Let’s look at what’s in this week’s issue of Sports Illustrated in print and for tablets.
Tablet-Exclusive Story: Carmelo Anthony Takes His Talents to Broadway
MLB Spring Training: Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward Usher In a Brave New World for Atlanta
Plus: Sports Illustrated’s Six Rookies to Watch in 2011
An NBA Dunk Contest for the Ages Pushes the Impending Labor Doom Out of the Forefront—For Now
Madness Before March: Sixth-Ranked San Diego State Sends a Once-Dormant Fan Base Into a Frenzy
Daytona Recap: Trevor Bayne Pulls Off “The Greatest Upset in the History of the Great American Race”
(NEW YORK – February 23, 2010) – In a tablet-exclusive story for the February 28, 2011, issue of Sports Illustrated—available today—staff writer Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) weighs in on the mega-trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to New York. In his opinion, it was a move that the Knicks had to make in spite of its steep price. But as Mannix points out, it’s not just the on-court dividends that will be highly scrutinized.
Mannix writes: “The biggest question is whether the decision to bring in Anthony will cost the team its president, Donnie Walsh. It was widely reported that Knicks owner James Dolan, not Walsh, was the driving force behind the Anthony deal and that Dolan was advised by Thomas, the Florida International coach, who has maintained a strong relationship with his former boss. Walsh has a team option for next season that Dolan must pick up by April 30. The loss of the respected executive would be no small one; in less than three years Walsh has cut the Knicks payroll from $96 million to $58 million and restocked the roster with young talent such as [Timofey] Mozgov and Danilo Gallinari (who along with free-agent pickup Raymond Felton were the key pieces used to pry Anthony from the Nuggets), as well as Landry Fields. Faced with replenishing the ranks with cheap free agents and low draft picks, the Knicks must maintain continuity at the top level of the organization.”
Also on the Tablet: The trade for Carmelo Anthony changes the Knicks’ starting lineup dramatically. Click on these hotspots to see who the Knicks gave up and what they gained in bringing ’Melo and a host of others to the Big Apple.
MLB SPRING TRAINING: BRAVE NEW WORLD – BEN REITER
A pair of young stars from the Atlanta Braves, Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward, grace the cover of this week’s issue with the billing The Boys of Spring. It is the 21st time the Braves have taken top honors of the cover on the weekly issue. To download a hi-res JPEG of the cover, click here.
Staff writer Ben Reiter (@SI_BenReiter) visited with Atlanta’s dynamic young duo at the Braves’ spring training complex in Orlando. As far as Freeman, Heyward and the Braves’ brass are concerned, the two players are ready to carry the team deep into the postseason. Reiter writes (page 34): “Assuming Freeman makes the Opening Day lineup, they will be the third- and fourth-youngest regular position players in the majors—only Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro and Marlins outfielder Mike Stanton are younger—and they will become the Braves’ first pair of 21-or-under regulars. Those bits of trivia are of no concern to [general manager Frank] Wren. ‘When you’re talented, I don’t think anyone’s going to ask for your birth certificate,’ he says. ‘The umpires don’t card.’ ”
To read the online version of Brave New World, click here.
MORE FROM MLB: SIX ROOKIES TO WATCH
Atlanta is not the only team with hopes resting on young stars. Here is a list of six rookies to watch entering the 2011 season (click on the name of each player for the full online version of their stories):
Jeremy Hellickson, RHP, Rays – “The Rays were conservative in handling their 23-year-old control artist…. Confident that Hellickson will thrive as Matt Garza’s replacement in the rotation, the Rays are ready to unleash their Hellboy.”
Chris Sale, LHP, White Sox – “While the White Sox project Sale as a starter, the 21-year-old from Florida Gulf Coast University will spend this season in the bullpen, where he could end up as the departed Bobby Jenks’s successor as closer.”
Domonic Brown, OF, Phillies – “The Phillies may start the season with Brown, 23, in a platoon. ‘He played in the minors for a short period of time,’ says manager Charlie Manuel. ‘He’s still definitely learning how to play baseball.’ ”
Hank Conger, C, Angels – Says Angels’ manager Mike Scioscia: “For a guy with not much playing experience, he is really advanced in calling and running a game. We’re confident that he’s very close.”
