HIT: The London Games Opening Ceremony was hailed as a whimsical triumph by viewers around the globe, who heaped praise on Artistic Dir Danny Boyle's tribute to the host country. The visually-appealing show featured thunderous music, dancing beds, cycling doves and a cameo from Queen Elizabeth.
MISS: Spain's red and yellow Olympic uniforms became the punch line of many jokes during the London Games. Russian company Bosco provided the kits for Spain free of charge, but they were not free of ridicule. Spanish athletes Alex Fabregas and Saúl Craviotto posted pictures of themselves in the uniforms on their Twitter accounts, creating a social media frenzy ripe with criticism. Fabregas wrote: "Olympic outift, there aren't enough adjectives." Craviotto wrote, "At home trying on the Olympics clothes! better if I don't opine, I will leave it up to you guys..."
HIT: Team GB athletes, such as cyclist Bradley Wiggins, heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis, runner Mo Farah and tennis player Andy Murray all basked in the limelight of Gold Medal-worthy showings in the London Games. The lasting effect of the group's success was seen with the prospect of increased sponsorship deals and appearances, including Wiggins winning the 2012 BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
MISS: London Mayor Boris Johnson was tough to miss during the London Games, especially when he was dangling high above a crowd stuck on a zipline. Johnson got stuck dangling in mid air while riding a zipline as part of the London 2012 Olympic celebrations. Once stuck, Johnson, wearing a suit and a helmet, began waving two Union flags much to the delight of the crowd below.
HIT: If there was one beneficiary to the NHL being locked out in the U.S., it was hockey leagues in Europe. Scores of NHL players left the U.S. in the fall to sign deals with European clubs. Among them, Jaromir Jagr landed with Kladno in the Czech Republic. Evgeni Malkin, Alexander Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk and Pavel Datsyuk are now playing in Russia. In Switzerland, Henrik Zetterberg, Joe Thornton, Rick Nash, Patrice Bergeron, John Tavares, Damien Brunner and Tyler Seguin have enjoyed success.
MISS: Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho took a costly sip of a soft drink this year. Coca-Cola terminated a $750,000-a-year sponsorship deal with Ronaldinho after he was seen sipping a Pepsi during a news conference. Ronaldinho was speaking to the press about an upcoming match when two Pepsi cans were placed on the table in front of him, and he sipped from one.
