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2014 S550 shown in Iridium Silver metallic paint with optional equipment. 2014 Mercedes Benz USA, LLC
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C O V E R : J UA N O C A MPO / N B A E / GE TTY I MA GE S; TH I S PA GE : J E FF GR O S; L O GO B Y STUDI O B L A C K 0 4 / 1 4 / 2 0 1 4 E S P N T h e M a g a z i n e 3
04.14.14
28 TECHNIQUE
How Ricky Rubiobreaks ankles withhis crafty crossover.
26 TRENDING
Kevin Costner talkshis latest sports flick.
30 JUST CHEER, BABY
A Raideretteseye-opening lawsuitcould upend the NFLcheerleading culture.By Amanda Hess
PLAYBOOK
24 SOCCER
Julian Greenschance at history.
20 GOLF
Re-examining thedrop thats typifiedTigers major slump.
22 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Early enrollees whowill pop this spring.
18 MLB
Home plate collisionsarent baseballsonly hazards.
13 NHL
Five hurdles standingbetween the Pensand another Cup.
INS IDE
DON'T MIS S
8ZOOM
The making ofMiguel Cabrerastoy figurine.
10 ZOOM
Inside Goodyearsshiny new blimp.
84 THE FIX
A Hawks final flap.By Chris Jones
6THE TRUTH
How Bud Seligabandoned the Rays.By Howard Bryant
37 ONE DAY, ONE GAME
Okay, we cheated a little thistime. Presenting Two Days,Two GamesCalifornia-style.
56 THE STAPLES OF STAPLES
CENTER
We captured the dunks,kisses and cheers thatbrought Los Angeles alive.
38 WELCOME TO THE WILD WEST
In the hours before tip-off,everyone from the players tothe dancers put in some reps.
62 THE MOST PERFECT
0.4 SECONDS IN SPORTS
The simple beauty ofStephen Currys jumper.By David Fleming
46 "THEY'LL NEVER KNOW ME"
Kings center DeMarcusCousins says hes misunder-stood. So whats he going todo about it?By Tim Keown
73 THE BLAKE GRIFFIN POP QUIZ
Think you know the Clippers
high-flyin, commercial-killinsuperstar? Take our handyquiz.By Sam Alipour
54 TO LIVE AND TANK IN LA
Dont fault the Lakers andKings for chasing pingpongballs. Tanking really works.By Bradford Doolittle
76 STRAIGHT TO THE POINT
Doc Rivers straight-shootingstyle is rubbing off on hisstars.By Kate Fagan
82 CHILL, THEY GOT THIS
CP3 will tell you: Justbecause the game is overdoesnt mean everyoneswork is done.
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4 ES P N T h e Ma g a z i ne 0 4 / 1 4 / 2 0 1 4 p h ot og r a p h b y D A NI E L B E DE L LR A I N E R H O SC H ( C O USI N S)
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P.O. Box 37325, B oone, IA 50037-0325. PRINTED IN THE USA.
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SPOTLIGHT ROMEOSANTOS (AND BABYCAMDEN)Before Santosbecamebudswith 1970 ALMVP Boog Powellandbecame knownaroundBaltimoreas the guy with the OHawk
helmet,he soldlemonade as a 15-year-oldin the Camden Yards stands.They firedme becauseI keptstopping to watch,
says theArmy career counselor,who named hisson after thepark. Now33, he channelshis passionfor theOriolesinto raising
moneyin memoryof his wife,who diedof breastcancerin 2011; hes run15 marathonsfor charity,three while carryingan
Os flag. His mostprizedpossession?Itsnot CalRipken Jr.s signature or anyof his500 bobbleheads.My wifewas an
honorary bat girl in2010and threwoutthe firstpitch, hesays.She signed theball formethatwill alwaysbe myfavorite.
HOW TO BECOME AN ES PN INS IDER!
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When our ODOG teamdescended on Denverin November, wewere pretty darn sureKnowshon and theBroncs were SuperBowlbound. Now, aboutthat beatdown espnmag.com/covers
IF I STARTEDSMILING ALL
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DEMARCUS
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TAKEA PIC, ITLLLAST LONGER AND ITSEASIER TOSHARE.
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by H OW A RD BRYA NTT H E T R U T H
6 ES P N Th e Ma g a z i ne 0 4 / 1 4 / 2 0 1 4 i l l u s t ra t i o n b y MA RK S M I TH
[R]
[PLAYING HARDBALL] The Rays are one of sportsmost unlikely success stories. Just imagine what they could
do if Bud Selig actually lent them a helping hand.
is why they cant afford their starsPrice, a free agent after next season, is
as good as gone. The successful Selig formula of demanding public money
for a new stadium hasnt worked, so the Rays are stuck with Tropicana
Field. A salary cap isnt coming. There is nowhere for the team to relocate.
And yet, for all of owner Stuart Sternbergs work in keeping this moribund
franchise afloat, baseball refuses to assist him.
Sternberg is not short on ideas about how Selig could help. Along with
Oaklands Billy Beane, whose team is in a similar doomed position
neglected while annually winning division titlesSternberg is a vocal
advocate of reorganizing the draft order. He wants it to be based on total
revenues instead of the current system of win-loss record, which rewards
rich, poorly run teams like the Astros, Mets and White Sox with high draft
picks and penalizes the Rays with a lower slot in the draft. Baseball has
ignored that conversation.
Tampa Bays owner may enjoy beating out big-money teams for a
playoff spot, as the Rays did last season, but hed much rather leave the
AL East, where his team will forever be at a massive payroll disadvantage
to the Red Sox ($163 million) and Yankees ($203 million). The solution is
staring Selig in the face. With a $162 million payroll (fifth in MLB),Detroit is a big-spending club. Baseball could realign and move the Tigers
back to the AL East, where they resided from 1969 to 1997, with the Rays
shifting to the AL Central and fighting only one megamarket team,
Chicago. Baseball has ignored this conversation too.
No one is listening at the top of the game, because nobody cares. Selig,
entering his last season, is planning a farewell victory lap having never
resolved the situation of the two teamsOakland and Tampa Baythat
actually require his attention. But its a problem that cant be ignored.
Baseball and Tampa Bay are stuck with each other, and if leadership is
more than just a slogan, Selig, his office and his successor should be
considering creative ways to sustain the Rays instead of the current plan:
waiting for an unfair system to run a good team into the ground.
emember theTampa Bay Devil Rays? Remember the team
that began its existence with Wade Boggs and Quinton McCracken,
Kevin Stocker and Wilson Alvarez? Remember the team that lost 90
games in each of its first 10 years of existence, the major league team with
the minor league name in that miserable ballpark everyone laughed at?
In the past six years, the Devil has vanished, and the Rays have
claimed two AL East titles, just one fewer than the Red Sox have won in
the past 20. Theyve won 90 games four straight years and in five of the
past six. Theyve been to the World Series. They have smart, respected
ownership. They have a manager, Joe Maddon, who is embraced by both
the analytics mafia and the writers who still care about the flesh and blood
of the people who play the game. They have the 2012 Cy Young winner in
David Price and a franchise third baseman in Evan Longoria. They are the
games ultimate success story, the sum of shrewd trades and acute talent
evaluation, respected for building through the farm system and the draft
instead of with massive payrolls. (And please dont fall for the Red Sox
narrative of mind over financial muscle; Bostons five highest-paid players
combine for more than the Rays entire $77 million payroll.)
By almost all standards, the Rays aredoing it the Right Way; theonly onetheyve failed to meet is extracting a new stadium from taxpayers, which
happens to be the only one that matters on Park Avenue. Their reward for
all this is being buried by a commissioners office that doesnt want them to
succeed. When Tampa Bay was granted a franchise, the other owners split
up $130 million in expansion fees. The problems the Rays have nowdif-
ficult geography, terrible stadium, transplanted fan base with allegiances to
other teamsexisted from the beginning, but baseballs leadership paid no
mind. The short money wasavailable, and Bud Seligand the ownerstook it.
Now, the Rays are winning, but their economic health is as perilous as
ever. In 16 seasons, the Rays have finished last in attendance nine times,
including in 2013, when they averaged 18,645 fans. Last year, according to
Forbes, they also ranked just 28th in revenues ($181 million). All of which
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ZzzQuilTM
SLEEP-AID.
BECAUSE SLEEP IS A BEAUTIFUL THING.TM
s directedfor occasionalsleeplessness.Readeach label.eaUsep outof reach ofchildren.eK
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The non-habit formingsleep-aid from the
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Its not for colds.Its not for pain.Its just for sleepso you can wake refreshed.
Katherine Heigl, Real-Life User and Snoozer.
