FOR THE RECORD
| DIED |
At age 57 following an intestinal infection, the Brazilian soccer star known as Socrates. On the field, the former midfielder (born Socrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira) captained Brazil's 1982 World Cup team, generally accepted to be the best outfit not to win it all, despite a core of Socrates (above), Zico and Falcao. During his national team career he scored 25 goals in 63 matches, earning a place on FIFA's list of 125 greatest living players and, in 2008, induction into the Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame. Postsoccer, Socrates practiced medicine, having earned his medical degree during his playing days, and became known for his involvement in Brazilian politics. But he also suffered health problems that he publicly attributed to heavy drinking and which led to his being placed in intensive care last Thursday for the third time in four months.
| FILED |
Against former Penn State football assistant Jerry Sandusky, by an alleged victim who claims that he was molested more than 100 times, the first actual lawsuit in the ongoing scandal. The male plaintiff, now 29 (and not one of the eight referenced in the original criminal case's grand jury report), says that Sandusky identified him as a promising athlete at age 10 and gave him gifts while abusing him over a four-year period. He is seeking a minimum of $400,000 in damages from the civil suit, which names Sandusky, the university and Sandusky's Second Mile charity as defendants. Sandusky continues to deny all wrongdoing in the case.
| PARTED |
Penske Racing and NASCAR driver Kurt Busch. After a transmission problem forced him into the garage at Homestead-Miami on Nov. 20, Busch, 33, one of the most volatile drivers in NASCAR, repeatedly cursed at ESPN reporter Jerry Punch while waiting to be interviewed (that after he was captured on-air making an obscene gesture). NASCAR fined Busch $50,000, but the incident appears to have been the final straw for team owner Roger Penske, and ties were cut on Monday. (David Ragan is seen as the favorite to tag in.) Since joining Penske in 2006, Busch, the '04 Cup champion, raced to 10 wins and four berths in the Chase, but he also frequently clashed with his team. After the latest events he could wind up in a place far from Daytona for the Great American Race, in February: his couch.
| DIED |
At age 42 of an apparent heart attack, four-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Chester McGlockton (left). The hulking McGlockton (he would grow to 334 pounds in the NFL, although he recently underwent lap-band surgery) racked up 20½ sacks in three college seasons at Clemson, earning All-ACC honors in 1991. A year later he was drafted 16th overall by the Raiders, with whom he spent six years before stints with the Chiefs, Broncos and Jets. McGlockton retired after the 2003 season with 481 career tackles and 51 sacks. At the time of his death he was in his second season as a defensive assistant at Stanford.
| ELECTED |
To the Baseball Hall of Fame, Ron Santo, a year and two days after the former Cubs third baseman died, at 70, of bladder cancer. In 1998, Santo (right) peaked at 43.1% of the vote on his 15th and final try on the Hall's BBWAA ballot—short of the 75% required for admission—but got 15 of 16 votes from the Golden Era Committee, a new offshoot of the Veterans Committee tasked with giving deserving candidates another chance. A nine-time All-Star who won five Gold Gloves and hit 342 home runs over a 15-year career that ended in 1974, Santo was beloved by a new generation of fans for his work in the broadcast booth, where he spent 20 years calling Cubs games on the radio. Santo will be inducted on July 22.
| HIRED |
By Washington State, former Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach, who agreed last week to a five-year contract, worth some $10 million, that was made possible by a new Pac-12 TV contract that will eventually pay each of the conference's schools nearly $20 million annually. Leach came to national prominence by leading the Red Raiders to 10 bowl games in 10 years, but he has not coached since 2009 when he was fired for allegedly mistreating a player who had suffered a concussion. (He has denied the allegations and has since sued the school for wrongful termination, claiming that an $800,000 bonus he was due the following day had led to his dismissal.) Under Leach the Cougars, who haven't had a winning record or played in a bowl game since 2003, are expected to get a passing boost. During his tenure Tech led the nation in passing six times and total yards three times.
GO FIGURE
12-0-1
Bruins' record this November, marking just the second time in NHL history that a team has won that many games in a month without a loss.
$500
Cost at peterose.com for the notarized MLB document that banned Rose in 1989. The copper-and-leather-bound filing includes Rose's inscription, "I'm sorry I bet on baseball."
15
Games played in Turkey during the lockout by the Nets' Deron Williams. On Nov. 29 his club, Besiktas, retired Williams's number 8 jersey.
4
Number of .xxx URLs (ThePennsylvaniaState-University, PennState, PSU and NittanyLions) Penn State acquired in order to keep its name from being tarnished on pornographic websites.
37
Consecutive games in which Wisconsin senior QB Russell Wilson has thrown a TD, breaking Graham Harrell's record at Texas Tech (2005--08).
1,000 to 1
Preseason betting odds of the Colts going 0--16, a $10 wager taken up by just one anonymous California bettor, who stands to win $10,000 if Indy finishes winless.
INTRODUCED
By Frank Thomas and Yao Ming, two new beverages: Big Hurt Beer, "a crisp full-flavored lager with all-star taste"; and from Yao Family Wines, a Cabernet Sauvignon, described as being "austere" on the palate while aging—ahem—"gracefully." SI imagined how three other sports figures might sell spirits.
Francona Vineyards Red
Vintage blend; more up-front kick than finish. Pair with poultry for smoked flavors.
Shake 'N' Blake Brew
A heady, pumpkin-flavored NBA IPA with crazy hops amidst hints of leather.
Chris-tal
An unmatchable champagne pop, followed by a slow fizz to announce your exorbitance.
NFL PLAYERS POLL
Which team's fans are the toughest to play in front of?
Philadelphia Eagles 20%
Pittsburgh Steelers 17%
Oakland Raiders 13%
Seattle Seahawks 8%
New Orleans Saints 6%
FAST FACTS
Over the past 10 seasons the Patriots have more home wins (65) than any other team, but they finished just 16th in the voting with 1.6%.... Conversely, the poll-topping Eagles have 48 victories in that period, tied for ninth.... QBs particularly loathed playing in Seattle and Oakland (tied at 26%).... The NFC East was voted the toughest host division (25% of the total vote); the AFC East was voted the easiest (4%).
Based on 321 NFL players who responded to SI's survey
PHOTO
MANNY MILLAN (SOCRATES)
PHOTO
ALLEN DEAN STEELE/WIREIMAGE.COM (MCGLOCKTON)
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS BY SI IMAGING; MICHAEL ZAGARIS (FRANCONA); SERGHEI PLATONOV/FOTOLIA.COM (WINE); JOHN W. MCDONOUGH (GRIFFIN); VALENTYN VOLKOV/FOTOLIA.COM (BEER)
PHOTO
ROBERT BECK (JOHNSON)
PHOTO
ALBO/FOTOLIA.COM (CHAMPAGNE)
PHOTO
DAMON TARVER/CAL SPORT MEDIA (FAN)
PHOTO
TONY TRIOLO (SANTO)