LINEUP

VANCOUVER OLYMPICS

32 The Spirit Of the Games

Bode Miller (above) and Seth Wescott provided a lift after a woeful beginning

BY TIM LAYDEN

Tragic Run

Speed or safety: A luger's death stirred debate

38 Giant Step In Nordic Combined

Johnny Spillane's silver medal was a victory for the long-maligned U.S. team

BY PHIL TAYLOR

Moguls Moment

Hannah Kearney upset Canada for the first U.S. gold

42 Apolo Ohno's Quest

With a silver, the six-time medalist moved closer to a place in Olympic history

BY BRIAN CAZENEUVE

Air China

The rising power sets its sights on snowboarding

48 Zach Parise, All-American

Thirty years after the Miracle on Ice, the best NHL player you don't know has a chance to write a golden chapter in the saga of U.S. hockey

BY MICHAEL FARBER

54 Michaels And Costas On the Air

With the two masters of sports broadcasting finally joining forces in Vancouver, everyone viewing at home is a winner

BY JOE POSNANSKI

Departments

4 Letters

6 Leading Off

14 Scorecard

Willie Mays: a fresh look at the legend

20 Just My Type

QB Club: Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford

by Dan Patrick

23 Faces in the Crowd

24 Inside ...

• The NBA

Midseason awards

• College Basketball

Nebraska on fire

• The NFL

Free-agency preview

74 The Vault

J.R. Richard, 1981

78 Point After

Canada's Olympic identity crisis

by Selena Roberts

Features

58 | NASCAR

Daytona 500

Jamie McMurray held off a charging Dale Jr. for a career-reviving win

By Lars Anderson

62 | MLB

Minnesota Twins

Among small-market teams with big dreams, the Twins set the pace

By Ben Reiter

66 | BASKETBALL

Seattle Hoops

The Emerald City has become a hotbed for growing big-time players

By Kelli Anderson

ON THE COVER Photograph by Heinz Kluetmeier

Please Recycle This Magazine Remove Inserts or Samples Before Recycling

PHOTO

BYRON HETZLER/US PRESSWIRE

PHOTO

BOB MARTIN

PHOTO

DAVID E. KLUTHO

PHOTO

PETER GREGOIRE

PHOTO

BOB MARTIN

PHOTO

ROBERT BECK

Flames and fireworks lit up Vancouver on opening night.