The Year's Best On behalf of America's mothers, God bless LaDainian Tomlinson! My seven year-old has become an avid football fan and reader of SI. I am glad that he gets to watch one of the...

WHEN THE Detroit Lions and their defensive coordinator parted ways this month over "philosophical differences," one couldn't help but wonder, Are philosophy professors ever fired for the same reason?

If David Beckham can't sell soccer to Americans, no one can. But what kind of player will the MLS get for $250 million?

"The manner of David Beckham's departure from top-class football is in keeping with the latter part of his career: an air of disappointment and money-grabbing hangs over the affair," opined The...

IT IS UNLIKELY that any woman has ever played such a role in creating a male champion in any sport as did Gloria Connors, who died last week at 82. Her involvement began before the beginning. Even...

Won By the U.S.'s Lindsey Jacobellis (above), the snowboardcross gold medal at the Snowboard World Championships in Arosa, Switzerland, on Sunday. It was the second straight world title for...

635 Blocked shots the Rockets' Dikembe Mutombo needs to tie career NBA leader Hakeem Olajuwon; last week Mutombo, who has 3,195 blocks, passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for second place on the alltime list.

A little old-fashioned Karma may be coming down on the prosecutor in the Duke rape case

The five-time NBA All-Star and former Craftsman Truck Series team owner is a NASCAR analyst for ESPN/ABC

Pity the poor athlete who gets injured while celebrating. Or, maybe, don't

VELVET REVOLVER'S Fall to Pieces sounds like a standard hard-rock love song, but when front man Scott Weiland sings it, Notre Dame's 13-year bowl game losing streak is probably in the back of his...

A New Zealand bride and groom played 18 holes of miniature golf to decide who would give up their surname.

Al Gore's movie was an eye-opener, but who thought global warming could get this ugly? With training runs at the Lauberhorn course in Switzerland canceled because temperatures hit the 50s, World...

JIM PALMER, 61-year-old former pitcher, on his recent wedding proposal: "I didn't have any problem getting down on my knee, but I had a problem getting back up."

What to watch and watch for

Duquesne Hoops SCORECARD, SEPT. 25, 2006

Caroline Zhang IRVINE, CALIF. > Figure Skating Caroline, an eighth-grader at Brea Junior High, executed six triple jumps to win the gold medal in the ladies' individual event at the Junior Grand...

LAKERS FORWARD

Who's Hot Caldwells Little bro Andre snagged a TD pass in Florida's BCS win, then said he'll forgo NFL and return to seek "another championship." Big bro Reche (above)—who counseled Andre...

Which NFL city has the most attractive fans?

Saints Center

Suddenly a sophomore, with much to tackle

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

WAYNE GRETZKY entered the NHL in 1979 as a phenom and set the standard for young stars (page 50). He retired two decades—and 12 SI covers—later as the Great One, a nine-time league MVP and the...

Girls like Nicole Woody are turning wrestling on its head

Mike Benefiel, 171, Montini Catholic (Lombard, Ill.) A three-time state champ, he has a chance to become Illinois's alltime wins leader.

After years of trial and sorrow, world traveler Donte' Greene finds himself in a Melo place

TOTALLY 3DICULOUS Players at Huntington Beach (Calif.) Marina wear T-shirts that say 3DICULOUS, a slogan chosen by the coaching staff for the team's unorthodox style, which relies on quick...

DONTE' GREENE was featured at Sunday's Future Stars Invitational, part of the four-day Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass. Greene had 23 points and 13 rebounds, but Towson Catholic lost to St....

For more high school news and rankings from RISE and Dave Krider's Primetime Performer of the Week, go to SI.com/highschool.

It's the unlikeliest NFL story in ages: Drew Brees and the Saints, recovery projects both, are one win away from the Super Bowl. That's what character and commitment can do

Even when he's far from perfect, Tom Brady finds a way to make the Patriots playoff winners

When the plan is to fluster Peyton Manning, he's an expert at turning the tables on a defense

Though vulnerable of late, the Bears' defense is confident it matches up well with the Saints

NFC SAINTS AT BEARS

In his second season Sidney Crosby is setting himself apart from the rest of the league--and scoring at a pace close to none other than Wayne Gretzky's

With an infusion of homegrown talent and a new emphasis on smothering defense, the Pac-10 has become the nation's top conference

Full Bag

Tom Management Starting in his own end zone, quarterback Tom Brady (12) took charge of the Patriots in their AFC divisional playoff at San Diego on Sunday. Brady was shaky through three quarters...

If the league's winningest team is to take the final step to an NBA title, no player will be as crucial as forward Josh Howard, who has established himself as Dirk Nowitzki's righthand man

Player Rankings

JOSH HOWARD'S emergence as a scorer, rebounder and defender casts him in the clear role of Robin to Dirk Nowitzki's Batman on the Mavericks. Herewith, other players--all of whom are in the Hall of...

Newfound images document the time when Muhammad Ali, 65 this week, began to transform sports and popular culture

Prize Pictures

The NBA In the pitiful Atlantic Division the Nets finally start to look like winners • Free agent Chris Webber has enough left to help Detroit

In the Hunt

On Chris Webber (right), 33, whose contract was bought out by the 76ers and who said he would sign with the Pistons this week:

Home Cooking

1 The Big Ten and Big 12 are looking kind of small. The two leagues usually combine for at least 13 NCAA tournament bids, but this year they might not even get 10.

SO WHAT? So the bullfighters who risk their lives over 100 times a weekend for the cowboys on the Professional Bull Riders tour are tougher than a hospital steak. And, yeah, they make an NFL...

Watch exclusively on Verizon Wireless V CAST and SI.com.

A fit Phil Mickelson joins his archrival in the course architect biz

Enjoy the views on this 36-hole complex near Lake Tahoe

WHO: Tadd Fujikawa

Here are the fresh faces most likely to have a breakout year

The Sony Open isn't the first Tour event of the season, but for rank-and-file pros like winner Paul (Sunshine) Goydos, the new year starts here

THERE'S A FRESH TAKE ON GOLF EVERY DAY AT SI.COM/GOLF.

A drive-by victim last April, Julius Hodge is back in the NBA with Milwaukee—after some ups and downs

Julius Hodge served time in the NBA Development League in order to get back to the NBA. Here are four intriguing D-League players who could travel the same path.

Even if you're just sharing pumpkin bread, SI writers know, hanging with NFL players is never dull

The members of SI's college football crew follow divergent paths during the off-season. Senior writer Austin Murphy, who chronicled Florida's ascent to the national championship in last week's...