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8 E S P N Th e M a g a z i n e 0 4 / 1 4 / 2 0 1 4
ZO M
Miguel Cabrera has never looked so
small. At McFarlane Toys design HQin Bloomingdale, N.J., the 7-inch
version of the two-time MVP is going
through the decoration phase,
during which details and decals are
applied by hand. The mini Miggy,
created by comic-book icon Todd
McFarlane and six in-house digital
sculptors, will be one of about 60
athlete effigies the company will
produce this year. Todd is so
hands-on, design president Ed Frank
says. He influences everything, eventhe body language thats unique to
each athlete. In the case of Cabrera,
that means capturing the intensity
of his focusa frightening sight for a
pitcher, whetherwrit large or small.MATT CHRISTENSEN
Photograph by
FLOTO + WARNER
9Versions of Wayne Gretzky figures
made by McFarlane Toysthe most ofany athlete. Derek Jeter and Peyton
Manning are in second with six each.
2,203Number of different athlete figures
created by McFarlane Toys since the
sports series debuted in 2001.
196Days between when a sculpt is finalized
and when it lands on a retail shelf.
FOR MORE IMAGES, GO TO http://es.pn/mcfarlanetoys
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04/14/2014 ES P N The Ma g a z ine 11
ZO M
Like many Americans, when the
Spirit of Goodyear blimp retired
earlier this year, it headed to Florida.
After logging more than 41,000
hours of flying time during a 14-year
career, the Spirit was stashed in a
hangar in Pompano Beach, where it
now awaits possible donation to
a museum. But its spirit lives on in
its yet-to-be-named replacement,
pictured here. The 246-foot-long
rookie boasts several major tech
improvements over the predecessor,
including faster speeds (73 mph
versus 50 mph), an additional engine
(three versus two), more passengerroom (capacity grew from six to 12)
and, most amazing of all, an actual
bathroom. Which makes you wonder:
Where did the Spirit pilots go?ANNAKATHERINECLEMMONS
59Number of years Goodyear hascovered sporting events via blimps.
Goodyears first sporting event
was the 1955 Rose Bowl.
150Gallons of gas burned by the blimp on
a typical flight from one city to thenext, which is about 250 to 300 miles.
Photographs by
TY COLE
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W I NS L O W T O W NS O N/ U S A T O D A Y S P O R T S 0 4 / 1 4 / 2 0 1 4 ESPN The Magazine 13
SIDNEY CROSBY IS HEALTHY, BACK IN MVP FORM AND CARRYING HIS WOUNDED TEAM INTO THE PLAYOFFS.
BUT IS THE CLOCK RUNNING OUT FOR THE KID AND THE PENS STANLEY CUP HOPES? By Craig Custance
NHL
CRUNCH TIME FOR CROSBY
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14 ES P N The Ma g a z ine 04/ 14/ 2014 F R O M T O P : G E NE J . P U S K A R / A P I M A G E S ; CHA R L E S LECL A I R E / U S A T O D A Y S P O R T S
PLAYBOOK NHL
After the early rounds at the Sochi Olympics, DanBylsma
looked like the smartest coach alive. His U.S. team had out-
scored opponents 15-4, and his gamble to send out T.J. Oshie
again and again in the shootout against Russia was genius.
Then came the medal roundand arguably the most humbling
24 hours in American hockey history. Im sure people say its
my fault we lost the Olympics, Bylsma says. Im okay with
that. Hes been masterful in guiding the Pens to a playoff berth,
but Bylsma has won only one Cup in five years despite having
the worlds best player. So as with the Olympics, he finds him-
self in the cross hairs. If we lose in the first round, he says, I
expect it to be His voice trails off. Better not to think about it.
PENGUINS POSTSEASON FINISHES UNDER BYLSMA
WIN
7
3
2
8
SEASON
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
LOSS
6
4
4
7
RESULT
Lost to Canadiens in second round
Lost to Lightning in first round
Lost to Flyers in first round
Lost to Bruins in conference finals
The NHLs best player is focusing more on defense than a
typical star scorer has to. The metric Relative Corsi Quality
of Competition (right) measures the quality of a players
opponents when hes on the ice. For the first time, Crosbys
QofC (1.19) has been tops on his team. (His QofC was 14th last
season.) The fact that hes on the ice against a high quality of
competition is on purpose, says Penguins coach Dan Bylsma.
Its because his line is my best defensive line. Not only is
Crosby facing off against tougher competition, hes also
starting at a disadvantage. While five-on-five, Crosby began
49% of his shifts in the defensive zone. (By comparison,
Capitals star Alex Ovechkin starts 39.5% of his shifts in the
defensive zone.) The combination saddles Crosby with more
responsibility on both ends and means he often goes
best-on-best. You definitely have to get up for it and
understand who youre playing against, he says.
QUALITY TIMETEAMRANK
0.5
1.0
201
3-14
201
2-13
201
1-12
201
0-11
200
9-10
200
8-09
Qualityofcompetition
14
1 CROSBYHASFACEDTHE
TOUGHEST COMPETITION
OFANY PENGUIN
THIS SEASON, PERTHE
RELATIVECORSI QOFC METRIC.
1 CROSBY IS GETTING DEFENSIVE AND THATS A GOOD THING
2 SO IS HIS COACH,BUT THATS NOT SO GOOD
1314
8 8
ONTHEFIRSTdayof training camp,PittsburghGM RayShero makeshis
expectations clear: Anything short of a Stanley Cup willbe a disappointment.
Thatsjust what the standard is now,says defenseman Brooks Orpik. Sid
and Geno [EvgeniMalkin] arein their prime. The window forwinning is only so
big. The window appeared to be closing this season when Pascal Dupuis,
SidneyCrosbys longtime wingman, went downwith a tornACL, defenseman
Kris Letang suffered a stroke and Malkin wassidelinedfor several weekswith
a foot injury.ThroughMarch 26,Pittsburgh had lost an NHL-high447 man-
games. And yet the shorthanded Penguins havemarched on, battling Boston
for thebest recordin the Eastern Conference. Once again, the quest for the
Cup all comes downto Crosby, whos mounting another Hart Trophyworthy
season while taking on more responsibility on defense.But hes not getting
any younger, soanother early exit would be a disaster. Here arefive factors
thatfigure intothe Penguins playoff push.
RelativeCorsiQofCstatsfrom behindthenet.ca,minimum three games played.
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16 ES P N The Ma g a z ine 04/ 14/ 2014 I L L U S T R A T I O N BY T O D D D E T W I L E R ; J A R E D W I CK E R HA M / G E T T Y I M A G E S
PLAYBOOK NHL
When Pittsburgh won the Cup in 2009, Jordan Staal led the
third line, while Crosby and Malkin took care of the top two.
Since the Penguins traded Staal to the Hurricanes in 2012,
Bylsma has cycled through third-line combinations to comple-
ment Brandon Sutter but hasnt found the right mix. The key
to a good third line is players staying on the attack and
keeping possession of the puck. But Pittsburghs bottom six
consistently get beaten at even strength. The addition of former
first-round pick Marcel Goc at the trade deadline should shore
up the line and ease the pressure on Crosby. Thats the plan,
Bylsma says. If we need a defensive-zone draw, we go with Goc
and still leave Crosby for the other end of the rink.
A new study by hockey analyst Eric Tulsky found that average
scoring rates for wingers and centers start dropping off at age
25 and plummet once they hit 30. So teams that stack their
top-six forward corps with millennialse.g., recent Stanley Cup
winners like the Blackhawks and Bruinshave a decided
advantage. Even all-time greats apparently have a condensed
top-shelf life. Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky amassed
the majority of their regular-season goals and all but one of their
combined six Stanley Cups by age 26. So the clock is ticking for
Crosby, who turns 27 in August .
AVERAGEAGEOF TOPSIXFORWARDS ONRECENTCUP
WINNERS (BYPLAYOFF ICETIME) 2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
THE CUPRUNNETH
YOUNGER
Blackhawks
Kings
Bruins
Blackhawks
28.0
27.2
24.324.5
*AN EXTRASKATER.COM METRIC THAT CALCULATES PERCENTAGE OF SHOT ATTEMPTS ON OPPOSING GOAL AT EVEN STRENGTH.
Different line combinationsSutter has played with
this season
42.4%Sutters
five-on-fiveCorsi-For
percentage.
652Faceoff wins byGoc this season,
14th best in the NHL.
Hes won 53.2%.
Conversion percentagerate andrank
amongNHL teams:
P EN GU INS B RU INS
CORSI-FOR*PERCENTAGE
49.2%RANK
NO. 21
20.3%
83.7%
53.1%
RANKNO. 7
RANKNO. 9
RANKNO. 4
POWERPLAY
PENALTYKILL
24.4%
RANKNO. 1
85.8%RANKNO. 2
1.08RANKNO. 9
PITTSBURGH
1.64RANKNO. 1
BOSTON
EVEN-STRENGTH GOALSFOR/AGAINSTRATIO
FOR MORE ON THE PENS,INCLUDING HOW TO STOPTHEIR POWER PLAY,SEARCH: MAG PENGUINS
+
3 SIDS NOT A
KID ANYMORE
4 THE THIRD LINEHAS STAAL-ED
If the Penguins make a deep playoff run, theyll at some point likely
face the Bruins, who swept them in the conference finals last season.
