February 13, 2012 Table Of Contents
LEADING OFF
THE MAIL
Inside: THE WEEK IN SPORTS
After a slow start, Drew Doughty and his L.A. teammates have found their groove
By Sarah Kwak
PIERRE MCGUIRE'S IN THE CREASE
Not so fast, says the Magic brass of the future of Dwight Howard; the only certainty is that he isn't disappearing anytime soon
By Ian Thomsen
For players outside of baseball's One Percent, the market can be cruel. That's bad for productive vets but good for bargain-hunting teams
By Joe Sheehan
In '08, Hugh McCutcheon helped end the U.S. men's volleyball gold drought. Now the coach wants to do the same for the women
SUPER BOWL XLVI
ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANNINGKIND
Pitted once more against the favored and flashy Patriots, Eli Manning and Big Blue proved superior on the biggest stage with a pulse-pounding victory in Super Bowl XLVI that will echo all the way to Canton
By Damon Hack
Just as in the Arizona desert in XLII, the Giants' final, decisive touchdown drive hinged on a catch that tested the limits of belief
By Peter King
Following his blockers and his instincts, Ahmad Bradshaw tallied a didn't-mean-to touchdown that was the most bizarre game-winner in Super Bowl history—but in the end the G-Men weren't complaining
By Jim Trotter
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Signing day once again caused a nationwide frenzy, but no program experienced more highs and lows over the final week than Rutgers
By Albert Chen
What happens when a new coach comes in? Or a top assistant leaves? It doesn't take much for a recruiting class to enter—or fall from—the top 10
By Gene Menez
BASEBALL
Nobody, least of all David Freese, saw this coming: The World Series MVP is a hero in his hometown—and, after the departure of Albert Pujols, the Cardinals' cornerstone
By Tom Verducci
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
The high-scoring and highly efficient inside-out game of sophomore forward Doug McDermott has Creighton fans excited about a different kind of dance
MIKE POWELL
AS THE COACH AT A HIGH SCHOOL NEAR CHICAGO, MIKE POWELL HAS DONE MORE THAN CREATE STATE WRESTLING CHAMPIONS. HE'S TAUGHT BOYS HOW TO BE MEN AND PROVIDED AN EXAMPLE OF COURAGE UNDER THE MOST TRYING PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES
POINT AFTER
By Phil Taylor
Departments
In a fragmented cultural landscape, the TV-perfect NFL unites all
By Tim Layden
After a deadly soccer riot, an American coaching in Egypt makes a case for solidarity
By Grant Wahl
Fighters from the obscure to Sugar Ray and Ali relied on the trainer's genius
Edited by Richard O'Brien
NFL stars reach out to troubled kids in a powerful documentary
By Matt Gagne
Edited by Alexandra Fenwick
A drought imperils Mexico's legendary Tarahumara racers
By Dan Patrick