The Brand Called Dick

Ok, so this is a little bit on the lite side for the first day back from the holidays, but am I the only person who keeps thinking about Dick Clark's performance on New Year's Rockin' Eve? I found myself watching with that train wreck-type fascination usually reserved for plane crashes and terrorist attacks. At first, I thought he simply erased his brand equity by appearing at all; in an instant, he was transformed from America's eternal teenager to a very, very old man. And then I decided that it took a lot of cojones, and that perhaps people would remember him for that after he's gone. Why give up your franchise to Ryan Seacrest without a fight at least?

So who's with me? Was 2006 good for the Brand called Dick or not?