Boston is again a formidable obstacle because of its depth at forward
and also because of the towering ZdenoChara, a Norris-caliber
defenseman capable of shutting down Crosby (he had zero points in
105:28 of ice time during the 2013 conference finals). But special
teams could be the equalizer this time. The Pens have been among
the NHLs best on the power play and penalty kill this season.
5 HIM AGAIN! A BRAWNYBARRICADE LOOMS
AVERAGEAGEOF TOPSIXFORWARDS ON 2014CUP CONTENDERS
Penguins
Bruins
Blues
Sharks
Kings
Blackhawks
Ducks
29.5
26.2
26.7
28.2
29.2
29.0
29.0
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PLAYBOOK
18 ES P N Th e Ma g a z i ne 0 4 / 1 4 / 2 0 1 4 i l l u st r a t i on s b y CHR I S P HI L P OT
MLB
The best thing about the new rule restricting home plate collisions is the concern behind it: Lets make the game safer. Technically, its
Rule 7.13, but its being called the Posey Rule because the May 2011 crash that nearly endedBusterPoseys career provided the impetus to
eliminate such brutal encounters. But crashes at home might not be the biggest threat to players livelihoods; those around the league
will agree that the four hazards below are just as dangerous, if not more. Heres what to watch out for around the diamond. STEVE WULF
SAFE AT HOME?
THEHAZARD
CASEIN POINT
WHATS TOBEDONE?
WHY?
WHYNOT?
THE BASES
RUNNERS
STUMBLE OVER
Running out a ground ball last
Sept. 23, Orioles 3B MannyMachado
tore a knee ligament after hitting
the first base bag awkwardly.
Soreness in the surgically repaired
knee has slowed him this spring.
Redesign the rubber blocks
currently anchored to
the field by metal poles,
making bases more forgiving
and less fall-inducing.
Theyre hard and slippery
as hell, Orioles manager
Buck Showalter says of the
weather- and spike-proof bases.
Lets find a new base, or go
back to the old burlap bags.
Ive never known any other base,
Orioles SS J.J. Hardy
says. But they could certainly
make them less slippery.
THEWALLS
OUTFIELDERS
CRASH INTO
Nationals RF BryceHarper ran
head-on into the scoreboard fence at
Dodger Stadium last May, sustaining
a knee injury that hampered him
all season. He also needed 11 stitches
to close a cut on his chin.
Standardize the width and
texture of the warning
tracks from park to park, and
pad all outfield walls to
absorb some of the impact.
Says ESPN analyst and
former OF Doug Glanville:
We shouldnt wait until
a catastrophic injury, like towns
that put up a traffic light
only after someone is killed.
Says Rays IF/OF Ben Zobrist:
I like having the different outfield
characteristics in each ballpark,
like the ivy at Wrigley Field.
THE LINE DRIVES
THAT BEAN
PITCHERS
Since September 2012,
four pitchers have been
seriously injured by line drives
to the head:BrandonMcCarthy,
J.A. Happ, Alex Cobb and,
this spring, Aroldis Chapman.
MLB has approved a padded
pitchers cap, but nobody is using
it. So there needs to be a
better hatand then a pioneer
pitcher to make it okay to wear it.
With harder throwers and harder
bats, there are missiles coming
back at the pitchers, says Michael
Collins, director of the Sports
Medicine Concussion Program at
the University of Pittsburgh.
Ill be honest: You dont look very
cool [in the hat], Dodgers ace
Clayton Kershaw says. I think
itd take a lot of getting used to.
THE FOUL TIPS
THAT CONCUSS
CATCHERS
Two of the ALs All-Star catchers
last season, the Twins Joe Mauer
and the RoyalsSalvadorPerez,
went on the DL for seven
days in August after getting hit
in the mask by foul tips.
Hurry up, science, and marry the
lighter, more comfortable
masks that some catchers prefer
with the heavier masks others have
turned to for better protection.
It was obvious to me that there were
things I couldnt do anymore, as far
as daily operation and thinking,
Cardinals manager Mike Matheny
says of the impact of the 25-plus
concussions he suffered as a catcher.
It hasnt been a problem for me,
Orioles catcher Matt Wieters
says. Im pretty happy
with the two-piece I have.
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EVERYRACE,43DRIVERSPUT GOODYEAR TIRESTO THETESTINTHEGRUELINGCONDITIONSOF
NASCAR AND EVERYTHING WE LEARN MAKING THEIR TIRES INSPIRES WHAT WE ROLL INTO YOURS.
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PLAYBOOK
i l l u s t r a t i o n b y C H R I S O R I L E Y
CU R T I S CO M P T O N/ A T L A NT A J O U R NA L CO NS T I T U T I O N/ M CT / L A ND O V
G O L F
20 ES P N The Ma g a z ine 04/14/2014
2 THE VIEW FROM
THECOUCH
The controversy began the momentWoods dropped his ball back intoplay. David Eger, a former rules
expert with the USGA and PGA Tour,says he replayed the drop threetimes on his living room TV and
noticed a difference in the gradientof the terrain under Woods feet.Egers theory, which he relayed
to Masters officials: Woods brokeRule 26-1-(a) by failing to drop the
ball as nearly as possible to theoriginal shot. It was difficult todetermine how far back he was
unless you looked closely, Eger tellsThe Mag. Which is what I did.
3 A NOT-SO-INSTANT
REPLAY
What Eger didnt do? Pay attentionto the TV cameraman, who waspositioned directly behind Tiger on
his initial shot but moved severalfeet to his right for Woods postdropapproach. The altered perspective
would, of course, make it impossibleto determine the precise distancebetween Woods two divotsor
even which divots Eger was seeing.Masters officials agreed: After
reviewing the tape, they concludedWoods did not break Rule 26-1-(a).
4 POPSALWAYS
KNEWBEST
The story wouldve ended there hadWoods just followed his father Earlsadvice for handling the media:Onlyanswer the question youre asked.
During a postround interview withESPN, though, Woods veered off
script, saying he dropped his balltwo yards further back. But whatif Woods was accurately describing
hisintentionbut not what actuallyoccurred? By the time such nuance
entered the conversation, Mastersofficials had overruled their originalruling and assessed Woods a
two-shot penalty. But wait
5 THE PROOF IS
IN THE PHOTOS
The nextday, TheAugustaChronicleran side-by-side photos of Woodstwo approach shots. Unlike the TV
cameraman, Chronicle photogMichaelHolahandidntmovebetween shots. Hisphotos showthat
Woods second liewas onlyslightlybehind hisfirstafar cryfromWoods twoyardsadmission and
Egers theory. But no matter: Playhadresumed, andWoodswould-be
kick-inbirdie wasstill an eight. Thefour-shotswing? Woods eventualmargin of defeat to AdamScott.
1 WHAT ARETHEODDS
OF THAT?
It started with a stroke of bad luck.According to ESPN Sport SciencesJohn Brenkus, the surface area
of standard flagsticks is a mere63 square inches. Accounting forthat and other factors, Brenkus,
along with a few Davidson Collegemathematicians, estimated theprobability of Woods 87-yard shot
hitting the flagstick at 1 in 700.But when it did, the ball caromed
into the water thanks to its7,700-rpm spin rate. Thats oneand a half times faster than a
Rafael Nadal forehand.
1
5
4
2
3
1
= SPOT OFORIGINAL SHOT
Standingover histhird shoton Augusta Nationals 15thhole,
Tiger Woods hadit allthe No.1 ranking, three wins inhis
previous fivetournaments anda share of the2013 Masters
Fridaylead. A birdie onthepar 5 wouldhave givenWoodsa
one-shot edge. Buthis approach clanked offthe flagstickandinto thedrink.And hisensuing drop? Lets justsay it
causedthe golf world to lose itscollective mind. Now, as the
planets best golfersdescend on Augustafor theMasters
(April 10-13), we look backat theshotandthe dropthathastypified Woodsmajorslump. SCOTTEDEN
DROPPED SHOT
M A S T E R S P R E V I E W
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ASK YOURSELF, WHATS IN YOUR WALLET?
2013 Capital One
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PLAYBOOK C O LLE GE F O O T BALL
TACKLESFOR LOSS
ASA SENIOR
FROM
LEFT
MARKLOMOGLIO/ICON
SMI;JOEJACK
SON/NORTHWESTERN
HS
Kids growup so fast these days. Redshirt freshmen
are Heismanwinners, and 19-year-olds are entering
their final season of collegefootball. So its no
surprise that coaches arepencilingin early enrollees
as startersbeforethey even playa spring game. With
some insight fromRecruitingNation, we sized up two
bluechips who havethe talent toshoreup a massive
hole atop their teamsdepth chart. TRAVISHANEY
WHY SCOUTS SAY HES THE REAL DEAL
Some coaches handle freshman QBs with kid gloves. Mike Gundy, surprisingly, treats themlike men. Two springs ago, he rocked Stillwater by naming early enrollee Wes Lunt QB1, andRudolph, 2014s No. 8 pocket passer, arrived with much more hype. OK State coaches say
he has the it factor; RecruitingNation analysts see a strong arm and upside if Rudolphimproves a loose delivery. Some SEC coaches were shocked that Rudolph escaped theregion. I liked him, but we didnt need a QB, one says. Hope he doesnt make us look bad.
