Somebody has to do it. I’m just glad it wasn’t me.

Patrick Burns of Deadspin watched every minute of the 11 p.m. edition of SportsCenter in 2012. Added together, it came to 16 full days of his life that he never will get back.

All in the name of science, right?

Burns comes up with many interesting observations. Here are some of the highlights:

NH-what?: Despite ESPN claiming its covers hockey, it doesn’t. According to Burns, NHL news accounted for only 2.7 percent of the telecast. That trailed golf (3.3 percent). However, it was ahead of “other” at 1.8 percent. So hockey has that going for them.

1 guess at No. 1: No, it isn’t volleyball. The NFL rules at 23.3 percent, followed by the NBA at 19.2 percent.

Tebow: The top 10 list for the most mentions is comprised of sports’ biggest stars (LeBron James is No. 1)–with one exception, of course. Tim Tebow came in seventh, ahead of Tom Brady, Jeremy Lin, and Derrick Rose. Obsession? What obsession?

Speaking of obsessions, Burns has some interesting data on SportsCenter and Lin. But at least, Lin made an impact while he played.

And there’s more: Worth a look.