June 16, 2008 Table Of Contents
SI Bonus Section: Golf Plus
When talented 19-year-old rookie Yani Tseng finally relaxed and got into the flow, she shot past the biggest names in women's golf and pulled off a major upset at the LPGA Championship
Nathaniel Crosby, the son of one of the game's most famous ambassadors, parlayed two special weeks into a lifetime exemption
Justin Leonard is set for Valhalla
By Jim Gorant
By Dom DiJulia
So tell me: When did it become acceptable to spit on the course?
SI.com
SI Players: LIFE ON AND OFF THE FIELD
Two recent incidents drive home the danger of the NFL's clandestine drug culture
By Phil Taylor
For 40 years he explored, grieved with and marveled at the world of sports
Kyle Busch crisscrosses NASCAR nation
As told to Marty Burns
A how-to guide for aspiring cardsharps
What to watch and watch for
By Sarah Kwak
For the Record, March 17 Update
By Dan Patrick
NBA FINALS
In a championship series in which many have much to prove, long-suffering Celtics star Paul Pierce did the most to rehab his image, leading his team to a pair of home wins over the favored Lakers
BASEBALL
Old of head, fast of twitch and occasionally achy of muscle, Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, the baddest switch-hitter since Mickey Mantle, is batting over .400—still!—thanks in part to an old pro's secrets that will help pave his road to Cooperstown
STANLEY CUP FINALS
The dynamic Red Wings held off the Penguins in a taut, six-game series that reminded the nation just how compelling the NHL can be
Detroit could keep its roster intact and return as a favorite. Pittsburgh has some work to do
HORSE RACING
Another Triple Crown dream ended at the Belmont, as undertrained favorite Big Brown labored to a last-place finish behind long shot winner Da' Tara and left behind a trail of questions
By Tim Layden
SOCCER
ARE YOU LIKE ME? (I bet you are.) I BET YOU HATE SOCCER
SI's most strident soccer basher tests whether five days of total immersion in the sport can transform a lifelong hater into a f√∫tbol fanatic
By Chris Mannix
TENNIS
Two ways to win the French Open singles title: with the elegance of Ana Ivanovic or the brute force of Rafael Nadal
BEIJING OLYMPICS 2008
Ping-Pong Diplomacy made the Beijing Games possible—but without two unlikely heroes, the great table tennis summit might never have occurred
Inside
Will Al Davis's $300 million outlay pay off with a team turnaround—or is it just more Raider recklessness?
By Jim Trotter
Brad Lidge's dominant start has put to rest any questions about whether he can survive in his demanding new city
By Jon Heyman
Baseball Prospectus Unconventional Wisdom
By Joe Sheehan