By Mike Ball
Cincinnati Enquirer

The top five

1. A Classic Christmas. Yes, there it was, Christmas Eve and time for some last-minute present wrapping. Where's the tape? I know there were some bows around here somewhere. Well, there was one settling aspect: the fifth game of the 1969 World Series playing across the room on ESPN Classic. Ed Kranepool, Tommy Agee, Frank Robinson and big ol' Boog Powell who, had he a beard, would have looked like the Santa man himself.

2. Classic, Part II: And what about that 1971 epic Game of the Century on Thanksgiving Day between No. 1 Nebraska and No. 2 Oklahoma? Rich Glover, the Selmon brothers, Johnny Rodgers, Greg Pruitt, Jeff Kinney, Jerry Tagge, Jack Mildren. Huskers 35, Sooners 31.

3. Crazy happenings in otherwise boring bowl games. Where else were you going to find (Nebraska quarterback Jammal) Lord attempting a game-ending Hail Mary?

4. NFL parity. OK, maybe it is kind of cool. After all, only one AFC game weekend had no playoff ramifications. C'mon - you need a clue?

5. Jose Rijo and Pete Harnisch. Hey, if the Reds are going to struggle, we might as well have some good guys to root for in our new ballyard.

The bottom five

1. Losing sports heroes. In a year in which we lost the great Ted Williams and Johnny Unitas, we this week lost another sports legend: Charlie Lupica. Who, you ask? Charlie sat on a platform atop a flagpole for 117 days in 1949 in an attempt to help his beloved Cleveland Indians win a second straight American League Pennant. Now, that's a fan.

2. The Yankees. Oh, sure, they're going to be cost-conscious. At least until they find out the Red Sox are interested in a player. The Boss cut a check for Cuban pitcher Jose Contreras for $32 million. That brought the miserly pinstripers' total spending this offseason to a mere $64.3 million for five players. Well, maybe that's not so bad when you figure they spent $175.1 million last season.

3. Stan Kasten. The Atlanta sports emperor had a Christmas week only the Grinch could love. He fired - through his general managers - Hawks coach Lon Kruger and Thrashers coach Curt Fraser. On the same day.

4. The Big Ten. Great move asking Indiana to punish Mike Davis for his on-court adventure against Kentucky. The league didn't have the guts to punish Joe Paterno, noted ref stalker.

5. The Bengals. Go ahead and win. Seems you guys are fond of going 3-13.

SEE CINERGY IMPLOSION
Animation from Enquirer photos
Video from WCPO
Galleries: Implosion | Crowd | Aerial shots | Views from Kentucky

CINERGY IMPLOSION STORIES
What's next for the Riverfront?
New skyline already earning praise
Cinergy Field down in 37 seconds
Implosion called 'perfect event'
Partiers impressed by implosion
Fifty-five years that shaped Cincinnati's riverfront

BENGALS GAMEDAY
Bills 27, Bengals 9
Game might be LeBeau's last
Mooshagian to interview for college job
Isolation Booth: TKO Vs. Bledsoe
Keys to the game
Bengals-Bills by the numbers
The Edge
Life as a Rookie

AROUND THE NFL
This week's NFL picks, power rankings
If winning is only stat that matters, give McNair MVP
Giants 10, Eagles 7
Raiders 24, Chiefs 0
Home not so sweet for Browns
Colts in, but are they ready?
The playoff picture remains unclear

UC BEARCATS
UC 66, Miami 54
Fouls hurt RedHawks
UC-Miami Notebook: Hicks comes back
DAUGHERTY: What if UC had beaten OSU?

WOMEN'S CROSSTOWN SHOOTOUT
UC women beat Xavier with defense
Ex-Bearcats, Pirtle say hello

XAVIER
No. 21 Xavier 84, Eastern Kentucky 60

OTHER COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS
Pitino's rebuilt Cardinals rout Wildcats
Stone's redemption - UK's nightmare
Ohio State 94, Tennessee State 73
Temple 71, No. 10 Indiana 64
Saturday's Top 25 roundup
NKU men top Ferris St. to reach perfect 10

FIESTA BOWL
Buckeyes wary Miami has speed to burn
Close wins got Miami, OSU to Tempe
Buckeyes' home away from home is isolated in desert
Five questions with John Gonsior

OTHER COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS
Brooks hired as UK football coach
Alamo goes to Badgers in OT
Lundy powers Virginia to win
Bowls at a glance

PREP SPORTS
Ohio boys: No. 1 Bacon loses first game
Ky. boys: Dixie gives Draud 100th win
Ohio girls: No. 2 Mercy runs away from Notre Dame
Ky. girls: Campbell wins Ryle challenge with 73-46 win
Hockey: Powell too much for Moeller
Preps schedules, results

BASEBALL
Reds Q&A
Prospects aren't improving for Orioles
It's goodbye to an era
Final countdown on Cinergy Field
Riverfront timeline

PRO HOOPS
NBA: Riley, ref ignore each other
Local players in the NBA

HOCKEY
Kariya plays despite death of father
Ducks go down; Cyclones roll

TRISTATE SPOTLIGHT
Area players' bowl (games) runneth over
Enquirer's Page Two power rankings

PLAN YOUR DAY
Sports on TV, radio this weekend