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Will Yao Ming ever play again? The big Houston center, who's been sidelined with a bone bruise, now has a fractured ankle. He's out indefinitely.
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TGIF everyone, here's my Top 5 for December 17, 2010 from Len Berman at ThatsSports.com.

1. Quick Hits

* Can you imagine being 5-9 and still alive for the playoffs? That's how bad things are in the NFC West. The 49ers lost to San Diego last night 34-7, but they still haven't been eliminated.
* Will Yao Ming ever play again? The big Houston center, who's been sidelined with a bone bruise, now has a fractured ankle. He's out indefinitely.
* The Knicks spent two years trying to get LeBron James. They'll host him at Madison Square Garden tonight.
* World Series MVP Edgar Rentaria says a one year $1 million contract offer from the San Francisco Giants amounts to "total disrespect." Then again he's 34, and he spent most of last year on the disabled list.
* It looks like pitcher Kerry Wood is jumping back to the Cubs from the Yankees.
* Paralyzed Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand wins the Courage Award from football writers. Eric has some sensation in his hands, but remains paralyzed from the neck down.

2. Cue the Percussion

First chatty announcers. Then all those whooshing sounds when some meaningless statistic pops up on the screen. And now FOX is tinkering with the idea of adding music at various moments during the telecast. They even tried it during the Seahawks/49ers game last weekend.

Here's a novel idea for a sports telecast. Less noise. Gimme more PA announcer. Less cowbell.

3. Year-End Honors

Well, now that we've settled on the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, and now that Time Magazine has chosen their Person of the Year, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, it's time for those annoying lists of the best and worst of 2010. So here's my annoyance. My choice for best is the champion Saints with the San Francisco Giants right behind. Worst honors go to Tiger Woods. And then there are the vuvuzelas. But I haven't decided yet if they go in the best or worst category. And in proving that evil does indeed triumph over good, the AP voted Tiger Woods the story of the year, the Saints came in second.

4. Friday eMailbag

The Cliff Lee signing in Philadelphia didn't go over well with rival Mets fans. Subscriber R.T. writes, "It is pretty bad that the only good news for the Mets is that Mookie Wilson is back as first base coach. After the spitting situation (involving Lee's wife and fans) at Yankee Stadium I did not think Lee was going to sign with the Yankees. For us Mets fans it is another nail in the coffin."

Baseball signings reverberate even internationally. Subscriber J.P. across the pond writes that some over there are concerned about Boston's signing of Carl Crawford. "It's not that they care anything about baseball, it's just that Red Sox owner John Henry purchased the Liverpool Football Club this year. The Crawford signing for such mega-bucks has Liverpool diehards worried that Henry will not have enough capital left to invest in turning Liverpool around."

When I wondered how Vince Lombardi would be accepted in today's sports world, K.R. wrote, "Lombardi's time was then not now. He, as well as people like Leo Durocher and Gil Hodges (although very different from each other), would not be able to cope with players they essentially have no control over."

With regards to O.J. Simpson breaking Jim Brown's rushing record in 1973, D.F. writes, "I watched O.J. break that record as a vendor at my beloved Shea Stadium. It was the only time while I worked there that all vendors put down their trays and watched the sports action."
And after watching the replay of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, subscriber R. M. was struck by the physiques. "Human-sized players! Moose Skowron is a pipsqueak compared to A-Rod, Bonds or the rest of the steroid freaks we have today."

5. Spanning The World

This week's Spanning the World highlight is perfect for the season. A singing video holiday card from Arizona Diamondbacks. Very Cool
Happy Holidays everyone!

Happy Birthday: Phillies second baseman Chase Utley. 32.
Bonus Birthday: Comic actor Eugene Levy. He starred in all 7 American Pie movies. Who knew there were 7 of them? 64.

Today in Sports: The largest margin of victory in NBA history (68); ironically, Cleveland beat Miami 148-80. 1991.
Bonus Event: Kind of a big day in aviation history. The Wright Brothers take flight. 1903.

The Top 5 is going on Winter Break. Have a great Holiday Season everyone!

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