For The Record

Retired
By the Shanghai Sharks, the number 15 jersey worn by Yao Ming during his five seasons with the club. The 7'5" Rockets center, who averaged 23.4 points and 15.4 rebounds for the Sharks from 1997 to 2002, is the first athlete in Chinese history to have his number retired. "My father also wore the number 15 when he played [for the Chinese national team]," said Yao, who wears number II in Houston. "I guess the only thing I feel sorry about is that my son might not be able to wear the number."

Named
After NASCAR driver Sterling Marlin, one of the first sets of twins born in the U.S. in 2003. At 12:21 a.m. on Jan. 1 Gwendetta Jamison of Roanoke, Va., gave birth to her first boy Sterling; the second, Marlin, was born 29 minutes later. Jamison's grandmother had suggested Kyle and Petty.

Died

Of a stroke, Joe Foss, 87, a World War II ace and the first commissioner of the AFL, from 1960 to '66. He also hosted ABC's The American Sportsman. Foss, who shot down 26 Japanese planes and was awarded a Medal of Honor, served as the Republican governor of South Dakota from 1955 to '59. He went on to become president of the NRA from '88 to '90 and appeared on the Jan. 29, 1990, cover of TIME, holding a pistol. "All guns are good guns," he told TIME. "There are no bad guns."

?In his sleep, Pleasant Colony, 24, winner of the 1981 Kentucky Derby and Preakness. Going into the Derby, the rangy bay colt had won only twice in eight starts, but he came from behind to win convincingly in the first two legs of the Triple Crown before finishing third in the Belmont. After being retired at the end of '81 with $965,383 in earnings, he shone at stud, siring the winners of more than $50 million.

?Of natural causes, Joel Buchsbaum, 48, the pale, frail kid from Brooklyn who became one of football's most relied-upon talent analysts. The term draftnik was coined in the 1970s by SI's Paul Zimmerman to describe diehards like Buchsbaum, whose annual draft preview is in every NFL general manager's office. Buchsbaum worked for years out of his parents' home in Flatbush and was known for his strong opinions. In 1998, when experts were scratching their heads over quarterbacks Ryan Leaf and Peyton Manning, Buchsbaum wrote of Leaf, "Self-confident to the point where some people view him as arrogant and almost obnoxious...holds onto the ball too long...does not find second and third receivers as quickly as he has to." Said Titans' G.M. Floyd Reese, "He'd have information on workouts as soon as they were over. If you needed information, you knew who to call."

Arrested
Within hours of each other last Friday night for unrelated offenses in Tampa, former baseball All-Stars Dwight Gooden and Darren Daulton. Gooden, 38, was charged with knowingly driving with a suspended license. Daulton, 41, spent several hours in Hillsborough County jail on charges of DUI and driving with a suspended license.

HOOTIE WATCH

Who's winning the battle, Hootie Johnson or Martha Burk? SI's Hootometer tells all.

A Georgia sheriff declares "law officials will not even consider" allowing protests on sidewalks around Augusta National during the Masters in April. Advantage, Hootie. Burk tells The Washington Post she's meeting with the National Council of Women's Organizations to plot final strategy for persuading Augusta to admit females before April. Advantage, Burk. Burk tells Post she won't yet ask players to boycott Masters. Advantage, Hootie.