With the year just days away from its end, let’s look at how I did on my 10 Predictions for 2010 from back in January:

1. The USA will advance to the second round of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. – They did. Thank you, Landon Donovan

2. The USA’s game against England will be the highest-rated soccer telecast in American television history. – It wasn’t, but it was close. The Ghana game two weeks later was the third-highest USMNT match ever, though.

3. There will be a brief MLS work stoppage, but the season will begin on time. – Half right. They came up with a collective bargaining agreement at the 10th hour. The season began on time.

4. The USL and the new NASL will agree to live together under the same roof with USSF as referee, just for 2010, before going their separate ways in 2011. – Bingo.

5. Philadelphia Union will make the MLS Cup Playoffs in their first year. – They missed it by 15 points.

6. The Seattle Sounders will win MLS Cup 2010. – Oops. I should have said, “The Seattle Sounders will finally score an MLS Cup Playoff goal, but it will be late in the process.”

7. Tim Tebow will be drafted by an NFL team, but not in the first round. – Half right, though that wasn’t exactly going out on a limb. He probably shouldn’t have been, at least not by Denver, which has a quarterback who’s doing pretty well, thank you.

8. Ryne Sandberg will be managing the Chicago Cubs by year’s end. - Never underestimate the complete ineptitude of Jim Hendry.

9. Ellen Degeneres will be terrible on American Idol, and the show will have its lowest ratings ever. – She was terrible, but I didn’t realize that in its first season, the show only got about half the ratings (or less) it does now, so it couldn’t get its lowest ratings ever It did get its lowest average ratings in six years, though, so I’ll count that as a “got it.”

10. Soccer fans will overreact. It doesn’t matter to what. They just will. – I almost feel guilty taking credit for that one, because it’s the safest bet ever.

So five out of ten (three and two halves), that’s not bad. What do you want me to predict for 2011?

Man, I’ve really been remiss in blogging lately. Sorry.

But these things caught my eye this morning:

• Huh. Didn’t see this coming.
• This podcast with Adam Carolla and David Alan Grier had me laughing hysterically on the commute in this morning. YMMV.
• It’s going to take an extra day to get the latest Four At The Back online. So much good stuff with our great guest, Shep Messing. Look for it tomorrow.
• Ewwww.
• Highlights of last night’s terrific game between the Chicago Fire and Chivas USA. Seemed like a harsh penalty call at the end.
• Happy Trails to my man David Deal, who leaves the Philadelphia KiXX today. Good man. Good luck.

The marsupials who produce American Idol gave themselves an extra seven minutes by design last night, and used it all in a finale that had something for everyone – assuming everyone is old like me.

KISS? Seriously? Rod Stewart? Lionel Ritchie? What, Hall & Oates weren’t available?

Don’t get me wrong – KISS was entertaining (that wasn’t Ace Frehley, though, was it? Pity), the bit with Bikini Girl was classic (if cruel) and I’m always glad when Steve Martin is around, because he won’t be forever.

And, oh, by the way, Kris Allen won. Middle America strikes again.

There’s no question in anyone’s mind, is there, really, that Adam Lambert’s the more talented performer? Maybe the most talented performer the show’s ever had? He’ll go on and have some sort of a career and Kris Allen will go on and have some sort of a career and Megan Joy will not and that’s the way it should be.

So now I’m hooked on the show and I don’t know what that says about me. Someone stop me before I buy tickets to the tour when it comes here.

All these weeks later, American Idol has come down to the college kid from Arkansas against the glam rocker from San Diego. Will Americans buy curious? We’ll see.

Tuesday’s semifinale (which still ran long – the monkeys have forgotten the lessons they learned weeks ago) had Kris Allen and Adam Lambert each singing three songs – a reprise of their favorite performance from earlier in the competition, a song chosen by the show’s creator and the schmaltzy winners song that we normally don’t hear until after the winner is chosen. Recap and subjective scores after the jump.
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I was traveling last week and the DVR ate Wednesday’s results show, so I was spared seeing Paula Abdul perform and all the other padding they did to get to the part where Allison Iraheta went home. Last night was the final three. As always, subjective scores, snarky comments and the rankings after the jump.

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When do four remaining finalists not equal the semifinals? On American Idol, where the final four did Rock ‘N Roll Night to whittle the field to three semifinalists. Performance reviews, subjective scores and made-up rankings, as always, follow after the jump.

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Last week was Disco Week on American Idol, honoring an era which occurred before most of the contestants were born, so this week they went even deeper into the archives for Rat Pack Week. I was dealing with burning eyes and a fever while this was on, so this entry will be brief – thankfully there are only five of these people left – but just snarky enough, hopefully. Performance reviews, subjective scores and made-up rankings follow after the jump.

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After Saving Private Giraud last week, American Idol was still at seven contestants for Disco Night last night. During which we discovered that Donna Summer recorded at least 43% of all the songs during the Disco Era. Seriously, people. Do you spend more than eight seconds choosing songs?

As always, the contestants follow, in order of their performances, with their songs in parentheses and a subjective rating at the end.

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So the monkeys that produce American Idol finally figured out a way to bring their 61-minute show in…in 61 minutes: only have the judges review the contestants in pairs. Simon and Paula review the odd-numbered contestants, Randy and Kara the evens.

How about this? Don’t have four judges, first off. Or don’t let Paula ramble like a crazy homeless person. Make your point, get out. If Simon doesn’t get to review every contestant, the show suffers. So how about we fire the line producers, cut out the inane chit-chat and get a nice, tight, show?

Okay, last night was “Songs from the Movies” night. Its working title was “Six Performances of Muzak and One Adam Lambert,” which is the one they should have kept. Seriously – a lot of familiar songs from movies are the love songs, but six of them?

As always, comments on each of the seven contestants, made-up scores and subjective power rankings after the jump.

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At this moment, there are literally dozens of young television producers in this country, toiling away for $17,500 a year in places like Alpena, Michigan and Fort Myers, Florida, who bring the late local newscast in at 35 minutes five nights a week. Not 36 minutes. Not 43 minutes. 35 minutes. Thou Shalt Not Run Into Leno. That’s a “hard out” at 11:35:00 ET, people. Run long once, there’s hell to pay. Run long twice, watch the unemployment rate go up.

So why can’t the producers of this show color within the lines? Even when they extend the show to a minute past the hour – no dice. Last year’s finale was 120 minutes long – and they took 121 to name the winner.

Last night’s show ran eight minutes too long. Eight minutes. That’s an unpardonable sin in television.

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