April 24, 2006 Table Of Contents
Cover
SI Bonus Section: Golf Plus
At Hilton Head, while others decompressed from the Masters, Aaron Baddeley showed his colors
Hurricane Katrina--ravaged New Orleans will celebrate the return of the PGA Tour next week, but the city will need much more time to overcome the obstacles to resuscitating its golf industry and courses
Lorena Ochoa hits the jackpot, finally
By Jim Gorant
Will Tiger's slip of the tongue be used against him in September?
Air and Space
By Steve Rushin
SI Players: Life On and Off the Field
WIZARDS GUARD
As told to Elizabeth Newman
Edited by Kostya Kennedy AND Gene Menez
He's no point guard, but Mavs swingman Jerry Stackhouse is known for his dishes
The Questions with Chris Burke
Astros Infielder
Edited by Kostya Kennedy AND Gene Menez
While New York fans debate whether Met Billy Wagner or Yankee Mariano Rivera has dibs on Metallica's Enter Sandman, other relievers talk about the tunes that get them pumped
By Ben Reiter
NBA PLAYOFF PREVIEW
He's the Cavaliers' leader and an MVP candidate--and deep down, at 21, still a kid. LeBron James charges into the second phase of his unparalleled career with his playoff debut this weekend
NHL Playoff Preview
Surrounded by fellow Czechs and doted on by his coach, an invigoratedJaromir Jagr is the key to the postseason for the league's bellwether team
Jaromir Jagr isn't the only star who has kept his team in the playoff picture. Here are five other leading men who have lifted their squads into the postseason and whose performances could make or break dreams of bringing home the Stanley Cup
By Yi-Wyn Yen
SI's Pierre McGuire says team speed and the efforts of underrated players could be the decisive factors
The fate of some Stanley Cup hopefuls, McGuire says, will hinge on whether top players can overcome injuries
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
After a tumultuous couple of years, Colorado hired a happy warrior, Dan Hawkins, who favors offensive pyrotechnics, a splash of Zen and player contests, such as belly sliding in the snow
Some of the intriguing storylines coming out of April involve rehabbing stars and a few old hands in different positions
SPECIAL REPORT: STEROID TRAFFICKING
Operation Gear Grinder shut down a flourishing drug business in a BALCO-scale investigation of major steroid trafficking
Inside
By Tom Verducci
By Tom Verducci
By Tim Layden
Life of Reilly
By Rick Reilly
Departments
How much of a soap opera are the Knicks? Let's just say coach Larry Brown started as The Guiding Light and ended up in General Hospital
Former commissioner Fay Vincent tells why Bud Selig has few options in the matter of Barry Bonds
By Fay Vincent
Brett Favre is still sittin' on the dock of the bay
By Peter King
The Heisman Trophy--winning running back from USC is expected to go first in the NFL draft on April 29
What to watch and watch for
By Chris Mannix