September 1, 2008 Table Of Contents
SI Bonus Section: Golf Plus
Thanks to a few tweaks to the system, a Ryder Cup subplot and an exciting A-list finish—Vijay Singh over Sergio García in overtime—the Barclays got the second edition of the playoffs off on the right foot
Darren Clarke's Ryder rebirth
By Jim Gorant
With the Democratic and Republican conventions in the news, here's our vision of a golf world governed by the political parties' respective platforms.
A fighter pilot and golf pro has a way to help our military families
By Dan Rooney
SI.com
SI Players: LIFE ON AND OFF THE FIELD
When Brad Ziegler's career stalled, the A's reliever simply reinvented himself
By Phil Taylor
Breaking down Beijing's winners
MLB sprints into the age of instant replay
By Ben Reiter
What to watch and watch for
By Sarah Kwak
By Dan Patrick
OBITUARY
The Hall of Fame guard's sudden death from pancreatic cancer stunned friends and adversaries and left a huge void at the NFL Players Association, which he led for 25 years
By Gary Smith
NFL PREVIEW 2008
While teammates enjoy the limelight, Dallas's offensive line faces the toughest job in town: keeping hands off the star-powered quarterback
By Lee Jenkins
The Eagles' starting linebackers are short on experience—only 34 combined starts—but long on talent and smarts
By Ben Reiter
Losses on the Giants' defensive line mean heavy duty for Justin Tuck in his first season as a full-time starter
By Damon Hack
The Vikings start seven Pro Bowl players, but it's unproven QB Tarvaris Jackson who holds the key to the postseason
By Jim Trotter
The injury-plagued Deuce McAllister and the hot-and-cold Reggie Bush owe the Saints a full season of strong running
By Damon Hack
The Jaguars are primed for a deep playoff run, but they need a motley crew of unproven or underachieving wide receivers to stand and deliver on their promise
By Damon Hack
Pittsburgh's linemen must police the area around their passer better for the Steelers to make a serious playoff push
By Peter King
The blame for New England's Super Bowl collapse fell heavily on the defensive backs. The result: a major rebuild
By Damon Hack
The stats were great, but injuries sank Indy's defensive line late in '07, making health and depth twin concerns this year
By Jim Trotter
Monday Morning Quarterback—Preview Edition
I was thinking, This is the season for an AFC power shift. Then I stopped at Patriots camp and saw the Brady-Moss connection
By Peter King
By Lineups compiled by David Sabino
It's business as usual: Replacement parts have been found, everyone's locked in, the machine rolls on to the Super Bowl
Brett Favre is the most notable of several newcomers, but the one to keep an eye on is linebacker Calvin Pace
They shored up the defense through free agency, but where were the improvements on the other side of the ball?
The Tuna has reeled in a starting QB and some sizable Fish up front. The verdict: bigger, and a bit better
Though the defense was the NFL's best in '07, the rush is on to develop linebackers who can get to the quarterback
By Peter King
What's all the fuss about? A franchise on the rise has playoff potential, but a rebuilt defensive front has to deliver first
By Peter King
A beleaguered offense turns to young players for salvation, picking up the tempo and looking the defense in the eye
By Peter King
A new philosophy on defense—more attack-minded, more physical—might be just the jolt these underachievers need
By Jim Trotter
While what's-his-name convalesces, Dwight Freeney and the defense are healthier—and itching for redemption
By Jim Trotter
Emboldened by a strong finish and a more aggressive attack, the division's eternal also-rans are eager to assert themselves
By Peter King
As Vince Young learns some new steps, a deeper and more dangerous running game will provide a dependable fallback
Rosevelt Colvin is the latest defensive building block in a long-term construction project that's far from finished
How far they go depends on whether rehabbing tight end Antonio Gates can get his season off on the right foot
By Lee Jenkins
Yet another new coordinator tries to fix a defense that is vulnerable to the run—in a division full of elite backs
By Lee Jenkins
After years of counting on veterans, Herm Edwards has a plan—rebuild with youth. The payoff will have to wait
By Jim Trotter
With JaMarcus Russell and Darren McFadden, the offense of the future takes shape. But the future is not now
By Lee Jenkins
He's already got one of the league's superbacks. Now, give Donovan McNabb some passing targets, and watch out
By Ben Reiter
Adam Jones is the latest recovery project, and (mentored by TO and Tank!) a talent who could put Big D over the top
By Lee Jenkins
During the title run, linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka was left watching—and burning for a chance to get back. It's here
By Ben Reiter
Jim Zorn's offense is the seventh system in eight years for quarterback Jason Campbell—and maybe the one that sticks
An upgraded roster means less pressure on the young QB. An improved attitude means they're serious about a playoff run
By Jim Trotter
It's Year One A.B. and, as team brass insisted during the Favre flap, the plan is in place for a smooth transition
By Adam Duerson
One of the league's worst secondaries has been rebuilt in the image of one of the best. Welcome to Tampa Bay North
By Adam Duerson
They may espouse a run-first philosophy, but when Sunday comes, it will fall to the wideouts to provide the spark
By Adam Duerson
There are a lot of wrinkles—literally—on offense, so postseason hopes rest on a young, developing defense
By Peter King
The performance of a familiar power trio—Delhomme, Smith, Peppers—will determine whether this team rocks
By Peter King
They were a playoff-caliber team last season—for the last 12 games, that is. This year's goal: Go all-out for a full 16
By Peter King
The Era of Good Feelings has begun in Flowery Branch. Just don't expect Good Football anytime soon
A ground game that ran out of gas last year is overhauled from the top down. New plan, new backs—old dominance?
By Jim Trotter
Amazing but true: There are almost no changes in the Valley of the Sun—except, the team hopes, in the standings
By Jim Trotter
Being drafted No. 1 doesn't mean much if you can't get the job done, which is why Alex Smith is now the No. 2
By Jim Trotter
They'll need almost everything to go right'starting with all key parts in working order'for even .500 to be thinkable
BEIJING: 2008 OLYMPICS
By embracing a collegiate approach and putting the team first, the U.S. made up for eight years of frustration—and reclaimed gold
With a dominant defense, the U.S. women stretched their Olympic winning streak to 33
Usain Bolt stole the show (again) when he broke a record once thought untouchable, and after repeated disappointments, the U.S. had a run of its own
By Tim Layden
Against the very opponent her former coach thought she couldn't handle, goalkeeper Hope Solo led the underdog U.S. women to gold
By Grant Wahl
The U.S. juggernaut—and the sport—made a stunning exit, but the silver lining may be that both step back up to the plate in 2016
After the queens of the sport extended their reign, the U.S. men became sultans of the sand
By E.M. Swift
By Susan Casey
By Rebecca Sun
Inexperienced, But Full of Fight
A staggering sum of life-changing bonuses helped spur China to the top of the gold medal count
By S.L. Price
Inside
Theo Epstein's reign in Boston is built to last, but several of his fellow executives face a less certain future
By Jon Heyman
USC and UCLA lost their top quarterbacks to injury, but as so often happens, the Bruins were hit harder
By Phil Taylor
By Mark Beech
Wide receiver Duron Carter will attend Ohio State like his father, Cris—but his first priority is to win another state title
By Andy Staples
Ricky Williams leads a list of high-risk (and sometimes quirky) picks that will make your draft bold and beautiful
By David Sabino
Point After
Departments
How Many Second Chances Do You Get?
The Bengals vowed to get tough on troublemakers. Then they re-signed Chris Henry
