The Media Learning Curve: Dec. 25-Jan. 1

The Media Learning Center never goes on holiday. Maybe a vacation or two. Depending on how that adds up on the time card.

But on a day when we're parked in front of the TV remembering the good ol' days of non-stop college football, now emersed in a hockey game played during a snowstorm at Fenway Park, followed by a Brian Boitano Skating Spectacular and eventually WWE Friday Night Smackdown, we reflect on some of the stuff -- really over the last two weeks -- that we don't want to soon forget before this 2010 dance card starts to fill up.

Such as:

== We can't thank Lester Rodney (1911-2009) enough for the things he wrote about during his career as a sportswriter (linked here). And to think, he ended his career as a religion editor at the Long Beach Press-Telegram. Read his bio if you get a chance (linked here).

== We respect what George Michael (1939-2009) did as a sportscaster with his corny "Machine" cranking out weekly highlights on Sunday night after Fred Roggin tried to do the same on KNBC-Channel 4 (linked here).

== Sports Illustrated wants due credit for the news it broke in '09 but didn't actually fix (linked here).

== Is there such a thing as an "influencial Tweeter"? (linked here)

== The last 10 years of sports blogging, according to a blogger (linked here)

== Deposed TNT baseball guy Chip Caray may be back as the Braves' play-by-play man (linked here), but we hear Steve Physioc, recently dumped by the Angels, was also in the running.

== We're good with Golf Digest taking Tiger Woods' columns away from him while he sorts out his career future (linked here). But there's a plea for you to read Golf Digest's assessment of how Woods will return to the game (linked here).

== Fang's Bites has its top dozen sports media stories of 2009, with No. 1 held down by scandals involving ESPN's Steve Phillips, ESPN's Erin Andrews, former ESPNer Sean Salisbury ... (linked here)

== And speaking of Andrews, and how she says she's bounced back (linked here).

== AND FINALLY:

== The death of another newspaper sports section (linked here). Oh, happy day.