Google Zeitgeist Shows Web Surfers Go for Sports

Google Announces Top 15 Gainers for the Week Ending July 4

WebKnowHow
Friday, July 7, 2006; 04:37 AM

This week the Google Zeitgeist illuminates fans celebrating their love of many beautiful games during a summer week when it seemed all the world was watching one playing field or another. Soccer (aka football) won the high score with three search queries (alemania 2006, zidane, cristiano ronaldo); tennis garnered two topics (wimbledon, maria sharapova), and then there was golf (michelle wie), hoops (nba draft) and wheels (tour de france). Of course, summer movies always prove to be a sport of their own (box office grosses, anyone?), which this week included Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Spiderman 3 and "The Devil Wears Prada" among the most popular searches. Finally two slots were given over to an unfolding celebrity-PR drama - between Star Jones and her former employer, "The View."

Google.com Gainers

1. star jones - ousted co-host of daytime chatfest "The View" expressed regret over some of her behavior with Larry King on June 29 as she deconstructed her departure from the show
2. tour de france - the annual pinnacle of extreme long-distance cycling began in Strasbourg on July 1; the yellow jersey (denoting the leading rider) has traded owners, and teams, in the days since
3. wimbledon - competition continued last week for women and men in this U.K. tennis classic, but the Americans aren't in the quarter-finals for the first time since 1911
4. brandon routh - the man of the hour - or rather of summer blockbusters - wears blue tights or black horn-rims, depending on when you see him (as you will in "Superman Returns," which opened June 29)
5. spiderman 3 - the trailer for the much-touted new ep of the Spidey epic first appeared online June 27 as a shaky bootleg copy from a fan (who saw and taped a sneak preview, presumably), but hours later Sony execs unveiled the *real* version
6. the view - ABC's morning talk show was the subject of conversation itself, after co-host Star Jones announced her own departure on June 27, followed by a very public disagreement with creator Barbara Walters over the terms of her leave-taking
7. fireworks - what U.S. citizens light, or watch, on July 4 to celebrate
   the 230th anniversary of Independence Day
8. michelle wie - the rising golf star, age 16, tied for third in this year's U.S. Women's Open on July 2
9. kate bosworth - actress getting kudos, and notice, for her turn as Lois Lane in Superman Returns, which opened June 29
10. the devil wears prada - chick-lit hit did boffo box office opening weekend June 30, taking in $27 million
11. alemania 2006 - the Terra Networks Spanish-language web portal is hosting a very popular World Cup site
12. zidane - the captain of the French soccer (football) team, Zinedine Zidane, wowed World Cup watchers with the points he won in the quarter-finals
13. nba draft - the teams all sorted out their picks on June 28; teams will begin signing players on July 12
14. cristiano ronaldo - Manchester United footballer found himself amid controversy after he remonstrated with a referee during U.K.'s semi-finals match, which it subsequently lost to Portugal on July 1
15. maria sharapova - Russian tennis star headed into her third straight Wimbledon semifinal July 4