I haven’t posted a Sports Illustrated press release in a while, so I owe the mag a post. In this week’s issue, SI looks at the Green Bay Packers not missing a beat since going on a magical postseason run in 2010-11 and parlaying into an excellent first half of the season, especially between quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his corp of wide receivers.
SI will have the Pack on the cover in 49 states. Missouri gets Albert Pujols and the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals in a special regional cover.
So we have what you’ll read in Sports Illustrated if you still get a hard copy or if you subscribe via tablet.
Receivers from Aaron Rodgers’s Past and Present Recall Their Connections with the NFL’s Best QB
Plus: NFL Playoff Forecasts and Peter King’s Midseason All-Pro Team
Should Division I Athletes be Paid? SI’s Proposal for How it Could Work
SI’s Prediction for Saturday’s SEC Megamatchup: Alabama 17, LSU 14
Plus: The Biggest Difference Between Les Miles and Nick Saban
How Food Consciousness Is Revolutionizing Sports(NEW YORK – Nov. 3, 2011) – Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his corps of receivers appear on the national cover of this week’s Nov. 7, 2011, issue of Sports Illustrated, on newsstands now. In addition, the Cardinals’ Albert Pujols and Rafael Furcal appear on a regional cover that will be distributed to the St. Louis area. (Subscribers in the state of Missouri will receive the Cardinals cover.)
Below is the last time each team appeared on the cover and how many appearances they’ve had overall:
- Packers: Sept. 5, 2011 (NFL Preview/Clay Matthews) – 37th appearance
- Cardinals: Oct. 31, 2011 (World Series/Jon Jay) – 41st appearance
AARON RODGERS’S RECEIVERS: ALL FOR ONE, ONE FOR ALL – TIM LAYDEN (@SITimLayden)
At every stage of his career Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers has had an uncanny connection with his receivers. So what is it like to catch a pass from a signal-caller performing at a record-setting pace? Senior writer Tim Layden spoke to the men who have been on the receiving end of a Rodgers bullet (page 60):
- Ruvell Martin, former Packers scout receiver: “Right before the game [vs. Kansas City in 2007] Aaron came up to me and said, ‘Why didn’t you come and throw with me?’ I told him I was inactive, and he got upset. He said, ‘I throw with you every week, when we both know I’m not going to get into the game. And you’re inactive for one game and you can’t throw with me?’ I thought, Wow, this is not all about me. This is about the team. And Aaron brought that to my attention.”
- Burl Toler, former Cal receiver, recalling a 2003 game vs. UCLA: “We huddle on the sideline, and Coach Tedford calls the play. But then we get out on the field and Aaron says, ‘Hey, check it out, guys. Burl and [fellow wideout] Geoff [McArthur], you guys switch places.’ So we kept the play the same, but Aaron just moved us around on the fly to mess up the defense…. It makes us all feel good to see what he’s done. He’s the same as he’s always been. Except with a better beard.”
- Shaun Bodiford, teammate at Butte College in Oroville, Calif.: “I tell Aaron, ‘Hey, you’ve got a pretty good arm.’ Then he says, ‘Watch this.’ And he starts throwing these 15-yard passes, with a tight spiral, underhanded. Then he does the same thing behind his back. Next time I saw the coach I said, ‘Hey, I think this guy should be starting.’ ”
- Dane Baxter, teammate at Pleasant Valley High in Chico, Calif.: “We had no option at quarterback other than Aaron. We needed him to be as good as he was on the jayvee. And he was. He threw the s— out of the ball, and he was just so smart. He had it all between the ears. The last game I played he threw me a touchdown pass and it was the only touchdown I scored. He was happy for me. That’s the thing: He was happy for me.”
FORECASTING THE FIELD – DAMON HACK (@si_damonhack)
Here is how senior writer Damon Hack sees the playoff field shaping up midway through the regular season (page 85).