FRESHMAN DISORIENTATIONA POSITION OF SENIORITY
History isnt on Rudolphs side. The last five teams to finish in the AP Top 25 and then starta true-frosh QB for the majority of the next season suffered an average of four more losses.
If McMillan, the nations top ILB, does get the nod, hell join rare company. Since 2009, only18 true-freshman LBs have cracked Big Ten starting lineupsjust five in the middle.
ADVANCEDPLACEMENT
ILB OHIO STATE LIBERTY COUNTY HS(HINESVILLE, GA.) ES PN 3 00 R AN K: 13 Q B OK LA HO MA S TAT E N OR THW EST ER N H S(ROCK HILL, S.C.) ESPN 300 RANK: 161
WHY SCOUTS SAY HES THE REAL DEAL
Urban Meyers third ESPN 300 prep for the Buckeyes out of GeorgiaS Vonn Bell and LB
Trey Johnson were 2013s pullshas the look of a starter. At 6'2", 240, he has 10 pounds onAll-Big Ten standout Ryan Shazier, who went pro, leaving a hole at mike linebacker. This kid
is a physical presence, says Tom Luginbill, ESPNs national recruiting director. Hell playright away. McMillan, 18, is a natural run stuffer, but Luginbill says he moves well in spaceand is deceptively quick. His big challenge may be keeping weight off to avoid a move to DE.
OTHER DEFENSIVE EARLY ENROLLEES TO WATCH
DT Andrew Brown, Virginia (ESPN 300: 5);CB Jalen Tabor, Florida (ESPN 300: 11)OTHER OFFENSIVE EARLY ENROLLEES TO WATCH
WR Speedy Noil, Texas A&M (ESPN 300: 7);QB Deshaun Watson, Clemson (ESPN 300: 16)
RAEKWON McMILLAN MASON RUDOLPH
DARELLGARRETSON
BRAXTONMILLER
MATTBARKLEY
ROBBOLDEN
JAKEHEAPS
WHY THE BUCKEYES NEED HIM TO BE THE REAL DEAL
Last season OSU ranked fifth in the Big Ten in yards per play (5.3) and scoring D (22.6 ppg).Not exactly titleworthy. Arkansas D-coordinator Chris Ash has come in as co-defensivecoordinator and vows to blitz more. But Shazier (Big Tenbest 23 tackles for loss) is not
the only talent OSU has lostMike Mitchell, an ESPN 300 linebacker last year, transferred.No doubt McMillan has the versatility to rush or drop and cover, but can he fill Shaziers leader-ship role? With his repeated shout-outs to McMillan after practices, Meyer seems to think so.
WHY THE COWBOYS NEED HIM TO BE THE REAL DEAL
Lunt transferred home to Illinois, 2013 starter Clint Chelf graduated, and 2011s No. 10 prepQB J.W. Walsh, a gifted athlete, has stalled as a passer. He cant be their guy, a Big 12 coachsaid last season. Weve seen him. Theres no way. Rudolph ran the Air Raid in high school
(4,377 passing yards as a senior, 12th in the nation), which could cut down on a learning curveand give the Pokes their first legit gunslinger since Brandon Weeden. WRs RaShaad Samples,a redshirt frosh, and Tyreek Hill, an early juco enrollee, also could help Rudolph transition.
2012 13UTAH STATE
2010 11OHIO STATE
2009 10PENN STATE
2009 10BYU
2008 09USCO LB MLB
AVERAGE STARTSPER SEASON
3.37.6
TOTAL GAMESSTARTED
43382013 2012 2011 2010
4
2
1
3
02009
351/2
80TOTAL TOUCHDOWNS
ASA SENIOR
R E A L D E A L
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PLAYBOOK S O C C E R
J O HN T O D D / I S I P HO T O S24 ES P N The Ma g a z ine 04/ 14/ 2014
GERMAN-AMERICAN
JULIAN GREENISIN LINE TO BE THE
YANKS YOUNGEST
WORLD CUP PLAYER
IN 80 YEARS.
By Doug McIntyre
GREEN
BEHINDTHE EARS
Days younger Green will beif hemakes the U.S. World Cup teamthan the only other rostered teensince 1934. Chris Henderson was
19 years, 181 days in 1990.
+
FOR MORE ON THE U.S. MEN,
VISIT ESPNFC.COM
Ask JulianGreenwhyhe filed
a change of associationwith
FIFA toplay fortheU.S.
insteadof Germanyandyoullgetlotsof answers:the locker
roomatmosphere, trust in
coach JurgenKlinsmann, a
chanceto play forthe country
of hisfather. Oh,andonelast
thing: It is a wonderful
opportunity for an18-year-old
playerlikeme toget the chance
toplay inaWorldCup.
Yep,Klinsmanndangled the
WorldCup carrot in front of aplayerwhowouldvehadto
waituntil at least2018 for the
Germans.And nowGreen, one
of the top young strikersin the
Bundesliga pipeline, is forever
a Yank. TheApril 2 game
againstMexicomarkedhis first
availablematch,butdont bet
againsthis markinganother
firstin June,whenKlinsmann
will announcetheCup roster.
ThematchagainstMexico is
thefirst step, Green says, buttoplayin theWorldCup for
theU.S.teamis mybig goal.
In themeantime, hehas
more pressingmattersat this
months camp. I am looking
forwardto spendingmore
time withmynewteammates
andgetting toknow them
better, saysGreen, whose
BayernMunich club hadto
approve theleave he requires
toplay forthe U.S.
TheYanks need hisyouth.Theaverage ageof theU.S.
roster forCupqualifiers
against CostaRica andMexico
was 28more than a year
older than in 2010.The U.S.
also needsGreensnose forthe
net. In22games forBayerns
secondsquad, Green hasan
impressive15 goals.
Green, alongwithstriker
Aron Johannsson and
midfielderMix Diskerud(both
23-year-old dualnationals),probably wont crack the
starting11. Butthey could
provide a sparkagainsta
stiflingPortugal defenseor a
counter toGermanys potent
offense.Green demurs on the
topic of playing againstthe
countrywhere hes livedfor the
past16 years,buthe admits
itd be a specialsituation.
If history is any indication,
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Green is wiseto temper expectations. In 1990,
manythought midfielder Chris Henderson
the first U.S.teenager on a World Cup roster
since 1934wouldbe a supersub. Butafter
an impressive run-up to the tournament,
including an NCAAtitlewith UCLA, the19-year-oldnevertook thefield in Italy. The
experience servedme well, hesays. Iwas one
of the top22 players in the country. That gave
me confidence. But itwas hard to notplay. You
neverknow ifanotheropportunity to play ina
WorldCup will comeitdidnt for me. When
youre in that moment,you have to seize it.
Green is ready to do justthat. But no matter
howfarhe hasalreadycomefor the opportu-
nity, heis tryingto keep his journey in focus.
TheWorldCup, he says, isstillfar away.
Since 1990, when Chris Henderson became the firstteenager to rep the U.S. at a World Cup in the modernera, the teams youngest players have almost alwaysmade it onto the pitch. But dont expect fireworksfrom Julian Greennone has ever scored a goal.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
* D I D N O T P L A Y D U E T O I N J U R Y .
CLAUDIO REYNA MIDFIELDER, 1994
YEARS OLD
20 MINUTES PLAYED
0*0GAMES
DAMARCUS BEASLEY MIDFIELDER, 2002
YEARS OLD
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2193GAMES
EDDIE JOHNSON STRIKER, 2006
YEARS OLD
22 MINUTES PLAYED
732GAMES
JOZY A LTIDORE STRIKER, 2010
YEARS OLD
20 MINUTES PLAYED
3574GAMES
FRANKIE HEJDUK DEFENDER, 1998
YEARS OLD
23 MINUTES PLAYED
1983GAMES
*No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. The Degree Soccer Sweepstakes is sponsored by Conopco, Inc., d/b/a Unilever.Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C., 18 or older. Begins 2/6/14 at 2:31:00 p.m. ET & ends 4/30/14 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET.?hk h_\bZe kne^l bg\en]bg`ahp mh^gm k_hk_k ^%oblbm ppp'=^ k lh\\ k'\hf'
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ENTER FORYOUR CHANCETOWIN* AT
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DEGREEISSENDINGONELUCKYFAN TOBRAZIL
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PLAYBOOK TRENDING+
FOR ANEXTENDEDQ&A,GO TO ESPN.COMANDSEARCH: COSTNERMAG INTERVIEW
Congrats,Kevin, youre thefirst
inductee of TheMagsSports
Movie Hall of Famewhich I just
made up.How does it feel?
[Laughs] I get myown category?Listen, I love sports. They define
my life. I lived fictitiously through
sports, so I guess its fitting. I
dont know, maybe Ivegot one
more sportsmoviein me.
What is it about thegenrethat
keeps youcomingback formore?
