April 30, 2012 Table Of Contents
Sports Illustrated DIGITAL
LEADING OFF
THE MAIL
Inside: THE WEEK IN SPORTS
Rebuilt by the game's best pitching coach, Philip Humber made history
By Tom Verducci
Mike Trout, one of the two best prospects in the game, has nothing left to prove in the minors. So why is he still there?
By Joe Sheehan
By Ben Duronio, FanGraphs.com
Clint Dempsey is about to complete the best season ever by an American in Europe. Will an offer from a big-name team be next?
By Grant Wahl
He's good on D (except when he isn't). He takes bad shots (but they go in). The bizarre season of the NBA's most polarizing player
By Zach Lowe
CHRIS MANNIX'S PRESSING QUESTIONS
A look at four issues as the NBA heads into the postseason
By Chris Mannix
While the Kentucky Derby prep races have revealed no strong favorites, they have showcased a deep stable of talent. Here, in order, are SI's top 5 for May 5, plus one long shot special
By Gene Menez
It isn't difficult to pin down who will be the leader of the U.S. wrestling team in London: first-time Olympian Jordan Burroughs
LEBRON JAMES
Meet The Rejuvenated, Revitalized LeBron
After a tumultuous first year in Miami, LeBron James locked himself in his house, rued disappointing his teammates—then worked hard to hone his game. The result: one of the best seasons in NBA history
By Lee Jenkins
BASEBALL
FIRST IN WAR, FIRST IN PEACE, FIRST IN THE NL EAST?
Through years of losing, the Nationals stuck with a draft-and-develop plan. Happy days are here again in the capital—and they aren't going away anytime soon
By Ben Reiter
PRO HOCKEY
The scars worn by rugged Kings captain Dustin Brown, who led L.A. to a stunning first-round upset of the Canucks, tell the tale of a postseason marked—and marred—by mayhem
REBECCA SONI
There's not another swimmer in the world like American breaststroker Rebecca Soni, who could win three golds in London
BLUEPRINT
While football nation shifts into draft overdrive, the Giants go about business their own way, with no headlines and no hype. How has the recent two-time Super Bowl winner been built? Through teamwork among the decision makers—and a knack for finding treasures in the late rounds and beyond
By Peter King
POINT AFTER
By Phil Taylor
Departments
As an NFL draft prospect is downgraded for a history of concussions, the question arises: Should this be the way of the future?
By Jim Trotter
After a rapper was revived in a new form, one might ask, If Tupac, why not a jock?
By Tim Newcomb
As the Premier League approaches its end games, TV goes all in
By Grant Wahl
A U.S. weightlifter's positive HGH test could have repercussions in the NFL
Edited by Alexandra Fenwick
An Army All-America who died a hero in Vietnam receives a long-sought honor
By Mark Beech
By Dan Patrick
