Concepts That Looked Good On Paper In 2007

You just read about some of the best ideas of the past year. Here some concepts that looked good on paper, but ultimately didn’t work out:

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JIM BALSILLIE BUYING THE PREDATORS: While the RIM co-CEO comes close to finalizing a deal for the Predators, his bid takes a precipitous turn after he begins selling tickets and securing an arena lease in Hamilton without the league’s approval. Balsillie's bravado is met with anger by the BOG and prompts former Predators Owner Craig Leipold to say, “I never would have gone back to Balsillie. I don’t trust him in this process.”

MAXFLI'S JOHN DALY COMMERICAL: Maxfli generates headlines for a raucous ad featuring the PGA Tour's bad boy singing at a country bar and grabbing a beer while driving a golf cart.  While we like the envelope-pushing, it proves to be so far from the norm that CBS refuses to air it and Golf Channel restricts it to late-night timeslots.

TBS HIRES FRANK THOMAS: TBS receives mostly positive press for hiring the respected slugger as a studio analyst for its inaugural postseason coverage, but it quickly becomes clear he is not baseball's version of Charles Barkley. The Baltimore Sun's Ray Frager writes Thomas left Ernie Johnson "longing for the mumbling of Shaquille O’Neal.”

Brett Hull Lasts Just One Season As NHL Analyst For NBC

NBC HIRES BRETT HULL: Likewise, some see Hull as NBC’s answer to Don Cherry, but the future HOFer provides little insight and has minimal impact during his first, and only, year in the studio. In likely his most memorable moment, Hull calls the eventual Stanley Cup champion Ducks “terrible” during the Western Conference Finals. Oops.

DOLPHINS RAISE TICKET PRICES: After raising ticket prices by about 12% in June, the Fish get off to an 0-13 start.  Owner Wayne Huizenga says the hike is in line with other NFL teams and goes as far to say prices increase "every year regardless of what the season is.” At least Dolphins fans get their money's worth. The team does, afterall, win one game.

CHINA BOWL: The concept is solid enough -- take two marquee teams, the Patriots and Seahawks, and play a preseason game in Beijing a year before the Olympics.  However, in a rare PR gaffe, the NFL pulls the plug, saying it is "devoting tremendous manpower" to the regular-season game in London.  Did the league not look at a calendar beforehand?