BUT NONE OF THEM HAVE KOPPEL'S HAIR: So, apparently, ABC's going to stick with Nightline once Ted Koppel leaves in November, but a three-anchor format, one of whom is "Living With Michael Jackson"s Martin Bashir? Doesn't seem like the smartest idea. So, aspiring network programmers, what would you do? The most sensible choice, IMHO, would be "Nightline with Jon Stewart," but that's precluded by contract.

AND OVER THE NEXT WEEK, DAVID DYE AND BRUCE WARREN WILL BE READING PORTIONS OF EACH ON THE AIR: Time Magazine has selected the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present.

Oddly missing are the Harry Potter books (given that Judy Blume and the Narnia books made the list). One graphic novel made the list, but it wasn't Maus, and overall, the list seems to lean more towards the Serious than the Entertaining. (And what of the Entertaining-Slash-Serious-At-Times, like Bonfire of the Vanities or The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay?)

You know your job, folks. Go to it.

EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, WE WALK THE LINE: Does anyone happen to know anything about the Mississippi College School of Law? I don't know whether to be reassured that I finally got a faculty interview, or somewhat scared that this has been the only response thus far. (Also, Sheryl Crow's cover of Dylan's "Mississippi" is yet another example of why covers of Dylan songs are so often better than Dylan's own versions.)

THUS EXPLAINING THAT STEPHEN HAWKING CAMEO: Am I the only one who finds it weird that the writing room for The Simpsons contains not one, not two, but three mathematicians?

THE CHICKENS EMPLOYED, TOO, WILL BE VIRGINS: Two major changes have been announced for Wing Bowl 14, scheduled for February 3, 2006:

1. Admission will be charged ($5) and tickets sold in advance, for the first time, in an effort to stem the crowd control problems of the past. Last year, they had to open the doors at 3am to accomodate the massive herd waiting outside, and all 20,000+ seats were filled by 5:30am. All proceeds to go to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; tickets on sale Sunday at 10am.

2. Bring on the virgins! Wing Bowl 14 will be dubbed the "Virgin Wing Bowl", as each and every past Wing Bowl contestant will be barred from the competition. In other words, no Wingador, no Sonya Thomas, no IFOCE ringers. I like it; it brings the competition back to its amateur roots.

Previous coverage here, here and generally here.

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN: Combining the WXPN album countdown through #11, Who's Next with this helpful list from commenter Adam C. reveals the following ten albums as our likely final ten:

• The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Abbey Road, Revolver, Rubber Soul, The White Album
• Bob Dylan, Blood on the Tracks
• Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Born to Run
• The Clash, London Calling
• U2, The Joshua Tree
• Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon

Anyone care to produce a predicted final list? Anyone want to line up behind Bob and decry the all-male, and, other than Clarence Clemons, all-white nature of said Top Ten?

And all but the U2 album are at least 25 years old, and even the U2's not that old. So what we've got is a Classic Rock list from a station that is not really thought of as one, but, I guess, that's why they call these albums classic . . .

edited to add: I've set up an Instant Runoff Voting booth via this link for us all to rank and ultimate determine the best of the top thirty-two (that's the site's limit) from the WXPN list -- only, okay, I used executive privilege on a few albums to replace things like Counting Crows with Purple Rain. Go. Vote. Now. Rank 'em all.

JUST SAYING. IS ALL: I was at Lincoln Financial Field today for a season ticket holder focus group the Eagles were holding regarding gameday operations issues. Afterwards, we were able to visit the team's ultra-spacious locker room. Without naming names (though at no point were we told anything we were seeing or saying was confidential or off-the-record), I can still report that one of the team's star players is a big fan of Milo's Sweet Tea and Secret Aerosol Deodorant Spray, which was, apparently, strong enough for this man.

I just like the fact that a team that's got a season ticket waiting list a mile long would be holding three focus groups this weekend to try to figure how to do things even better. Total. Class. Organization.