October 15, 2007 | Volume 107, Issue 15

Conference Call

With LSU ahead in all the polls, a famous fan reflects

HE HAS SHREDDED the vaunted Bears defense and thrown an NFC-best 13 TD passes, and despite his five interceptions against the Bills on Monday, Tony Romo's Cowboys are 5--0. In 15 career starts...

WHO'S Hot

Who is the toughest quarterback in the NFL?

Set By Division II Chadron State's Danny Woodhead (below), the NCAA all-division career rushing record. Woodhead, a senior, ran for 208 yards against Western New Mexico last Saturday, bringing his...

IN 1997 Marion Jones, then 21, seized track and field by its throat, winning the 100 meters at the U.S. nationals. She was a primal force, tall and strong, graceful only in her easy dominance. In...

GLEN DAVIS Celtics rookie, after seeing the Sistine Chapel on the team's trip to Rome: "There's no way I would take six years painting a ceiling. But I guess you do what you've got to do, and I...

51 Times Russell (Rock Bottom) Byars, 43, an engineer from Franklin, Pa., skipped a stone on the Allegheny River, a Guinness World Record.

A fisherman in Somerset, England, has requested in his will that his friends use his remains as bait.

Remembering a walkout that helped create today's NFL

THE HEAT WAVE that baked the Midwest wreaked havoc on the Chicago Marathon. Temperatures rose to the high 80s with stifling humidity; many of the 45,000 runners dropped out, 184 were hospitalized...

Tony Gwynn

The Rockies are loaded with ex-QBs

A once-passé puzzle stars at its own world championship

OF ALL the thankless football tasks, long snapping might be the one most taken for granted; you only hear a long snapper's name when a punter is corralling a misfired football. But the Texans'...

Sara Lowe SUNNYVALE, CALIF. > Synchronized Swimming Lowe, a senior at Stanford, was named U.S. synchronized swimmer of the year. A bronze medalist at the 2004 Olympics, she led the Cardinal to its...

Coolbaughs Carry On

What to watch and watch for

In making the leap to the NFL, 20-year-old Texans rookie Amobi Okoye and other marquee 2007 first-round draft picks are discovering the value of hard work, intense study and a few good friends

For the Vikings' Adrian Peterson, the toughest rookie lesson is learning how not to go full speed ahead

Photo

T, BROWNS

MLB, 49ERS

WR, CHIEFS

CB, JETS

Taking His Cuts

WHAT TO make of the Diamondbacks, who struck out in a ridiculous 37% of their at bats but still beat the Cubs by a combined 16--6 in their NLDS sweep? After finishing with the league's best record...

Young power pitchers, from Fausto Carmona to Josh Beckett, have taken the postseason by swarm

THE RED SOX and the Indians not only had the same, major league--best record during the regular season (96--66) but also have many of the same qualities. Their respective aces, Josh Beckett and...

Premium Players

Here are the undefeated teams through six weeks, along with their most meaningful wins, biggest obstacles and chances of remaining unblemished

Opening Night

The NFL Mike Shanahan's roster turnover isn't paying off for Denver • Jason Campbell takes charge in Washington • Dr. Z's Forecast: Unstoppable Pats

A Manny Splendored Thing After belting a three-run walk-off homer last Friday to beat the Angles 6--3 in Game 2 of their AL Division Series, Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez admired his handiwork...

Mile-High Low

Albert Haynesworth's reputation certainly has turned. In '06 the Titans defensive tackle (right) was a pariah after he stomped on Cowboys center Andre Gurode; soon he could be the NFL's...

None of Jason Campbell's previous 10 starts for the Redskins put as much pressure on him as last week's against the Lions. The third-year QB had lost his right guard and right tackle to injury in...

After the Patriots beat the Browns by 17, Bill Belichick told the press, "I think we can play better." This immediately became a highlight on the wrap-up shows. What, he wants to win every game by...

Balancing Act

1 You have to feel for Louisville QB Brian Brohm, who bypassed the NFL only to watch the Cardinals (3--3) implode under new coach Steve Kragthorpe. Brohm's huge numbers (467 yards in last Friday's...

Just for Kicks

SOLDOTNA vs. KODIAK, Oct. 13

A STAY-AT-HOME LINEUP The news wasn't all bad for USC last week: Agoura (Calif.) junior tackle Kevin Graf committed to the Trojans. The 6'6", 302-pound Graf, a 2007 Nike Underclassman All-America,...

1 NORTHWESTERN (Miami) 5--0 Next: Hialeah--Miami Lakes, 0--6 and scoreless in four games

Foreign Affairs Indy champion Dario Franchitti and former F/1 star Jacques Villeneuve are leading the latest invasion of NASCAR

1 On Sunday at Talladega, Jeff Gordon (right) won, and Jimmie Johnson took second. The Hendrick Motorsports duo has pulled away from the rest of the Chasers (Gordon leads Johnson by nine points;...

Cold Shoulder

Paul Stastny's productive summer: The Avalanche's sophomore forward worked out twice a day with a trainer, lost 12 pounds (he's 6 feet, 205) and got engaged. The early return? Eight points in...

LET'S SAY you went to Starbucks, ordered your double espresso mocha half-soy grande and didn't get it for 37 years. Might you be a tad ... bitter? So tell me, why are the 47 people who got their...

I THINK . . . By Peter King

When setting your lineup, fear not these formerly ferocious D's

Thinking of making a move? Run your proposal by other owners at SI.com/fantasy.

QUARTERBACK DEREK ANDERSON Browns VS. Dophins The Miami pass D ranked second through four games only because opponents preferred to run on them. On Sunday, Matt Schaub, playing without Ahman...

MATT LEINART'S injury gives Warner another shot to start--good for him and for Arizona's offense.

WE DON'T LIKE THE MATCHUP