On the Tablets: A tribute to Smokin’ Joe
Posted: November 11, 2011 Filed under: Luke Winn, Sports Illustrated iPad, Sports Illustrated Tablet | Tags: college basketball preview, dewayne dedmon video, indianapolis colts, joe frazier tribute, lebron james book excerpt, skylar diggins video, worst teams in nfl history Comments Off
When boxing legend Joe Frazier died late Monday night, the Nov. 14 issue had already gone to print. But as has been the case in several instances before, the tablet edition of the magazine was utilized to accommodate this breaking news within the confines of the weekly issue. Special contributor Richard Hoffer penned a moving essay on how unfortunate it was that Smokin’ Joe’s resentment over how he was portrayed in comparison to Muhammad Ali became nearly as famous as his legacy in the ring. Within Hoffer’s story is a photo gallery featuring highlights from one of the best heavyweights who ever fought.
Also from Sports Illustrated: A new stat to measure individual defense, hometown hero Skylar Diggins, a leap of faith by USC’s gifted center and the fallout from Penn State
Posted: November 10, 2011 Filed under: Chris Ballard, Austin Murphy, Phil Taylor, Damon Hack, College Basketball, Luke Winn, Richard Deitsch | Tags: Andrew Luck, lsu football, alabama football, indianapolis colts, college basketball defensive stats, basketball defensive efficiency, skylar diggins, notre dame women's basketball, dewayne dedmon, usc basketball, penn state football scandal, joe paterno, joe frazier, eric reid, peyton manning, magic johnson hiv Comments Off
In addition to the College Basketball Preview Men’s Top 20 and Women’s Top 10 and this week’s NFL Players Poll, here’s what readers can expect in the Nov. 14 issue of Sports Illustrated, on newsstands now.
THE CASE FOR THE DEFENSE – LUKE WINN (@lukewinn)
Using methods that statistician Dean Oliver lay out in his 2003 book Basketball on Paper, SI conducted the most comprehensive study of individual defense ever done in college basketball. The defensive rating produced answers the following question: If a player were on the floor for 100 defensive possessions, engaging in his normal rate of plays, how many points would an opposing team score? (page 52)
The 2010–11 defenses for five of this year’s championship contenders were analyzed. The subjects comprised the nation’s most efficient defensive team from ’10 –11 (Florida State); the two preseason title favorites with the majority of their rotations returning (Ohio State and North Carolina); the defending champion (UConn); and, for contrast, an offensive powerhouse undone last season by its struggles on D (Vanderbilt). SI’s adjusted defensive rating is the byproduct of the following statistics:
- Percentage of plays involved with
- Individual stop percentage (per 100 possessions)
- Field goal percentage against
- Percentage of a player’s possessions resulting in a turnover
- Free throw rate (ratio of free throw attempts allowed versus field goal attempts allowed)
On the Tablets: Winn discusses SI’s defensive efficiency formula in a podcast interview.
Also in this week’s Sports Illustrated: The Chargers’ inability to win in the east, Clemson football is dancing with joy and David Beckham’s future in Los Angeles
Posted: October 26, 2011 Filed under: Damon Hack, Grant Wahl, Lars Anderson, Michael Bamberger, Phil Taylor, Weekly Issue, Weekly Press Release | Tags: bill polian, clemson football, dabo swinney, dallas cowboys, dan wheldon, david beckham, demarco murray, dwayne allen, indianapolis colts, indycar, los angeles galaxy, philip rivers, san diego chargers, st. louis cardinals, Texas Rangers, tim leiweke aeg, world series Comments Off
You’ve seen our World Series cover featuring the Rangers and Cardinals, read JaMarcus Russell’s side of the story and found out who the NFL’s fastest player is according to our weekly Players Poll. Here is what else awaits readers in the Oct. 31 issue of Sports Illustrated, on newsstands today.
PILE ON THE CHARGERS – DAMON HACK (@si_damonhack)
The Chargers’ 27–21 loss to the Jets on Sunday was the latest misstep in their recent history, when they have looked like a Super Bowl contender only to travel east and lose. Since 2000 they are a meager 8–18 on the road against the teams now in the AFC East and AFC North, including 1–4 at New England, 0–4 at Pittsburgh and 0–2 at Baltimore. For starting quarterback Philip Rivers, Sunday’s loss was his 10th in 11 road starts against the AFC East or AFC North since 2007. All of which solidifies a sentiment that has shadowed San Diego teams of recent vintage: that they are supremely talented and chronic underachievers (page 38).
On the Tablets: This week on his NFL podcast, senior writer Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) interviews Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray and Colts vice chairman Bill Polian. Plus, the Week 8 edition of his “Last Word on the NFL.”
The NFL’s fastest player: Titans RB Chris Johnson wins with 38% of the vote
Posted: October 26, 2011 Filed under: NFL, Players Poll, Weekly Issue | Tags: chicago bears, chris johnson titans, desean jackson, devin hester, dwight freeney, indianapolis colts, jacoby ford, michael vick, mike wallace steelers, nfl's fastest players, oakland raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, pittsburgh steelers, tennessee titans Comments Off
SI PLAYERS NFL POLL (as it appears in the Oct. 31 issue)
Who is the fastest player in football?
- Chris Johnson, Titans RB….38%
- DeSean Jackson, Eagles WR….23%
- Mike Wallace, Steelers WR….12%
- Devin Hester, Bears WR/KR….3%
- Jacoby Ford, Raiders WR….3%
[Based on 316 NFL players who responded to SI’s survey]
FAST FACTS: Johnson ran a 4.24-second 40-yard dash at the NFL draft combine in 2008, the fastest mark since times became official, in 1999. Ford’s time at the 2010 combine (4.28) tied him with three other players as the second-fastest…. Michael Vick, who was voted No. 1 the last time SI polled on this subject, in 2006, was No. 6 (2%), even at age 31, and was the only QB to receive more than one vote…. Colts DE Dwight Freeney was the only lineman named more than once.
