Inside Look: “To Cheat or Not To Cheat”
Posted: May 31, 2012 Filed under: Sports Illustrated Special Report, Tom Verducci | Tags: Brett Roberts, Dan Naulty, Ken Caminiti, Minnesota Twins, MLB, PED's, Roger Clemens, Steroids, To Cheat or Not to Cheat Leave a comment »This week’s cover story of Sports Illustrated looks inside the lives of ordinary players whose careers were defined by the choice they made, to cheat or not to cheat.
10 years ago, senior writer Tom Verducci, uncovered the use of performance-enhancing drugs in major league baseball (MLB). Former National League MVP and admitting steroid user Ken Caminiti told SI that he had used performance-enhancing drugs and believed that about as many major league players were using steroids as were playing the game clean.
Verducci revisits an era that has been defined by tainted records and court cases, by examining the playing careers of four right handed pitchers who were members of the Minnesota Twins organization in mid-to-late 1990s. They had similar skills and backgrounds. None were drafted by the Twins higher than the fourth round of the MLB amateur draft. One of the four, however, took steroids, and he was the only one who ever reached the major leagues. His name was Dan Naulty and his decision to cheat the game, his teammates and himself affected all their lives.
Tom spent some time with us to discuss this profound story.
Inside Sports Illustrated: Your story really sheds a light on how the steroid era in baseball had a wide ranging impact across all levels of baseball. Was that your goal with this piece?
Tom Verducci: The goal was to tell the story of steroids in baseball on the grass roots level: to humanize the decisions and dilemmas of a dirty era.
Inside Sports Illustrated: The 1994 Fort Myers Miracle, a Class A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, it doesn’t get much more obscure than that. How did you identify these four players to be the focal point of your piece? What was the genesis of the story?
Tom Verducci: I was really intrigued when Dan Naulty showed empathy for the clean players of his era. Almost nobody admits steroid use even to this day, and fewer still show regard for the players they cheated. It made me wonder: well, who may have been harmed by his use? Who are the people and what are their stories? I wanted to find players who played the same position, were about the same age and fit the same skill profile – in other words, to start out with a somewhat level field and see what happened when steroids were introduced. I had no idea what I would find. In the back of my mind I was prepared to find other players who used steroids. There was no way to know for sure. As it turned out, I did find another player, a catcher on the team, who used steroids and spoke eloquently about the complexity of that decision.
Inside Sports Illustrated: Upon reading many of the quotes within the story, 10 years later, it still seems as if the wounds of not cracking the big leagues and the feelings of betrayal are 
still apparent and fresh. What was your impression after speaking to them? Were you surprised at their reaction?
Tom Verducci: I was not surprised by their reaction. I think what hurt them was to find out years later that Naulty had used steroids. They never suspected his drug use when he was their teammate, and I think the shock of discovery made the pain and anger more visceral. He was their teammate and friend. It also speaks to how deep-seeded is the dream of becoming a big league ballplayer. Some of them spoke about feeling like a failure because they didn’t get there. It’s very powerful. If you get to the big leagues even for one day, you have made that dream come true. To think your dream died in part because others cheated compounds the disappointment.
Inside Sports Illustrated: Dan Naulty seems to have made a major reformation in his life. Did you sense that he was remorseful for using PED’s throughout his career?
Tom Verducci: He was not remorseful at all during his usage. It reminded me of Ken Caminiti telling me that he had no regrets about using because it was something of the unwritten rules of engagement at the time. It’s rationalizing poor behavior, of course, but the athlete often needs rationalization to cope with the territory of competition. And Naulty was admittedly selfish; he didn’t care about anyone but himself. Nauty’s empathy only came about when he became a true Christian man. Then his remorse became very profound. In fact, I think he is pained and saddened to this day about what he did to others. I don’t get the sense those feelings will ever fade.
Inside Sports Illustrated: The use of PED’s fostered a “turn a blind eye” culture within major league clubs. With the implementation of a stringent MLB drug testing policy, what has been the most noticeable change in culture at the club level that you have noticed?
Tom Verducci: Players no longer regard cheating with drugs as an acceptable part of the culture of the game. It still goes on, but to a far less extent. But the drug users are marginalized as risk-takers and cheaters. It’s the difference between driving 100 mph on the Autobahn or through a school zone. There are speed limits now and everybody understands.
Inside Sports Illustrated: Lastly, what was the one thing that you learned that fascinated you the most in your reporting of this story?
Tom Verducci: The life of Dan Naulty is just amazingly complex, sad, heartbreaking, redemptive . . . you name it. I had no idea his family background was so awful – a drug addict for a sister, a mother and father who were not there for him, sexual abuse from male and female authority figures . . . he has been through so much that what makes his story so compelling is that steroids were only a part of his saga. It’s uplifting to see someone wind up so happy after a life that had been so dark.