I wantto beattached togood
writing.I makeup mymind ifI fit
a scriptbasedon mylove ofthe
sport.If I saw a great hockey
KEVIN
COSTNERAs thestarof such classicsasBullDurham, Fieldof Dreams
and TinCup, KevinCostner
is theundisputedchampof
sports films.His latest,
DraftDay, hits theaters on
April11 andfollows Costners
SonnyWeaverJr., a fictional
down-but-not-outBrowns
GM, through thedizzying
first dayof theNFL draft.
TheMag went longwith the
Oscarwinneraboutwhysports
movies still resonateand
whetherCrashDaviswillmake
a comeback.SAMALIPOUR
S T R A I G H T U P W I T H
script, I wouldnt do it simply
because Iddestroyit foranyone
wholoveshockey.I couldnt fake it.
Evena nonathletecould tell.
Laurence Olivier might have beenourgreatest actor, butif he
couldnt catch or throw,he
shouldnttry to play an athlete.
Whattook you solongto do
a football film?
Iveseen a coupleof football
scripts comeand go, but I dont
like wearing fake uniforms in
fake leagues. Ima purist. So
I was reallyhappy thatthe NFL
endorsed Draft Day.
TheNFL isawfully finickyabout
itsbrand andmovierights.
It shouldbe. Sometimeswe use
and abuse themand itsnota fair
representation of theleague. Butthe NFL opened the doors forus.
Ourcameras were everywhere at
last yearsdraft. I wasntthere
that day, though. Imnot really
enthralled with allthat.Im nota
fantasy football guy either.
Good god, man. Andyou call
yourself an American?
I know, butI make cowboy movies,
so get over it! I do love watching
good football. Im from LA, and
we dont have a team, so I watchthe 49ers a lot. When they
werent playing well, I watched
the Dolphins or Steelers.
What type of research goes into
playing such a desperateGM?
I talked with the Rams and
Cleveland GMs. I understand the
game, and desperation. I know
what its like to go against the
grain on a hunch when everything
is riding on it.
TheBrowns in this filmare trueto lifei.e.,garbage. Did the
team have anyqualms about
beingportrayed as such?
I think Cleveland loves this movie
because were honest with it. The
Browns can turn it around. No
one saw the Seahawks coming
four years ago. The right coach
and players come in and then
history doesnt matter anymore.
TexanstailbackArian Foster
playsa potentialNo. 1 pick.Whatdo youthinkof hisperformance?
He did great. He had to play
somebody younger, a guy right
out of college. He had good
rhythm. I think it was fun for him.
Youveplayed JohnDunbar,Eliot
Ness, RobinHood.Where doRay
Kinsella and Crash Davis rank?
CL O CK W I S E F R O M T O P : D A L E R O BI NE T T E / S U M M I T E NT E R T A I NM E NT ; T HE M O U NT CO M P A NY / G E T T Y I M A G E S ;
U NI V E R S A L / E V E R E T T CO L L E CT I O N; W A R NE R BR O S . / E V E R E T T CO L L E CT I O N
Those were really huge movies for
me.Field of Dreamswas our
generationsIts a Wonderful Life.
The People will come speech
that writer-director Phil Robinsonwrote did something an athlete
alone couldnt doit encapsu-
lated why we love baseball.
BullDurham turned 25 lastyear.
In 2008, RonShelton said the
sequelis a go.Whats thelatest?
Ron is working on aBull Durham
play, butweve never talkedabout
a sequel. I dont seeit happening.
Itwould haveto begreat.
Youd be hard-pressedto findagolferwho cant quote TinCup.
Going for it on that last hole,
pulling a Tin Cup, is actually
part of their language now. I can
make any shot in golf; I just cant
make 72 of them. I play two or
three times a year. But because
of that movie, people at Pebble
Beach think I must be really good.
ROY MCAVOY,RAY KINSELLA ANDCRASH DAVIS RANKON COSTNERSMOVIE RUSHMORE.
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PLAYBOOK VISUALS
28 ES P N T h e Ma g a z i ne 0 4 / 1 4 / 2 0 1 4 p ho to g ra p h b y D YL A N CO U LT ER
TECHNIQUE
TIMBERWOLVES GUARDRICKYRUBIODISHESON HIS CROSSOVERSUCCESS AT BLOWINGBY DEFENDERS.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Ricky Rubio is the NBAs ultimatewing man: According to NBA.com,Minnesota averages 13.1 morepoints per 100 possessions* whenhes on the floorand deliveringpinpoint passesthan when hesnot. No move in Rubios bag of tricksis more effective than his behind-the-back crossover, which leaveshim with lethal options in its wake.I either have a clear route to thebasket or it opens up a passinglane when another defender comesto help, says Rubio. Here, theTimberwolves top playmaker breaks
down the art of breaking ankles.CHRIS GIGLEY
5.AfterI get the ballto myleft
hand,I putmy body between the
ball andthedefender. I keep the
ballon myhipasI goby him.Thatway, hecant gofor thesteal
hed becalled fora reach-infoul.
4.Thisis a fast move,and Im
reactingto thedefender. I decide
rightoff thedribblewhetherto
driveto thebasketor pass.I canusually do either.I likedefenders
notknowingwhat to expect.
3.I dontworryaboutwhere myhandison the ball. How doI know
I wontget calledfor traveling?
I move quickly enoughthatthe
referee doesnt havetime to see
andblow the whistle.
6.My headis always up,looking
fora teammate ora route tothe
basket. EvenwhenI findwhoI
wantto get the ballto,I keeplooking around. I dontwantto
telegraphthe pass.
1. Agood crossoverstartswith
footwork.If Imgoing todribblefrommy right handto myleft,I
take a smalljab step tothe right
tomakeit look like Im driving.
Thatgets the defender to bite.
2. Once the defender commits,
theballshouldbe atmy hip,readyfor thetransition. I pause
fora splitsecond tofreeze the
defender.He doesnt knowif Ill
keep goingrightor goto theleft.
* T H R O U G H M A R C H 2 0
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FED UPWITHWORKINGLONGHOURS FOR MEAGERWAGES, A RAIDERETTENAMED LACYT. RECENTLYFILED A LAWSUIT INSEARCHOFFAIR PAY. SHE MIGHTJUSTEND UPCHANGINGTHE SYSTEM.
P H O T O G R A P H S B Y C H R I S M C P H E R S O N
JUSTCHEER,BABY
LACYT.WASborn to cheer. When she dances,
she moves at the speed of a shook-up pompom.
When she talks, its in a peppy Southern drawl
that makes everything sound as sweet as sugar.
And when she poses, she is the image of a
classic pinup: big hair, tiny waist and full lips
that part to reveal a megawatt smile.
Naturally, when Lacy auditioned for the
Oakland Raiderettes a year ago, she made
the squad. And the Raiderettes quickly set to
work remaking her in their image. She would
be known exclusively by her first name and
last initiala tradition across the NFL, ostensi-
bly designed to protect its sideline stars from
prying fans. The squad director handed Lacy,
now 28, a sparkling pirate-inspired crop top,
a copy of the teams top-secret biblewhich
guides Raiderettes in everything from foldinga dinner napkin correctly to spurning the
advances of a married Raiders playerand
specific instructions for maintaining a head-to-
toe Raiderettes look. The team presented Lacy
with a photograph of herself next to a shot of
actress Rachel McAdams, who would serve as
Lacys celebrity hairstyle look-alike. Lacy was
mandated to expertly mimic McAdams light
reddish-brown shade and 1-inch-diameter
curls, starting with a $150 dye job at a squad-
approved salon. Her fingers and toes were tobe french-manicured at all times. Her skin was
to maintain an artificial sun-kissed hue into
the winter months. Her thighs would always
be covered in dancing tights, and false lashes
would be perpetually glued to her eyelids.
Periodically, shed have to step on a scale to
prove that her weight had not inched more
than 4 pounds above her 103-pound baseline.
Long before Lacys boots ever hit the gridiron
grass, I was just hustling, she says. Very early
B Y A M A N D A H E S S
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32 ES P N The Ma g a z ine 04/ 14/ 2014 T HE A R O N W . HE ND E R S O N/ G E T T Y I M A G E S
on, I was spending money like crazy. The salon
visits, the makeup, the eyelashes, the tights
were almost exclusively paid out of her own
pocket. The finishing touch of the Raiderettes
onboarding process was a contract requiring
Lacy to attend thrice-weekly practices, dozens
of public appearances, photo shoots, fittings
and nine-hour shifts at Raiders home games,all in return for a lump sum of $1,250 at the
conclusion of the season. (A few days before she
filed suit, the team increased her pay to $2,780.)
All rights to Lacys image were surrendered to
the Raiders. With fines for everything from
forgetting pompoms to gaining weight, the
handbook warned that it was entirely possible
to find yourself with no salary at all at the
end of the season.
Like hundreds of women who have cheered
for the Raiders since 1961, Lacy signed the
contract. Unlike the rest of them, she also
showed it to a lawyer.
