The Lineup

SPECIAL DOUBLE ISSUE 2003 IN REVIEW

SEEING THE BIG PICTURE
PAGE 8
A photo essay on the essence of sports--combining toughness,
courage, heart, speed, grace, power...and even a little
stupidity

ONE LAST HURRAH
PAGE 56
Sports lost some noble athletes in 2003, from Althea Gibson to
Warren Spahn, from George Plimpton to Spectacular Bid

THE GREAT, BIG ROUNDUP
PAGE 70
So many stories of triumph, and so many surprises--it would be
impossible to touch on them all...or would it?

DO YOU SMELL WHAT I SMELL?
PAGE 110
Sports isn't just winners--it's also stinkers like DUI McMahon
and Twiggy, the Water-Skiing Squirrel
By Steve Rushin

PLAYING AGAINST THE CLOCK
PAGE 116
What possible sense can a father make of busted fingers and
endless swim meets and four confounding, athletic children?
By Rick Telander

DEPARTMENTS

8 Leading Off

24 Letters
A standing O for the O-linemen

29 Contributors

31 Air and Space
A Yule log of far-flung characters with a Christmas tie
by Steve Rushin

33 Scorecard
--Room at the top for blacks
--Signing up for consensual sex
--Is this autograph authentic?
--Dr. Z's tribute to Otto Graham

40 Faces in the Crowd

144 The Life of Reilly
A year's worth of happiness for a dying sports fan by Rick Reilly

SI's 50TH ANNIVERSARY

42 Sooner Surprise
Football, sure, but who knew Oklahoma had flipped for gymnastics?
by Brian Cazeneuve

INSIDE ...

132 College Football
--The longest Division III run ends

134 The NFL
--Bucs G.M. jumps to division rival

139 The NBA
--Cavs are better without Davis

140 College Basketball
--Why the Cardinal rules out west

143 The NHL
--U.S. the favorite in world juniors

COVER
PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICHARD CORMAN;
DIGITALLY RETOUCHED BY JOE ZEFF
COVER FLAP PHOTOS: BILL FRAKES (GYMNASTICS);
RICH CLARKSON

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SI.com
Revisit more of the top stories, memorable moments and compelling
images of 2003, and check out sport-by-sport storylines for 2004
from SI's experts on the beat, at si.com.

THREE COLOR PHOTOS

B/W PHOTO