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September 27, 2004 Table Of Contents

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50 Years of Sports in America

The Way They Were

We've grown accustomed to their faces, but before they became icons, they were prodigies, beguiling us with their innocence ... and grit

50 Years of Sports in America

Why We Play

By Jeff MacGregor

Time Waits for No Sport

From crew cuts to cornrows, from Marilyn Monroe to Sheryl Crow, there have been no constants over the past 50 years--except for Arnie, who's still the King

The Way They Are

One look at these athletes at the moment their talent bloomed and you'll know how sweet it is to be a Can't-Miss Kid

Playing With the Prose

A quick trip through some of the best writing from 50 years of SI--in 60 words or less

The 20 Great Tipping Points

Many of the most important events in sports over the past 50 years happened far from any field or arena. Let the countdown begin ...

By Tom Verducci

In the Beginning ...

A new way to look at the creation of bigtime sports in America, with an assist from Michelangelo

Signs of the Apocalypse

We've been collecting these harbingers of doom for 11 years now, but that doesn't mean the end isn't coming

Really Good Sports

SPORTS FANS SAY Michael Jordan was the greatest basketball player of the past 50 years (page 167); Marvin (Bad News) Barnes didn't get a single vote, but if you never saw him play a game--or show up late for one--you should feel cheated. The people saluted on the following pages are some of SI's favorite characters, not just for what they did but for how they did it: with humor, style and, in Marvin's case, in a full-length mink coat.

By E.M. Swift

They Said It

Think of the people quoted here as the spiritual descendants of Yogi Berra, imparting precious pearls of wisdom

The Poll

But enough about SPORTS ILLUSTRATED--here's what sports fans think about the past 50 years

Dumbest Sports Moments

It's true that someone has to win and someone has to lose, but nobody has to make these kinds of colossal blunders

By Steve Rushin

Looking Back

Instant replay has vastly enriched the lives of all sports fans, so why not bring it to the Swimsuit Issue? MARISSA MILLER re-creates 10 highlights from SI's most illustrious--and sometimes notorious--spin-off

By Produced by Patti O'Brien

Sports Illustrated Bonus Section: Golf Plus

Inside Cover

Let the Blame Begin

Who's responsible for the most embarrassing, lopsided U.S loss ever? Take your pick

By Rick Reilly

All Hail King Hal

Sutton leaves no doubt about who's in charge, and who can keep a secret

By John Garrity

Motown Massacre

Sparked by Colin Montgomerie, the Europeans eviscerate the Americans

By Gary Van Sickle

Cancel the Comeback

A ray of hope for the Americans is extinguished by a late European surge

By John Garrity

Fantasy Favorite

If anyone still had doubts, the U.S. showed who's the real underdog

By Michael Bamberger

SCORECARD

Going Somewhere Fast

Howard Schnellenberger built Florida Atlantic from scratch and intends to turn the program into a national power

By Gene Menez

From Latvia, with Love

The Golden State Warriors have an unlikely new fan base, thanks to top draft pick Andris Biedrins

By Pauls Toutonghi

Down to the Last Out

Retrosheet.org is compiling, digitizing and posting the box scores of every game in major league history

By Daniel G. Habib

Life in the Fast Lane

At 19, Joe Henderson III has a chance to blaze a new path for African-Americans in stock car racing

By Andrew Lawrence

Boy to Man U

Jonathan Spector, an 18-year-old from suburban Chicago, is the latest young Yank to hit it big in England

By Grant Wahl

Charting New Waters

In an effort to boost its profile in the sports world, the America's Cup is trying to become more fan-friendly

By Nancy Ramsey

Forces to Be Reckoned With

For readers willing to exert some mental energy, there's loads to learn about the science of the gridiron

By Charles Hirshberg

Attempting the Crossover

A management expert seeks out the shared principles of winning in business and sports

By Charles Hirshberg

CONTRIBUTORS

The Art of the Matter

CATCHING UP WITH

Chris Evert, Tennis Champion

AUGUST 28, 1989

By Melissa Segura

LETTERS

LETTERS

AIR AND SPACE

Under Tom's Thumb

The unholy spawn of Draco and Emily Post, Tom Coughlin is determined to win with the New York Giants

By Steve Rushin

SI Players

WARREN SAPP

Raiders Defensive End

By Josh Elliott

WHO'S Hot WHO'S Not

Edited by Kostya Kennedy

SI PLAYERS POLL

Based on a survey of 354 players

Edited by Kostya Kennedy

Creature Comforts

THE ANIMALS IN THEIR LIVES

Edited by Kostya Kennedy

Video Matchup

COWBOYS VS. REDSKINS

Edited by Kostya Kennedy

Yoga Man

How the Cowboys' Eddie George keeps himself on the field

By Lisa Altobelli

The Questions with Chris Hope

Safety, Pittsburgh Steelers

By Chris Hope

Bronc's Cheer

It's Elway or the highway in the city where folks are a mile high on their team

By Adam Duerson

Closer Look

Inside

Inside

The Week In Sports

Inside The NFL

Perfect Timing

Peyton Manning and the Colts made key plays in critical situations to knock off the AFC South rival Titans

By Peter King

Backups Fuel Upset of Chiefs

CAROLINA'S FORMULA

By Jeffri Chadiha

Tight Ends On the Loose

A NEW PROTOTYPE

By Peter King

King's Corner

By Peter King

Dr. Z's Forecast

By Paul Zimmerman

Inside Baseball

Sosa Music

Sammy's slammin' again, and Cubs fans are dancin' in the aisles as their team fights for the NL wild card

By Albert Chen

Tom Verducci's View

By Tom Verducci

Inside College Football

New Tigers

With Jason Campbell running a retooled offense, Auburn has taken control of the SEC West from LSU

By Lars Anderson

SI's Stars

The top performers from Saturday's games

By Lars Anderson

Two QBs Are Better Than One

TENNESSEE

By Kelley King

Phil Taylor's Sidelines

By Phil Taylor

Inside Boxing

Chopped Liver

Bernard Hopkins took his rightful place in the spotlight with a body blow that crumpled Oscar De La Hoya

By Richard Hoffer

Inside Golf

Euro Thrash

With toughness and togetherness, the breezy Europeans blew away the uptight U.S. to win the Ryder Cup

By Alan Shipnuck

Doubles Trouble

LIFE OF REILLY

Friends for 50 Years

By Rick Reilly

Departments

Leading Off

Leggin' It Out

He's 45, thick in the middle, and he'd rather be fishing. But Gary Anderson is back in the NFL--where a guy with a good foot will always be welcome

By Stephen Cannella

Q+A Tony Dorsett

The Hall of Famer is a spokesman for the NFL's Tackling Men's Health campaign

By Richard Deitsch

The Show

By Bill Scheft

Go Figure

By Mark Bechtel

The Skins Game

Rather than dress immodestly by the standards of her faith, a player quits

By Yi-Wyn Yen

For the Record

Edited by Mark Bechtel

A Rose Is a Rosie

Postwar pitching ace Rose Gacioch was in a league of her own

Edited by Mark Bechtel

The Beat

By Lisa Altobelli

The Week Ahead

What to watch and watch for

By Julia Morrill

Under Review

By Mark Bechtel

The 10 Spot

By Pete McEntegart

The Poll Position

Football Highlights

Faces in the Crowd

Edited by Mark Bechtel