Lineup

42 | COLLEGE FOOTBALL

MONEY GAMES

TCU proved itself a worthy BCS contender. But the sport's profit-hungry power brokers may keep the Horned Frogs from getting a title shot

By Austin Murphy and Dan Wetzel

50 | PRO FOOTBALL

THEY'RE BACK!

After years of mediocrity the Raiders and Chiefs are fighting for first in the AFC West, renewing a rivalry that's good for their fans—and the NFL

By Jim Trotter

54 | PRO BASKETBALL

GILBERT ARENAS

Would you entrust your rookie stud to a wild child? The Wizards have, and their mercurial guard is settling into the job of unlikely mentor to John Wall

By Chris Mannix

58 | HOCKEY

ILYA KOVALCHUK

The Devils went out on a limb—and way out of character—to sign the scoring star from Russia, betting their season and future on number 17

By Sarah Kwak

64 | MARATHON

THE 2,500-YEAR-OLD MAN

Thousands celebrated the anniversary of Pheidippides's mythic run—and the endurance test it inspired—by racing from Marathon to Athens

By Michael Farber

THE VAULT

BLASTS FROM THE PAST

Beginning this week, relive history with classic SI photos in Leading Off

Page 12

Departments

4 Letters

6 Leading Off

16 Scorecard

The importance of being Sparky

22 Just My Type

Brian Urlacher, hitmaker

by Dan Patrick

25 Faces in the Crowd

28 Inside ...

• Horse Racing

Zenyatta's final bow

• The NFL

Glove story

• Fantasy Football

Out-of-nowhere men

• College Football

Cowboys in range

• Golf

Who's No. 1?

• Soccer

Surprise scoring king

72 Point After

A shot at redemption

by Phil Taylor

ON THE COVER

Photographs by (left to right) Peter Read Miller; Bob Rosato; Jed Jacobsohn; photo illustration by SI Imaging

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PHOTO

NEIL LEIFER (VAULT)

FIVE PHOTOS