The Beat

Spanish golferSergio García has found a girlfriend with everything he could want in a woman:She's smart and pretty, and her father can offer expert advice if García'sswing gets out of whack. García and Morgan Leigh Norman, the daughter of formerworld No. 1 Greg Norman, appeared as a couple for the first time at the RyderCup, confirming weeks of rumors that they are dating. García, 26, theninth-ranked player in the world, hit it off with the 23-year-old Norman, arecent Boston College graduate, when she accompanied her father to a tournamentin Denver in August. The pair (above) were inseparable in Ireland. "We'llsee where it goes, but she's definitely very nice," said García, who wonfour points in the Europeans' Cup thrashing of the Americans (page 54). "Ican't say anything bad about her."

Mack Brown hasbeen waiting for this chance since 2003, when disgruntled Texas fans launchedfiremackbrown.com. The Longhorns' coach has a cameo in the first episode ofNBC's Friday Night Lights (Oct. 3 at 8 p.m.) as a Texas high school footballbooster who tells his team's coach, "I'm a little worried about yousteppin' up to the plate here.... We don't want you to go out there and be softand scared." Lights writer-producer Peter Berg tells SI the idea came tohim after Texas won the national championship in January, and he wanted to giveBrown a way to "unload on a coach the way he's been unloaded on." AddsBerg, "It was a joy to watch."

If you're goingto enter baseball's 40-40 club, there's really only one way to celebrate--byentering The 40-40 Club, the New York City sports bar owned by Jay-Z. LastThursday, Nationals slugger Alfonso Soriano, the fourth player to hit 40 homersand steal 40 bases in a season, was honored with a bash attended by CharlesBarkley, Patrick Ewing, actor Nick Cannon and most of Soriano's teammates.Soriano's jersey was mounted alongside those of fellow 40-40 men Barry Bonds,Alex Rodriguez and Jose Canseco, but Soriano wasn't able to receivecongratulations from the owner of the joint in person. Jay-Z, who was on tourin London, apologized for his absence with a late-night phone call.

It looks like theRaiders will get tattooed on a regular basis this season, but safety JarrodCooper has found a way to lighten things up. Cooper--who has tattoos running uphis left arm, across his back and around his waist--is looking for the mostunusual ink job in Raider nation. Fans can e-mail photographs of their tatts tocoopercontest@gmail.com; the winner will earn $1,000--Cooper will pay it out ofhis own pocket and deliver it personally--and two tickets to theRaiders-Steelers game at McAfee Coliseum on Oct. 29. The most impressive art hehas seen so far? The portrait of Al Davis one fan has on his back.

They Said It

DEION SANDERS, NFL Network analyst on how the Raiders'struggles this season will affect their coach:

"I'm telling you, by Week 8 Art Shell is going tolook like Morgan Freeman."

PICTURE THIS

Getting fired up to play is an important part of DavisCup success, but as Brazil discovered last week, it doesn't guarantee victory.Heavy rains in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, delayed the first day of matches in theCup tie between the host country and Sweden, and workers set the clay courtablaze to speed the drying process. On Monday, Sweden's Robin Söderling usedhis blazing serve to beat Flavio Saretta in straight sets, giving the visitorsa 3--1 win and knocking Brazil out of the World Group playoffs for the 2007Cup.

SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE

The father of a Pennsylvania high school footballplayer posed as a college scout to videotape an opponent's practice.

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EUGENIO SAVIO/AP

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ROBERT BECK

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AARON JOSEFCZYK/ICON SMI

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CHRIS JACKSON/GETTY IMAGES