Hot In Hartford 2012

A New Year has arrived and that means it's time for those who made noise in 2011 to battle it out for the most prestigious of all local awards, Sad City's: Hot In Hartford! The first Hot In Hartford saw Councilman Luis Cotto score a surprising victory  to take the coveted title. The Councilman recently defended his Council seat and will now try to defend his Hot In Hartford title as the 2012 pool is announced.



Last year many voters asked "What does Hot in Hartford mean? "Is it the candidates physical appearance?" Sad City made the calculated decision not answer. "Hot In Hartford" means whatever the voter wants it to be. Want to vote on the bigger news maker? Go for it. The most attractive? That's fine. Funniest? Sure. Vote whoever you want, Sad City is a blog for people, written by people.

The only rules are that the top four finishers from last year are automatically invited back to the tournament. That's automatic entry for Cotto, Colin McEnroe, Howard Baldwin, and Jenna Carlesso. The other big change is that while last year all contestants ( well except Mon Calimari Pucky Ackbar) were humans, this year all nouns are eligible.

Certainly one of the most prestigious honors that can be bestowed on any Hartfordite! Without any further ado, the "Hot In Hartford 2012" contestants!

LUIS COTTO: The defending champion also defended his City Council seat. Fresh off his Council swearing in, Cotto now looks to defend his Hot In Hartford title.

COLIN MCENROE: The To Wit blogger and WNPR radio host was last years runner up which leads us to another "Hot In Hartford" announcement. Radio is Sad City's favorite medium. We love it. If forced to choose between radio and television, it's a no contest for radio.

Since radio personalities often don't get the coverage that television personalities do, Sad City has created The Howard Stern Award for "Hot In Hartford's" highest finishing radio personality.

 It's kind of like the Cy Young Award.

Stern is, of course, the most successful radio personality ever and worked at WCCC in Hartford in the early 1980's. We are very proud to have such a legendary media personality connected to Hartford and to name this award after him. Congratulations to Mr. McEnroe on his 2011 Howard Stern Award.

HOWARD BALDWIN: A semi-finalist in 2011, Mr. Baldwin returned to Hartford in a big way last year by taking over management of the Hartford Wolfpack and rebranding them as the CT Whale. This year Mr. Baldwin has made headlines by being the only person to present a viable plan for the XL Center.

JENNA CARLESSO: Considered my many to be a surprise semi-finalist last year, the Hartford Courant reporter looks to follow up 2011 with another strong "Hot In Hartford" showing.

MAYOR PEDRO SEGARRA: Most experts rated the Mayors "2011 Hot In Hartford" performance as a disappointment. After trouncing the field to win a full term as Mayor, Segarra hopes to perform as well in "Hot In Hartford 2012."

JOHN DANKOSKY: Mr. Dankosky hosts the very popular "Where We Live" on WNPR and has his own blog. This is his first appearance in "Hot In Hartford."

DAN SCHWARTZ: Mr. Schwartz is not only a very successful Hartford lawyer, but also a popular blogger as well. Hard to believe anyone could do both of those things. This is his first appearance in "Hot In Hartford."

THE XL CENTER: Full time home to the CT Whale, part time home to the UConn Huskies, and host to countless events downtown, the XL Center has been a critical part of Hartford's downtown for decades.

THE BEAT CITY BEAUTIES: The Beauties have quickly become a must see on the Hartford circuit with their burlesque show. The Beauties make their "Hot In Hartford" debut as the first ever group entrant.

DENNIS HOUSE: Host of Face The State, a Channel 3 News anchor and blog author, Mr. House is a long time Hartford booster and resident and a supporter of Hartford hockey. With a resume like that, you don't even need to invite us on your tv show to make "Hot In Hartford." But you certainly can if you'd like!

THE RUSSIAN LADY: A longtime staple of Hartford's downtown, The Russian Lady got quite a makeover and made a triumphant return to Hartford in 2011.

CHION WOLF: Recognized by many as "the voice of WNPR." Ms. Wolf also helps produce The Colin McEnroe show and is a talented photographer. The up and coming Ms. Wolf makes her first appearance in "Hot In Hartford."

THE HARTFORD-NEW BRITAIN BUSWAY: One of the more interesting examples of government spending on record, the Hartford-New Britain busway is going to happen and generated a lot of conversation in 2011.

CRAIG THE PORN STAR: Evening host at legendary Hartford rock station WCCC, Craig and WCCC are always promoting Hartford. Craig makes his second "Hot In Hartford" appearance.

RICK GREEN: Author of CT Confidential at The Hartford Courant, Mr. Green's column is a great source of Hartford and CT news. This is his first appearance in "Hot In Hartford."

JOHNNY SPIGOT: Legendary bartender at the legendary Hartford bar, the always unbiased Sad City staff is able to overlook his Yankee fandom. This is his first appearance in "Hot In Hartford."

That's it folks, your "2012 Hot In Hartford" field! Leave your favorites, dark horses, underdogs, and who got slighted by not making the field in the comments. Voting will start next week!