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Your morning roundup for Dec. 7, the day we learned the alien search is back on. Photo via Fox DC. Got any stories or photos for us? Tip your editors.

What we watched: Washington vs. Marquette. I wasn't totally paying attention, so I did more listening than anything else. But all I heard was shoe squeaking. Either those guys in college work really hard, or they just take odd amounts of pleasure in changing direction. Or maybe it's just been that long since the NBA has graced my TV that I forgot what basketball sounds like.

What we're watching (all times EST, unless noted): Real Madrid at Ajax in the UEFA Champions League at 2:30 (Fox Sports Net). Arizona at Florida (ESPN), Colorado State at Duke (ESPN2), and Connecticut State at Michigan State (ESPNU) in men's college basketball at 7. Philadelphia at Buffalo in NHL hockey at 7 (Versus). Manchester United at Basel at 8 (Fox Sports Net, same-day tape). Xavier at Butler (ESPN), St. Bonaventure at Illinois (ESPN2) and Oklahoma State at Missouri State (ESPNU) in men's college basketball at 9.

We recommend you welcome the NBA back with this: "The NBA is back! Well, it's almost back. The shortened season will tip off Christmas Day, when LeBron, Kobe, and the rest of the league's biggest names finally take the court. It's no surprise that David Stern is putting those guys front and center. While many of the stickiest points in this fall's lockout negotiations concerned journeyman players, the NBA has always been a star-driven enterprise. So, in that spirit and to tide you over until Dec. 25, here are five of our favorite articles about some of the best players in the history of the NBA-and one about a guy who could have been on that list, but became a legend for another reason." [ Slate/Longform.org]

Dec. 7, 2009: Tiger's Now Laying 10

Get your tickets, NBAers: "The NBA announced the compacted, 66-game schedule on Tuesday night, one that will require every team to play on three consecutive nights at least once. And it will force every team to navigate demanding stretches that are never seen during a full season, such as the nine games in 12 nights the Atlanta Hawks face starting with their Dec. 27 opener. The league's 66th season begins with five games on Christmas, including the Lakers hosting the Chicago Bulls. Los Angeles then visits Sacramento the next night before returning home to host Utah on Dec. 27." [ NBA.com]

Man, Favre tosses that pigskin real good: Jon Bois of SB Nation breaks down the gunslinger mentality in comic format. And he does it quite well, might I add. [ SB Nation]

Your Fat Lady Crushing A Camel Interlude:

Twins for the Twins, hopefully: "On the same day the Minnesota Twins offered him a $25 million contract over three years, Michael Cuddyer received other news he probably found at least twice as compelling. Cuddyer announced Tuesday afternoon that his wife had given birth to twin girls—really—named Chloe and Madeline. A Twin begets twins. The couple also has a 3-year-old boy named Casey." [ Big League Stew]

Merry Tebowing!: "A perfectly Gainesville holiday display." [ @penlovespaper]

Merch: Managing editor Tom Scocca and contributing editor Drew Magary have both written books. You can buy Scocca's Beijing Welcomes You: Unveiling the Capital City of the Future here, and Magary's The Postmortal here. Now do it.

Send stories, photos, and anything else you might have to [email protected].