August 11, 2003 Table Of Contents

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Scorecard Extra

Big League Bat Boston third base prospect Kevin Youkilis is on the fast track, thanks to his ability to get on base

By Melissa Segura

Dominican Darling World champion Felix Sanchez will get a hero's welcome when he competes at the Pan Am Games

By Brian Cazeneuve

Bad Boy No More Former Pistons hothead center Bill Laimbeer has changed his ways, and the fortunes of the Shock

By Andrea Woo

Fenway Friends The lives of four old Red Sox, and a tribute to the dying Ted Williams, produce a literary home run

By Charles Hirshberg

Straight Talk The author pulls no punches on being a gay athlete

By Charles Hirshberg

Rising in the East Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan is the first Asian-born player to break into the Top 10

By L. Jon Wertheim

Sports Illustrated Bonus Section: Golf Plus

Stroke Of Genius

By James P. Herre/Editor, Golf Plus

Time Tested The clock is ticking on Annika Sorenstam's Hall of Fame career, and that's what made completing her Grand Slam at Royal Lytham special

By Michael Bamberger

Stan's The Man Stan Utley has won only once in 15 years on Tour, but as the circuit's in-house putting coach he's a superstar among his peers and just the man to tell us what makes Tiger Woods's stroke so special

By Gary Van Sickle; Stan Utley

Now What? It's been a wild ride for Ben Curtis since he unexpectedly won the British Open, but his return to the PGA Tour made it clear that challenges await

By Seth Davis

Rock-solid Success After a win at the Buick, Jim Furyk has the PGA, and more, in sight

By Alan Shipnuck

Big Play Jim Furyk is a great closer because he plays with his head--not his heart--and it was a smart lay-up on 13 that keyed his Buick Open win

By Bryan Gathright

After the Deluge

By Steve Rushin

The Lessons Of History

By Alan Shipnuck

Coming Up

By Sal Johnson

Riding Shotgun With A Tour Sponsor

By Alan Shipnuck

Catching Up With...

Rex Kern, Quarterback September 15, 1969

By Bill Syken

Sports Illustrated 50th Anniversary

To Play's The Thing At the SHOW-ME STATE GAMES in Columbia, some 28,000 athletes compete in 35 sports

By Kelley King

You Can Quote Us From Yogi to Dizzy to Satchel, Missourians have always provided pearls of wisdom

By John Garrity

The Poll Missourians weigh in on sports*

Compiled by Bill Syken

Baseball

Deadline Dealin' In a shrewd move with giant playoff implications, San Francisco snared the best available pitcher, Sidney Ponson, to fortify a starting staff full of surprises

By Daniel G. Habib

And Across The Bay ... Rookie Rich Harden has given the A's another mighty arm

By George Dohrmann

Soccer

A Keeper Of Promise Tim Howard, a 24-year-old from New Jersey, could be the first American to start in goal for world powerhouse Manchester United

By Grant Wahl

Pro Football

You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet New Redskins wideout Laveranues Coles has a fat $35 million deal, plus plenty of incentive to prove skeptics--and his former employer--wrong

By Josh Elliott David Sabino

College Football 2003

Brain Power It's the muscle inside the helmet and beneath the headset that counts most

A Beautiful Mind Craig Krenzel, national champion quarterback and molecular genetics major, wields the most imposing weapon in the game

By Tim Layden

Wise Guides Plotting, scheming and motivating behind the scenes, these sideline sages are the best at preparing their teams

Compiled by Kelli Anderson, Lars Anderson, Kelley King and Gene Menez

ALL Business Miami puts its defensive fortune in the hands of middle linebacker and finance student Jonathan Vilma

By Kelley King

The Smartest Players in Football They may look like big, slow brutes to the casual fan, but offensive linemen are proving, on and off the field, that they possess uncommon intellect

By John Ed Bradley Linemen Boxes Compiled By Mark Beech

Heisman Watch

Compiled by Gene Menez

SI's 2003 All-America Team

Compiled by Gene Menez

What's New

Compiled by Gene Menez

Must-See Games

Compiled by Gene Menez

What's Weird

Compiled by Gene Menez

Countdown

Compiled by Gene Menez

Scouting Reports The Top 25

1 Ohio State With a no-frills coach and an offense that has every starter back, the Buckeyes have what it takes to repeat

By Tim Layden David Sabino

2 Oklahoma The Sooners shoot for the Sugar Bowl with a quarterback on a mission and their familiar devastating defense

By Lars Anderson David Sabino

3 Miami While the Hurricanes are still loaded, their hopes for a second title in three years rest with some untested players

