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FEATURES
BASEBALL
40 The People's King
Henry Aaron's home run record is about to be eclipsed, but 755 will endure as a monument to an underrated star and to the integrity with which he attained his crown
By Tom Verducci
PRO FOOTBALL
46 It's Close-Up Time
With a golden arm and an Entourage-like band of buddies, Matt Leinart owns the spotlight. All he has to do is lead the Cardinals out of the darkness
By Michael Silver
PRO BASKETBALL
50 Back in Her Groove
After an injury-plagued 2006 season, Lauren Jackson traveled the world, playing and falling in love with hoops again. Now she's having a career year
By Kelli Anderson
BASEBALL
54 Lights Out
It's after midnight on the East Coast: Do you know where baseball's best closer is? J.J. Putz is in Seattle, saving games with near-historic efficiency
By Michael Farber
BOOK ADAPTATION
HURRICANE SEASON
A teen without much of a home before Katrina struck New Orleans, Joe McKnight escaped to find a second family and even greater high school glory
by Neal Thompson
PAGE 58
Departments
8 Leading Off
14 Letters
18 Players
• First Person: Cole Hamels
• ESPN's Who's Now? Stop. Now
• Remembering Shag Crawford
• On the set with the Mannings
36 Faces in the Crowd
76 Life of Reilly
Tips on how to celebrate the Fake Break: When Barry Bonds belts number 756 by Rick Reilly
Inside ...
68 Olympics
• Rio's big push in the Pan Ams
69 The NBA
• Milwaukee's top pick will stay put
70 NASCAR
• The bidding war for Kyle Busch
72 Baseball
• Bargain pickups for contenders
74 College Basketball
• A recruit skips the sneaker circuit
Cover
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NFL Training Camp Kickoff
32 TRAINING CAMP POSTCARDS IN THREE WEEKS
Get the true flavor of training camp, everything from what Peter King is ordering at his favorite lunch spot in Latrobe, Pa., to which player is giving Don Banks the scoop at the Redskins camp, to which big-time Cowboys star Michael Silver is rolling with in San Antonio.
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> Ranking the 25 toughest players in the NFL
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PHOTO
JOHN CORDES/ICON SMI (PUTZ)
54 PUTZ'EM TO BED With his late-night deliveries this season, closer J.J. Putz has pitched the Mariners into contention.
PHOTO
MARVIN GENTRY/US PRESSWIRE (MCKNIGHT)
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CMS PHOTO (BOOK)
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JAMES D. SMITH/ICON SMI
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MITSU YASUKAWA/STAR-LEDGER/US PRESSWIRE
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WARREN WIMMER/ICON SMI
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HEINZ KLUETMEIER
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CHARLES ARBOGAST/AP
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