Mostly, I just wanted to see how many “categories” I could have at the top of this item. Now let’s see if I actually mention something about all of them.

Some interesting topics playing out in U.S. sports right now and, really, I’m aware of them. Not everyone back home seems to remember we do, in fact, have Internet hookups over here, and I spend as much time on sports sites as ever.

So, let’s take a spin through the big topics. And we’ll go with 10 items so I can also categorize this as a “list.” From No. 10 down to No. 1. Letterman-style.

10. Brett Favre and the Vikings are 10-1, and Favre is an MVP candidate at age 40. Unless he’s laced his Gatorade with HGH … you do not want to be hanging out with the Brettster in, oh, a year or two … when Beelzebub comes to claim Brett’s soul, as per their 2009 agreement.

9. Is it just me or are Nick Saban and Urban Meyer the two least-likable coaches in college football? I thought so. Too bad they both can’t lose in the SEC title game today. At least one of them will. Have to settle for that.

8. Kobe Bryant did not call “bank” on that game-winning shot Friday night. Just shows that if you take enough shots at the buzzer, one eventually is going to go in. Or as we used to say during pickup games in the alley, “He missed it so bad he made it.”

7.  David Stern says he expects a woman to be in the NBA in the next 10 years. LeBron James says, “Uh, I don’t think so.” And this is news … why? Stern was pandering to female fans, LeBron was telling the truth, and any NCAA Division I men’s team would beat the WNBA champion by 30.

6. Pete Carroll and Rick Neuheisel both acted like jerks in the waning moments of the USC-UCLA game. Neuheisel should have let the Trojans run out the clock instead of burning a TO. And Carroll should have let Neuheisel petulantly use all his TOs … without going the “nanny-nanny, take this!” route and throwing that TD pass. Now, let’s move on.

5.  Are the Angels really going to let Chone Figgins sign with a division rival? Apparently, yes, they are. And maybe it’s the smart thing … but it seems wrong. The Angels are supposed to be about keeping their best guys.

4. The sooner the McCourts divorce is concluded, the better for the Dodgers. Despite what the club might be announcing, it seems very, very much like no one is in charge and no money will be spent. This is gridlock, and it’s bad. How else to explain not offering salary arbitration to Randy Wolf and Orlando Hudson? Get Frank and Jamie away from the club, stat!

3. At least we will have Vin Scully around for at least one more year,  inshallah.

2. The 2010 World Cup in South Africa could be the most interesting global sports event of my lifetime. Ahead of Saravejo 1984. Ahead of the 1990 World Cup in Italy. I would love to go. Anyone want to sponsor me? I figure I can do it for about $7,000.

1. Tiger Woods. The story really isn’t that he is, apparently, a world-class hound … or that he fools around … or that, oh yeah, that he drops F bombs on golf courses and throws clubs so often he should shout “fore!” after every shot … it’s that he got into his 30s before he screwed up so badly that we all found out about it. Great job keeping your foibles under wraps so long … bad job in allowing yourself to be placed on that pedestal. Long drop, isn’t it?