AFC NFC 1. Steelers 1. Packers 2. Patriots 2. 49ers 3. Texans 3. Saints 4. Chargers 4. Eagles 5. Ravens 5. Falcons 6. Bills 6. Lions WILD-CARD ROUND
Bills defeat Texans Saints defeat Lions Ravens defeat Chargers Eagles defeat Falcons DIVISIONAL ROUND
Steelers defeat Bills Packers defeat Eagles Patriots defeat Ravens Saints defeat 49ers AFC CHAMPIONSHP NFC CHAMPIONSHIP Patriots defeat Steelers Packers defeat Saints SUPER BOWL XLVI
Patriots 31, Packers 27
PETER KING’S (@SI_PeterKing) MIDSEASON ALL-PRO TEAM AND AWARDS (gatefold, page 69)
OFFENSE DEFENSE QB Aaron Rodgers, Packers DE Jared Allen, Vikings RB Matt Forte, Bears T Haloti Ngata, Ravens WR Calvin Johnson, Lions DE-T Justin Smith, 49ers WR Steve Smith, Panthers OL Clay Matthews, Packers SL Wes Welker, Patriots ILB Navorro Bowman, 49ers TE Jimmy Graham, Saints I-MLB Ray Lewis, Ravens LT Jordan Gross, Panthers OLB DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys LG Carl Nicks, Saints CB Johnathan Joseph, Texans C Scott Wells, Packers CB Darrelle Revis, Jets RG Brian Waters, Patriots S Kam Chancellor, Seahawks RT Eric Winston, Texas S Troy Polamalu, Steelers SPECIAL TEAMS
PK Sebastian Janikowski, Raiders P Andy Lee, 49ers KR Joe McKnight, Jets PR Devin Hester, Bear MVP: Aaron Rodgers
Offensive Player of the Year: Matt Forte
Defensive Player of the Year: Darrelle Revis
Offensive Rookie of the Year: QB Cam Newton, Panthers
Defensive Rookie of the Year: LB Von Miller, Broncos
Coach of the Year: Jim Harbaugh, 49ersPAY FOR PLAY IN COLLEGE SPORTS – GEORGE DOHRMANN (@georgedohrmann)
Working closely with Penn State law professor Stephen Ross and using financial information filed with the Department of Education from four Division I schools representing a cross section of size, profitability and their emphasis on certain sports—Louisville, Mississippi, Oregon and San Jose State—SI devised a model to pay all college athletes (not just football and basketball players) while saving schools million. Highlights of the model include (page 52):
- Capping the size of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams’ football rosters at 90 and the number of scholarships at 63: The four programs in SI’s study would save anywhere from $874,469 to $3,015,263 with these limitations, with no foreseeable drop in revenue. (TV rights, attendance and alumni donations wouldn’t decline.)
- Eliminate the NCAA’s minimum number of sports required: Teams with an FBS football program must currently field at least 16 total varsity sports; those with a D-I men’s basketball program but no football must field 14. Without these mandates in place, athletic departments could drop any men’s sport that was unable to break even. Those sports that survived would have a cap on participants and be run more efficiently.
- Strictly define Title IX compliance as “a school’s athletic participation mirroring the male-female population”: This type of compliance allows schools to make massive cuts and save millions of dollars. Those compliant under the other two definitions of compliance—either expanding athletic opportunities for women or not hindering them—lack that freedom.
In shrinking athletic departments to a more manageable size by trimming the fat in football and doing away with as many unsupported men’s programs as possible, according to the guidelines of SI’s model, the four schools would save the following estimated amount of money, to be set aside for hypothetical allocation to athletes:
- Louisville: $10,831,630
- Mississippi: $5,443,453
- Oregon: $6,538,225
- San Jose State: $3,189,884
On the Tablets: Dohrmann discusses his story in a podcast interview with Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch).
