The Week in Cycling...

It's not a Slanket

It's a Snuggie!

If you watch cable TV, especially at odd hours of the day/night, chances are you've seen the Snuggie. It's a simple solution to an everyday problem - people want to be warm and tucked in under a blanket, but also want to use their hands. So along came the Snuggie . . . the blanket with sleeves!


(My favorite part is "Great for outdoors!" at about the 1:15 mark - what would you do if you saw a Snuggie-clad family at a sports event? If you said run, you are correct)

An earlier edition of this very same product, the Slanket, has been sold in SkyMall for years. I've laughed about it on countless flights. The brilliance of that name alone made me want to buy one. Apparently ridiculous TV ads are more useful in persuading buyers, however, as there are now over 4 million Snuggies in living rooms across the country.

Of course, the TV spot above has a few spin-offs - including one scored by "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana.

There's even . . . wait for it . . . a Snuggie pub-crawl in Chicago this April. I can just picture a cultish group of Snuggie-fans, dressed in their ankle-length druid robes, hailing cabs on Division.

Really?!

Forbes Magazine really has it in for Chicago.

Six months ago, Forbes ranked Chicago the most stressed-out city in America. Now, Chicago is the third-most miserable city in which to live in America. Or so says Forbes.

Chicago beats out cities like Detroit and Flint, Michigan, as well as Buffalo, New York, to win the dubious honor.

According to the magazine, Chicago's weather, long commute times, rising unemployment and the country's highest sales tax earned it a podium spot on the list, below Stockton, Calif. and Memphis.

A large reason Chicago ranked so high on the list is one new criterion on Forbes’ “misery scale:” public corruption.

Forbes seems to overlook the fact that Chicago residents revel in their city’s political reputation. In other cities, people would be ashamed that 4 of the previous 8 governors have ended up in prison. In Chicago, it’s all anybody talks about.

Really, though - Barack Obama being elected president doesn't balance out Blagojevich and Ryan?

Sports teams are also important to Forbes, and they don’t view the Cubs’ 100-year World Series drought kindly. Never mind the fact that they finished this season with the most wins in the National League. Or the fact that they are favored to kick ass next season. And never mind the fact that the dismal Detroit Lions recently became the first NFL team to notch a winless 0-16 season.

Speaking of Detroit, it is without question the most miserable city I have ever seen. The Forbes most miserable cities list should just be a looong article about Detroit. The average home price in the city there is $7,500. Seventy-five HUNDRED dollars. Because it is a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

First the Tour de Georgia. Then the Oregon Pro Cycling Classic. Then the Tour de Leelanau. All these big-name races have shut down in the past few weeks or, more commonly, “taken a year off” to return bigger and better or next year.

But will they really return? If they’re calling it quits because of the uncertain economy… and we keep hearing the economy will get worse before it gets better…

It doesn’t really make any sense. And if big races like the TdG are failing, wh is going to happen to community hallmarks like the Norfolk Classic Cycling Weekend presented by Monster in the sticks of Nebraska? If the big boys can’t get sponsors, how will the little guys get money?