ONJAN.22,Lacy T.s attorneys filed a lawsuit
in Alameda County Superior Court alleging
that the Raiders fail to pay their cheerleaders
minimum wage for all hours worked, withhold
pay until the end of the season, require cheer-
leaders to cover their own business expenses,
dont provide lunch breaks and imposefines for minor infractionsall of which,
according to the suit, constitute violations of
the California Labor Code.
The provocation was unprecedented. When
pro footballs first cheerleaders took the field in
the 1920s, rah-rahing on the sidelines was a
volunteer position, usually occupied by local
high school and college cheerleaders interested
in performing on a bigger stage. But as TV
began to outpace radio, more and more teams
stocked their sidelines with flashieralthoughstill unpaidperformers. In 1972, Cowboys
GM Tex Schramm upped the game. Hed seen
Bubbles Cash, an artificially augmented local
stripper, make the news after cameras caught
her shimmying in the stands with a stick of
cotton candy, and he wanted similar assets at
his games. So he replaced his cheer director
a local high school teacherwith a Broadway
choreographer, dismissed his squad of coed
teenagers to make way for a team of (barely)
tion to join an elite sisterhood, populated by the
ranks of 700 women whod been deemed fit to
don the silver and black. Live up to the legacy
and Lacy would have new best friends for life.
Some of the girls get really close, Lacy says.
Years after they retire their pompoms, these
girls will be bridesmaids at each others wed-
dings and organizers of their baby showers.Still, not all Raiderettes are created equal.
Soon after they make the team, the 40 cheer-
leaders are divided into four cheer lines
organized by height and anchored by a line
captain, ensuring that whenever they bound
onto the field they appear to be just the same
size. The lines also serve as an automatic social
clique. At 5'4", Lacy was assigned a spot in
line two, and shed spend the season practicing,
performing and promoting the team with the
nine other women in her height range. Mem-bers from separate lines rarely interact.
When Lacy was drafted onto line two in 2013,
theline captain staged a bonding night at an
Oakland bar, wherethe women gathered to play
bocce, exchange presents and take get-to-know-
you quizzes. For many of the women, the
Raiders are their main social outlet, says Lacy.
But she was different. Married with a now-
2-year-old child at home, Lacy was forced to
give up precious family time to be at suchevents. It was a non-negotiable and unpaid part
of the drill: Before the 2013 season kicked off,
the women were also required to drive up to
Napa to participate in a Raiderettes minicamp,
and during the season, the squad went away
for its annual swimsuit calendar shoot. Lacy
drove up to Napa, posed all day in a royal-blue
bikini at a cold winery and was forced to stick
around for a sleepover.
At auditions, trips like these were framed as
fabulous perks. But in order to cash in on thebiggest moneymaking opportunitycorporate-
fundedpublic appearancesthat can net a
cheerleader $400 for a four-hour shift (money
shelled out by the company, not theteam)
Raiderettes were required to make 10 charity
appearances over the season where they donned
the uniform gratis. Sometimes these appear-
ances constituted legitimate volunteer work,
like playing with kids at the Ronald McDonald
House. Sometimes it just meant helping the
legal women in stomach-baring tops and began
paying them a meager salary. By 1976, theyd
become a trademark part of a franchise. That
year, Super Bowl X marked not only the end
of the Cowboys season but the beginning of
modern professional cheerleading: 73 million
viewers watched as one cheerleader turned to
the camera and winked, launching the DallasCowboys Cheerleaders as bankable stars of
team-approved posters, calendars, public
appearances and reality TV. These werent just
cheerleaders; they were what Schramm called
atmosphere producers.
But even as collective bargaining has caused
players salaries to skyrocket, cheerleaders are
still treated with the expendability of borrowed
college students. Of the 26 teams that employ
cheerleaders, only Seattle publicly advertises
that it pays its squad an hourly minimum wage.The tenuous position of NFL cheerleaders is
exacerbated by the fact that six teams dont
fork out any cash for squads. The Packers
occasionally employ the services of a local
collegiate squad. Other teams, such as the
Lions, Browns and Giants, rely on unofficial
squads willing to finance themselves through
public appearances and calendar shoots for
the opportunity to dance in a high-profile
setting. Beyond that, it boils down to a num-bers game. There are more aspiring pros than
there are slots on the sideline, so if one cheer-
leader slips up, there are hundreds of hopefuls
waiting to take her place.
Many former cheerleaders say the true perks
of the job go beyond pay. Alumnae have lev-
eraged the perch to find work as fitness instruc-
tors, dance studio owners, reality TV stars, even
Playboy models. Jeanette Thompson, who
cheered in the 1990s, ascendedfrom thesideline
to become the Raiderettes coacha salariedteam position (although earnings are undis-
closed)and a behind-the-scenes reporter for
theRaiders website. Othersfind stability in the
sports world through other means, like Paige
Green, a Raiderette-turned-model who went on
to marry John Elway. But for many Raiderettes,
just making the cut was its own reward.
LACYQUICKLY LEARNEDthat a spot on the
Raiderettes wasnt just a jobit was an invita-
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04/ 14/ 2014 ES P N The Ma g a z ine 33
Former Raiderettes co-captain
Sarah G. says cheerleaders
low pay and poor treatment
were forms of brainwashing.
Raiders sell preseason tickets. If a woman
failed to get in her 10 charity events, she could
make up the difference by doing paperwork or,
in one case, reporting in jeans and full makeup
to rearrange furniture in the Raiders office. As
for the swimsuit calendars, the women were
encouraged to buy copies from the team at
cost$5 a calendarthen hustle to turn themaround for a $10 profit.
Meanwhile, opportunities for losing money
abounded. When one woman accidentally
made contact with a Sharpie at a calendar
signing and wasnt able to bleach out the
stain, Lacy says the woman was forced to
reimburse the team for an expensive new top.
If a Raiderette failed to bring her pompoms to
practice or showed up late, among dozens of
other infractions, she would be required to pay
a fine of $10 to $125. But the biggest threat tothe cheerleaders incomes came at weigh-ins.
After practices, women were called in for
one-on-one meetings with Thompson, who
would point out problem areas on candid
photographs, circling any suggestion of cellulite
and identifying women who appeared to be
photographing heavy. At one game, a woman
on Lacys line was informed right before kickoff
that she would be benched for the day without
pay for her weight issues. Lacys line scram-bled to reconfigure its routine to make up for
the missing member.
The strong camaraderie among professional
cheerleaders was a selling point for recruiting
dancers, but it was also a strategy for keeping
the women in line. Cheerleaders were periodi-
cally reminded that hundreds of bright young
women would kill to take their slot in the
sisterhood. And a cheerleader who failed to
pull her weight risked more than her spot on
the teamthe Raiderettes were told that anypersonal failure could endanger the future of
the entire squad, bringing down the sisterhood
for good. Fans would come to see the games
whether or not we had cheerleaders, the
handbook reminded them. Fail to follow
the squads instructions to a T and the team
might decide that the whole cheerleading
enterprise is too much trouble to deal with.
Keeping the sisterhood intact required
maintaining a low profile, even within the
that Lacys working conditions were illegal,
the cheerleader agreed to become the face of a
lawsuit while keeping quiet around the rest ofthe squad during the season. But shortly after
the Raiders last game, the topic of money
began coming up. The mother of a 14-year-old
California cheerleader had started a change.org
petition asking NFLteams to step up and
start paying cheerleaders a living wage so that
her daughter could grow up to have a shot at
a livelihood. Several current and former
Raiderettes signed. Some publicized their
support on Facebook and Instagram. Thepetition sparked an internal Raiderettes email
chain discussing the issue. The next day, Lacy
replied to the thread with a link to her freshly
filed legal complaint:Lacy T.v. Oakland
Raiders, a class-action lawsuit on behalf of
Raiderettes whocheered from 2010 to 2013.
Almost immediately, a fellow Raiderette
called up Chandra Roberts to alert her to the
suit. Roberts had cheered for the Raiderettes
for just a year in 1985, but her ties to the
game are stronger than most. Her father, C.R.Roberts, played for the 49ers in the late 1950s
and early 60s, and she eventually became the
first female honorary member of the NFL
Players Association. Now shes one of the most
active and influential Raiderettes alumnae,
coordinating reunions and keeping other former
cheerleaders up to date via social media.
Roberts fears that one cheerleaders bad
experience could threaten the entire fabric
of the sisterhood. I see the inner workings of
organization that employed the cheerleaders.
You need to learn to deal with attention you
receive from the public [and especially theplayers] without it getting out of hand and
going to your head, the rules read. Cheerlead-
ers were instructed to stay away from other
employees in the Oakland organization. If they
lingered too long in the Raiders office, they
were bound to upset some wives; get caught
socializing too much with the Raiders and a
cheerleader risked dismissal. Do not become
the topic of conversation in the locker room
and/or by the Raider staff, the handbookwarned. We eventually hear everything.
WHENSHE FIRSTclinched a spot on the team,
Lacy brought her Raiderettes contract home.