ALABAMA-LSU: WHAT WILL LES MILES DO NEXT? – AUSTIN MURPHY (@si_austinmurphy)
In Saturday’s megamatchup between No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama, SI predicts that the Crimson Tide—behind 100+ yards rushing and a touchdown from Trent Richardson, “the best player on the field”—will win 17–14. But fans watching would do well to expect something memorable from Tigers coach Les Miles (page 100).For all his eccentricities and penchant for on-field gambles, Miles is one of the top two or three college coaches in the country. In matching up with Nick Saban on Saturday, he’ll be going against one of his peers—not to mention his LSU predecessor. Chargers fullback Jacob Hester, who played one year for Saban and three for Miles in Baton Rouge: “Coach Miles got the most out of his players. He just did it in a different way than Coach Saban. He trusted us. I think Les Miles trusts his players more than any coach I’ve ever seen or been around. When he calls your number on a trick play or goes for it on a fourth down, the message he’s sending is, I believe in you.”
On the Tablets: Hotspots on the five most “Milesian” moments during the coach’s tenure at LSU, from his grass-eating episode during last year’s Alabama game to his series of clock management issues.
FOOD AND SPORTS: THE NEW TRAINING TABLE – ALEXANDER WOLFF
A new food consciousness is revolutionizing sports on every level, and it’s not just about gaining or losing weight. It’s about performance targets, wellness and recovery—all part of a process of eating to win that is producing healthier athletes. Among the trends that SI’s food package explores are (page 122):
- Gluten-free diets: Blood needed in the extremities and the brain gets diverted to the stomach to assist in the digestion of this protein, sapping energy and performance. Eliminating gluten can give athletes across all sports a substantial energy boost.
- Food-sensitivity testing: Steve Nash discovered he was sensitive to gluten, dairy, tomatoes and onions after working with a naturopath who tested Nash’s blood to see how his body chemistry was affected by certain foods. Sensitivity testing is sweeping through sports.
- Money invested in healthy eating: Stanford’s new $20.3 million Arrillaga Family Dining Commons has dishes coded for Sports Performance, Brain Performance, Anti-Inflammatory and Enhanced Immunity. On the pro level the Pirates’ early season success in 2011 may be due to the $250,000 “performance kitchen” at PNC Park.
Derrick Rose is proof that this food evolution isn’t complete. The MVP point guard eats candy, pineapple and syrup but “never really eats food,” according to Memphis teammate Robert Dozier. Says Bulls team chef Steve Jackson, of his ongoing quest to improve Rose’s diet: “Derrick Rose is a fine young man. He just doesn’t know how to eat.”
On the Tablets: Video of swimmer Garrett Weber-Gale—who swam the second leg of the U.S.’s gold medal-winning performance in the 4×100 freestyle relay at the Beijing Olympics—cooking a gourmet meal in his Austin home.
WORLD SERIES: HELLO? GOODBYE? – JOE SHEEHAN (@joe_sheehan)
Albert Pujols finished the 2011 season as one of the 10 best hitters in the league, but his market is not limitless. SI contributor Joe Sheehan says that free agent Prince Fielder—four years younger than Pujols—is a better investment, even if Pujols is the best player available. Sheehan predicts (page 92): “Everything points to Pujols’s re-signing with the Cardinals. His market price will remain within their range, and his importance to St. Louis as a franchise means they can afford to pay a premium to keep him. The Yankees paid Derek Jeter a significant multiple of his market value last off-season in a decision that had little to do with baseball. The Cardinals will also pay extra, perhaps in years rather than dollars, to retain the face of their franchise.”
THE EVOLUTION OF MANNY PACQUIAO – CHRIS MANNIX (@ChrisMannixSI)
The world’s best boxer, Manny Pacquiao, is still getting better. Freddie Roach tells staff writer Chris Mannix, “The first day he walked in here I told my guys ‘This kid can f—— punch.’ Now he punches harder.” As he prepares to face Juan Manuel Marquez for the third time, Pacquaio and his team look back on the key fights of his career (page 94):
- Nov. 15, 2003 vs. Marco Antonio Barrera: On why he smiled when the fans in San Antonio booed and cursed him, Pacquaio says, “I didn’t know what else to do. Out of all the people there, maybe 15 were cheering for me…. Going into that fight, everyone was against me. But afterwards, everyone knew me.”
