April 3, 2006 Table Of Contents
Air and Space
By Steve Rushin
College Basketball
Taking March Madness to a new level, 11th-seeded George Mason reached the Final Four with the most improbable run in history. With no No. 1 seeds left and a trio of young players leading the other finalists, could the Patriots pull off the ultimate miracle in Indy?
By Grant Wahl
Women's Tournament Hoop Thoughts
Three precocious, ferocious post players have led their teams on surprise runs to the Final Four
By Grant Wahl
Baseball Preview 2006
Not all the reminders of the Steroid Era are gone yet, but the good news is that the new generation of hitters has a natural athleticism and a tough drug policy to help keep them--and their statistics--free of suspicion. Fans, breaking attendance records, are falling hard for a more exciting and cleaner game
By Tom Verducci
By Tom Verducci
By Bill Syken
By Albert Chen
By Albert Chen
By Ben Reiter
By Ben Reiter
By Gene Menez
By Albert Chen
By Tom Verducci
By Albert Chen
By Gene Menez
By Albert Chen
By Ben Reiter
By Albert Chen
By Albert Chen
By Phil Taylor
The Pitching Prodigy: Felix Hernandez
A rare gem at 20, he's already polished and must be handled with care
By Tom Verducci
The ace knows what's expected--a title--and he aims to deliver
By Albert Chen
An icon is gone, but his replacement is ready for his close-up
By Albert Chen
What does $107 million buy in baseball's richest neighborhood?
By Albert Chen
A slender lefty provides--can you believe it?--a Ray of hope
By Albert Chen
Expecting another start like last year's is pure fantasy
By Albert Chen
The defending champs add some big hurt to their lineup
By Peter King
Strong up the middle, the Tribe is still rough around the edges
By Peter King
A team for the aged? Off-season pickups bring a lot of experience
By Peter King
A change in the team's personality begins with a new skipper
By Peter King
Lots of changes were made, but not necessarily for the better
By Peter King
A deep but young team rolls the dice on three discarded veterans
By Tom Verducci
How do you replace a Gold Glove catcher? Leave it to Mathis
By Tom Verducci
A beleaguered rotation gets a makeover, starting with a new ace
By Tom Verducci
A fun-loving Japanese import will liven up the season, at least
By Tom Verducci
Young arms will decide whether a 15-peat (!) becomes a reality
By Bill Syken
Rising star David Wright spearheads a Shea resurgence
By Bill Syken
The off-season left some holes, but a big one got filled in center
By Bill Syken
D.C.'s club will go only as far as its two workhorses carry it
By Bill Syken
After yet another postchampionship purge, youth will be served up
By Bill Syken
A title could be in the cards if Scott Rolen can shoulder the load
The first winning season in 14 years? If the pitching holds up
Versatile Preston Wilson adds some power to an anemic lineup
A new set of outfielders is one step in the right direction
Sean Casey returns home to help a club building for the future
A new owner has big dreams, but old woes won't be easily fixed
A big bounce back to the top after the injury-filled calamity of '05
By Albert Chen
Barry Bonds isn't the only player the club needs to return to form
By Phil Taylor
Mike Cameron provides a spark, but will that light a fire?
By Phil Taylor
Chad Tracy is on the brink of stardom; his team has a ways to go
By Phil Taylor
Escaping the cellar will depend on a young team's rate of maturity
By Phil Taylor
Inside
The Week In Sports
By Yi-Wyn Yen
Pierre McGuire's In the Crease
By Ian Thomsen
By Ian Thomsen
Life of Reilly
By Rick Reilly
Departments
Jimmy Conrad provides punch to the Wizards' backline--and punch lines in his Internet column
By Mark Bechtel
Eagerly playing the race card, a few unscrupulous black financial advisers are hurting athlete-clients and legit minority businesses
Edited by Mark Bechtel and Stephen Cannella
Edited by Mark Bechtel and Stephen Cannella
When a fighter quickly packs on 20 pounds after the weigh-in, two people can get hurt
The 68-year-old Academy Award winner (Million Dollar Baby) costars in Lucky Number Slevin, which opens on April 7
By Adam Duerson
What to watch and watch for
By Chris Mannix
Edited by Mark Bechtel and Stephen Cannella