This Week’s Issue: Ten Years Later – Baseball’s Steroid Era
Posted: May 30, 2012 Filed under: Alex Wolff, Ian Thomsen, Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated Cover, Tom Verducci, Weekly Press Release | Tags: Ray Allen, tom verducci, MLB, I'll Have Another, Los Angeles Kings, Steroid Era, Commissioner Selig, Ken Caminiti, Dan Naulty, Minnesota Twins, Boston Celtics, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Stanley Cup, Matt Cain, George Bellows, Art of Boxing Leave a comment »
Ten Years Later: A Look into the Lives of Players Affected by Baseball’s Steroid Era
Sports Illustrated Stanley Cup Prediction: Kings in Six
The Celtics Big Three Have One Last Shot at a Title
A Look at the Work of American Realist Master George Bellows
Matt Cain Voted Baseball’s Most Underrated Pitcher by His Peers
(NEW YORK – May 30, 2012) – Ten years ago, Sports Illustrated’s exclusive in-depth look at the use of performance-enhancing drugs in major league baseball (MLB) led to a senate investigation. Former National League MVP and admitting steroid user Ken Caminiti told SI that he had used performance-enhancing drugs and believed that about as many major league players were using steroids as were playing the game clean. Senator Byron Dorgan opened the senate subcommittee hearing by citing the SI story as a call to action, a reason to decide whether any “legislative action is necessary.”
As MLB continues to expand its drug testing since the hearing, the focus has been on the tainted records and court cases that resulted from the Steroid Era. But the cover story for the June 4, 2012, issue of Sports Illustrated looks inside the lives of ordinary players whose careers were defined by the choice they made, to cheat or not to cheat.
Senior writer Tom Verducci, who wrote the cover story in 2002, examines the playing careers of four right handed pitchers who were members of the Minnesota Twins organization in mid-to-late 1990s. They had similar skills and backgrounds. None were drafted by the Twins higher than the fourth round of the MLB amateur draft. One of the four, however, took steroids, and he was the only one who ever reached the major leagues. His name was Dan Naulty and his decision to cheat the game, his teammates and himself affected all their lives (page 38).
Naulty was 6’6’’ and 180 pounds as a senior at Cal State Fullerton, had a fastball that sat around 85mph and was drafted in the 14th round. After using steroids and other performance-enhancement drugs, he began throwing his fastball at up to 95mph and at one point weighed 248 pounds. He spent three seasons with the Twins, pitching in 97 games before being traded to the New York Yankees in 1999, where he won a World Series.
On the outside, he looked like many other major leaguers, but inside he was an emotional wreck from the steroids, the guilt of cheating and a drinking problem. Naulty hit rock bottom just after the World Series. After a night of celebrating with some teammates, Naulty asked his driver as they crossed the George Washington Bridge, “Tell me. Tell me if this is all there is to life. Because if this is all there is, just stop this car right now and I’ll jump…. I had no hope. I had sold myself that bill of goods so long that I believed it. But I realized at that moment I had totally destroyed my life. And I had destroyed countless other people’s lives. I was ready to die.”
Brett Roberts was the highest drafted of the four pitchers, and in 1996, the Twins invited he and Naulty to big league camp where Naulty beat him out for a roster spot. Roberts said, “It’s hard enough trying to make it in this profession. You want to make it on your own abilities and work ethic, and all of a sudden, when you think it’s an even playing field, you’ve got somebody cheating. I was very upset, knowing my chance to get to the big leagues was cut short. I was jealous, hurt, frustrated, angry . . . all that stuff. I guess I should have been suspicious. How can a guy go from 85 miles an hour to 95 in three or four years? As I look back on it, it’s so clear and obvious that I can’t believe I was that naive and incredibly stupid. All the signs were there.”
On the Tablet: Podcast with Tom Verducci and Richard Deitsch.
LAST STAND OF THE BIG THREE – IAN THOMSEN (@SI_Ianthomsen)
Despite a season plagued by injuries, the Boston Celtics have reached the Eastern Conference finals. Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen came together in Boston before the 2007 season and have since been known as the Big Three. After winning a title in their first season together, they have been consistently successful but haven’t won another championship. With Garnett’s and Allen’s contract set to expire at the end of the season, this is likely their last shot to win it all (page 58).
When Ainge traded for Garnett and Allen, he was reluctant to refer to his stars as the Big Three out of deference to Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, who won three titles in their 12 seasons together in Boston. Now Ainge feels that the current trio has earned the right to be called Big. Ainge said, “When Kevin and Larry and Robert were healthy, they were extremely special. They just didn’t maintain it this long; Kevin and Larry weren’t the same players after their surgeries. When they were in their 20s, I’d give the nod to the Big Three of the ’80s. But in their 30s, I’d give the nod to the Big Three of today.”
QUEST FOR THE CROWN – MICHAEL FARBER
The Kings have gone 45 years without winning a Stanley Cup, which ties them with the Maple Leafs and the Blues for the longest active drought in the NHL. During that time, the franchise has wasted some of the best offensive talent in the history of the game including Wayne Gretzky. They have failed to raise their status in the city of Los Angeles in large part because they have never won the Stanley Cup, but they have a chance to rewrite history for now and years to come (page 52).
