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	Remember back in 2002 when we weren't quite sure what to make of Yao Ming? Of course that was before he won all those NBA titles, became a global icon and changed pro hoops forever. That was even before we knew about the army of 7-foot Chinese ballers who would follow him. Page 2's Ralph Wiley revisits the days of the Ming Dynasty. WILEY: THE TAO OF YAO

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	The Sports Guy once called Yao Ming "a disaster waiting to happen," and said the Rockets rookie would be dunked on "more than a cup of coffee at Krispy Kreme." He now calls Yao the "most compelling NBA player since MJ in his prime." The lesson here, as always, is that our man isn't afraid to admit that he's an idiot.

Year In Review		Bizarre & Bogus

	First, we lost the greatest hitter who ever lived. Then, we said goodbye to the best quarterback to ever step under center. Page 2's Eric Neel says if you measure a year by its losses, then 2002 was definitely a monumental one. He reflects on what we will miss the most about legends Ted Williams and Johnny Unitas.		Is rocker Alice Cooper really getting involved in auto racing? Is a chocolate statue of David Beckham really on display in Japan? And did a former NFL kick returner really eat horse rectum to promote a TV show? (Aw, gross! Say it isn't so.) Separate the facts from the fiction in the latest edition of Page 2's Bizarre & Bogus.

SPORTOON

Do you have a receipt for that Blazers' alternate jersey? Are you sure you haven't broken that Lakers bandwagon? Page 2 cartoonist Kurt Snibbe braves the shopping mall to find out which gifts from the sports world are being returned this holiday season.

We don't want to be naughty this time of year, but with the NFL season ending, we must point out that several folks didn't really earn their paychecks. Check out our list of the 10 most overpaid people in the NFL and then vote in our poll to finger the top culprit.
10]	Greg Robinson, Chiefs defensive coordinator The Chiefs are likely to miss the playoffs despite averaging 31.6 points per game, the most in the NFL. Gee, could defense be the problem? You betcha.

9]	Packers defensive end Joe Johnson Even before the two-time Pro Bowl defensive end was sidelined early in October for the remainder of the season, the Packers were disappointed by their new free agent's performance.

8]	Jets running back Curtis Martin At $13.5 million ($10 million bonus and $3.5 million annual salary), the Jets invested a lot in the NFL's 18th-leading rusher.
	• GET THE FULL LIST

NFL	FAVORITE	LINE	UNDERDOG	O/U
Saturday	Eagles	1	Giants	36½
Saturday	Raiders	7	Chiefs	48
Sunday	Patriots	1½	Dolphins	38½
Sunday	Falcons	2½	Browns	41
Sunday	Jets	1	Packers	40
COLLEGE FB	FAVORITE	LINE	UNDERDOG	O/U
Fiesta Bowl	Miami	13	Ohio State	51
Orange Bowl	USC	6	Iowa	57
Rose Bowl	Oklahoma	6½	Wash. State	NL
Sugar Bowl	Georgia	3½	Florida State	NL
All Times ET \| Bold indicates home team Complete line


	Got a comment about something you've seen on Page 2? Here's your chance to sound off to the editors and columnists. Plus, if you'd like to send an e-mail to The Sports Guy, here's your direct link to Bill Simmons.

	BLACK EYE Tyrone Willingham is not only David Halberstam's sportsman of the year, he also changed college football forever in 2002.
	THOUGHT BALLOONS How did Jerry Jones spend the holidays? Well, this week's uncensored NFL thought balloons find Jones with visions of tuna dancing in his head.
	BASKETBALL DIARY Will the Lakers ever awaken? Page 2's Charley Rosen examines the reasons for the champs' woes and then ponders whether there's a quick fix in sight.
	TUESDAY MORNING QB TMQ takes the final two weeks of the season very seriously, unlike the honchos at the NFL who pick the Pro Bowl teams way too early.
	MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING Page 2's Jim Caple says 2002 was a year only Seinfeld would love -- a year about nothing.
	MARK YOUR CALENDAR Page 2's Eric Immerman takes a sneak peek at Anna Kournikova's calendar for 2003 to see what the tennis temptress has planned.


	If your favorite writer isn't on Page 2 today, click here to check out our full roster of columnists.

Latrell Sprewell would never choke a loveable character from "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," would he? Well, not unless he confused ex-Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo, left, with Yukon Cornelius. Browse our archives of past pairs or click here to submit a future duo.

College football: Nebraska vs. Mississippi
4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Independence Bowl at Shreveport, La.

College football: Kansas State vs. Arizona State
8 p.m. ET, ESPN
Holiday Bowl at San Diego.

Bucks at Nets
8 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Milwaukee tries to end New Jersey's four-game winning streak.

• Complete TV Listings

If you missed Page 2 over the last week, check out our back issues:
• Thurs., Dec. 26: Ty That Binds
• Tues., Dec. 24: All-Trash Team
• Mon., Dec. 23: Date Anna
• Fri., Dec. 20: Bear Facts

Other featured content:
• Win A Date With Anna!
• What's Hot, What's Not this week
• What the Heck Are They Thinking?

Weekend Edition, Dec. 27-29, 2002