September 27, 2004 | Volume 101, Issue 12

One look at these athletes at the moment their talent bloomed and you'll know how sweet it is to be a Can't-Miss Kid

A quick trip through some of the best writing from 50 years of SI--in 60 words or less

[This article consist of photographs--see below]

A new way to look at the creation of bigtime sports in America, with an assist from Michelangelo

We've been collecting these harbingers of doom for 11 years now, but that doesn't mean the end isn't coming

SPORTS FANS SAY Michael Jordan was the greatest basketball player of the past 50 years (page 167); Marvin (Bad News) Barnes didn't get a single vote, but if you never saw him play a game--or show...

Think of the people quoted here as the spiritual descendants of Yogi Berra, imparting precious pearls of wisdom

But enough about SPORTS ILLUSTRATED--here's what sports fans think about the past 50 years

It's true that someone has to win and someone has to lose, but nobody has to make these kinds of colossal blunders

Instant replay has vastly enriched the lives of all sports fans, so why not bring it to the Swimsuit Issue? MARISSA MILLER re-creates 10 highlights from SI's most illustrious--and sometimes...

So what better way to toast SI's 50th anniversary than this: Call those original subscribers who've been with us for every issue. You know, find out what got them started, what kept them...

Filled with the spirit of creation during a tour of the Sistine Chapel last year, senior editor Bob Roe turned to his wife, Nancy, and whispered, "I've got a really sick idea." He was imagining...

AUGUST 28, 1989

Pickin' and A-Grinnin'

George Yardley, one of the most influential players in the history of the NBA, dies and gets no mention in your magazine. Yardley, who played for the Fort Wayne Pistons and stayed with them when...

LETTERS

Tom coughlin has more rules of order than Robert. There's only one thing wound tighter than the New York Giants' coach, and that's his wristwatch, which famously runs five minutes fast. As a...

He's 45, thick in the middle, and he'd rather be fishing. But Gary Anderson is back in the NFL--where a guy with a good foot will always be welcome

The Hall of Famer is a spokesman for the NFL's Tackling Men's Health campaign

Good to be here. Well, Maurice Clarett never gives up. Now, he's telling people he got his car from Oprah.

Rather than dress immodestly by the standards of her faith, a player quits

$4,000 Amount contributed to George W. Bush's reelection campaign by Bobby Valentine, whom Bush, then the team's president, fired as Rangers manager in 1992.

Suspended For the remainder of the season, Rangers pitcher Frank Francisco (circled), who threw a folding chair into the crowd during a Sept. 13 dustup between Texas relievers and loudmouthed...

Postwar pitching ace Rose Gacioch was in a league of her own

There were knockouts as far as the eye could see last Saturday at the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, but thankfully none were administered by Miss Washington. Allison Porter (right), 24,...

Reebok has developed a $65,000 Allen Iverson shoe that has 246 diamonds.

MARQUIS WEEKS

The most pressing question left unanswered in Hu$tle, ESPN's movie about Pete Rose (Sept. 25, 9 p.m.), isn't What is Peter Bogdanovich doing directing this? It's What is that thing on Tom...

What to watch and watch for

1 Here's how long baseball has been dragging its feet on the Expos: The D.C. bid might be imperiled by influential politician Marion Barry. Yes, that Marion Barry. The 68-year-old former mayor of...

Whom should SI name as its tennis players of the year?

MONDAY

Kim Grodek BARRINGTON, ILL. > Soccer

Raiders Defensive End

WHO'S Hot

Based on a survey of 354 players

THE ANIMALS IN THEIR LIVES

COWBOYS VS. REDSKINS

How the Cowboys' Eddie George keeps himself on the field

Safety, Pittsburgh Steelers

WARRIOR I Stretches hamstrings while working glutes and quads and opening up the chest. "There's a sense of strength to it," says George. ADVANCED FRONT PLANK "This exercise is one of the hardest...

