A - How do you think Pat would have fared without the other's external help? I'm not disputing he lost, but I'm asking you if we could (as an experimental thought) analyze only the quality of the product itself, where do you see Pat? Still 3rd place? 1st? Maybe top 3 lolcows of all time? I'm too partial to answer, but I'd love to hear other, more experienced lolcow watcher's takes.
B - Considering the above, what does the future hold for Pat? To keep the analogy going a little further, I'd say personally I think while an average/good product with great ads can sustain itself for some time, it eventually fades away. While a truly unique, fantastic product usually resists the test of time and has a great chance to be enjoyed by many generations.