Luc Robitallie, the franchise’s all time leading scorer and president of business operations said, “Thirteen million people here. We’re not a city. We’re a country. The way we make a dent is if we compete [for a Cup] year after year. But our best players—27-year-old captain Dustin Brown, 26-year-old goalie Jonathan Quick, 24-year-old center Anze Kopitar, 22-year-old defenseman Drew Doughty—are our youngest players. We should be able to compete for six, seven years.”
On the Tablet: Slideshow of the Kings over the years.
THE ART OF BOXING – ALEXANDER WOLFF
The savagery and spectacle of prizefighting a century ago are at the heart of an exhibit of works by American realist master George Bellows. On June 10, the first comprehensive retrospective of his work in 30 years, opens at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., with further stops at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in the fall and London’s Royal Academy of Arts next spring (page 64).
Said Charles Brock, curator of Bellow’s boxing work, “These are the greatest sporting images in American art. Bellows is an intensely serious and ambitious artist speaking to the entire history of art. His work can appeal on a popular level but aspires to the highest place in the culture” curator Charles Brock says of Bellows’s boxing work.” Senior writer Alexander Wolff examines his work which includes six oils and scores of lithographs and drawings.
MLB PLAYERS POLL
Who is the most underrated pitcher in the game?
Matt Cain, Giants 9%
Doug Fister, Tigers 8%
Ricky Romero, Blue Jays 6%
Dan Haren, Angels 4%
Vance Worley, Phillies 3%
[Based on 293 NBA players who responded to SI’s survey]
FAST FACTS: A whopping 98 hurlers received at least one vote—including four Cy Young winners (the Brewers’ Zack Greinke, the Phillies’ Roy Halladay, the Mets’ Johan Santana and, at ninth overall with six nods, the Mariners’ Felix Hernandez). . . . Combined career record for the top five: 264–233; combined ERA: 3.47. . . . Fister, who drew 16% of the votes from his own AL Central, is winless in five starts in ’12, but has a 1.84 ERA. . . . In a similar poll on Facebook, Romero led with 34%.
SCORECARD: A MATTER OF HORSE SENSE – TIM LAYDEN (@SITimLayden)
On Saturday, June 9, I’ll Have Another has a chance to become the first thoroughbred in 34 years to win racing’s Triple Crown, one of the rarest feats in any sport. Hundreds of thousands of people will be attendance and millions watching from their TVs, but the sport of horseracing has a number of problems going on that can’t be solved with one Triple Crown winner. Senior writer Tim Layden said, “It is only a moment, and the sport’s troubles will rise unchanged with the Sunday sun. But racing deserves that moment. Racing can again be great for a day” (page 15).
POINT AFTER: TO FIGHT CANCER, IT TAKES A TEAM – PHIL TAYLOR (@SI_PhilTaylor)
The California softball team is one of many sports teams, who are active members of the Friends of Jaclyn foundation, a nonprofit organization that pairs children suffering from brain tumors with teams, primary college. Barbara Wiggs, better known as Bebe, has been a fixture with the Golden Bears all season. As she continues to battle cancer, she is always around the team, providing a vast amount of inspiration. Said coach Diane Ninemire, “I hope we’ve given her half the inspiration she’s given us” (page 74).
INSIDE THE WEEK IN SPORTS
- Motor Sports (page 31): Great Scot – On the second hottest day in Indy 500 history, Dario Franchitti shot to the lead on the next-to-last lap to win his third 500 and enter the talk of IndyCar legends. (@LarsAndersonSI)
- MLB (page 34): Death, Taxes and Adam Dunn – White Sox DH Adam Dunn had one of the worst offensive seasons in baseball history in 2011, but he’s back on track in 2012, putting up statistics like his old self. (@SI_BenReiter)
- NBA (page 36): Market Watch – A look at free agents not named Deron Williams who will garner a great deal of interest this summer. (@chrismannixsi)
On the Tablet: Truth and Rumors
THIS WEEK’S FACES IN THE CROWD (page 24)
- Megan Pinson (Fallbrook, Calif./Fallbrook High) – Rugby
- Allex Austin (San Marcos, Texas/San Marcos High) – Track and Field
- Maggie Fobare (Dallas/Hockaday School) – Lacrosse
- Brandon Newton (Ruston, La./Cedar Creek High) – Golf
- Jessica Simpson (North Canton, Ohio/Miami (Ohio)) – Softball
- Kyle Merber (Dix Hills, N.Y./Columbia) – Track and Field
To submit a candidate for Faces in the Crowd, go to SI.com/faces. Follow on Twitter @SI_Faces.
This Week’s Sports Illustrated: Fun and Games in L.A.
