Lineup

FEATURES

BASEBALL

28 Confronting A-Rod
The game is haunted by revelations of steroid use in 2003 by its biggest star
By Selena Roberts and David Epstein

NBA MIDSEASON REPORT

32 See You in June?
This year the road to the Finals won't be as easy for the Celtics and Lakers
By Ian Thomsen
• SI's first-half MVP and other awards

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

40 Rocking Rocky Top
Brazen coach Lane Kiffin is making few friends in his new job at Tennessee
By John Ed Bradley

NASCAR PREVIEW

46 Over the Top
Wins, wrecks, fights, flips: Carl Edwards is easily the circuit's most exciting driver
By Lars Anderson
• The Top 12: SI's projected Chase field

Odd Man Out

Before entering Harvard Medical School, the author spent a sometimes maddening, often hilarious, undeniably unforgettable year as an Angels minor leaguer. He loved it so much that he wrote a book about it | BY MATT MCCARTHY Page 62

Departments

6 Leading Off

12 Letters

14 Players
• The giant puzzle that is A-Rod
• Beckham's not that into us
• Nets dancer has Lincoln's genes

24 Faces in the Crowd

26 Just My Type by Dan Patrick
• Rivers dishes Stephon, Bird, MJ
• Don't bother calling Odom

74 Point After by Tom Verducci
Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds were more alike than we knew

Inside ...

72 College Basketball
• Utah State is on a mission

73 The NHL
• Coyotes losing money, not heart

PHOTO

JOHN BIEVER (GARNETT, BRYANT)

32 CHEEK TO CHEEK The Celtics' Kevin Garnett (left) and the Lakers' Kobe Bryant clinched in a game on Feb. 5 and hope to do so again in the NBA Finals.

PHOTO

PETER GREGOIRE (MCCARTHY)