July 4, 2011 Table Of Contents
LEADING OFF
Inside: THE WEEK IN SPORTS
With offense at historically low levels, 20 teams are still in the playoff hunt as the season hits its midpoint
By Tom Verducci
SI picks baseball's best in the first half
By Ben Reiter
Talk of revenue sharing has been mostly absent from reports of CBA negotiations. Is change in the offing?
By Jim Trotter
Youthful creativity won the Gold Cup for Mexico—and earned Freddy Adu new life in a U.S. uniform
By Grant Wahl
Once it was not uncommon for teenagers to rule the majors. Now, they're a rare sight in the later rounds
Oregon's ties with a scouting service owner raise plenty of questions but likely not enough to spell sanctions
By Andy Staples
Who will be the new face of U.S. track and field? Several candidates emerged at the national championships
By Tim Layden
Getting that first Cup victory is the toughest task in NASCAR—and new winners are what the sport needs
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
FOR MORE THAN FIVE DECADES SI PHOTOGRAPHER WALTER IOOSS JR. HAS CAPTURED FOOTBALL IN ALL ITS MUDDY, BLOODY GLORY. NOW HE REVISITS SOME OF HIS FAVORITE SUBJECTS—THE MEN WHO MADE THE GAME GREAT
By Matt Gagne
Today's Indians are taking cues from their (albeit funnier) silver screen predecessors—and Cleveland should consider that a good thing
TWELVE YEARS AFTER SHE AND HER TEAMMATES MADE HISTORY, THE PIONEERING WOMEN'S SOCCER STAR AND WORLD CUP CHAMPION FINDS INSPIRATION IN NURSING ANIMALS BACK TO HEALTH ON HER GEORGIA FARM
By Grant Wahl
Fifty-seven years ago, Roger Bannister broke the four-minute barrier in the mile. Although he retired from track soon after, he has continued to push the pace—in medicine, science and fitness.
FOR THE 7-FOOT SET, PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PROVIDES MORE THAN AN OCCUPATION—IT'S A NEAR LIFE IMPERATIVE. TAKE ALL THAT AWAY, AND WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE THE LIKES OF A RETIRED MARK EATON?
When foot problems put an end to his NBA career the redheaded giant simply hit reset and plunged into a new game
FORTY YEARS AFTER HE WORSHIPPED THE 1971 WORLD CHAMPION PIRATES AS AN 11-YEAR-OLD, A WRITER RETURNS TO PITTSBURGH TO MEET HIS CHILDHOOD IDOLS AND RELIVE A MAGICAL SEASON
THE ULTIMATE PLAY LIST
WHAT ARE THE BEST SPORTS SONGS OF ALL TIME? IT'S TIME TO FACE THE MUSIC
By Greg Kelly
San Francisco's Tim Flannery can usually be found doing one of two things: flashing a sign or singing a song
Point After
By Phil Taylor
Departments
In five short years, Twitter has transformed sports
Mascots in Ann Arbor? A new AD considers bucking tradition
By Matt Gagne
Klitschko-Haye worth the weight
By Chris Mannix
Once again, the Tour de France will set off dogged by drug controversy
By Dan Patrick
Edited by Alexandra Fenwick
Jaromir Jagr mulls a return to the NHL
By Sarah Kwak