Posted: May 23, 2012 Filed under: Albert Chen, Grant Wahl, Lee Jenkins, Magazine, Sports Illustrated Cover, Tim Layden, Weekly Press Release | Tags: Bayern Munich, Belmont Stakes, Champions League, Charles Barkley, Chelseas, Drogba, I'll Have Another, Indy 500, JR Hillenbrand, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Doddgers, Los Angeles Kings, los angeles lakers, Magic Johnson, Matt Kemp, Preakness Leave a comment »
Can Los Angeles Become the Sports Capital of the World? It Was Last Weekend
Chelsea’s Didier Drogba Excels in Soccer and Humanitarian Efforts
After Winning the Preakness Stakes, I’ll Have Another Looks Toward the Elusive Triple Crown
JR Hillenbrand Eyes Redemption at This Weekend’s Indianapolis 500
The Undefined Path of the Transgender Athlete
(NEW YORK – May 23, 2012) – Six playoff games in four days from their professional basketball and hockey teams, a baseball team leading its division by seven games hosting another division leader and 114 cyclists competing in the final stage of the Amgen Tour of California (the biggest bike race in North America) created a great sports weekend for sports in Los Angeles.
Senior writer Lee Jenkins (@SI_LeeJenkins) was on hand for all the madness. Jenkins talked with team executives, players, coaches, workers and fans to gain perspective on this time extraordinary weekend. New Dodgers minority owner Magic Johnson, who appears on the cover of the May 28, 2012 issue of Sports Illustrated, said, “When fans fall in love with their teams, it’s not just because they’re winning. It’s also because they are part of their community. That’s where we lost our way a little bit. We need to sign autographs. We need to give to charity. We need to embrace our community again.”
Much of the action took place in downtown Los Angeles at the Staples Center, home arena for the Lakers, Clippers and Kings. It was a crowning moment for Tim Leiweke—president and CEO of AEG, which owns the Staples Center. He had imagined a weekend like this back in 1997 when AEG first announced its redevelopment plans for this area. When construction started, the surrounding neighborhood was filled with liquor stores and rent-by-the-hour motels. AEG transformed the space into a four-million-square-foot entertainment district called L.A. Live, with 19 restaurants, two hotels and a public plaza. The hotels were so crowded this past weekend, even the Kings couldn’t get in (page 38).
Leiweke said, “I don’t think it is lost on Roger Goodell and the NFL owners what is going on. I don’t know if it’s a showcase or a defining moment or an exclamation point, but we have a chance to prove what we have been saying for years: ‘Of course football should be here. We have the infrastructure. We are built for this.’ ”
On the Tablet: Time lapse video of all the activity at the Staples Center.
ONLY THE BEGINNING – ALBERT CHEN
Dodgers centerfielder Matt Kemp is one of the best baseball players in the game, but the fact that he is still learning the game is a scary thought for opposing teams. As a teenager growing up just outside of Oklahoma City, Kemp loved basketball and played on his AAU team all summer. Baseball was strictly secondary. By his junior year in high school though, Kemp realized that his build would limit his basketball potential, and he began to focus on baseball (page 46).
In many ways, Kemp is still new to the game. What the Dodgers see now is a player whose mental skills are catching up to his physical skills. Manager Don Mattingly said, “This game is not so much physical. It’s when the mental side and physical side connect, that’s the most important part. Everyone’s road takes them on a different path. And with Matt, we’re beginning to see everything connect, and it’s a beautiful thing.”
IN PRAISE OF DROGBA – GRANT WAHL (@grantwahl)
Last Saturday, Chelsea defeated Bayern Munich 4—3 in penalty kicks to win its first title in the prestigious UEFA Champions League. Striker Didier Drogba scored the equalizer in the 88th minute and later scored the winning penalty kick. Senior writer Grant Wahl reflects on a conversation he had with Drogba two years ago in Angola’s province of Cabinda in southern Africa (page 56).
In that interview, Drogba spoke of his humanitarian efforts to fund and build a hospital in his native country of Ivory Coast and his interest in helping the poor, especially in earthquake-torn Haiti. Even though Drogba is nearly done with his soccer career, he believes he has much more to do with his life saying, “I want to help with a lot of things: my charity, the hospital. I hope to keep learning. For me it’s important to open my mind. I love to meet people and listen to their stories.”
On the Tablet: Champions League slideshow.
LET’S ALL HAVE ANOTHER – TIM LAYDEN (@SITimLayden)
A generation of American adults is nearing middle age without having witnessed a Triple Crown winner. It has been 34 years since Affirmed outdueled Alydar to take the 1978 Belmont Stakes and wrap up racing’s third Triple Crown in six years, a period that started with the great Secretariat in ’73 and included Seattle Slew in ’77. Eleven times since ‘78 a horse has won the first two legs of the Triple Crown but fallen short in the Belmont. I’ll Have Another will be the next to try. He won the Preakness the same way he won the Derby, by wearing down the speedy Bodemeister, this time just three strides from the finish (page 52).
