December 19, 2005 | Volume 103, Issue 24

Lionized

It was Michigan State football coach Duffy Daugherty who some believe first said, "A tie is like kissing your sister," to which George Brett added the corollary, "And losing is like kissing your...

Thinking small on purpose, SI's man in Vermont wants to bring a fledgling pro hoops team to his state

The reconstituted ABA promises regional rivalries and fan-friendliness

Died At age 75, defensive coaching expert Bud Carson (above at Super Bowl X; inset in 1989) of emphysema. A master strategist renowned for his unpredictable schemes and midgame adjustments, Carson...

The injured Michelle Kwan needs a speedy recovery if she wants to go to the Olympics

39 Combined age of Blazers starting guards Martell Webster (19) and Sebastian Telfair (20).

Boston didn't need a G.M. to overhaul its roster

WHO'S

DESPITE TELLING teammate Matt Leinart that he was in "game mode" before last Saturday's Heisman Trophy announcement began, eventual winner Reggie Bush, the star running back from USC, couldn't...

So that's why they call it handball. Irina Pusic of the Netherlands probably isn't a palm reader, but she had no trouble getting the message from Croatia's Maja Cop on this play. The two countries...

An Illinois state representative is planning to introduce legislation declaring the 1985 Bears the greatest football team ever.

KEVIN MAWAE,

Peter King offers his 10 Things I Think I Think

What to watch and watch for

Kelly-Anne Billingy TRINCITY, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO > Volleyball Billingy, a sophomore outside hitter at Marshall, was named Conference USA player of the year after leading the Thundering Herd to a...

THESE PLAYERS didn't get moved in hot stove deals, but recent trades will significantly affect their playing time--and fantasy value.

The Year in Review

A powerful tale of tracking down the terrorists who bloodied the 1972 Olympics, Steven Spielberg's Munich caps a year in which Hollywood often cast a backward glance at sports

No football commentator--not even that guy with the video game--packs more wisdom into his words than hardworking CBS color man Phil Simms

The year's best books took us deep into the psyches of competitors like Lance, Yao, Belichick--and race car driver Janet Guthrie, who wrote her own profile in courage

By loading up on sports, satellite radio has expanded the orbits of fans who love to listen

In the age of the acerbic Deadspin, sports sites go beyond scores and stats

He scores, he smiles, he leads the league in rushing--and now that Seattle has become the cream of the crop in the NFC, Shaun Alexander is getting some long-deserved recognition

More NFL coverage, including Michael Silver's Open Mike, at SI.com/NFL.

We'll learn more when they take on the Colts in a monster Christmas Eve matchup, but some who've lost to Seattle this year would love another crack at a team they view as beatable

From out of Spokane, Gonzaga forward Adam Morrison is emerging as the best--and the brashest--player in the country. And his legend is growing

Two years after a kidney transplant, Alonzo Mourning is again an elite center, but he aspires to the level of another medical marvel whose achievements transcend sports

Ian Thomsen details the bad blood between Mourning and his ex-team at SI.com/NBA.

Alonzo Mourning isn't staging the Heat's only dramatic comeback: Two years after stepping down as coach, Pat Riley is back on the bench demanding more--a lot more--from his underachieving team

The Texas and USC offenses are scoring machines, but the winner of the national championship game may turn out to be the team that makes the most plays on the other side of the ball

Look for Murphy's Law from Austin Murphy every Tuesday at SI.com.

USC has won 34 straight, Texas 19 in a row. The two teams have been ranked first and second, respectively, since the first preseason polls came out. When the Trojans and the Longhorns meet in the...

The NFL •Hapless Houston is looking like a winner in the Reggie Bush draft •On repaired knees, Kyle Vanden Bosch rises •Dr. Z: Indy charges on

Bush Leaguers Three straight last-minute losses have the 1--12 Texans on the winning track in the Reggie Bush sweepstakes

Fire the cannons, release the pigeons. Tony Dungy announced that his undefeated Colts will be going for the win each and every week leading up to the playoffs.

Gold Miners In its quest to repeat as Olympic champ, Team Canada has a dilemma: whom to select from its deep pool of young talent

Veteran Rod Brind'Amour (right) is adjusting well to the faster NHL. Carolina's 35-year-old captain is playing the most minutes on the team and is third in scoring (24 points).... In only his...

Hoosier Daddy Marco Killingsworth's stellar game helped Indiana rout Kentucky and embattled coach Mike Davis quiet his critics--for now

It's not fair to call Dave Moffitt nuts.

Grand Prize

[The Following Text Appears On The Cover.] SPECIAL SECTION: BEST SPORTS MOVIES, TV, BOOKS AND BLOGS OF 2005

A Michigan-bred duo helped Grand Valley State nip Northwest Missouri State in the D-II final

Cornell goaltender David McKee hopes to become the first NHL player who was born and bred in Texas

With creative methods, the Yormark brothers have revived two of pro sports' most neglected franchises

Here's a sample workday (from Monday, Dec. 5) for the New Jersey Nets' Brett Yormark.