Lineup

SPECIAL SECTION
Sports Media 2005
The Year in Review

MOVIES
Page 34

TV
Page 36

BOOKS
Page 40

RADIO, WEB
Page 45

FEATURES
PRO FOOTBALL
46 Must-See Seahawk
Running back Shaun Alexander is getting long-deserved recognition
by Nunyo Demasio

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
52 A Star in the West
The legend of Adam Morrison, Gonzaga's brash forward, grows
by Grant Wahl

PRO BASKETBALL
58 Playstrong
Two years after a kidney transplant, Alonzo Mourning is a top center again
by Ian Thomsen

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
62 What about the D?
The defenses of USC and Texas may determine the national championship
by Austin Murphy

Departments

8 Leading Off

14 Letters

17 Air and Space

Between the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, there's a fine--but fleeting--alternative by Steve Rushin

18 Scorecard
• A hoops experiment in Vermont
• Fallout from the winter meetings
• Maryland soccer breaks through

30 Faces in the Crowd

78 Life of Reilly
It's a lonely life, but somebody has to see every team in every sport play a home game by Rick Reilly

Inside ...

72 The NFL
• The Reggie Bush sweepstakes
• Tennessee's surprising sack man

75 The NHL
• Canada's embarrassment of riches
• New rules suit Rod Brind'Amour

76 College Basketball
• A transfer rescues Indiana
• Has Kansas found a point guard?

Cover
PHOTOGRAPH BY PETER READ MILLER
INSET PHOTO: Greg Nelson (Morrison)

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**Despise them if you want, but J.J. Redick (right) and the top-ranked Blue Devils proved with their resounding win over No. 2 Texas that they'll be playing deep into March. Get Seth Davis's and Grant Wahl's views on Duke and other teams and Luke Winn's Power Rankings at SI.com/collegebasketball.

**Now that Pat Riley is coaching in Miami again, how far can he take Shaquille O'Neal (left) & Co.? Read Jack McCallum's column on five of the ways in which Riley will change the Heat, at SI.com/nba.

* In a hoops-needy state (Vermont) there's now an oddly-titled ABA franchise (the Frost Heaves) with an intriguing owner (SI's Alexander Wolff, page 18). Read Wolff's full account of the team's inception and get updates during the season at SI.com/heaves.

**It won't be easy for the Colts to become the second team, after the 1972 Dolphins, to go unbeaten in an NFL regular season. Indy plays host to the dangerous Chargers this weekend, then visits the highly regarded Seahawks on Christmas Eve before closing out at home against the Cardinals. Find out which teams Peter King, Dr. Z and Don Banks favor at SI.com/nfl.

**Customize your own SI Swimsuit Fantasy poster using shots of Marisa Miller (right) and other models, order the 2006 Swimsuit calendar and get behind-the-scenes video of an SI Swimsuit model shoot at SI.com/swimsuit.

PHOTO

BOB ROSATO (MOURNING)

58 ALL ON ZO During hard times--Shaquille O'Neal injured, a coaching change in the works--Alonzo Mourning anchored the Heat.

FIVE PHOTOS

AP (MOVIES); DAVID E. KLUTHO (TV); SPORTCLASSIC BOOKS (BOOKS); VINCE BUCCI/GETTY IMAGES (WEB); CHUCK SOLOMON (RADIO)

PHOTO

CHRIS TROTMAN/WIREIMAGE.COM (LUONGO)

75 NET PICKING The Panthers' Roberto Luongo is among those likely to make the tough cut and play for Team Canada in the 2006 Games.

THREE PHOTOS

BOB ROSATO (REDICK,O'NEAL); STEVEN WHITE (MILLER)