June 14, 2004 | Volume 100, Issue 24

Rocket GibraltarI received my May 24 copy of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED with Roger Clemens on the cover 20 years to the day after he won his first game, with the Red Sox (May 20, 1984). Who would have...

LETTERS•Please e-mail us at letters@si.timeinc.com or fax us at 212-467-4049. Letters should include the writer's full name, address and home telephone number and may be edited for clarity and space.

Oscar De La Hoya's dubious victory guarantees him another big payday

José Luis Castillo, who lost his lightweight title to Floyd Mayweather two years ago, got it back by defeating Juan Lazcano last Saturday....

Ronald Reagan was not our most athletic president and wouldn't have been even if he'd been 30 years younger when elected. He was not consumed with golf, didn't seem to care much about any of the...

Senior editor Hank Hersch admits he initially viewed the subject of the globalization of sports (page 72) with a bit of trepidation. How, he wondered, do you get your arms around a story that's as...

On a recent Sunday, by prior arrangement, I met a friend of a friend outside SBC Park in San Francisco, where I gave him my extra Giants ticket. This stranger, strangely, carried a laptop computer...

A costume drama comes to L.A.

After sampling the life of a pro, Mike Williams tries to come back to USC

4,347

ResignedFrom the board of a liquor store less than a mile from the University of Colorado campus, Buffaloes athletic director Dick Tharp. Citing an "appearance of impropriety," Tharp—who last week...

Won

Good to be here. How about a hand for my opening act, Junior "Dice" Seau?

The swimmer, 32, who retired in 1996 and still holds three world records, hosts a meet in Long Beach, Calif., this week.

The last time a horse won the Triple Crown, Bill Murray was a long way from New York's Belmont Park—way up in the woods of Ontario, in fact, filming the summer-camp comedy Meatballs. Last Saturday...

Hope sprang eternal last Saturday in Nashville at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships. But after getting off to a flying start in the compulsory round of the men's synchronized trampoline...

Don King has joined the George W. Bush campaign.

DOC RIVERSABC commentator, on Los Angeles's eventful season: "The Lakers should play their games at three o'clock with the other soap operas."

WHAT TO WATCH AND WATCH FOR

•The Americans' ghastly performance at the French Open applied to television networks as well. ESPN's "coverage" in Paris was a comedy of unforced errors. A match was truncated to accommodate the...

THE POLL POSITION

Gary Hines, ATLANTATeam HandballHines, a sophomore at Georgia Perimeter College, led the Atlanta Metro Condors to the elite division national championships and was named the tournament MVP. He was...

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Junior achievement: For more on Ken Griffey Jr.'s quest for 500 homers, including an SI covers gallery, photos and archival stories, go to si.com/baseball.

For thrills, great barbecue and the chance to see future major leaguers, no event tops the College World Series in Omaha

The former coach found Cornhuskers fanatics halfway around the world

Nebraskans weigh in on sports*

To read an SI Flashback story on the thrilling Game of the Century, view a gallery of every Nebraska cover or peruse more Cornhusker State sports trivia, go to si.com/50

Ronald Reagan1911-2004Before he was the Great Communicator, he was a sportscaster in the Midwest, and before he was the leader of the Free World, he was the Gipper. Ronald Reagan's long and varied...

Free of injury (knock on wood), Ken Griffey Jr. powered toward 500 homers and boosted the surprising Reds to the top of the National League

Except for 1995, when he missed 11 weeks with a broken wrist, Ken Griffey Jr. was a relatively healthy and highly productive player in his first 11 major league seasons, all of which were spent...

Though he lost much of the past three seasons to injury, Ken Griffey Jr., who turned 34 last Nov. 21, still keeps lofty statistical company. Among Griffey's comparables at the same age, according...

There's joy in Cincy when Sean Casey, the majors' leading hitter, takes his cuts

Fred McGriff nears the 500-homer mark, but Cooperstown is another story

Long-suffering Tampa Bay and emerging star Brad Richards rallied to win Games 6 and 7, edging the Flames for the NHL title

It took 14 years, but the Lightning finally completed its run from rock bottom to the top.

A labor stalemate shadows playoff glory

In a heady Finals matchup between top NBA coaches, Detroit's Larry Brown got a jump on L.A.'s Phil Jackson

A French Open rife with psychodrama if not great matches produced two unexpected champions, Gastón Gaudio and Anastasia Myskina

Everyone wants to see Tiger battle Phil, but parity will be the theme of the week at bare and beautiful Shinnecock Hills

Complete U.S. Open coverage, including the Underground Golfer by SI's Gary Van Sickle, can be found at si.com/golf.

Even the winning trainer apologized after a late charge by Birdstone at the Belmont brought the Triple Crown bid of America's darling, Smarty Jones, to a shocking end

With renowned stars like Yao Ming who transcend borders, the NBA and the other U.S. major leagues are banking on big help from abroad to generate growth

As U.S. leagues show each season, the best way to reach fans anywhere on the planet is through their TVs

Over the last decade, overseas pros have gained a stronger foothold in the U.S.

A leading NHL agent explains the hazards and benefits of having a largely international roster of clients.

Thanks to the 2008 Beijing Games, baseball has a chance to thrive in another Asian nation

While the ATP's top talent travels the world, the PGA has built a global behemoth in the U.S.

Baseball

Spirited manager Ozzie Guillen has brought the White Sox back to life

PADRES BALKWary of being able to sign Florida State infielder Stephen Drew (left), potentially their third baseman of the future, the Padres opened the first-year player draft on Monday by taking...

A midseason win at Dover gave Mark Martin a shot at the playoffs

One of the last moves that Dale Earnhardt Sr. made as the owner of Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) was to hire Michael Waltrip in October 2000. At the time it seemed laughable: Waltrip hadn't won in 462...