THE FUTURE IS WIDE OPEN
Since 1999 alone, SI has applied the phrase "the future of" to somebody or something 152 times. As in: That Pat Mahomes, he's the future of football. (Sure, why not?) Or: That Kawhi Leonard, he's the future of the Spurs. (Cringe.) Here's a look at how often we've used those words by sport, and how apt—or inapt—they've been.
Baseball
29 TIMES
"[BRYCE] HARPER, THE NO. 1 PICK OF THE 2010 DRAFT BY THE NATIONALS, IS THE FUTURE OF BASEBALL...."
—AUG. 1, 2011
Olympics
5 TIMES
"LAST FRIDAY NIGHT THE FUTURE OF U.S. SWIMMING [NATALIE COUGHLIN] DISSECTED A PLATEFUL OF CHICKEN CORDON BLEU...."
—APRIL 1, 2002
Hockey
4 times
"The future of the Tampa Bay [Lightning] franchise rests on the narrow shoulders of the 6'4", 195-pound [Vincent] Lecavalier."
—JAN. 18, 1999
Tennis
9 TIMES
"Did [Andy Roddick] really win the U.S. Open in September and upgrade his billing from the future of American tennis to its present?"
—NOV. 10, 2003
Auto racing
7 TIMES
"The director yells that the cameras are ready to roll and the stars are needed on the set, and suddenly here they come, the six young men who hold the future of NASCAR in their hands ... Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman."
—FEB. 16, 2004
Football
34 TIMES
"COACH MIKE MUNCHAK MUST RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO BENCH [JAKE LOCKER] FOR MATT HASSELBECK. HASSELBECK IS 37; LOCKER IS THE FUTURE, GROWING PAINS AND ALL."
—FEB. 11, 2013
Golf
23 TIMES
"If you had stumbled into the snooker room ... last week, you would never have imagined you were looking at the future of the European Ryder Cup team. England's Ian Poulter and Justin Rose...."
—MAY 7, 2001
Soccer
3 TIMES
"The future of Major League Soccer depends almost entirely on one mysterious man. Denver-based billionaire Phil Anschutz—Saint Phil to American soccer fans...."
—DEC. 3, 2001
Basketball
24 TIMES
"And on they go [Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler], gleefully rattling off analogies, the future of the Bulls still rooted squarely in the present."
—OCT. 28, 2002