the buzz log
Hoops of Infamy
Everybody has problems. The NFL has Michael Vick, and MLB has that whole steroids thing. Both are disturbing, but the current NBA meltdown may be even worse. Following news that a referee bet on games (and perhaps more), searches on the scandal's key players took flight.
Tim Donaghy is the ref in the middle of the mess. Queries on the 13-year veteran hit the roof once his name hit the wires. In fact, interest in the "rogue" official topped searches on the NBA, his former employer. Related search spikes included "tim donaghy bio," "tim donaghy gambling," and "tim donaghy playoffs." Hooray for infamy!
But this story isn't just about ol' Tim. As the saying goes, it takes two to tango and NBA commissioner David Stern is Donaghy's unwilling partner. Of course, the commish didn't collude with Donaghy, but many are wondering why Donaghy, who had a reputation as a gambler, wasn't fired earlier. Stern, on a mission of damage control, described the fiasco as an isolated incident. If it turns out to be more, expect outraged searches on Donaghy, Stern, and the NBA to soar even higher.
LeBron Saves the Day
We'll admit it—we were wrong. We said that this year's NBA playoffs were a relatively buzz-free zone once the Warriors left the building. It even looked like we might be right (for once!) with the Spurs and Pistons cruising toward a rematch of the 2005 NBA Finals. Remember that classic series? Exactly our point...
Which brings us to LeBron James. The young star of the Cleveland Cavaliers put on a dazzling display of roundball force and decimated the Pistons. He resuscitated buzz on the NBA and sent Detroit packing in one fell swoop.
Searches on the man known as King James exploded over the weekend after the Cavs clinched their first-ever berth in the Finals. Related queries on "lebron james shoes," "lebron james wallpaper," and "lebron james pictures" rocked the rims of Search.
It even pays to be associated with the NBA savior. Folks are intrigued by LeBron's lady friend. Searches on Savannah Brinson are up 82% and curious fans are looking for "pictures of savannah brinson" and "lebron james savannah brinson."
But LeBron wasn't the only Cav to swish through the net of Search. Rookie guard Daniel Gibson helped to dispatch Detroit and hoops fans took notice. Searches on the unheralded rook jumped an astonishing 5,816% over the last week as he excelled under playoff pressure.
So can LeBron carry the Cavaliers to victory over the Spurs? We don't know, but we do know that having King James in the Finals can only be beneficial for buzz...
Filed under: Sports, NBA, LeBron James
Lotto Trouble?
The NBA's lottery system to determine Draft order may not be fair, but it sure ratchets up the buzz factor. Searches on the Draft lottery soared to new heights this year thanks to two star players at the head of the class. Buzz on college studs and potential pro cornerstones Greg Oden and Kevin Durant jumped more than 200% yesterday as fans speculated about their possible destinations.
The lottery provided a shock when the three teams with the best chance of winning the #1 pick were decimated by the fickle fate of lotto balls. After the Portland Trailblazers, snuck into the #1 slot, searches on the up-and-coming squad jumped 654%. Equally fortunate were the Seattle SuperSonics, who bounced into the #2 slot and experienced a sizable bump in Buzz.
As for the teams scorned by the system, searches on the Boston Celtics (+198%), Milwaukee Bucks (+146%), and Memphis Grizzlies (+55%) all moved up as their fortunes went south. The three sad-sack teams will be picking from the four through six slots instead a spot in the coveted top two.
Once the draft order was finalized, searches on "nba mock drafts" immediately slammed the Search box. Queries on "updated 2007 nba mock draft" (+315%), "nba mock draft" (+274%), and "2007 nba mock draft" (+175%) all took off after the top 14 slots in the 2007 Draft were confirmed. We'll be watching as rumors soar to the rim and buzz continues to build on the tremendous talent allocation of 2007...
NBA Playoffs: Everyone's Invited
Over 50% of the NBA's teams make the playoffs. In other words, the event is about as exclusive as Paris Hilton's bedroom. Still, that "come one, come all" attitude hasn't slowed hoops-related buzz. Searches on "nba playoffs" are up 278% this week.
It's too early to predict which of the thousand qualifing teams will take home the trophy, so we ranked the squads according to their popularity in Search. If buzz translates to playoff success, NBA fans could be in for a surprise champion this year...
Filed under: Basketball, NBA
It's Drafty in Here
As soon as the Florida Gators waltzed away with their second straight title at the big dance, savvy sports searchers turned their attention to the NBA Draft. Despite the fact that draft order has yet to be determined, buzz on the annual re-stocking of pro basketball benches leapt 49%. Searches on "nba mock draft," "updated 2007 nba mock draft," and "2007 nba draft prospects" all soared to the rim as hoops heads salivated about the possibility of the deepest draft in years.
Top prospect Kevin Durant of Texas decided to forgo his college eligibility and enter the draft early along with the fabulous foursome from Florida. We're waiting on the announcement that's sure to slam Search—Greg Oden's decision whether or not to stay at Ohio State. If he comes out, the battle for Buzz between Durant and Oden will dominate water cooler talk until the draft takes place on June 28.
Who will open up the lucky envelope containing the rights to the #1 pick? Will even more college stars come out early? These questions hang in the air like Jordan in his prime and we're sad to say we don't have the answers. But we do know which prospects are hottest in Search. Here's how they rank in order of popularity over the past week...
Filed under: Sports, Basketball, NBA, NBA Draft
top movers
| Rank | Subject | 1-Day Move |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford 400 | Breakout! |
| 2 | Indonesia Ferry | Breakout! |
| 3 | Jordan Chandler | 3481% |
| 4 | Evan Chandler | 2322% |
| 5 | American Music Awards | 1841% |
| 6 | John F. Kennedy | 1529% |
| 7 | Turkey Stuffing Recipes | 1361% |
| 8 | Liam Hemsworth | 1172% |
| 9 | Lou Dobbs | 1142% |
| 10 | Hendrick Motorsports | 888% |
top leaders
| Rank | Subject | Move | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Friday | +340 | 1290 |
| 2 | NFL | +489 | 670 |
| 3 | Jennifer Lopez | +451 | 515 |
| 4 | New Moon | -67 | 250 |
| 5 | American Music Awards | +236 | 249 |
| 6 | UFC | -36 | 239 |
| 7 | Miley Cyrus | +66 | 169 |
| 8 | Hulu | -11 | 154 |
what's the buzz?
A subject's buzz score is the percentage of Yahoo! users searching for that subject on a given day, multiplied by a constant to make the number easier to read. Weekly leaders are the subjects with the greatest average buzz score for a given week.
For more detailed information, visit our FAQ.