Keller @ Large: Turkeys Of The Year

BOSTON (CBS) - I hope your Thanksgiving went well and you are ready for some leftover turkey, the turkeys who made news during 2014.

First, let's clear up some confusion about this annual list.

Turkeys aren't evil animals, not at all. As President Obama noted during the annual pardoning of the turkeys Wednesday at the White House, Benjamin Franklin once compared the turkey favorably to the bald eagle.

When we label something or someone a turkey, we're calling them out as a failure in some way, or commenting on a particularly inept performance they may have submitted.

So let's get started:

Turkeys are not necessarily stupid animals, and MIT Professor Jonathan Gruber really proves the point. He just doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut. Calling the American people "stupid" as you're describing how you and your employers pulled one over on them was a turkey move for the ages.

The members of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission are bright people, but they slowed the casino licensing process to a crawl in the name of due diligence, then didn't do their due diligence on the Everett proposal. Whoops.

Can you be a turkey and still get rich? Yes, you can.

Just ask Donald Sterling, the bigoted, cretinous former owner of the L.A. Clippers.

He shares executive turkey of the year honors with Arthur S. DeMoulas, the so-called "Bad Arthur" who walked away from this summer's Market Basket showdown with both millions of dollars and the contempt of millions.

So many turkeys, so little time.

But don't take it too personally, turkeys of the year – just because you fowled it off this year doesn't mean you'll never get another at-bat.

Listen to Jon's commentary:

You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.

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