What Jinx?

LETTERS

MARCH 23, 1981

In America last year, more newborns were named Armani (518) than Ann (494). The number of infants called Lexus and Mercedes (1,206) exceeded the number called Nancy (1,168). More girls were...

After getting rid of Ron Zook, Florida fans would love to lure Steve Spurrier back to Gainesville. But can the ol' ball coach and the Florida faithful live happily ever after?

His wife stricken with cancer, Brett Favre has once again found a way to stay focused and play brilliantly in tough times

Died of complications from diabetes at age 80, former Indians second baseman and Mexican national hero Bobby Avila, one of the first prominent Latin players in the major leagues and the first to...

$804,129 Price Barry Bonds's 700th home run ball fetched in an online auction, which was won by an anonymous bidder with the handle Bomasterj.

The Tour de France has again tweaked its route to slow the defending champ

Good to be here. Just got back from the parade. I can't tell you what a thrill it was to be with three million Red Sox fans listening attentively for the other shoe to drop.

The 43-year-old actor plays an FBI agent in After the Sunset, which opens on Nov. 12

Early in Beyond the Gridiron: The Life and Times of Woody Hayes (PBS, check local listings), Larry Romanoff, who coached under Hayes at Ohio State, says, "Woody was a great judge of who he could...

What to watch and watch for

Paris Hilton has taken up tennis players. Last week in Los Angeles she showed reporters a digital picture of a shirtless Mark Philippoussis she had saved on her cellphone. "I've got a new man, and...

A deep-sea diver ended an attempt at a world-record descent when he discovered the skeleton of a competitor.

Warriors guard, on why the team should extend his contract: "I've represented this franchise in dunk contests, the Rookie Challenge, the stuff at All-Star weekend. I think it's time for them to be...

Departments

John Hollinger: Breaking Down the Scoring Drop

[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]

Should these athletes be considered for SI's Sportsman of the Year?

Mirriam Kaumba LUSAKA, ZAMBIA > Cross-country Kaumba, a senior at Oklahoma Baptist, won the women's individual title at the University of Arkansas's Chile Pepper Festival. The 2003 NAIA champion...

Chiefs Running Back

Defensive players practically wax poetic when describing the joys of making a clean, hard tackle

Eagles Receiver

Who's Hot

(Based on a survey of 354 players)

[This article consists of photographs--see below]

The Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald tells how he trained to make football's jump of the year

Steel yourself for a tour of the town that gave us Andy Warhol and Art Rooney

The Eagles talk about Pittsburgh

Having won their first World Series in 86 years, the Red Sox face some difficult roster decisions--and, for once, the challenge to repeat

THE RED SOX proved that champions can be made in November and December, having traded for ace Curt Schilling last Nov. 28 and signed free-agent closer Keith Foulke 15 days later. This year's hot...

After failing to live up to their top billing last year, the revitalized Auburn Tigers have dominated the SEC this fall--and are clawing at the door of the BCS title game

Only three times since 1950 has a Heisman winner had a teammate who finished in the top five in the voting. (In '83 Nebraska's Mike Rozier won and Turner Gill was fourth; in '72 the Cornhuskers'...

Playing more like a seasoned veteran than a raw rookie, Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has led the surprising Steelers to the top of the AFC

As an Olympic idol and the highest-paid athlete in Argentina, the Spurs' Manu Ginobili is an inspiration to his people, but an object of extreme--sometimes dangerous--scrutiny

What up, Dog? The ratings of Atlanta's 790 the Zone, that's what, after the station unleashed Ryan and Doug Stewart in the previously lily-white arena of sports-talk radio

ON TUESDAY, Oct. 12, the 2 Live Stews had a full plate of Atlanta sports topics for their midafternoon show. The previous night, the Braves had been eliminated from the playoffs by the Houston...

Every day, from coast to coast, local sports-radio talk-show hosts set the hometown athletic agenda and incite howling from their listeners. Here are SI's choices of the shows that make the most...

The Week In Sports

A Super Bowl contender entering the season, the mistake-prone Seahawks haven't looked like a smart pick lately

VICK'S RED-HOT DAY

SAN DIEGO'S CATCH

HOT TOPIC

You'd call the Steelers giant killers, except they are now giants themselves, with a giant for a quarterback. On Sunday they ended the Patriots' 21game winning streak. Now they have a chance to...

DISPATCHES

Suddenly potent North Carolina stunned unbeaten Miami and may have saved coach John Bunting's job

1. How bad is the Big 12 North? Nebraska, which lost to Texas Tech 70-10 on Oct. 9, converted just 1 of 15 third downs and completed four passes last Saturday against Missouri, yet it won 24-3...

DEFENSIVE DEMON

A WILD DAY IN THE BIG TEN

Ghostzapper took the Breeders' Cup Classic and made his Horse of the Year race with Smarty Jones a photo finish

People have said some very dumb things, such as "Hey, let's ask Coach Knight to go huntin'!" and "You're AOL. We're Time Warner. Let's merge!" and "Yankees World Series tickets go on sale Monday!"

[This article consists of photographs--see below]