I’ll Have Another faces his toughest challenge, the Belmont. The failures at Belmont have not been coincidental. John Servis, who trained Smarty Jones, which lost its bid for a Triple Crown in 2004, said, “You get to the Belmont at the end of a long campaign, with a bull’s-eye on your back. I know I felt a lot of pressure.”
On the Tablet: A look at Triple-Crown near misses.
BACK IN CONTROL – LARS ANDERSON (@LarsAndersonSI)
JR Hillenbrand’s final-lap crash in the Indy 500 last year could have been a career-defining moment, for all the wrong reasons. The initial reaction from media and pundits was that he had committed the biggest blunder in the history of American racing. Hillenbrand climbed from the ruined Panther Racing car that slid across the finish line in a hail of sparks and rode in an ambulance to the infield care center physically fine but emotionally broken. But JR Hillenbrand handled his heartbreak with grace. After the race Hillenbrand refused to blame anyone but himself, speaking eloquently to all who had questions for him.
Hillenbrand said, “The worst feeling in the world as an athlete is not closing things out. But I knew it was in my hands how people reacted to me, so I wanted to be thoughtful and serious about it. I accepted the situation.”
THE TRANSGENDER ATHLETE – PABLO TORRE (@SIPabloTorre)AND DAVID EPSTEIN (@SIDavidEpstein)
Playing fields have long been segregated on the basis of sex. But what happens to the athletes whose physiology doesn’t match their gender identity? Against whom do they compete? What obstacles do they face? And how are they being treated by sports’ governing bodies? One transgender scenario currently unfolding involves the U.S. Olympic women’s track and field team. Keelin Godsey, formerly known as Kelly, was born as a female and competes as a female but identifies as a male. Godsey will continue to compete as a female, in hopes of making the team heading for London, but will later undergo sex reassignment surgery to make his biological and gender identities match (page 66).
The UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute, which studies gender-identity issues, pegs the size of the U.S. transgender population at 700,000; how many are athletes is difficult to determine. The most contentious recent case was in November 2010. Kye Allums, a starting guard for the women’s basketball team at George Washington University came out before his junior year, making him the only open transgender Division I athlete. Allums said, “Yes, I am a male on a female team. And I want to be clear about this: I am a transgender male, which, feelings wise … I feel as if I should have been born male with male parts.
On the Tablet: Podcast with Richard Deitsch, David Epstein and Pablo Torre.
NBA PLAYERS POLL
Who is your favorite NBA announcer?
Charles Barkley 20%
Jeff Van Gundy 14%
Steve Kerr 10%
Reggie Miller 9%
Mike Breen 6%
[Based on 124 NBA players who responded to SI’s survey]
FAST FACTS: In Barkley, Kerr and Miller, TNT announcers landed three of the top five spots. ESPN is represented by Van Gundy and Breen (who also handles play-by-play for the Knicks on MSG). . . . Former Knicks star Walt Frazier, Breen’s broadcast partner at MSG, placed 10th, with 2% of the vote. . . . Bill Walton, whose bad back forced him to retire as an analyst for ESPN in 2009, placed eighth, with 3%, ahead of Shaquille O’Neal. . . In a similar poll on Facebook, Sir Charles ruled again, as he was named favorite by 52% of SI readers.
SCORECARD: SNOOZE CONTROL – DICK FRIEDMAN
Last week, during the Roger Clemens federal perjury trial, three jurors fell asleep. Senior editor Dick Friedman believes that this perfectly illustrated the boredom that some sports stories entail. Stories that he believes have been over-reported include the prospects for a Pacquiao-Mayweather “fight” and when will Los Angeles get an NFL team (page 15).
POINT AFTER: A STAT EVEN DR. NAISMITH WOULD LOVE– ROY BLOUNT JR.
Contributing writer Roy Blount realizes there are many basketball stats already, nevertheless, he invents a stat for a player who, based on his effective field goal percentage, makes more shots than he takes. Blount calls the stat Over the Top (OTT) (page 74).
INSIDE THE WEEK IN SPORTS
- MLB (page 33): Excitement in the Air – The Orioles currently have the best record in the American League, but their chances at contending may still be a year or two away. (@Joe_Sheehan)
- NHL (page 35): Block Busters – The Rangers lead all postseason teams with 328 blocked shots. Some feel they are ruining the game, but for New York, it’s all about winning. Michael Farber
- NBA (page 36): Help Wanted – With Chris Bosh injured, LeBron James and Dwayne Wade will have to play an even larger role for the Heat.
THIS WEEK’S FACES IN THE CROWD (page 24)
- Bernie Montoya (Yuma, Ariz./Cibola High) – Track and Field
- Stephanie Canfield (St. Joseph, Ill./St. Joseph—Ogden High) – Softball
- Marvin Kimble (Milwaukee/Hamilton High) – Gymnastics
- Ryan Skomial (Hartland, Mich./Hartland High) – Lacrosse
- David Pless (Atlanta/Bates College) – Track and Field
- Caitlin Racich and Summer Ross (Santa Barbara, Calif./Pepperdine) – Sand Volleyball
To submit a candidate for Faces in the Crowd, go to SI.com/faces. Follow on Twitter @SI_Faces.
