September 10, 2012 Table Of Contents
LEADING OFF
SI.com
THE MAIL
EDITOR'S LETTER
Inside: THE WEEK IN SPORTS
Get fat on the Savannah States all you want, but in the new BCS you might want a few more Cowboy Classics on your résumé
By Andy Staples
Handicapping NASCAR's postseason contenders
The tight budgets of three leading wild-card contenders extend beyond their payrolls to their skimpy run production
By Joe Sheehan
By Chris Mannix
FALL OF THE RED SOX
A year ago, the Red Sox were baseball's model franchise. Words can only begin to describe how far they've fallen
By Tom Verducci
NFL KICKOFF 2012
By Matt Gagne
U.S. OPEN
BIGGER, RICHER, CALMER, COOLER
Oh, the U. S. Open has changed—less raw, more polished, the nouveau province of the hipster and the high-heeled. But the old electricity? It still courses through the most thrilling fortnight in sports
By S.L. Price
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
05...04...YOU'RE NOT EVEN A REAL PLAYER...03...02...BUT YOU WILL MAKE THIS KICK...
The do-or-die life of kickers—outsiders in their own game—forges a bond that connects them across generations, and misses
By Lee Jenkins
THE WOMEN BEHIND THE MEN
TOO OFTEN FORGOTTEN IN THE NFL CONCUSSION DEBATE ARE THE WIVES AND GIRLFRIENDS WHO BEAR THE BURDEN OF CARING FOR SUFFERING PLAYERS—AND WATCHING THE MEN THEY LOVE SLOWLY SLIP AWAY
POINT AFTER
And Now, What They Really Think
By Phil Taylor
Departments
With all the benefits to watching the NFL on television, there's little to gain from seeing the game in person anymore
By Steve Rushin
One year on from a Russian jet crash, players face the prospect of returning to the KHL
By Sarah Kwak
A boisterous, brave and well-traveled fan club keeps the flag flying for the men's national team
By Grant Wahl
A player bids to come back from a beaning
COACHES EDITION
Edited by Alexandra Fenwick
An Aussie surfing star rides to the rescue during a vicious attack
By Dan Greene
By Dan Patrick