January 28, 2008 Table Of Contents
SI Players: LIFE ON AND OFF THE FIELD
His chess mastery is but one element of Bobby Fischer's curious legacy
By William Nack
At West Virginia, folks won't forgive or forget Rich Rodriguez
As told to Lisa Altobelli
A Super Bowl ad tells an improbable tale
By Adam Duerson
What to watch and watch for
By Sarah Kwak
NFL PLAYOFFS
Driving toward their common goal with an uncommon selflessness, the Patriots beat the Chargers to stand a victory away from the perfect NFL season
By Tim Layden
In a stone-cold playoff classic, fortune again favored the Giants, who prevailed over Green Bay for their third straight January road win. Next up: a karmic clash with New England in Super Bowl XLII
By Peter King
Forget X's and O's, schemes and strategies—not to mention all logic. When New York meets New England in the Arizona desert on Feb. 3, Big Blue will show its championship colors
PRO BASKETBALL
In what amounted to an American Idol for dunkers and dribblers, 141 players took their best shots last week in Boise at earning an NBA contract
By Ian Thomsen
HOCKEY
Well, almost. With a game devoid of weakness, Nicklas Lidstrom led the Detroit Red Wings to unprecedented first-half success. Will victories come that easily in the postseason?
Sudden production, sudden improvement and a sudden commitment—in three unlikely places
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
A pair of Australians, A.J. Ogilvy of Vanderbilt and Patty Mills of St. Mary's (which suits up four Aussies), lifted conference also-rans into contenders
Australian transplant Hanna Zavecz has led Wyoming into the top 20 and given her teammates an appetite for winning
PIGEON RACING
And they're off, hundreds of pigeons, in a race across the desert, back to captivity. With pride and big money riding on the result, it's a tale of beer and homing in Las Vegas
Inside
By Grant Wahl
By Seth Davis
By Chris Mannix
Point After
By S.L. Price