Inside Look at 21 Shades of Gray with Chris Ballard
Posted: May 18, 2012 Filed under: Chris Ballard, NBA | Tags: Chris Ballard, Danny Ferry, Gregg Popovich, Ironmen, Macon High, One Shot at Forever, San Antonio Spurs, Steve Kerr, Tim Duncan Leave a comment »Tim Duncan is the most successful player of his generation. In the 15 years since Duncan was drafted, no other team in the four major pro sports has had a better winning percentage than the Spurs. Now, Duncan is the foundation of yet another Spurs team that could win it all. So why haven’t the masses fallen for him?
Regional cover May 21, 2012
In this week’s issue, senior writer Chris Ballard (@SI_ChrisBallard)breaks down the 21 reasons why Duncan, compared with his peers, remains practically anonymous. Ballard, who was able to spend some time with the reserved center, uncovers more than we have ever seen of Duncan, leaving readers with a better understanding of the man behind four NBA Championships. Chris spoke to us about this week’s feature.
Inside Sports Illustrated: Tim Duncan is notoriously a private person who is not usually generous with his free time with media. How did you convince him to participate in the interview, especially on a non-game day? What was the process behind it?
Chris Ballard: It wasn’t easy. As an organization, the Spurs are actively media-averse, and Duncan rarely if ever does sit-down interviews. In this case I contacted Spurs media relations head Tom James midway through the season and pitched the idea: an in-depth look at Tim asking why fans have never really fallen for him. I’ve known Tom for a dozen years and written about the Spurs before – including traveling to Argentina for a feature on Manu Ginobili – so there’s a level of comfort there. Still, both he and Spurs assistant coach Mike Budenholzer had to vouch for me (Mike and I played on the same basketball team at Pomona College).
Once Tim agreed, the challenge was to try to get him to open up. James and Budenholzer told me to go with humor – that Tim’s a very funny guy with a dry wit, and that he shuts down if interviewers are too serious. So I made a list of questions that I could deploy if the interview got too quiet. For example: “Danny Ferry: one of the dirtiest players you ever played with or the dirtiest?” It was February at the time, in the midst of Knick-mania, so I also started by thanking him for taking the time to talk to me, and then said, “But what I really want to know is what you think of Jeremy Lin.” Like all other players at the time, he thought the hype was over the top, so he appreciated that.
Inside Sports Illustrated: When did you have the idea to write a feature on Duncan, and what is the one thing that you learned about him that fascinated you the most?
Chris Ballard: I got the idea in January. It felt like this might be his last, best shot at a fifth ring, and that he’d gotten to a point in his career where we were taking him for granted. The most fascinating thing I learned was how he and Pop bonded immediately – the two of them laying on the beach and swimming and hanging out for three days in 1997 – and how Pop called Tim his “soul mate.” That really struck me.
Inside Sports Illustrated: In the feature, you uncover an extremely close relationship between Duncan and head coach Gregg Popovich. In you years covering sports, have you ever witnessed a comparable relationship between player and coach?
Chris Ballard: Not personally. I imagine I’ve read about some – D’Antoni and Nash were quite close, for example. But nothing close to this. I’m not sure we’ll see anything like it again, at least in the NBA. There are too many reasons for coaches and players to be at odds.
Inside Sports Illustrated: The story details that many of his teammates regard Duncan as a personable and even funny guy. Did you experience that when you spoke with him? And why do you think he does not show that side of himself publicly?
Chris Ballard: Yes. I only spent limited time with him – the interview and a handful of games, before and after in the locker room – but he’s got a dry sense of humor that I found appealing. We ended up joking about a few things – Malik Rose’s defense, Ferry (obviously) and his dislike for the media. He’s an easy guy to get along with. As for why he doesn’t show it, there’s a quote from Steve Kerr that we ended up cutting for space, so it’s not in the story, but I think it sums it up best. “If he let anybody in to who he really is he’d be unbelievably popular,” Kerr said. “He’s one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. But he doesn’t need it. He doesn’t want the attention and doesn’t need more money.”
Inside Sports Illustrated: In your opinion, can the Spurs win another NBA title this year? If they do win, where does Duncan rank among all-time great NBA centers?
Chris Ballard: Definitely. Especially if Bosh remains out, I think it comes down to the Spurs and the Thunder, though I wonder how well the Spurs’ role players will perform as the games get bigger. As for where he ranks, it’s got to be top five. There’s Russell and Wilt and Kareem and then you can make an argument for a number of guys after that, and Tim’s right up there. If he plays three more years – and he told me he thinks he’ll play two or three – it will be hard to ignore his qualifications.
