BEVERLY HILLS (MI) — Not only is the end of the year nigh, but these are the last days of the decade and that can mean only one thing: lots and lots of lists! Par example:

— The Wall Street Journal gives us their “Greatest Sports TV Moments of the Decade”:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704254604574614170501599570.html

— The New York Times counter punches with their “Top 10 List of TV Sports Moments”:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/28/sports/baseball/28sandomir.html?_r=1&ref=sports

I’m sorry, but McGwire, Sosa and the rest of the PED Boys lying — errr — testifying before a Congressional Hearing isn’t even in my top 1000. Fail.

— The National Sports Journalism Center (based at Ooey-Pooey — who knew?) list of the “10 Most Compelling Sports Media Stories”:

http://sportsjournalism.org/sports-media-news/the-10-most-compelling-sports-media-stories-of-2009/

— My annual favorite — the Fark.com list of nominees for “Headline of the Year”:

http://www.fark.com/cgi/comments.pl?IDLink=4890992

A few highlights:

Man at Panda Express eats shoots and leaves

One killed, six injured in pie factory explosion. Blast heard up to 3.14159265 miles away

Suicide bomber strikes Iraqi funeral. At least two dead

Fire rips through homeless camp, leaving dozens…well, no worse off, really

— “The Top 10 Gadget Flops of the Decade” according to Fast Company:

http://www.fastcompany.com/pics/gadget-flops-decade-10-devices-didnt-survive-aughties

— A list of what and what not to ask for from your boss, courtesy of CNN Money:

http://money.cnn.com/2009/12/21/news/economy/job_perks.fortune/index.htm

— “10 Things Husbands Should Never Do”:

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/sex/10-things-husbands-should-never-do-552285/?zing

— “10 Best Nerdy-Wordy Websites” (whatever the heck they are) courtesy of The Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/12/28/2009s_best_nerdy_wordy_websites/?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed2

— And Newsweek ends the argument once and for all with their “Top 10 List of Top 10 Lists”:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/228179?from=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+newsweek/TopNews+(UPDATED+-+Newsweek+Top+Stories)

— It’s not a list, but here is why we celebrate on New Year’s Eve — if you guessed “clocks” you get a cookie:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703478704574612391495445898.html

— As for why your New Year’s resolutions always seem to fail, go ahead and blame it on your brain:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703478704574612052322122442.html?mod=article-outset-box

— Our own NW Flyer is doing a really bang-up job on the UD Pride MB with reports on Juwan Staten’s performance in the Les Schwab Invitational out in Portland. OregonLive.com has a wrap-up of Oak Hill’s first tilt (with 3 more games yet to come):

http://highschoolsports.oregonlive.com/news/article/8612946395608457425/les-schwab-invitational-day-two/

— Here’s a link to the tournament website that has the brackets:

http://www.primetimepdx.com/lsinv/bracket.htm

— The Freep provides a profile of BG 2011 recruiting target, big man Percy Gibson of Detroit Southeastern HS:

http://www.freep.com/article/20091209/HSS/912090303/1238/HSS

— As to the ugly side of recruiting, The Boston Globe submits an in-depth look at “The Lost Boys of Sudan”:

http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/mens_basketball/articles/2009/12/27/recruited_to_chase_a_dream/

— Gossip mongering cesspool TMZ is going to launch a sports site. Mitch Albom on why this is definitely not a good thing:

http://www.freep.com/article/20091227/COL01/912270470/1355/SPORTS/Theres-nothing-sporting-about-reporting-gossip-as-news

— As if to validate Mitch’s point, TMZ recently fell for a photo hoax involving JFK and a boatful of naked beauties that turned out to actually be from a Playboy shoot. The Smoking Gun is there. Warning: photos in linked story are anatomically correct!

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/1228092jfkpic1.html

That’s it “From the Swamp.”
You can email me at: [email protected]