Kyle Drabek, RHP, Blue Jays – “Drabek has always had a devastating 12-to-6 curveball to complement a mid-90s fastball. The only thing holding him back now is the absence of an effective changeup, which he has devoted himself to improving this spring.”
Brandon Belt, 1B, Giants – “If he doesn’t begin this year launching balls into McCovey Cove, he should force an early-season promotion and make an instant impact the way [Buster] Posey did after his May call-up last year.”
On the Tablet: Freeman and Heyward could become only the ninth pair of teammates younger than 22 to be lineup regulars since 1930. The tablet edition features hot spots on the first eight—many of whom ending up staying with their teams for good.
NBA SLAM DUNK CONTEST: LEAP YEAR – LEE JENKINS
Senior writer Lee Jenkins (@SI_LeeJenkins) was in the Staples Center on Saturday to witness a jaw-dropping dunk context replete with cameos, cars and choirs. As prohibitive favorite Blake Griffin soared to a title that exceeded expectations, fans forgot all about the impending labor doom of the NBA—for a day, anyway. Jenkins writes (page 44): “The jaded will always diminish the dunk contest, its gimmicks and contrivances. Professional sports are serious, and this is one small part that remains hopelessly silly. For one night labor issues and trade demands are overshadowed by trick shots and over-the-top props. The minute it ends, attention shifts back to the bottom-line business of winning—and collective bargaining. Whether the dunk contest becomes relevant again or simply enjoyed a brief renaissance depends largely on Griffin and whether he continues to participate. He may not be able to resist. ‘I have to come up with something else,’ he said. ‘Maybe a boat.’ ”
To read the online version of Leap Year, click here.
On the Tablet: Relive highlights from the most memorable NBA Dunk Contest in years with video highlights from this year’s four contestants, including every dunk from eventual winner Blake Griffin.
DAYTONA 500: THE KID WINS A WILD ONE – LARS ANDERSON
In a wreck-filled Daytona 500, Trevor Bayne emerged victorious in what senior writer Lars Anderson (@LarsAndersonSI) declares “the greatest upset in the history of the Great American Race.” Anderson continues (page 50): “How improbable was this victory? His team, Wood Brothers Racing, competed in only 13 Sprint Cup events last season and didn’t have a single top 10 finish. Bayne, whose bio isn’t even in the NASCAR Sprint Cup media guide, had made just one career start on the Cup circuit—finishing 17th at Texas Motor Speedway last November—and he was so confident that he wouldn’t be going on the jet-setting champion’s tour the day after the 500 that he drove his own car to Daytona from his home in Mooresville, N.C.”
To read the online version of The Kid Wins a Wild One, click here.
On the Tablet: Tune in again for the dramatic final lap of this year’s Daytona 500 to see Trevor Bayne hold off the hard-charging Carl Edwards. Plus, a photographic remembrance of Dale Earnhardt on the 10th anniversary of his death—featuring audio commentary from fans and foes alike—and an excerpt on the Wood brothers from senior editor Mark Bechtel’s (@SI_MarkBechtel) recently-released book, He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back.
SAN DIEGO STATE: MADNESS ON THE MESA – KELLI ANDERSON
The unprecedented success of sixth-ranked San Diego State’s men’s hoops team has whipped a once non-existent fan base into a frenzy. Senior writer Kelli Anderson recently caught a taste of their antics (page 54): “At the appropriate time, several dozen students in the front rows along one baseline—their costumed numbers usually include a banana, an elf, a gecko and what appears to be an escapee from the ’80s band Devo—hold up giant cutout heads of the likes of David Hasselhoff, Justin Bieber, Woody from Toy Story, Miley Cyrus and assorted others (is that Kim Jong-il?) with the goal of distracting a free throw shooting opponent with B-list celebrity overload. Did we mention that they are also really, really loud? A well-traveled ref working a recent Aztecs home game told the coaching staff that the only arena environment that compares with San Diego State’s right now is Kansas’s.”
To read the online version of Madness on the Mesa, click here.
On the Tablet: How much do you know about San Diego State hoops and its coach, Steve Fisher? Take this quiz to find out everything from the Aztecs’ career assists leader (hint: he’s a San Diego institution in another sport) to which team is SDSU’s most frequent opponent.