###
Chris Ballard has not only been busy writing features for Sports Illustrated, he has written a new book, One Shot at Forever, telling the story of the 1971 Macon High Ironmen varsity baseball team. The Ironmen represented the smallest school in Illinois history to play in the state finals before they lost to powerhouse Lane Tech. Many members of the team are excited about the book release, but a few still haven’t gotten over the loss.
For many athletes, high school is the only time they have an opportunity to achieve greatness, but often players remember the losses more than the wins. Ballard writes, “I’m 38 and I still dream about basketball games that I lost in high school (though never, strangely enough, about the ones I won). Likewise, when I get together with certain friends over beers, I know the conversation will eventually lead us back to some field or gym on some fateful afternoon.”
You can purchase a copy of the book here
This Week’s Sports Illustrated: Jabari Parker
Posted: May 16, 2012 Filed under: Albert Chen, Chris Ballard, Joe Sheehan, Michael Farber, Phil Taylor, Sports Illustrated Cover, Weekly Issue, Weekly Press Release | Tags: Baseball Economics, Eric Hosmer, Jabari Parker, John Tortorella, Kansas City Royals, London Olympic Games, New York Rangers, San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan Comments Off
The Biggest High School Basketball Star Since LeBron James Must Balance Sports and Faith
An Exclusive Look at Tim Duncan, the Most Successful Star of His Generation
Eric Hosmer Is Front and Center in the World of Baseball’s New Economics
The Irritable John Tortorella Has Led the Rangers to Their First Conference Finals in 15 Years
The Success or Failure of the London Olympics Falls on One Man
(NEW YORK – May 16, 2012) – Jabari Parker, a junior at Simeon Career Academy in Chicago, is the best high school basketball player since LeBron James, but there’s something more important to him than hoops stardom: his faith. Parker—who was the 2011 USA Basketball athlete of the year and is being recruited by all the top college programs including Kentucky, Kansas and Duke—is a devout Mormon. After his freshman year in college, when top players will head to the NBA draft, Jabari will have to decide whether he will declare for the draft or—like thousands of other Mormon men who turn 19—embark on a two-year mission to spread the faith in the U.S. or a foreign country.
Parker appears on the cover of the May 21, 2012, issue of Sports Illustrated, on newsstands now. Parker is the first high school athlete on the cover since Bryce Harper appeared on the June 8, 2009 cover.
Jabari wakes up each morning at five and says a prayer, and three days a week, he is at Bible study by 5:30. Parker also accompanies a Bishop of his church on visits to the sick, the poor and the elderly—an assignment designed to teach young men the importance of service and self-sacrifice. Parker tells contributing writer Jeff Benedict, “I realize why I’m in the position I’m in right now. It’s not because of me. It’s because of God.”
He knows his decision will be difficult. His brother Christian, who has already served a mission, has told Jabari that it was the best thing he’s ever done. Jabari says, “When he came home from his mission, we talked a lot about it. I want to go. But I have doubts. The NBA is the biggest dream of basketball players, and I’m not different.”
On the Tablet: Podcast with Richard Deitsch and Jeff Benedict and a video montage of Jabari Parker.
21 SHADES OF GRAY – CHRIS BALLARD (@SI_ChrisBallard)
Tim Duncan is the most successful player of his generation, maybe even its best. In the 15 years since Duncan was drafted, no other team in the four major pro sports has had a better winning percentage than the Spurs. Now Duncan is the foundation of yet another Spurs team that could win it all. So why haven’t the masses fallen for him? Senior writer Chris Ballard breaks down the 21 reasons why Duncan, compared with his peers, remains practically anonymous (page 36).
Duncan said, “Winning should be the only thing that matters. I can’t manipulate how people see me. I could be more accessible and be the darling of everybody. I could open up my life and get more endorsements and be out there and be a fan favorite. But why would that help?”
WHEN WILL ERIC HOSMER GET HIS? – ALBERT CHEN
George Brett is the greatest baseball player to play for the Kansas City and he thinks the world of the Royals young first baseman Eric Hosmer. Brett said, “These kids in our farm system, most of them weren’t born when I was playing…. But if they make a big splash, then suddenly they are getting compared to me. Hos is getting the comparisons now, but let me tell you, he’s the real deal. And hopefully he’ll be in Kansas City for the next 20 years.”
If the Royals are going to keep Hosmer in their organization, they will have to persuade him to sign a contract extension. Many teams have begun to sign their young talent to long-term deals before they hit the free-agent market. It’s a strategy that has worked for a number of mid-market teams including Tampa and Cincinnati (page 44).
Hosmer’s agent, Scott Boras, doesn’t love this new world. He said, “Evaluating and understanding the value of that kind of player and talent, that’s a process that takes years. Whether it’s a Madison Bumgarner or a Matt Moore or any of those other deals, I find those contracts to be unconscionable.”
