December 30, 2013 Table Of Contents
SI.com
LEADING OFF
THE MAIL
The MMQB
I Am (More Than) Robot Megatron
In the debate over whether the latest, greatest wide receiving machine is, in fact, an upgrade over the older model, judgment may very well come down to this question: what can Calvin Johnson do for Detroit in January—and when will he get the chance?
How Megatron invisibly transforms the Lions' offense
By Andy Benoit
Who needs a franchise quarterback when you have a receiver as talented as Cleveland's Josh Gordon?
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
When the last BCS game is played on Jan. 6, Auburn's porous defense will finally prove to be its undoing
By Andy Staples
The Way They Were
THE EARL OF BALTIMORE, A PAIR OF SACK SPECIALISTS (INCLUDING ONE WHO COINED THE TERM) AND THE GUTTIEST U.S. OPEN CHAMP WERE AMONG THOSE WHO PASSED AWAY IN 2013
By Mark Bechtel
CANDLESTICK
The soon-to-be-demolished Candlestick Park wasn't much to look at. It could be bone-chillingly cold, and the bay breezes that blew through were anything but soothing. But for those, like the author, willing to wrap themselves in a blanket and brave the unfriendly aesthetics, the drafty house was a home.
POINT AFTER
By Steve Rushin
Departments
If this look back at 2013's oddest moments teaches us anything, it's that golf course porta-potties are even more dangerous than we thought
By Kevin Kerr
This year's Winter Classic presents a new challenge: making ice in L.A.
By Tim Newcomb
'Tis the season for great auction finds
Edited by Alexandra Fenwick
By Interview by Dan Patrick
By Sarah Kwak