September 9, 2013 Table Of Contents
SI.com
LEADING OFF
THE MAIL
BEATING BAMA
THE CRIMSON TIDE ARE EXPERTLY COACHED, STACKED WITH FUTURE NFL TALENT AND CONFIDENT OF RUNNING THE TABLE, BUT OPPONENTS WHO ARE SMART, WILLING AND ARMED WITH THE RIGHT PERSONNEL CAN TAKE EIGHT SIMPLE STEPS AND MAKE ONE GIANT LEAP PAST THE BULLIES OF THE BCS. AND THE TEAM THAT DID JUST THAT IN 2012 IS UP NEXT
They have smaller rosters and budgets, but good FCS teams are showing the FBS that they know how to win
By Andy Staples
The MMQB
A 2,000-YARD SEASON CREATED HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR CHRIS JOHNSON, WHO DOESN'T MIND THEM AT ALL. JUST DON'T SAY HE'S LOST A STEP
PRO BASKETBALL
HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION
SOME OF THE NBA'S BIGGEST STARS DESCEND ON A PRIVATE GYM IN L.A. AND ARE PUT THROUGH THEIR PACES BY A FORMER SYRACUSE WALK-ON, WHO GAVE SI AN EXCLUSIVE BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK
By Pete Thamel
BOXING
ANGEL GARCIA'S UNSHAKABLE BELIEF IN HIS SON DANNY HELPED MOLD THE JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT CHAMP. DANNY'S DEVOTION INSPIRED ANGEL TO TURN HIS LIFE AROUND TOO
By Chris Mannix
PITTSBURGH'S SEPTEMBER TO REMEMBER
To a generation of Pittsburgh fans, September has always been about school, football ... and the irrelevance of the Pirates. But the franchise's 20-season losing streak is about to end, and now a reawakened baseball town is asking: ARE YINZ READY FOR OCTOBER?
By Lee Jenkins
POINT AFTER
By Steve Rushin
Departments
Different Strokes, Same Result
On Sunday, Real Madrid agreed to buy 24-year-old winger Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur for a $132 million transfer fee. Money well spent? It remains to be seen. But what else could Real have done with the money?
Edited by Alexandra Fenwick
By Interview by Dan Patrick