Rather than pitch the investors on the old sour business, they pitched them on new wells that were being tapped all over Texas as oil prices soared in 2008.
Rather than mar the Laeken declaration on Europe's future and sour the opening celebrations for the euro, Belgium's Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt ended the meeting without a resolution.
The sour expressions of Hammers fans at the final whistle painted this result as two points dropped rather than one gained, although Hitzlsperger's leveller 12 minutes from time could yet prove vital in the east London side's survival fight.