Her husband, Josh, balked. Lacy had been
working toward professional cheerleading since
she was a kid, cheering her way through high
school and college, then dancing for the Golden
State Warriors, who paid her $12 an hour for
practice and games. When Josh suggested they
send her Raiderettes contract to an attorney toinvestigate its terms, Lacy wasnt convinced that
asking women to voluntarily cheer for a low
wage was against the law. But she took a
meeting at the Oakland offices of Levy, Vinick,
Burrell Hyams LLP, a women-owned firm that
advocates for employees in cases of discrimina-
tion, harassment and missed wages. The firms
website features a picture of Rosie the Riveter
over the phrase: Who Would Rosie Hire?
When attorney Sharon Vinick concluded
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34 ES P N The Ma g a z ine 04/ 14/ 2014
the NFL through the male point of view, she
says. To them, cheerleaders are expendable.
And while she says she would be happy for
Raiderettes to see a pay increaseshe did sign
the change.org petitionshe believes cheerlead-
ers positionin the NFL is tootenuous to survive
a suit. This could be thedemise of cheerlead-
ing, she says. Mark my words. The proverbialyou-know-what is going to hit the fan.
Since news of the lawsuit went public on
Jan. 22, neither the Raiders nor the NFL has
made a peep to the media. (They wouldnt
comment for this story either.) But a group of
former Raiderettes took to social media and
local and national news to publicize their own
perspectives on the team. We are horrified that
this Bitter Betty is suing the organization where
we created lasting friendships and a Sisterhood,
a *family bond*, that only another Raiderettecan fully understand, alumna Teri McCollum
wrote. Anjelah Johnson, another former
Raiderette and a comedian,put it more point-
edly to a localradiostation: In thebarrio,when
you turn your back on the gang, you get stitches.
AFTERFILING THEsuit, Lacy enlisted Josh to
monitor her email and social media accounts to
help shield her from the nastiest messages. A
week later, she received an email from Sarah G.,a four-year veteran on the team who served as
co-captain of line four, the tallest group of
Raiderettes. I was freaking out when I got that
email, Lacy says. Shes a co-captain. Shes from
another line. I was totally afraid that she was
going to be dishing me out on behalf of the
Raiders. But when Lacy called, Sarah told her
that she agreed with her cause. A week later,
Sarah publicly joined the suit.
When Sarah G., 29, first inked a contract with
the Raiderettes, she says, I looked at it and waslike, Wow, this sucks. But I did it for the love
of dance, not for money. I just had absolutely
no idea it was illegal. After reading Lacy s
claims, she realized that the Raiders decided
they didnt want to pay us, so they created this
bogus contract to fool us and trick us and take
advantage of our dreams and our passion.
Looking back on her four seasons, she realized
that a lot of what happened on the squad didnt
sit right after all: theconstant reminders that
they could be replaced, thesudden benchingfor
weight violations, the Raiders Christmas party
that they were allowed to attend but only if they
didnt bring a dateand didnt pickup a drink.
Its a form of manipulation, Sarah says. If we
dont do what were told, when were told, how
were told, we could easily be replaced. Its a
scare tacticto keep us in line.
Shortly after Lacy filed suit, the U.S.Department of Labor opened its own investiga-
tion into the Raiders treatment of cheerlead-
ers. It closed the inquiry in March, determining
that as a seasonal operation, cheerleading is
exempt from federal minimum wage laws. But
many state labor laws, including Californias,
are stricter than federal ones, and the pot had
been stirred. Within a month, a Bengals
cheerleader filed a similar class-action suit on
behalf of the members of her squad, who she
says are paid $90 a game, or $2.85 an hour.In March, the Raiders filed a motion asking
the court to compel Lacy T. and Sarah G.
to resolve their disputes separately in private
arbitration within the league, with NFL
commissioner Roger Goodell serving as
arbitera condition to which all Raiderettes
agree when they sign their contracts. The NFLs
dispute resolution procedural guidelines allow
the commissioner to conduct the arbitration in
such manner as he deems appropriate. His
Former teammates
stopped responding
to Lacys calls and texts
after she filed suit.
decision will be final, conclusive and unappeal-
able, and he reserves the right to keep the
proceedings confidential.
But Vinick says her team remains confident
the case will go to court: The right of employers
to force employees into arbitration is a highly
contested legal matter in California, and courts
around the country have struck down arbitra-
tion clauses that stack the deck too strongly inone partys favor.
Sarahis currently the only Raiderette to join
Lacy in thesuit,although anyone who cheered
for the Raiders between 2010 and 2013 who
doesnt opt out would sharepart of a settlement
if Lacy winsand allteams would likely
increase cheerleader pay before they are served
with lawsuits. Perhaps thats why no current
cheerleaders have spoken out in support of the
Raiders either. In private messages, there are
a ton of women who havecontacted mewhowish to remain anonymous who are in support,
Sarah says. Theyre just afraid to come out
because of the backlash. They want to try out
again or stay a part of this sisterhood.
Lacy says even that quiet support has helped
keep her going, as has positive feedback from
Raiders fans. They were like, we see you out
there before we start tailgating, and when we
leave the game youre still out there, and you
deserve fair pay for working really hard.
THE BIGGEST THREAT TOTHE CHEERLEADERS INCOMESCAME AT WEIGHINS.
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04/14/2014 ES P N T he Ma g a z ine 37p h o t o g r a ph b y K O H J I R O K I N N O ; l o g o b y S T U D I O B L A C K
KINGS AT LAKERSF E B R U A R Y 2 8
WARRIORS AT CLIPPERSM A R C H 1 2ONE DAY, ONE GAME
WELCOMETOCALIFORNIA,WHERETHEBANNERSIN THERAFTERSNOLONGERMATCHTHERESULTSDOWNBELOW.Notwiththe listless
Lakers shaming their 16 titles by limping to the finish line. Notwith the straight-shooting DocRivers navigating theonce-hapless
Clips through theWest.Not with StephenCurrys perfect-as-can-be J launching the Warriors to newheights.Not with theKings
perpetually misunderstood DeMarcusCousins promising an end to the franchises 62-year title drought. (Okay, theres still a little
work left on that last one.) So forgiveus as we tweak our One Day, One Game franchiseever so slightly.This ones One State,
OneArena. Its Two Days, Two Games. Its TwoContenders, Two Pretenders.Its FourRivals from the OneConferencewortha
damnthis season.This is California basketball, in all its dysfunctionalglory. (Black Mamba sold separately.)
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38 ES P N The Ma g a z ine 04/ 14/ 2014 C L O C KW I SE FR O M B O T T O M L E FT : KO H J I R O KI N N O ; J E FF GR O S; A N DR E W D. B E R N ST E I N / N B AE / GE T T Y I MA GE S FO R E SPN T H E MA GA ZI N E( 2)
WELCOME TO THE WILD WE
KINGSAT LAKERSF E B R U A R Y 2 8
PHOTO PORTFOLIOWARRIORSAT CLIPPERS
M A R C H 1 2
G A M E
G A M E
PREGAME
1
2
You could say that a cloud is hovering overStaples Center before the battle for pingpong
balls between the Kings and Lakers. You couldalso say Zeus himself is hurling cold rain upon
LA [1].Fittingly, the sun shines bright before thetilt between the Warriors and Clippers [2].
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04/ 14/ 2014 ES P N The Ma g a z ine 39
ST
1 2
Jordan Farmar fine-tunes his jumper at the Lakersfacility in El Segundo under the watchful eyes ofthree staffers and nineLarry OBrientrophies [1].TheClippers practice facility in Playa Vista may soon havehardware of its own if the teams many gunners, likeJared Dudley [2], can continue to knock down shots.
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40 ES P N The Ma g a z ine 04/ 14/ 2014 C L O C KW I SE FR O M T O P L E FT : GR E GG SE GA L( 4); A N DR E W D. B E R N ST E I N / N BA E / GE T T Y I MA GE S FO R E SPN T H E MA GA ZI N E( 2)
So coachesdo relax at Staples Center.Doc Rivers [2] has the Clips atop the Pacific, while
the Lakers Mike DAntoni[1] is just trying tokeep the boat afloat, he says over the music of
James Taylor. Theyre a good groupfor the mostpart. I want that in there:for the most part.
Lakers Wesley Johnson, assistant video coordinatorJ.J. Outlaw and Robert Sacre (from left) get grub inthe players lounge at Staples [1]. The Clippers orderbreakfast at the lounge in their facilitywhere (fromleft) assistant coach Armond Hill, Hedo Turkoglu andBlake Griffin [2] can also play a game of billiards.
1 1
2 2
PREGAME
KINGSAT LAKERS
WARRIORSAT CLIPPERS
clutch? Not accordingto Kings forward ChrisWebber (a lucky play)and Kings center Vlade
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04/ 14/ 2014 ES P N The Ma g a z ine 41
0 3 . 0 6 . 0 0
LAKERS CENTERSHAQUILLE ONEALnabs61 points and 23 boardsin a road game vs. the
Clippers. Motivated bywhat he deems a pregameinsultbeing forced,by the Clips, to foot thebill for his ticketallotmenthe warns afterthe game: Dont evermake me pay for tickets.
