In the era of overwhelming offseason chatter, lockouts in the NFL and NBA offered a huge opportunity for other sports and athletes to claim the kind of attention they might not get otherwise. Who has been the worst at taking advantage?
5. U.S. women’s soccer » Actually, the timing was perfect. But here’s the thing: The dramatic run to the Women’s World Cup final, led by Hope Solo and Abby Wambach, would have trumped free agency with ease. The problem is making the interest last.
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4. Major League Baseball » Not only did Derek Jeter‘s 3,000th hit get trumped by women’s soccer, his absence from the All-Star Game three days later led to the game’s lowest overnight rating ever.
3. Tiger Woods » Instead of an inspiring comeback, Woods stole headlines twice with announcements that his knee wasn’t recovered enough for him to play in the U.S. Open or British Open, which everyone already expected.
2. Maria Sharapova » Instead of completing her return from shoulder surgery with titles at both the French Open and Wimbledon, Sharapova got bounced by eventual champions twice — Li Na in the semifinals at Roland Garros and Petra Kvitova in the London final.
1. Tour de France » Wait, they still have this race? What channel is it on? Isn’t cycling mired in controversy? Without Lance Armstrong, most fans don’t know a single rider and barely have time for YouTube clips of chaperone cars running them right off the road.
