
Lineup
THE BEST ISSUE
38 Matthew Stafford
A relentless commitment to improve drives the Detroit QB
BY MICHAEL ROSENBERG
• Sean McVay's surprising Rams
48 Julio Jones
The Falcons' receiver is already a legend in his own time
BY BEN BASKIN
56 Kristaps Porzingis
The Knicks' superstar has a rare collection of mad skills
BY BEN GOLLIVER
58 Yu Darvish
The Dodgers' ace is out to prove he's one of baseball's best
BY MIKE PIELLUCCI
66 Shaquem Griffin
The inspirational linebacker has one simple rule: no excuses
BY ANDY STAPLES
72 Best Blowouts
Why do FCS schools sacrifice players' bodies for big payouts?
BY MICHAEL MCKNIGHT
82 Bayou Bash
LSU's tailgaters throw a party that's second to none
BY ANDY STAPLES
84 The Incubators
How does a place produce so many of America's top athletes?
BY JEREMY FUCHS
88 P.R. Rivalry
Hollywood's top sports publicists kill for attention
BY L. JON WERTHEIM
94 Shaquille O'Neal
A quarter century after his NBA debut, the big man examines his place in the pantheon of the pivot
BY JACK MCCALLUM
100 Sports Equinox
How our intrepid reporter spent the day when four sports aligned
BY JACK DICKEY
102 Little Wrestlers
Should they give up on their dream or be in on the joke?
BY DAN GREENE
Departments
4 SI Digital
6 Editors' Letter
8 Leading Off
16 Inbox
18 Scorecard
34 Faces in The Crowd
112 Point After
Jack McCallum: A Thanksgiving tradition