December 10, 2012 Table Of Contents
GOLF PLUS
By Sal Johnson
By David Dusek
SI.com
LEADING OFF
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
THE MAIL
EDITOR'S LETTER
Once Again, He's the Chosen One
Inside: THE WEEK IN SPORTS
First, tainted stars from the Steroid Era hijacked the record book. Now they may squeeze worthy older candidates off the Hall of Fame ballot
By Tom Verducci
By Ben Reiter
By Joe Sheehan
The Grizzlies, owners of the league's best D and a balanced offense, are playing like a team that can make a deep run in the West
By Ian Thomsen
By David Sabino
The Galaxy's repeat MLS Cup win fittingly capped the Beckham experiment—and suggested that L.A. and the league will thrive even as the idol departs
By Grant Wahl
Once again Manny Pacquiao is not fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr., continuing a ruinous pattern of disengagement by boxing's stars
By Chris Mannix
The saddest happy coach
SPORTSMAN of the YEAR
LeBron James: 2012 Sportsman of the Year
There is still one last frontier to conquer, but the premier talent of his generation reached several others in 2012—a ring, a second gold, a third MVP—and started to win back a public curdled by his regrettable Decision ... and that one last frontier, he's coming for it, coming for it real soon
By Lee Jenkins
By Grant Wahl
By Dan Greene
BCS CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
CRIMSON VS. GOLD. ROLL TIDE VS. SHAKE DOWN THE THUNDER. KNUTE VS. THE BEAR. SOUTHERN PASSION VS. CATHOLIC PRIDE. NOTRE DAME VS. ALABAMA IS MORE THAN A BATTLE FOR THE NATIONAL TITLE. IT'S A HISTORY-DRENCHED SHOWDOWN THAT EMBODIES THE ESSENCE OF THE GAME
By Tim Layden
By Andy Staples
HEISMAN TROPHY PREVIEW
The Oral History of Johnny Football
Friends, family, coaches and Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel himself explain how he went from hypercompetitive Texas tot to best player in the nation
By Andy Staples
JIM CALHOUN
One-on-One with... Jim Calhoun
THE FRESHLY RETIRED UCONN BASKETBALL COACH AND THREE-TIME NCAA CHAMPION REFLECTS ON HIS COMPLICATED LEGACY AND WHAT HE MISSES—AND DOESN'T MISS—ABOUT THE PROFESSION
By Seth Davis
PRO FOOTBALL
... FOR THEY SHALL INHERIT THE GAME—AS SOON AS STATHEADS, LIKE BASEBALL'S SABERMETRICIANS BEFORE THEM, CONVINCE THE FOOTBALL MEN THAT ANALYTICS, RATHER THAN GUT INSTINCT, OFFERS THE BEST FORMULA FOR WINNING
By Albert Chen
BASEBALL
THIS YEAR'S WORLD SERIES WASN'T EXACTLY ONE FOR THE AGES, BUT IT WAS A CHANCE FOR EVERYONE ELSE TO DISCOVER SOMETHING SAN FRANCISCANS HAVE LONG KNOWN: IT'S HARD NOT TO LOVE PABLO SANDOVAL
By Jordan Conn
FOUR DECADES OF STEELERMANIA
FRANCO HARRIS'S MIRACLE CATCH IN DECEMBER 1972 TURNED THE AUTHOR AND HIS YOUNG SON INTO PASSIONATE STEELERS FANS. FORTY YEARS LATER THEY WENT BACK TO PITTSBURGH TO WAVE TERRIBLE TOWELS AND SEE WHAT'S NEW IN THE AGE OF POLAMALU
By ROY BLOUNT JR.
POINT AFTER
By Steve Rushin
Departments
The horror and tragedy of the Jovan Belcher murder-suicide make clear that even the spotlight of big-time sports and the immediacy of social media cannot fully illumine the human heart
As pro football becomes more popular than ever, the NFL finds itself all too often struggling with disturbing headlines
Boxer, bookmaker, author Beth Raymer finds herself the subject of a new romantic comedy
Edited by Alexandra Fenwick
By Dan Patrick