LINEUP

DEPARTMENTS

8 Leading Off

14 Letters

17 Scorecard

Remember the NFL lockout? Neither do we

26 Just My Type

Urban Meyer does not mow his own lawn

By Dan Patrick

29 Faces in the Crowd

32 Inside ...

NBA

Predictions for 2011--12

College Basketball

Playing résumé games

College Football

BCS coaching carousel

Soccer

FIFA's year of corruption

Boxing

Why not tournaments?

NHL

Scoring burdens

90 Point After

Going from who? to hero in a year

BY PHIL TAYLOR

THE YEAR IN SPORTS

50 THE MOMENTS

Among the surprising champions and stellar achievements of 2011, one inspiring figure stood out. How do we know? You told us

By Alexander Wolff

56 THE PICTURES

From Derek Jeter's milestone hit to the magical come-from-behind victories of the Bruins and the Cardinals—the most memorable images of '11

64 THE KISS

How fate and chance converged in Vancouver to yield the year's most compelling sports photograph

By Chris Ballard

74 THE FAREWELLS

The sports world said goodbye to a host of remarkable figures

By Mark Bechtel

"The officers moved on, leaving the street empty except for Alex Thomas and Scott Jones. She lay on her back, crying, hysterical. He bent over her, trying to comfort her. Then, in a moment of tenderness, he kissed her.

—Chris Ballard, on an indelible moment from the rioting in Vancouver after the 2011 Stanley Cup final

P. 64

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED WILL NOT PUBLISH NEXT WEEK BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAYS. THE NEXT ISSUE WILL BE DATED JANUARY 9, 2012.

ON THE COVER

PHOTOGRAPH BY MEL EVANS/AP

Please Recycle This Magazine Remove Inserts or Samples Before Recycling

PHOTO

PATRICK MCDERMOTT/GETTY IMAGES

GRAND ENTRANCE Paralyzed during an Oct. 16, 2010, game, defensive tackle Eric LeGrand joined his Rutgers teammates on senior day last month.

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