By Kelley King David Sabino

4 Texas The Longhorns have been fighting among themselves in the off-season--and that may be the key to their success

By Kelley King David Sabino

5 Georgia After a troubling off-season, the Dawgs would be smart to follow the lead of their top defender, David Pollack

By Kelley King David Sabino

6 Virginia Tech For the Hokies, one way to go all the way is to ride a player like speedy DeAngelo Hall, who can go two ways

By Kelley King David Sabino

7 Kansas State The Wildcats are counting on a wiser Ell Roberson to lead them to their first Big 12 title--and maybe more

By Lars Anderson David Sabino

8 N.C. State Quarterback Philip Rivers has embraced married life, fatherhood and the lead role in his team's title bid

By Jeffri Chadiha David Sabino

9 Auburn Stocked in the backfield and stacked on defense, the Tigers are primed to climb in the SEC West

By Pete McEntegart David Sabino

10 USC Though their Heisman winner is gone, the Trojans have plenty of weapons left to make a run at the Pac-10 crown

By Kelli Anderson David Sabino

11 Florida State After a decade of ACC dominance, it's gut-check time in Tallahassee for the suddenly struggling Seminoles

By Jeffri Chadiha David Sabino

12 Pittsburgh Coach Walt Harris's explosive West Coast attack has the resurgent Panthers on the prowl again in the Big East

By Kelley King David Sabino

13 Michigan Behind quarterback John Navarre, Big Blue goes for big air as it looks to reassert itself in the Big Ten

By Mark Beech David Sabino

14 Washington The Neuheisel fiasco overshadows an offensive juggernaut led by receiver Reggie Williams and passer Cody Pickett

By Phil Taylor David Sabino

16 Tenessee The Volunteers are ready for a return to basics thanks to a tough off-season regimen that was anything but voluntary

By Pete McEntegart David Sabino

15 Virginia A young team with experience counts on senior passer Matt Schaub to lead it to the ACC championship

By Jeffri Chadiha David Sabino

17 Notre Dame The task of living up to last season's promise will be made easier by the Irish's stingy, ball-hawking defense

By Kelley King David Sabino

18 Maryland A healthy running back and a seasoned quarterback make the Terrapins' offense formidable again

By Jeffri Chadiha David Sabino

19 Wisconsin The traditionally ground-bound Badgers are ready to add some pizzazz by airing the ball out on offense

By Mark Beech David Sabino

20 LSU With former minor leaguer Matt Mauck back and throwing strikes, the Tigers will contend in the SEC West

By Pete McEntegart David Sabino

21 Texas A&M Program-builder Dennis Franchione has plenty of tools on hand--beginning with an explosive sophomore QB

By Lars Anderson David Sabino

22 Arizona State A playmaking defender who's part corner and part linebacker has the Sun Devils stalking the Pac-10

By Kelli Anderson David Sabino

23 Oregon Two years removed from a Pac-10 championship, the Ducks look to plug the holes that sank the D last season

By Phil Taylor David Sabino

24 Penn State The Nittany Lions will be scrambling to fill the gap in the attack left by 2,000-yard running back Larry Johnson

By Mark Beech David Sabino

25 Oklahoma State There's a new winning spirit running deep in Stillwater, thanks largely to all-world receiver Rashaun Woods

By Lars Anderson David Sabino

All the Rest Our Rankings from 26 to 117

Compiled By Richard Deitsch

Lower Division Rankings

Compiled by Lars Anderson

Inside

Inside The Week in Sports

Inside Baseball

Trading Day Amid a flurry of deals, New York and Boston prepared for a pennant race

By Albert Chen

Who is This Guy?

By Albert Chen

Offense Coming Back from Dead Konerko Sparks White Sox

By Albert Chen

Tom Verducci's View

By Tom Verducci

Inside Horse Racing

Demolition Derbies Upsets of Funny Cide and Empire Maker left the 3-year-old division in disarray as the Travers loomed

By Tim Layden

Inside The NFL

End Game Steelers linebacker Kendrell Bell is learning the tricks of a new position

By Peter King

Time for Cleveland Defender to Deliver Courtney Brown's Comeback

By Peter King

Texans Wideout Finds His Focus Andre Johnson's Adjustment

By Peter King

Corrupting Our Utes

By Rick Reilly

Departments

Leading Off

Letters

The Brains Trust

College Sports 101 Recent events show folks are still flunking Remedial Ethics. A pop quiz

Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel

An Uncertain Environment Ferdinand's death shows why thoroughbred activists fear for horses abroad

By Mark Beech Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel

Go Figure

Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel

For The Record

Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel

Mr. Bassman

By Chris Ballard Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel

The Show

By Bill Scheft Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel

Q+A Rush Limbaugh

By Richard Deitsch; Rush Limbaugh Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel

The Week In Television

Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel

Under Review James's Games--Sister, Where Art Thou?

By Richard Deitsch Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel

Sports Beat

Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel

Faces in the Crowd

Edited by Kostya Kennedy and Mark Bechtel