The Real Story

With a reflective eye—and an arched eyebrow—artist Loren Long paints a different picture of some great moments in sports history

"Float like a Butterfly..."
Cassius Clay's early poetic efforts were hopelessly derivative. But Clay found his muse after an encounter with Mother Nature one morning during roadwork.

Birth of The Spike
The undemonstrative Jim Brown wanted only to slay a rodent he noticed scurrying through the end zone during a game against the Giants. "Hey, Jim's letting loose," said a teammate. "Perhaps we should show a little exuberance ourselves!"

Wilt's Woes at The Line Begin
"Twenty thousand women," said Wilt Chamberlain recently, "and the only one I pine for is that mystery lady I saw once at Boston Garden. For the rest of my career, every time I shot a free throw, she was the only thing on my mind."

Pete's First Headfirst Slide
Running with untied shoelaces, Pete Rose could feel his legs go out from under him, and he hated being embarrassed. But after he heard the roar of appreciation from the crowd, he told the third baseman, "I'll lay you 7 to 5 I've got something here."