A POSTSEASON ON THE BRINK – MICHAEL FARBER
The postgame press conferences for New York Rangers coach John Tortorella are so quick that they have become one of the most popular topics of conversation during the 2012 NHL playoffs. Hockey networks in the U.S. and Canada have super imposed a stopwatch on the screen to see how long they will last. This shouldn’t diminish the fact that Tortorella has led his team to its first conference finals in 15 years. He has molded them to fit his image; the Rangers are relentless, driven and confrontational (page 52).
On the Tablet: A look at John Tortorella’s best press conference moments.
LONDON’S MAIN MAN – ALEXANDER WOLFF
Sebastian Coe won gold medals in the 1,500 meters at the 1980 and ’84 Olympics, but his biggest challenge is about to take place. As the driving force behind the London Games, Coe has assured everyone that this summer’s Games will be a complete hit. Coe became chairman of the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) in early 2004, just 18 months before the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made its decision on a host city for 2012. Coe’s efforts in that short time are what led to London’s receiving the bid and many believe he is the perfect fit for this tough task (page 56).
Jonathan Edwards, who heads LOCOG athletes’ committee, said, “He believes that if you have the right attitude, you’ll succeed. If the Games go well, it’s Seb. It the Games don’t go well, it’s Seb. No on will point the finger at the prime minister or Boris Johnson [London Mayor]. Seb himself wouldn’t say he set the world on fire as a politician, but as a sports politician he’s been a real leader.”
On the Tablet: A photo of the 1979 Sports Illustrated cover that featured Sebastian Coe.
NBA PLAYERS POLL
Which athlete from another sport could play in the NBA today?
Calvin Johnson, Lions WR 16%
Jimmy Graham, Saints TE 10%
Terrell Owens, Free-Agent WR 7%
Antonio Gates, Chargers TE 7%
Cam Newtwon, Panthers QB 6%
[Based on 146 NBA players who responded to SI’s survey]
FAST FACTS: Graham, Gates and Tony Gonzalez (who was sixth, with 5%) played D-I basketball. Graham averaged 4.2 points at Miami, Gates 16.5 at Eastern Michigan and Kent State (where he was an honorable mention All-America in 2003), and Gonzalez 6.4 at Cal. . . . Of the 39 athletes named, 29 play pro football—19 as receivers or tight ends. . . . Usain Bolt (3%) received the most votes for a nonfootball player. . . . In a similar poll on Facebook, 56% of SI readers named Johnson.
SCORECARD: VOICES FROM HEAVEN – STEVE RUSHIN (@SteveRushin)
When Red Sox public-address announcer Carl Beane died last week, at 59, the team honored him not with a moment of silence but with three hours of it. For one game there were no introductions. Every hitter strode to home plate, bat in hand, in silent eloquence (page 15).
The baseball P.A. announcer is a voice from the heavens, but we seldom know the names and almost never know the faces of these disembodied voices. These voices eventually became a piece of a team’s persona. Bob Sheppard’s run at Yankee Stadium echoed almost the entire history of the profession. At Wrigley Field, Pat Piper was as familiar as the ivy. In Philadelphia, Dan Baker has manned the microphone for 40 years. Carl Beane’s passing reminds us of the soothing sounds of subtlety.
POINT AFTER: THIS ACT IS A FLOP– PHIL TAYLOR (@SI_PhilTaylor)
The NBA is at the height of the playoffs, but senior writer Phil Taylor says that flopping during games could undermine the terrific athleticism. He would like players to stop taking dives and he isn’t alone. ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy said during the Heat-Knicks series, “It just ruins the game. I can’t believe with all the brilliance we have in the NBA office that we can’t find a way to eliminate this part of the game.” (page 68).
INSIDE THE WEEK IN SPORTS
- NBA (page 28): The Case for the Truth – Paul Pierce’s name rarely comes up when talking about the best players in the game, but no opposing coach wants the ball in his hands when the game is on the line. Jack McCallum
- MLB (page 33): Texas-sized Dilemma – Josh Hamilton is set to hit free agency this off-season. What will determine how much he is worth, his immense talent or his age and cautionary past? (@Joe_Sheehan)
- Soccer (page 34): Homes Sweet Homes – Major League Soccer continues to mature as more teams begin to play in venues designed with soccer as a top priority. (@GrantWahl)
THIS WEEK’S FACES IN THE CROWD (page 24)
- Kayden Porter (Spanish Fork, Utah/Spanish Fork High) – Baseball
- Shayla Sanders (Pompano Beach, Fla./Boyd Anderson High) – Track and Field
- David Heron (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo High) – Swimming
- Gabrielle Jennings (Slidell, La./First Baptist Christian School) – Track and Field
- Michael Pelletier (Burnt Hills, N.Y./Springfield College) – Volleyball
- Stephanie Ricketts (San Jose/Hawaii) – Softball
To submit a candidate for Faces in the Crowd, go to SI.com/faces. Follow on Twitter @SI_Faces.
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