Princely Deals With AOL Turn Into Cash-Draining Curse

There are a lot of louts on this list.

Once upon a time, a ruby-encrusted marketing connection with AOL (AOL Quote) guaranteed nobility and pulchritude in the market. My, how fair your business plan looks now that your piddling little site is an anchor tenant/content partner/heavy advertiser on AOL! Divine!

Lest we forget, AOL is king when it comes to Main Street America. And only the most regal and charming stocks get to go to court and rub AOL's bunions through wads of thousand-dollar bills, right? Witness Wednesday's royal-treasury-breaking deal with Coke (KO Quote) allowing cross-promotion with the carbonated ecstasy for a mere $64 million over two years. Tax the deflated empire for the money! Let them drink Sprite! ...