the buzz log

You read it. You liked it. You buzzed it up.

In the remarkable mix of stories that circulated through Y! Buzz in 2008, people voted on the ones they thought were particularly important, funny, or just worth reading. Let's review the 10 that garnered the most attention—and votes—in 2008.

Mom takes control of her health
A busy mother of five finally made time to change her life and lose weight (nearly 150 pounds), partly to help her husband cope with diabetes. The story inspired many to vote up this heartwarming tale of health to the top of the Buzz heap.

Not coming to a Best Buy near you
Audiophiles voted up a story on the renewed popularity of old-school vinyl. But what would set a real record collector apart from the posers would be landing one of the rare albums featured in Esquire's slideshow. A John Lennon rarity for a whopping $150,000, anyone? Makes Bob Dylan look like a downright steal at only $40,000, although "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" is considered the most valuable U.S. (versus British) album.

An Olympic year
The Beijing Olympics this summer captivated a huge audience and made us appreciate the phenomenal man-fish Michael Phelps, and impolitely question some very young ladies about their age. Here are the stories loved and buzzed:

  • They stuck the landings. They balanced and tumbled. And they won gold. But were they eligible to be in the Olympics in the first place? Questions about the tiny Chinese gymnasts arose after a Chinese media outlet reported some of the Chinese team members' ages as younger than 16, then took down the story.
  • Questions also arose about the amazing medal-man, U.S. swimmer Phelps. The 100-meter butterfly race was so close that the results came down to a photo finish, and Phelps fans buzzed up the story that proved he really did deserve that seventh gold medal (out of eight total).

From kid superstars to childlike acts
Another amateur didn't fare so well, after a nine-year-old with a 40-mile-per-hour fastball had opposing teams calling foul. According to the Associated Press, the baseball prodigy was told he was way out of his league, and pulled off the mound.

Among so-called professionals, Michigan basketball coach Kevin Borseth exhibited a meltdown of epic proportions after his team's loss. Bad behavior continued with Dallas Mavericks star Josh Howard, who had to apologize for his national anthem diss. And basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neal continued to raz rival Kobe Bryant, this time in song.

Year of the woman candidate
While the election ended in a historic result, there sure were lots of firsts throughout the endless campaign for president. Hillary Clinton, the first major female candidate, gave the eventual winner, Barack Obama, the run of his life. But maybe the best gift of the long race for president was the welcome comic relief. Jack Nicholson's campaign ad for Clinton endorsed her with tied-together clips from his most memorable movies. Then there was Sarah Palin, the first Republican woman to be part of a national ticket. Political pundits took different approaches to these two women, and "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart picked up on some of the mixed messages.

All in all, a memorable year filled with memorable stories. What can we say, except: Keep on buzzing!

Most Buzzed Stories of 2008 

1. Mother of 5 finally takes time for her own fitness (USA Today)
2. Shaq takes a freestyle swipe at Kobe (Yahoo! Sports)
3. The Most Expensive Albums of All Time (Esquire)
4. State-media story fuels questions on gymnast's age (Yahoo! Sports)
5. Jack Nicholson Films Ad For Hillary Clinton (Huffington Post)
6. Amazing proof Phelps won (Yahoo! Sports)
7. 9-year-old too good to pitch (Yahoo! Sports)
8. Michigan Basketball Coach Kevin Borseth's On Camera Meltdown (Huffington Post)
9. Jon Stewart Hits Karl Rove, Bill O'Reilly, Dick Morris On Sarah Palin Hypocrisy (Huffington Post)
10. Star sorry for anthem diss (Yahoo! Sports)