Lineup

FEATURES

NBA FINALS

30 Like Old Times
Twenty-two years after their last title the Celtics won their 17th, as G.M. Danny Ainge reconnected the franchise to its Hall of Famers and one-namers
By Jack McCallum

BASEBALL

38 The Beauty of Uggla
There's nothing cerebral about the approach of the Marlins' Dan Uggla: It's see the ball, swing hard and hit it a mile
By Michael Farber

PRO FOOTBALL

42 A Whole New Rush
Jared Allen attacks his second chance
By Andrew Lawrence

TRACK AND FIELD

46 Divide and Conquer
Two U.S. sprinters drive each other
By Tim Layden

SOCCER

50 Hard Return
Controversial Hope Solo is back in goal
By Grant Wahl

HOW DREAMS DIE
To escape gangs and violence, kids often turn to sports. Many promising athletes in the Oakland area no longer see them as a viable way out
BY GEORGE DOHRMANN
Page 54

Departments

6 Leading Off

12 Letters

14 Players
• Imagining a Tigerless world

25 Faces in the Crowd

28 Just My Type by Dan Patrick
• Why Rocco Mediate wore red

70 Point After
Let's play Milton Bradley! (Full deck not required) by Chris Ballard

Inside ...

64 Olympic Sports
• USA Gymnastics' dynamic duo

66 Baseball
• New York, New York, for C.C.?

67 The NHL
• Montreal woos Mats Sundin

68 NASCAR
• Road race woes are no dead end

PHOTO

JOHN BIEVER (ALLEN)

42 DRY RUN Traded to the Vikings in the off-season, onetime wild man Jared Allen (69) has taken on his new assignment with a fresh (read sober) outlook.

PHOTO

CLAY PATRICK MCBRIDE (DREAMS)