December 23, 2013 Table Of Contents
SI.com
EDITOR'S LETTER
LEADING OFF
Leading Off PICTURES Of The Year
THE MAIL
Sportsman of the Year
Peyton Manning: 2013 Sportsman of the Year
Two years after his career appeared in jeopardy, the Broncos' quarterback is burnishing his legacy with a record-breaking season, further inspiring a legion of Peytons to strive for excellence in his (and their) name
By Lee Jenkins
EVEN WHEN HE WAS IN HIS TEENS, IT WAS EASY TO SEE THE SAVVY AND COMPETITIVE FIRE THAT WOULD MAKE PEYTON MANNING AN ALLTIME GREAT
PEYTON MANNING COULD HAVE USED TENNESSEE AS LITTLE MORE THAN AN NFL WAITING ROOM. INSTEAD, HE STAYED FOUR YEARS, SAVORING EVERY MINUTE
By Tim Layden
FROM 3--13 ROOKIE TO SUPER BOWL MVP TO SPORTSMAN, SI'S MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK HAS HAD A SIDELINE—AND FILM ROOM, AND PRESS BOX, AND LOCKER ROOM—VIEW OF PEYTON'S PROGRESS
By Peter King
WHO KNOWS BEST WHAT IT TAKES TO BE SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR? OTHER SPORTSMEN AND SPORTSWOMEN. SI ASKED PAST HONOREES WHO SHOULD BE IN THE RUNNING—OR THE SERVING, PUNCHING, SHOOTING OR COACHING—FOR THE 2013 AWARD. THE RESULT: INSIGHTS INTO WHAT CONNECTS YESTERDAY'S STARS TO TODAY'S
THERE'S ONLY ONE SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR, BUT IT WAS A YEAR OF MANY SPORTSMANLIKE MOMENTS—GESTURES LARGE AND SMALL THAT QUIETLY REMIND US HOW GOOD OUR GAMES CAN BE
THE HOME RUN THE RED SOX OUTFIELDER HIT IN GAME 4 OF THE FALL CLASSIC WAS THE TURNING POINT OF THE SERIES. IT WAS THE PERFECT CODA, TOO, TO A CAREER JOURNEYMAN'S SURVIVAL STORY, WHICH RUNS FAR DEEPER THAN FIVE TEAMS IN 11 SEASONS
By Thomas Lake
IN JANUARY, JORDAN SPIETH WAS LOOKING FOR A TOUR TO CALL HOME. THEN THE KID WENT ON A TEAR NOT WITNESSED SINCE TIGER BURST ONTO THE SCENE AND, AT 20, STAMPED HIMSELF AS A RISING STAR
RAY ALLEN'S GAME 6 THREE-POINTER DIDN'T JUST SWIPE THE NBA TITLE FOR MIAMI. IT CAPPED A BEAUTIFULLY FRENETIC HALF-MINUTE THAT, FOR BETTER AND WORSE, NO ONE CAN STOP RELIVING
By Lee Jenkins
BUOYED BY ITS SKIPPER'S UNFLAGGING CONFIDENCE (AND ITS OWNER'S TOWERING WALLET), TEAM ORACLE USA FOILED NEW ZEALAND, WINNING EIGHT STRAIGHT RACES TO CLAIM THE WORLD'S OLDEST SPORTING TROPHY
By Nancy Ramsey
MODERN FANDOM ISN'T JUST ABOUT DEALING WITH HEARTBREAK. (MAPLE LEAFS DIEHARDS HAVE THAT PART NAILED.) IT'S ABOUT SHARING THAT PAIN WITH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF YOUR CLOSEST YOUTUBE FRIENDS
By Jack Dickey
IN 2009 AN ASPIRING GYM TEACHER DISCOVERED MMA. FOUR YEARS LATER, WHEN CHRIS WEIDMAN ENTERED THE OCTAGON TO FACE ANDERSON SILVA, NO ONE GAVE HIM A CHANCE
Nellie in Paradise: A Love Story, with Cards
SAY WHAT? DON NELSON, THE NBA'S MAD SCIENTIST, OUTGREW HIS OBSESSION WITH COACHING AND RETIRED HAPPILY TO SMOKE CIGARS, PLAY POKER AND GAZE AT THE WAVES ON MAUI? A STUPEFIED REPORTER WENT OFF THE GRID TO SEE FOR HIMSELF
POINT AFTER
Departments
Santa's season has arrived, and with corporate help far and wide, college football will not subside
Who's winning the hot stove league? The Mariners? The Yankees? The Cardinals? It may not matter, as a look at the splashiest teams of the last six off-seasons suggests
David Koechner reprises his role as boorish sportscaster Champ Kind in Anchorman 2.
By Mark Bechtel
Edited by Alexandra Fenwick
By Interview by Dan Patrick
The Case for ... Maurice Creek
By Dan Greene