FEATURES
PRO BASKETBALL
40 FriendlyFire
Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki are best buddies, but they won't stop battlinguntil one wins the NBA title
by Chris Ballard
• Jack McCallum's Playoff Picks
HOCKEY
48 Got His FeetWet
In his first trip to the postseason the Penguins' Sidney Crosby was roughed upbut delivered lessons of his own
by Michael Farber
• Pierre McGuire on Round 1
BASEBALL
52 Twin Peaks
Matt Holliday and Garrett Atkins of the Rockies think alike, look alike and,even better, mash alike
by Kelli Anderson
PRO FOOTBALL
56 Old School
Wisconsin's Joe Thomas hits the books and brats as he awaits the draft
by Peter King
BOOK EXCERPT
This Team InventedFootball
Jim Thorpe (right), Pop Warner and the Carlisle Indians turned a ploddingcollege game into the thrilling sport it is today
by Sally Jenkins
page 60
Departments
6 Leading Off
12 From theEditor
14 Letters
16 Players
The Rutgers women's perspective
Paralympic swimmer honored
Farewell, Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
Money can't buy NBA title
Pitchers' windup secrets
NBC brings in Don Cherry
34 Faces in theCrowd
82 Life ofReilly
The Duke lacrosse players have been exonerated. Now their former coach deservesa big apology
by Rick Reilly
Inside ...
78 Baseball
Five players ripe for a trade
79 Horse Racing
Flouting the old pre-Derby rules
80 NASCAR
Dale Jr. should run family firm
Cover
PHOTOGRAPH BY GREG NELSON
INSET PHOTOS:Corbis (Thorpe); Mike Derer/AP (Rutgers)
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PHOTO
JOHN W. MCDONOUGH
 52COLORADO CLOUT Leftfielder Matt Holliday (left) and third baseman GarrettAtkins are the Rockies' top righthanded hitters.
PHOTO
CUMBERLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, CARLISLE, PA. (THORPE)
PHOTO
STACEY BRANN/RUTGERS UNIVERSITY
16SUNNIER DAYS Rutgers basketball players, who were all smiles at a tournament inSt. Thomas in November, capped an emotional week by meeting with DonImus.
PHOTO
DAMIAN STROHMEYER (BRADY)
PHOTO
DAVID E. KLUTHO (LIDSTROM)
PHOTO
AL TIELEMANS (RUSSELL)
PHOTO
CLAY PATRICK MCBRIDE (HERNANDEZ)
PHOTO
BOB ROSATO (NASH)
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SAM SHARPE (JOHNSON)
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BOB ROSATO (JONES)
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