December 26, 2016 Table Of Contents

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INBOX

INBOX

EDITORS' LETTER

Family Valued

By The Editors OF SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

MICHAEL PHELPS

THE GOLD STANDARD

ON AUG. 14, 2004, A 19-YEAR-OLD FROM BALTIMORE WON HIS FIRST OLYMPIC MEDAL, A GOLD IN THE 400 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY IN ATHENS; 4,382 DAYS LATER HE WON HIS 28TH AND LAST, ANOTHER GOLD, IN THE 4 × 100-METER MEDLEY RELAY IN RIO. WHAT HE LEARNED ABOUT HIMSELF OVER THAT TIME, HOWEVER, IS SOMETHING MUCH MORE PRECIOUS

By Tim Layden

CURTIS SAMUEL

NEW YORK JET

FLEET, MULTI-SKILLED AND BROOKLYN-BORN, OHIO STATE H-BACK CURTIS SAMUEL IS OUTRACING EXPECTATIONS

By Pete Thamel

NFL COACHES

FLAG FOOTBALL

By Jack Dickey

The Lives They Led

Farewell

THE YEAR MARKED THE PASSING OF THE GREATEST AND OTHER GREATS, FROM ARNOLD PALMER TO MR. HOCKEY TO COLLEGE BASKETBALL'S WINNINGEST COACH

By Mark Bechtel

POINT AFTER

That's Shoe Business

By Lee Jenkins

Departments

SI.COM

Leading Off

Rearview Sharer

The author looks back at the ridiculous, sublime and particularly furry sports happenings of 2016

By CHARLES P. PIERCE

Body of Work

The future of wearables

By Tom Taylor

Last Losers

The undefeateds, for now

By Larry Flynn

Hello Again

HOT | NOT

FACES IN THE CROWD

Edited by Alexandra Fenwick

Rallying For Grant

By Larry Flynn

JUST MY TYPE

By Interview by Dan Patrick