Lineup

Departments

4 SI NOW

6 Leading Off

12 Inbox

14 Scorecard

22 Faces in the Crowd

76 Point After

Sports logos are nothing to trifle with. Just ask the Chargers

By Steve Rushin

SB51 PREVIEW

NFC CHAMPIONS

24 The Falcons

Atlanta fans have found joy again, in an offensive juggernaut

By Jonathan Jones

AFC CHAMPIONS

31 The Patriots

New England needed special motivation. The league provided it

By Tim Layden

• The Pats' O-line guru

• SI's Super Bowl pick

SPORTS MEDIA

40 Erin Andrews

How the sportscaster endured the most difficult year of her life and came out stronger than ever

By Emily Kaplan of The MMQB

SUPER BOWL SCENE

46 Big Game, Big Myth

The unproven claim that vice spikes at the Super Bowl has had unforeseen consequences

By L. Jon Wertheim

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

52 Marcus Keene

The fearless, 5'9" guard for Central Michigan is on a quest to put up 30 points a game

By Dan Greene

NHL

56 Iconic Moments

The most thrilling, memorable and momentous events of hockey's last century

By Jeremy Fuchs and Sam Page

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

62 The Stream Teams

Handwritten letters are passé. The recruiting game has gone digital, mobile and high concept

By Pete Thamel

GOLF

68 Pat Perez

Rebounding from a shoulder injury, the headstrong 40-year-old has silenced the skeptics

By Alan Shipnuck

COVER:

Photographs by Erick W. Rasco (Tom Brady) and Gregory Shamus/Getty Images (Matt Ryan)