Yahoo!'s Upside: Only Angry Shareholders

SAN FRANCISCO -- What once had the makings of a high-stakes drama -- featuring a sharp-tongued billionaire and a CEO fighting to save his job -- now looks more like a routine gathering stripped of any surprises.

Yahoo!'s(YHOO Quote) once much-anticipated shareholder meeting takes place in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, but the company's board composition has been largely decided already after activist investor Carl Icahn backed down from his proxy fight, agreeing to three board seats instead of gunning for all nine.

And if Icahn's announced decision not to make an appearance on Friday is any indication of what to expect, then shareholders are in for a tame meeting -- or at least one much tamer than it could have been. ...