliff Notes.
REALITY REDUX: Survivor (#27) is done, but Big Brother (#3) lives on. Big Brother has always been a bigger hit online than on TV; surfers have kept the show in our top 10 for nine weeks now. This may be due to the live housecams featured on the Big Brother Web site. Or it may have to do with Big Brother's new offer of big dough to any cast member who'll let himself be replaced with a beautiful woman.
TENNIS HOTTIES: The U.S. Open tennis tournament makes an impressive showing this week. The annual hard-court event debuts at #20, with championship week yet to come. Interest in the tourney also boosted Anna Kournikova (#10) despite her latest disappointing showing.
AMANDA-RAMA: Her new movie Whipped got panned, but actress Amanda Peet is a hit. She seems to be building big momentum after her earlier (mostly au naturel, according to E! Online) appearance in "The Whole Nine Yards."
SHORT SUBJECTS: Big week for football, with the sport itself at #4 and the NFL at #8... Harry Potter remains in the top 20 after 10 weeks... Princess Diana is popular once again on the third anniversary of her August 31, 1997 death... Star Trek (#48) is back on the Lycos 50 again... why? Maybe fallout from all those William Shatner commericals?
NEW THIS WEEK: Metallica, the U.S. Open, textbooks, Amanda Peet, Star Trek, Princess Diana.
DROPOUTS: Tenchi Muyo, Star Wars, the Verizon strike, Submarine Kursk, Anne Heche and Ellen DeGeneres, Hurricane Debby.
BIGGEST RISE: The NFL (#8) and Halloween (#24), both up 15 places.
BIGGEST DROP: Survivor (#27), down 27.
CAMPAIGN WATCH: On our weekly comparison of campaign 2000 searches, Al Gore queries are leading George W. Bush queries by 53% to 47%. That's a two point gain for Bush, who trailed 55% to 45% last week.
