WISH LIST Sports world in need of gifts

To the NFL, a real overtime system. The college rule is still better than yours.
By JOHN LINDSAY
SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE
It's finally time to look under the Christmas tree. And before you pretend to be thrilled with that new tie or bathrobe, let's hand out 10 very-much needed presents to some big names around the sports world.
UTo the NFL: a real overtime system. We don't care how long the Arkansas-Kentucky game wound up going, the college rule is still better than some team going to the Super Bowl by winning a coin flip and kicking a field goal (see the 2001 New England Patriots). As for those NFL types who say "that's a college rule," isn't that what they used to say about two-point conversions? Tell us that rule hasn't made NFL games more exciting.
Elusive title
UTo Boston Red Sox fans: a World Series title. For two reasons, first to shut up their whiny fans (irritating Ben Affleck comes to mind) who moan about no World Series titles since 1918 (the Cubs and White Sox have endured longer droughts). Secondly, perhaps management would abandon this championship-by-checkbook style eerily similar to that practiced by the "Evil Empire" (the hated Yankees). If not, have fun in those $50 bleacher tickets at Fenway Park.
UTo NBA fans: a great, white American player. Where have you gone Larry Bird, John Havlicek and Kevin McHale? You know the NBA has problems when the top domestic Caucasians include Wally Szczerbiak, Keith Van Horn, Pat Garrity and Christian Laettner (egad!). At this point, we'd settle for a return of Kelly Tripuka, Tom Chambers or even Kike Vandeweghe.
UTo Don King: a return to a jail cell. Now that the man that ruined boxing has admitted stealing $5 million from former middleweight champ Terry Norris, how much do you figure he swindled from Mike Tyson? Let's hope King gets one year for every million.
UTo Tiger Woods: a major title in 2004. If not, the golfing pundits are poised to come down on the world's top player's engagement to Swedish stunner Elin Nordagren.
UTo NHL fans: a 2004-2005 season. If hockey's powers-that-be cannot settle their latest labor war peacefully without a lengthy work stoppage, the sport is in trouble as a major sport in the U.S.
UTo college football: a Final Four after the bowls using the final BCS rankings. Such a system would avoid the nonsense of this year with No. 1 USC frozen out of the Sugar Bowl featuring No. 2 LSU vs. No. 3 Oklahoma. How much fun would a college national title game the Saturday before the Super Bowl be?
Move it back
UTo college basketball: a real three-point line. Would someone explain how a ninth-grader can shoot from the same distance as a 22-year-old senior in the ACC or Big Ten? A move back 15 inches to 21 feet would be fair.
UA three-pack for the NBA's top rookies: To Cleveland's LeBron James, some more supporting talent. To Detroit's Darko Milicic, some playing time. And to Denver's Carmelo Anthony, a spot on the mantle for your NBA rookie of the year award.
UTo Venus and Serena Williams: a return to good health. Because without this sometimes-fascinating sister act, pro tennis' slide into obscurity will surely pick up steam.