January 29, 2007 | Volume 106, Issue 3

Golden Eagle

ALEXANDER THE GREAT wept when there were no new worlds for him to conquer. And as Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy become the first black coaches to take their teams to the Super Bowl, we move a step...

Michael Vick's erratic passing is making it more and more difficult for Atlanta to overlook his erratic behavior

His confrontational style may seem old school, but Bill Parcells shaped today's NFL

ANYONE WHO'S ever ridden in a big-city taxi has probably, at some point, joked that their cabbie might want to think about getting a job as a race car driver. Benny Parsons, who died last week of...

Reenrolled In classes at Arkansas, highly touted freshman quarterback Mitch Mustain. Razorbacks coach Houston Nutt raised eyebrows when he hired Gus Malzahn, Mustain's coach at Springdale (Ark.)...

$130 Registration fee to participate in an open tryout for the Los Angeles Galaxy, which is holding auditions on Feb. 10.

THERE WAS a small thaw in an otherwise deepening cold war last week when 13 U.S. wrestlers went to Iran to compete in a meet in Bandar Abbas. On Friday, a day after winning the title in the...

A pro prospect who banked on an NFL career is accused of murder

The 51-year-old actor and stand-up comic is the host of NBC's Deal or No Deal

Tom Brady, who split from actress Bridget Moynahan last month, didn't stay single for long: It appears he and Victoria's Secret model Gisele Bündchen are an item. According to the Boston Herald,...

A Chicago woman had labor induced three days early so her husband could attend the NFC Championship Game.

Edmonton's Matt Greene possesses many gifts: He's a solid checker, he's got a strong wrist shot and he does wicked impersonations of 1940s movie stars. He showed his best Claude Rains last...

DON NELSON, Warriors coach, explaining his confusion over G.M. Chris Mullin's signing of guard Kelenna Azubuike: "Mully called me on New Year's Eve and asked me if I liked sambuca, and I said,...

What to watch and watch for

The Mitchell Probe SCORECARD, SEPT. 4, 2006

David Brown STONEY CREEK, ONT. > Hockey Brown, a senior goaltender at Notre Dame, saved 30 of Lake Superior State's 31 shots on goal, helping the Irish to a 4--1 victory over the Lakers. In an...

HAWKS GUARD

Who's Hot Phoenix The sizzling Suns had won 29 of 31—that's 29 of 31—after thrashing the T-Wolves with a 46 point third quarter on Sunday. (Observed Steve Nash, above, "It's nice to have...

Which rookie will make the biggest impact this season?

THOUGH A daily siesta can increase productivity and relieve stress—"If I don't nap, I'll have a horrible game," says Warriors guard Jason Richardson—not everyone enjoys the practice. "That's like...

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

Must a poker pro be fit? Two of three we asked said yes

Sophomore Tadd Fujikawa nearly stole the show from top PGA players at the Sony Open

YOUNGEST TO MAKE A PGA CUT Bob Panasik, at the 1957 Canadian Open, at age 15, as a junior at Herman High in Windsor, Ont. Panasik played in nine U.S. Opens and was inducted into the Canadian Golf...

Future Tar Heel Courtney Jones plays soccer with a toughness that impresses even her NFL dad

NO. 1 FALLS

For recruiting news and the latest commitments from Rivals.com and the boys' basketball Top 25 from RISE, go to SI.com/highschool.

HIGH SCHOOL athletes who have benefited from a dip into the NFL gene pool:

Bears coach Lovie Smith showed saintly patience with passer Rex Grossman. The payoff: a trip to Miami for a shot at the title

When the NFC's top-rated defense faces the AFC's top-rated attack in Super Bowl XLI, something's gotta give. Sorry, Chicago

Part art and part science, shot blocking is in increasingly short supply in the NBA. Why aren't more big men doing it? Because it can't be taught

SENDING A SHOT into the stands fires up fans but gives the ball back to the opponent. According to 82games.com, here were the best and worst at keeping their blocks in play at week's end, plus...

THE KNACK for preventing a dunk and the ability to force opponents out of the paint are two of the more significant ways to measure a shot blocker's talent. According to 82games.com, these were...

Sultans of Swat

With a swing honed in the endless North Dakota winter, the Indians' Travis Hafner has made a name and a nickname (Project/Donkey) for himself as one of the game's top three hitters

The Future

Fast and Flurrious In made-to-order weather for the Bears, running back Cedric Benson blasted out of the grasp of Saints safety Josh Bullocks and into the end zone at Soldier Field in the NFC...

Alabama forward Jermareo Davidson, reeling from the recent deaths of his girlfriend and then of his brother, has found solace in his god and in his game

An inside look at the three trick plays Boise State ran to perfection in its Fiesta Bowl upset, a finish so spectacular that even the losers knew they'd been part of something special

The NHL Introducing state-of-the-art uniforms is a smart move for the league • The Bruins' Marc Savard is finally showing some passion

Worn to Win

Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo's performance against the Senators last Thursday, a 2--1 Vancouver win, shows why even though his 2.38 goals-against average ranked ninth in the NHL through Sunday,...

Regal Eagle

1 Brandon Rush (right) must start living up to his billing. Kansas' sophomore swingman, a preseason All-America, scored just 10 points in the Jayhawks' loss at Texas Tech.

Motown Hit

On the eight-player trade last week in which the Pacers sent Al Harrington, Stephen Jackson, Sarunas Jasikevicius and Josh Powell to the Warriors in exchange for Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy, Ike...

Hot Topic

A roundup of the more notable facts and figures from the first week of play at the 2007 Australian Open:

IN THE next 800 words, you're going to meet my new favorite coach. But first you have to guess who he is.

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Against their New England nemeses, Tony Dungy's Colts at long last lived up to their promise. Now it's on to Miami--and a Super Bowl XLI showdown with the surging Bears