Leading Off

Disintegrated
After nudging a rival's right rear tire in Sunday's season-ending IRL race at Texas Motor Speedway, Kenny Brack's car took flight and smashed into the steel catch fence at 220 mph. Little was left of the car; Brack was in serious but stable condition on Monday with multiple fractures (page 71).

Show of Hands
Highly touted Pistons rookie forward Darko Milicic (far left) and teammate Darvin Ham battle for a rebound against Cavaliers big men Chris Mihm (top) and DeSagana Diop in a preseason matchup.

The Shadow Knows
As USC players headed out to face Stanford at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum last Saturday night, they were reminded of their school's long history of football success.