- June 28, 2008 vs. David Diaz: Fighting the bigger Diaz, Pacquaio displayed an all-around skill set for the first time. Roach says, “That night Manny learned that all the stuff we had been working on could work for him in a fight.”
- Dec. 6, 2008 vs. Oscar de la Hoya: How has conditioning coach Alex Ariza helped Pacquiao seamlessly transition between weight classes? Ariza says, “It’s a balancing act. The heavier he gets, the more you focus on his explosive movements…. People who don’t understand why Manny is what he is, that’s their problem. There’s no magic bean. It’s just hard work.”
On the Tablets: First looks from the HBO series 24/7 Pacquiao Marquez of the two fighters.
NHL ENFORCERS: HARD TIMES IN THE ENDANGERED ZONE – AUSTIN MURPHY (@si_austinmurphy)
The death of three enforcers within four months renewed the debate over fighting, but being a one-trick goon no longer punches your ticket to the NHL. Senior writer Austin Murphy spoke with several hockey “tough guys” past and present (page 106):
- Former enforcer Lyndon Byers, on potential concussions caused by fighting: “I know the NHL tries to keep up with it. But it’s tough. I mean, you’re in a fight, you get punched out, you black out, you go blank, and deep down there’s a little voice going, C’mon, c’mon, come back! So you come back and see the guy’s fist eight inches from your face. So is that a concussion? Would I tell [team doctors] that I couldn’t play the next day? No.”
- Shawn Thornton, Bruins: “I take it personally when people take liberties with my teammates, but going into games, I’m not one of those guys Youtubing the other team’s enforcer to see how he fights. When our line is out there, I’m thinking about us trying to score a goal, putting pressure on the other team.”
- George Parros, Ducks: “The pace of the new game left some of the bigger, heavier guys behind. Most of the guys on the job now are able to keep up with the pace of play.”
On the Tablets: Two video features: NHL players past and present discuss the role of enforcers as well as two recent on-ice fights and the greatest hits of Lyndon Byers.
MIKE REILY: WILLIAMS COLLEGE’S FORGOTTEN HERO – TIM LAYDEN (@SITimLayden)
On Nov. 12, on Homecoming weekend, Williams College football will formally make number 50 its first retired number. The story behind why is a remarkable one. In 1964 a former Williams star named Mike Reily—who had worn number 50—died at the too-young age of 22 from Hodgkin’s disease. After his death Reily’s jersey was packed away in a box with “Football #50 Do Not Issue” scribbled on it. For the next 46 years Williams’s equipment managers heeded the crudely scribbled message and kept the jersey boxed up, not knowing why the jersey had been unofficially retired. This year’s Homecoming Game will mark a celebration of Reily’s life and how he bravely spent his final days serving as Williams’s co-captain, completing his degree and inspiring countless friends and family to live their lives to the fullest (page 112).On the Tablets: Layden discusses his story in a podcast interview.
SI PLAYERS NFL POLL
Who has the funniest trash talk on the field? (page 25)Chad Ochocinco, Patriots WR….28% Joey Porter, Cardinals LB….5%
Ray Lewis, Ravens LB….11% Shaun Smith, Titans DT….2%
Bart Scott, Jets LB….6%
[Based on 265 NFL players who responded to SI’s survey]
FAST FACTS: Nearly 40% of Ochocinco’s votes came from defensive backs…. The art of banter, however, appears to be a defensive specialty: Ochocinco and Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith were the only offensive players in the top 10…. The Chargers’ Philip Rivers and the Bears’ Jay Cutler (both with less than 1% of the vote) were the only quarterbacks among the 79 players named.
