November 6, 2006 Table Of Contents
SI Bonus Section: SI Fantasy Plus
Busts happen, even to good fantasy owners. Sometimes the offensive line can't block or a key teammate gets hurt. Sometimes a star player just tanks. Whatever the reason, busts can kill a fantasy team. Here are the eight biggest flops of this season, excluding those whose disappointingnumbers are due solely to injuries
By Gene Menez
WE LIKE THE MATCHUP
By David Sabino
DON'T LIKE THE MATCHUP
By Adam Duerson
Air and Space
Sport Makes the Words Go Round
By Steve Rushin
SI Players: Life On and Off the Field
SUNS GUARD
As told to Elizabeth Newman
The Questions with Steven Jackson
Rams Running Back
The Giants' Luke Petitgout has farmland roots
In seven hell-bent minutes a day Edgerrin James steels his abs for a season's pounding
When private high schools court top athletes, public schools usually lose
A New England soccer phenom contemplates a move home and a pro career
World Series
They're The Best (So Deal with It)
During the regular season, the Cardinals won plenty of acclaim for losing; then came October, when a cast of unlikely heroes helped dominate defenseless Detroit and silence, for good, the doubts about their postseason worthiness
By Tom Verducci
With the fistfuls of cash that are likely to be thrown at free agents this winter, here are some potential money pits--and bargains
By Nate Silver, Baseball Prospectus
Pro Basketball
By Frank Deford
College Football
USC's loss to Oregon State blew the national championship door wide open. Here is SI's playoff map, drawn from the contenders' key remaining games
Pro Football
Choosing wisely from his wide range of weapons, Peyton Manning picked apart the vaunted Denver defense as the7--0 Indianapolis Colts took command once more in the AFC
SI: Self Portrait
David Stern
The World According to David Stern
Inside
By Mark Beech
STEWART MANDEL'S TWO-MINUTE DRILL
By Peter King
Dr. Z's Forecast: Patriots' Day
Pierre McGuire's In the Crease
Life of Reilly
The Devil Went Down to Pittsburgh
By Rick Reilly
Departments
Modern-day Cinderella Man Carlos Baldomir is going to find out soon if his glass slipper still fits
By Chris Mannix
Number 1 starters are in short supply, so one club will pay a hefty tab for Japanese ace Daisuke Matsuzaka
By Jon Heyman
Extra Mustard by Baseball Prospectus
By Nate Silver
Three new releases prove that the sports world is best viewed through the lens of a camera
Ted Nolan went from coach of the year to a nine-year exile; now he's returned to lead the Islanders
Browns games rarely give them much to cheer about, but the NFL's most faithful fans just can't stay away
By Mark Bechtel
Thanks to labor peace and record revenues, major league teams are swimming in cash and eager to spend
By Albert Chen
The 59-year-old, who retired from Georgia Tech in 2000 after 19 seasons, is the new coach at the College of Charleston
By Adam Duerson
What to watch and watch for
By Chris Mannix