BREAKFAST An egg-white omelet with feta cheese, spinach and onions, and a glass of grapefruit juice. LUNCH Chicken breast or fish with brown rice. DINNER (below) Salmon with a baked potato and a...

It's Elway or the highway in the city where folks are a mile high on their team

What the Chargers like about their day trip to Denver

• COST TO BUILD: $400 million

For those of you still driving around Green Bay, looking for Brett Favre's Steakhouse, or City Stadium, our apologies. Due to fact-checking errors, last week's SI Players map incorrectly placed...

WELL-HEELED For a few hours, until the NFL caught up with him, Deion Sanders stood out with custom Nike cleats. The white cross reflected his devoutness; 21 was his original number. (Neon now...

The Week In Sports

Peyton Manning and the Colts made key plays in critical situations to knock off the AFC South rival Titans

HOT TOPIC

CAROLINA'S FORMULA

A NEW PROTOTYPE

REDSKINS QUARTERBACK Mark Brunell wilted under the Giants' pass rush on Sunday in the Meadowlands and left the game early with an injured hamstring. His replacement, Patrick Ramsey, threw three...

Sammy's slammin' again, and Cubs fans are dancin' in the aisles as their team fights for the NL wild card

CROSSING THE LINE

With Jason Campbell running a retooled offense, Auburn has taken control of the SEC West from LSU

The top performers from Saturday's games

TENNESSEE

A BAD CALL

Bernard Hopkins took his rightful place in the spotlight with a body blow that crumpled Oscar De La Hoya

Mike Tyson's manager, Shelly Finkel, believes that Iron Mike will be back next year, even after a defeat at the hands of Danny Williams over the summer.... It was freeloader heaven for boxing...

With toughness and togetherness, the breezy Europeans blew away the uptight U.S. to win the Ryder Cup

Tiger Woods (below) may have underachieved in his four Ryder Cup appearances, but he is rapidly closing in on a Ryder record: most partners. Woods has been paired with 10 different players in his...

Since 1954 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED has witnessed a fascinating--and occasionally confounding--convergence of sports and society, as the games have become bigger, the athletes better and the stakes so...

TRACK US ALL BACK, EVERY ONE OF US, BACK PAST THE WHEEL and the horse and language and fire, further back than civilization or history itself, back so far into buried time that even the...

50 YEARS of SPORTS

Sutton leaves no doubt about who's in charge, and who can keep a secret

Sparked by Colin Montgomerie, the Europeans eviscerate the Americans

A ray of hope for the Americans is extinguished by a late European surge

If anyone still had doubts, the U.S. showed who's the real underdog

Anatomy of a BLOWOUT

Who's responsible for the most embarrassing, lopsided U.S loss ever? Take your pick

At 19, Joe Henderson III has a chance to blaze a new path for African-Americans in stock car racing

Programs such as Drive for Diversity are creating opportunities for minorities and women in racing. Here are three drivers who, like Joe Henderson III, got off to a fast start in the Dodge Weekly...

Jonathan Spector, an 18-year-old from suburban Chicago, is the latest young Yank to hit it big in England

Here's an update on four of Jonathan Spector's teammates from the U.S. team that finished fifth at the 2003 Under-17 World Championships.

In an effort to boost its profile in the sports world, the America's Cup is trying to become more fan-friendly

The Contenders

A management expert seeks out the shared principles of winning in business and sports

For readers willing to exert some mental energy, there's loads to learn about the science of the gridiron

Howard Schnellenberger built Florida Atlantic from scratch and intends to turn the program into a national power

The Golden State Warriors have an unlikely new fan base, thanks to top draft pick Andris Biedrins

Lithuania, rather than Latvia, has been the top Baltic country for producing NBA players, judging by this quartet's feats.

Retrosheet.org is compiling, digitizing and posting the box scores of every game in major league history

Great Site Lines

We've grown accustomed to their faces, but before they became icons, they were prodigies, beguiling us with their innocence ... and grit