December 06, 2010 | Volume 113, Issue 21

When it comes to SI covers, it's all about the emotional imprint they leave. With that in mind, one man (with a little help from his friends) picks his 32 favorites of all time

Three days after he collapsed from heatstroke at practice in 2008, 15-year-old Max Gilpin became one of at least 665 boys since 1931 to die as a result of high school football. Here's what made...

Founder: Henry R. Luce 1898--1967

For years I've listened to people rant about how greed was blocking a playoff system in college football without ever knowing the truth about the power brokers involved. I believed that a playoff...

An homage to the most influential NBA figure since Jordan

Who's Hot

WHO WOULD YOU WANT TO HAND OFF TO ON THIRD-AND-THREE?

The NFL's fine of the Broncos in a new spy case suggests a double standard

2K Sports last week reacted to reports of Spurs guard Tony Parker's infidelity by adjusting his "loyalty" rating (which weighs a player's willingness to stay with a team in career mode) from 87 to...

Stabbed

2

Larry Fitzgerald

Taking a closer look at No. 1 Oregon's image-is-everything sideline strategy

An extraordinary coach's story offers inspiration far beyond his team

Will Leslie Frazier's calm coaching presence lead to long-term climate change in Minnesota?

It's not just the game of the week, Jets coach Rex Ryan says, "It's the marquee game of the year." Two emerging kids could determine the outcome of this showdown between 9--2 teams. Jets QB Mark...

It's a long season, and the bumps and lumps of NFL life can present opportunities for savvy owners

It can take a while for a young center to learn the pro game. Indiana's Roy Hibbert is finally hitting his stride

The Kings are fit to contend, thanks to a stifling defense led by one of the best young American players in the NHL

Flyers wing Claude Giroux has become a star in his third season. He has 12 goals and is the only player to have scored three times while shorthanded and on the power play. The only downside for...

Want a big-ticket Japanese starter? Beware the high price of negotiating with them—and their shaky history

Solid Signing

Nothing fancy about Pasadena-bound Wisconsin's offense: just a molar-rattling ground game

To watch an interview with South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, go to SI.com/justaskin. For highlights of the interview, snap a photo of this JAGTAG with your phone. Verizon and AT&T...

Randy Shannon's four years as head coach at Miami were baffling. The former Hurricanes linebacker and assistant recruited well, cleaned up the program's reputation and produced some of the highest...

Stacked with talented teams from top to bottom, the Big Ten is in a league of its own this season

Kemba Walker is the hottest player in the country right now. UConn's 6'1" junior point guard is averaging 30.0 points (tops in the nation) after leading the Huskies to surprise wins in the Maui...

The men's tour ended the year with a bang as Roger Federer played with his old sense of urgency in London

Strong Return

THE SAINTS QUARTERBACK BROUGHT A LOMBARDI TROPHY TO NEW ORLEANS—JUST ONE OF THE COUNTLESS WAYS HE HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE REBIRTH OF A GREAT AMERICAN CITY

What happened? We are feeling the final tremors in a seismic sports decade. Let's skip the predictable rant against performance enhancing drugs (asterisk goes here) and bad behavior. Think Chutes...

Since 1954, SI has awarded the Sportsman of the Year title to figures from the world of sports whose accomplishments transcend the field of play. Here, six of the past honorees—including the first...

As if the 75th Iron Bowl lacked drama—a Heisman favorite dogged by scandal, a road to the BCS title game that ran through its most hostile rival—Cam Newton and a feral Auburn defense added one...

The offensive fad of 2010 shot down No. 3 Boise State and the Broncos' national title hopes

Oregon and Oregon State have a rivalry unlike any other. Call it Hate Lite, but that ducky relationship could change forever this weekend, when the stakes go way up

Drawing on a lifetime of lessons and a network of like-minded confidants across sports, Scott Pioli is rebuilding the Chiefs based on his ideal of what makes a winner

Sometimes team-building comes down to a single brilliant personnel move—like these 10 most influential trades in NFL history

Yes, the Heat have three of the best players on Earth—but it takes 15 to fill out an NBA roster. The Other 12 could be key to getting a sputtering team on the right track