POINT AFTER: HAVE ’TUDE, WILL TRAVEL – PHIL TAYLOR (@SI_PhilTaylor)
When Terrell Owens and Allen Iverson publicly announced/demonstrated last week that they want back in the NFL and NBA, respectively, senior writer Phil Taylor imagined how a conversation between the two job-hunting former stars would have sounded (page 132):
- T.O.: “There’s so much we could teach young players. We’re a dying breed, A.I. Where are the prima donnas of tomorrow going to come from? Look at Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona. He hasn’t had a quarterback who could get him the ball in two years, but he has to be so classy about it. He should be whining like a preschooler at nap time, the way I used to.”
- A.I.: “You know what’s amazing about Derrick Rose of the Bulls? It’s not that he’s the MVP at age 22; it’s that he shows up at every practice. On time. That’s wild. All the young stars today, like Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City and the Clippers’ Blake Griffin, pretty much play with halos over their heads. It’s as if nobody ever informed them that when you’re that good, you can get away with doing—or not doing—whatever you want.”
SCORECARD: HIGHER EDUCATION – KELLI ANDERSON
College basketball has benefited from the NBA lockout. And the biggest beneficiaries may be the players at schools to which former collegians gone pro have returned. To wit (page 21):
- Texas coach Rick Barnes: “The one message all the guys who have come back have sent to our players loud and clear is the importance of an education. You hear [the NBA players] talk to our guys, they all say, ‘Don’t mess around right now. Understand that one day it’s going to be over with, so get your education.’ ”
- Memphis sophomore Tarik Black, who has worked out with several players on the Grizzlies: “Those guys motivate us, and they don’t even know it. Zach Randolph just walked by a second ago. He’s one of the best power forwards in the league. He talks to me every day, and I get to see how hard he works and how he gets better. It’s a blessing.”
THIS WEEK ON THE TABLETS
- SI Digital Bonus: The Defense of John Blake – The former North Carolina assistant, who stands accused by the NCAA of violating rules by steering football players to an agent, breaks his long silence and tells SI.com senior writer Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) his side of the story.
INSIDE THE WEEK IN SPORTS
- NFL (page 34): Just for Kicks – Fourth down at the 38? No problem. Try a field goal. These days it’ll probably be good.
(Jim Trotter, @SI_JimTrotter)- College Football (page 38): Moneyball – The business of a one-versus-two showdown is rich with possibilities, as the Game of the Year between the Tigers and the Tide reveals. (Pablo S. Torre, @SIPabloTorre)
- MMA (page 40): Battle of the Network Stars – During its meteoric rise, MMA has been called many things, but next week it becomes something new: prime time. (L. Jon Wertheim, @jon_wertheim)
- MLS (page 42): Hot Stove, Cold Deals – What trades will happen this winter? No one knows—but these four trades should happen. Fans of these teams can thank SI in October. (Joe Sheehan, @joe_sheehan)
- Golf (page 44): Aiming for the Stars – If Yani Tseng keeps winning at her current rate, she will eclipse all the LPGA greats. (Mick Rouse)
- College Basketball (page 47): Bands of Brothers – The Plumlees are the latest—but not the only—basketball players who have shared the floor together for a D-I program. (Pablo S. Torre, @SIPabloTorre)
- NASCAR (page 48): Unlimited Mileage – Jimmie Johnson’s record run of Cup titles may finally be coming to an end, but the future is bright for NASCAR’s best drive. (Lars Anderson, @LarsAndersonSI)
THIS WEEK’S FACES IN THE CROWD (page 28)
- Walter Butler (Bourne, Mass./Massachusetts Maritime Academy) – Football
- Alyssa Parker (Woodbine, Md./Glenelg High) – Field Hockey
- Shaquille Jones (Fort Smith, Ark./Northside High) – Football
- Regina Jaquess (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.) – Waterskiing
- Evan Siepert (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/U.S. Merchant Marine Academy) – Offshore Sailing
- Zahri and Kwame Jackson (Kingwood, Texas/Xavier University of Louisiana) – Cross-country
Follow Faces in the Crowd on Twitter @SI_Faces
That’s going to do it.