MIKE DANTON: “I’M GLAD I WENT TO PRISON” – L. JON WERTHEIM
Nearly seven years after he was arrested in conjunction with a bizarre, murder-for-hire plot, former NHL center Mike Danton can be found at St. Mary’s College in Halifax. There, Danton serves as a defensive stopper for the reigning Canadian Interuniversity Sport champions while studying psychology and putting his life back together. Recalling his past troubles, Danton refuses to play the victim card, telling Wertheim (page 60): “I was a dumbass. Do I wish I had more guidance, that things might have gone differently if the first 10 years of my life were different? Yeah. [But] I was the one who screwed up. I committed a crime, and I have no problem holding myself accountable…. There were a lot of psychological factors, and I just had a breakdown. Looking back, you see all the triggers, all the telltales. If it hadn’t been [the murder plot], it would have been something else. I would have tried drugs or tried to kill myself. Yeah, I was messed up.”
While the memory of the murder-for-hire plot remains, it no longer defines Danton in the eyes of the St. Mary’s community. Wertheim writes: “He still gets razzed about his age and his absence of hair and even, on occasion, his criminal past; he in turn dispenses grief over his teammates’ zits and failings with coeds…. He quickly became a familiar face at St. Mary’s, and concern over his past dissipated. When Danton goes to the library’s atrium, he’s greeted near the front desk by a girl wearing a Muslim head scarf and then by a knot of guys in UFC shirts. He organizes study groups. Other students say that the buzz on campus quickly went from, Pssst, there’s Mike Danton, to, Hey, what’s up, Mike?”
To read the online version of “I’m Glad I Went to Prison,” click here.
On the Tablet: An original video of Mike Danton’s story, detailing the circumstances that led to his arrest as well as his new life as a student and college hockey player. The same video will be available later today on SI.com.
SI PLAYERS NBA POLL
Who has the best fashion sense off the court? (page 15)
Dwyane Wade, Heat G….29% Chris Paul, Hornets G….5%
Kobe Bryant, Lakers G….13% Carmelo Anthony, Knicks F….4%
LeBron James, Heat F….11%
[Based on 137 NBA players who responded to SI’s survey]
FAST FACTS: The Heat had twice as many fashion plates named (six) as any other team; the Bucks and the Thunder (three each) were second…. The top five vote-getters started in Sunday’s All-Star Game…. The Hawks’ Zaza Pachulia, with 2% of the votes, was the only center—and the only non-African-American—in the top 10…. Each of the three leading vote-getters has been on a GQ cover at least once; Bryant has appeared on three.
POINT AFTER: MY OWN ’MELO DRAMA – PHIL TAYLOR
To get a sense of what Carmelo Anthony, Albert Pujols and other sports stars go through when they are wrangling for a new contract, senior writer Phil Taylor has decided to write (as opposed to play) out his contract unless Sports Illustrated signs him to a fat multiyear deal or trades him to another publication. As Taylor rationalizes (page 68): “If I do go to another publication it has to have a shot at a Pulitzer; otherwise I’ll play the retirement card like Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, who has reportedly said he’ll hang up his cleats if the Bengals don’t deal him. But if my plan works I won’t have to go anywhere: I can retire with an SI laptop. This is just my way of helping my bosses see the merits of a long-term deal—provided, of course, it has an early opt-out clause. That way, as soon as I decide to stay, the speculation can begin about when I’ll leave. What could be better than that?”
To read the online version of My Own ’Melo Drama, click here.
SCORECARD: ALL TOGETHER AT TOOMER’S CORNER – AUSTIN MURPHY
According to senior writer Austin Murphy (@si_austinmurphy), the attack on the oak trees at Toomer’s Corner was more than a wanton act against the root of college football. It has, paradoxically, served as a point of unity and civility for Auburn and its SEC rivals. Murphy writes (page 14): “[Harvey] Updyke’s alleged crime seems an extreme example of the intense partisanship pervading college athletics in general and SEC football in particular. The expression of that animosity straddles the line between passion and pathology…. The trees that were poisoned are probably doomed. Yet their poisoner’s most lasting legacy may be that he ended up turning down the hate.”
To read the online version of All Together at Toomer’s Corner, click here.
TABLET ADDITIONS TO THE FEB. 28 ISSUE
• Inside Soccer – Find out how soccer senior writer Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) plans to “cure the Blatter infection” in his campaign video for FIFA’s presidency.
• Scorecard: Off the Record – The week’s top moments in sports video.
That’s it.
