October 27, 2008 Table Of Contents
SI Players: LIFE ON AND OFF THE FIELD
The World Series can be puzzling
Sports Night on DVD evokes ESPN in its prime
By Adam Duerson
Concussions can be tough to diagnose—and deadly—in high school athletes
Presenting the Sports Name of the Year
Who had the best first games in sports?
By Joe Lemire
By Albert Chen
What to watch and watch for
By Sarah Kwak
By Dan Patrick
SI.com
SI Bonus Section: Golf Plus
Despite a veneer of showbiz glitter and a breakthrough win by Marc Turnesa, everyone in Las Vegas was talking about the harder edge to life on the PGA Tour
A difficult week on three fronts
By Jim Gorant
By Mark Wood
A high school team learns a few lessons on the LPGA tour
By Scott Gummer
Inside
Injuries at QB and a decimated wideout corps are contributing to a miserable farewell season for Mike Holmgren
By Jim Trotter
This week's touts include some stat lines to believe in, and others you should ignore
By David Sabino
Having lost their coach, their quarterback and some top recruits, Clemson faces a major rebuilding job
By Mark Beech
Stewart Mandel's Three-Point Stance
Bernard Hopkins silenced critics by thrashing undefeated middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik, 17 years his junior
By Chris Mannix
It may be hurting his competitive effort this year, but Tony Stewart is building a smokin' team for 2009
BASEBALL
Someday soon—in a year, two tops—you won't think twice if you hear the words, "THE RAYS ARE IN THE WORLD SERIES!" In the meantime these young American League champs are worthy of taking on the Phillies
By Tom Verducci
The Rays will be vulnerable to the Phillies' left-leaning rotation, but the AL champs are the more complete team
By Joe Sheehan, Baseball Prospectus
Many a tree has been felled, many a sonnet delivered in the name of the Cubs fan and his 100 years of suffering—but what of the snakebitten Philadelphia fan, whose own title drought stands at precisely 100 seasons?
By Lee Jenkins
PRO FOOTBALL
To cut it as an NFL cornerback requires the ability to read minds, eyes and hips; the tools to match up with wideouts half a foot taller; and above all the ego to bounce back from regular doses of abject—and very public—humiliation
In their war with the wideouts, cornerbacks typically turn to one another, trading tips and tricks to gain a tactical edge
HOCKEY
New president ... New players ... New coach ... New revenues ... New mind-set ...
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Every week brings a new showcase battle as the BCS race heats up. Next up is No. 3 Penn State, thinking title game if it can get by Ohio State at the Horseshoe. And after that...
REPORT FROM IRAQ
A Five-Mile Jog Through The City of Death
As the growing insurgency spread chaos across Iraq, the author found solace—and fleeting friendships—in daily runs in the streets of the capital
F√öTBOL AMERICANO
Like other high school football teams across northern Mexico, Prepa Tec of Monterrey wondered how it would match up against a top Texas program. Last month it found out
NBA PREVIEW 2008-09
Sixteen months after he was chosen first overall, a healthy Greg Oden has finally taken the court for the Blazers. With the addition of his rebounding and shot blocking—and maybe even his scoring—to a talented core, Portland is ready to make a move in the West
The Celtics' instant success gives hope—and clues—to rebuilding teams eager to contend
By Ian Thomsen
The Blazers welcome another '07 pick—who could make nearly as big an impact as Oden
A forecast of how many more—or fewer—wins every team will have this season compared to last (and some history too)
A primer on the players, coaches, teams and issues to keep an eye on as the season begins (plus a little trade talk for when the February deadline nears)
By Ian Thomsen
The Big Three is back, but a playoff hero isn't. Who will fill his role for the reigning champs?
By Chris Mannix
LeBron James finally gets a top playmaker, and his team is one step closer to the Finals
As the window closes on this veteran group, one rising star offers a glimpse of the future
The smallest man on the team needs to make a bigger impact for his club to go further
This scrappy team is no longer hurting in the half-court, thanks to a Brand-name signing
By Chris Mannix
The club filled a big hole up front thanks to this point guard's excelente development
By Chris Mannix
Agent Zero's protégé has a new mission: Score a bunch until his mentor gets healthy
A talented team that stumbled last season reboots with a new coach and point guard
The housecleaning nearly complete, they can get back to the business of winning games
Why would Larry Brown come back to coach this club? Seemingly for all the right reasons
A midseason pickup launched them on a surprise run. An encore won't be as easy
The new coach wants to make defense the top priority. How soon will his players buy in?
They still won't be very good, but at least they'll be more watchable under Mike D'Antoni
By Chris Mannix
Good health and a gold medal have given the star a boost—but he doesn't have a lot of help
In with the new: fresh faces and a dribble-drive offense. Out with the old: success
By Chris Mannix
With a healthy Andrew Bynum in the lineup, these Finalists think they can go all the way
By Marty Burns
They took a one-year lease on a high-risk forward. The potential payoff: a shot at a title
By Gene Menez
Go ahead, overlook them now. They know who they are, and where they'll be in June
By Gene Menez
And now, for something different: turning the biggest head case into a super sub
This on-the-cusp team raided the world champs for a veteran with a winning touch
The players welcome a coaching change, but now they have to find a new way to play
By Gene Menez
The power forward who thrived with Oden out now gets to show what he can really do
With three of its core players 34 or older, the retooled team gears up for a last playoff run
By Marty Burns
They've vowed to finally get defensive, but without their stopper it's too tall an order
By Chris Mannix
His best player left, but Don Nelson will still run-and-gun in what is likely his last season
By Marty Burns
The return of a native son will make this season more palatable than the last one
By Marty Burns
A shooting guard is the one shining light for a franchise in the midst of major rebuilding
By Marty Burns
A top pick with loads of attitude and lofty goals? This team's dull days may be over
The franchise player's doing just fine, but wins won't come sweeping down the plain
The perennial cellar dwellers would be happy if this Gasol is half the player his brother is
Point After
By Phil Taylor
Departments
Rays vs. Phillies is a World Series you can bank on