ACM Awards 2008: Where's The Magic?: Last year's show was one of the best ever. This year, not so much. Was it the sound that so many have maligned? Or the awkward duet performance of George Strait and Kenny Chesney who rock when they sing solo? The program is produced by the very competent R.A. Clark. Yes, he's Dick's son (On a personal note, I went to college with him. We took TV classes together at Northwestern and he was always sharp). Radio was barely acknowledged. How hard will folks work in the future to win that award when the winners are basically ignored? No matter how Kenny Chesney spins it, he attacked his fans who made him Entertainer of the Year.

Putting my young daughter to bed, I missed the best moment: Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley paying tribute to Eddy Arnold. The Tennessee Plowboy would have been proud.

My suggestion: Start fresh and reexamine all aspects of this show and let's make sure that 2009 does us proud.
.