Also in this week’s Sports Illustrated: the Mad Hatter of Baton Rouge, the evolution of Manny Pacquiao and the changing identity of NHL enforcers
Posted: November 3, 2011 Filed under: Austin Murphy, Chris Mannix, Kelli Anderson, Phil Taylor, Tim Layden, Weekly Issue, Weekly Press Release | Tags: allen iverson, freddie roach, george parros, jacob hester, les miles, lsu alabama, manny pacquiao, mma on fox, nhl goons, nick saban, shawn thornton, terrell owens, williams college homecoming Comments Off
You’ve seen this week’s Packers and Cardinals covers, read our picks for the NFL playoffs and midseason awards, learned how food consciousness is revolutionizing sports, reviewed our plan for how paying D-I athletes could work and found out who NFL players think is the league’s funniest trash talker (come on down, Chad Ochocinco). Here’s what else is in the Nov. 7 issue, on newsstands now.
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. Says 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.