0 5 . 0 4 . 0 0
PHIL JACKSON DECLARESSACRAMENTOwhosefans, it should be noted,
do in fact enjoy ringingcowbells in their arenaacow town. He also callsKings fans semicivilizedand maybe redneck insome form or fashion.
0 5 . 2 6 . 0 2
WAS LAKERS FORWARDROBERT HORRYSgame-winning three inGame 4 of the 2002Western Conference finals
THE NEW
CALIFORNIAANIMOSITY
The Clippers-Kings-Lakers-Warriorsquadrangle has offeredno lack of intrastatedrama: class warfare,inferiority complexes,Shaqs rap-slanderingof Vlade Divac to the
Cheerstheme song.California boasts163,696 square miles,but is it big enough forthese four? Apparentlynot. PABLO S. TORRE
Divac (You dont need tohave skill in that kind ofsituation) in separateinterviews on this day.
1 0 . 2 5 . 0 2
BEFORE A PRESEASONGAME,ONeal calls theKings the Queens. Inresponse, the teamsbrawlin a preseasongame. Kings guardDoug Christie and Lakersforward Rick Fox aretossed for fighting, andlater they tangle in thetunnel. I dont feel secure,man, Divac says. Theyre
supposed to keep thesegames secure.
1 0 . 2 8 . 0 2
IN A FIRST-PERSONMAGAZINE FEATURE,Divac explains the originsof their blood feud. Shaq,Divac writes, told him tostop flopping, bitch,among other things.I tell him, Just keepplaying, Shaq.
2 0 0 2
ON THE LAKERS BUS, SHAQCUES UP A FLIP-PHONEthat bleats out the Cheerstheme song and raps overit: Vlade said that if wedont have home-courtadvantage we wont win /Vlade are you stupid? Illtell you time again / Youneed to go where theyknow your naaaame.
0 7. 1 5 . 0 4
KOBE BRYANT, A FREEAGENT,chooses to re-signwith the Lakers after abrief flirtation with theClips. Clippers fans,sobbing internally, try toact all like, whatever, man.
0 6 . 1 0 . 0 8
DISGRACED REFEREE TIMDONAGHY ALLEGESthatrefs rigged the 2002Kings-Lakers series forLA. In a blog post, Christiewrites, I am devastatedto the point of feelingphysically sick! Whatsreal and whats fake?
0 1 . 1 5 . 1 0
WHEN ASKED ABOUT ASO-CALLEDClippers
Their on-court counterparts might beadversaries, but theres no beef between theLaker Girls [1] and the Clippers Spirit [2].Everybody thinks were rivals, but were friends.Even on Facebook, says Kellie, the SpiritsAll-Star Game rep (second from right).
1
2
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2014 Porsche Cars North America, Inc. Porsche recommends seat belt usage and observance of all traffic laws at all times.
8/12/2019 ESPN the Magazine - 14 April 2014
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We spend years designing cars to be timeless.
And give them 24 hours to prove it.
The Porsche 919 Hybrid at the 24h of Le Mans.Mission 2014. Our Return.
As the most prestigious and grueling endurance race in the world, the 24 Hours of Le Mans
has often pushed us to our very limits. And in a few races, even beyond. Which is precisely
why were thrilled to be returning to the pinnacle of racing in 2014, where once again we
will face our toughest competitorus. Our legacy of winning at Le Mans is the standard
we always hold for ourselves. But all we learn in the process about durability, efficiency
and performance will find its way into the one thing more important than another win in a
famous race. The sports cars we put on the road. Porsche. There is no substitute.
porscheusa.com/mission2014Porsche recommends and
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44 ES P N The Ma g a z ine 04/ 14/ 2014 F R O M T O P : D O NA L D M I R A L L E ; NO A H G R A HA M / NBA E / G E T T Y I M A G E S F O R E S P N T HE M A G A Z I NE
CurseNo. 1 pick
Blake Griffin had justundergone season-endingknee surgeryJacksonsays: Im of that
generation that believesin karma. And legallyembattled Clippers ownerDonald Sterling, Jacksondeclares, has not done
enough mitzvahs.
0 1 . 2 5 . 1 2
DURING A CLIPPERS GAME,PAU GASOLpats new Clipsguard Chris Paul on thetop of the head after Paulaccuses the Lakers big ofbeing soft. Paul slapsGasols hand away, later
explaining: He tried totouch my head. I dont likethat. I dont know if Paugot kids, but dont touch
the top of my head like Imone of your kids.
0 4 . 0 5 . 1 2
AFTER FOULING OUT IN ALOSSto the Clips, Kingscenter DeMarcus Cousinstakes issue with Griffinsno-commenting about theapparent elbow Cousins
shot his way. Of coursethats what Blake is goingto say, because hes in LA,
where actors belong, hesays, adding, I guess thewind from my hand hit himin the eye, and I guess hegot fouled by the wind.
0 1 . 0 2 . 1 3
PRO ATHLETES ARETYPICALLYabove openlycelebrating the misfortuneof their peers. Not Warriors
guard Kent Bazemore,when it comes to Griffin.
Bazemore and teammatesburst with glee whenGriffin bricks a three off
the side of the backboardand airballs another.
1 0 . 3 1 . 1 3
HOW MUCH DO THE CLIPSAND WARRIORShate eachother? LA reportedly
requests its own chapeltime before a game withGolden Statebreaking a
tradition of Christians on
both teams worshippingtogether. Man, they dontwant to have chapel withus? one team source tells
the Contra Costa Times. Inever heard that before.
1 0 . 3 1 . 1 3
PERSONAL SPACE IS AT A
PREMIUMwhen Griffin,inbounding the ball,
accidentally steps onWarriors coach MarkJacksons foot. Whichresults in Jacksons lightlypushing Griffin. Which
results in a face-to-facechat that fails to endeareither man to the other.
1 2 . 2 5 . 1 3
ON CHRISTMAS DAY, SEVEN
WEEKSafter Golden Statecenter Andrew BogutandClips center DeAndre
Jordan receive Tsforshoving eachother, Griffinis ejected fortanglingwithBogut; Warriors forwardDraymondGreen is ejected
forelbowingGriffin;andBogutand Paul fight for theballafter the finalbuzzer.Merry freakinChristmas!
0 1 . 2 3 . 1 4
COUSINS IS NOT DONEPSYCHOANALYZINGtheClips roster. Not only is
Griffin an actor, but Paul,he tells Grantland, is acheater: Some playersI dont respect. Just their
style of basketball; I feellike its basically cheating,and I dont respect acheater. If thats yourtactic to winning, I dont
respect you.
0 3 . 1 2 . 1 4
AFTER LOSINGTO THECLIPS,new Warriors bigJermaineONeal joinsthehategame, confrontingGriffin outside hislockerroom; theheated conver-
sationis broken upby anLAteamofficial,afterGriffin isoverheard telling ONeal toleave that son thecourt. Good luck with that.
Beloved local broadcaster Jim Hill walksthe players tunnel, which is adornedon all sides by the vaunted Lakers logo [1] .For the Clippers, the tunnel gets amakeover: images of players froma star-studded roster [2].SAM ALIPOUR
1
2
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THEYLL NEVER KNOW MEDEMARCUS COUSINS REFUSES TOPUT ONANACTFORTHEMEDIA,THEREFSORTHE NBATOGET THE RESPECT HEDESERVES. BYTIM KEOWN
GAME
SACRAMENTOKINGS
ATLOS ANGELES
LAKERS
F E B R U A R Y 2 8
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p h ot og r a p h s b y R A I N ER HO S CH 0 4 / 1 4 / 2 0 1 4 E S P N T he Ma g a z i ne 47
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J O HN E . S O K O L O W S K I / U S A T O D A Y S P O R T S48 ES P N The Ma g a z ine 04/ 14/ 2014
mention that hes never run afoul of the law.
Nobody approaches a story on Cousins
expecting introspection or examples of his
charitable work. Thats like visiting Las Vegas
to check out thelibrary.
In January, one of his friends took a screen
shot of an NBA TV graphic listing scoring andrebounding stats of Western Conference
All-Star candidates. On first glance, everything
seems normal, but a closer look shows that
Cousins is incorrectly listed fifth, behind
Anthony Davis, who had lower numbers in
both categories (and still does).
Sittingatop the kitchen counter of his
13,000-square-foot home east of Sacramento,
Cousins eats his second Uncrustableshe peels
off the outer edge of theuncrust as he goesand
drinks a glass of grapefruit juice. Hestares at the
graphic for what must be thethousandth time
and shakes his head slowly.
How could they do that?How could they think
nobody would notice?
One mans coincidence is another mans
conspiracy. Davis was named an All-Star;
Cousins wasnt.
It is harderto changeopinions than to create
them, and Cousins is tooproud to wage thekind
of eager public relations campaign needed tobegin the process. He has a uniform disdain for
what he deems as phoniness or politicking. He
physically prevented teammate Isaiah Thomas
from shakinghands with Chris Paul after a
game this season because he considers Paul a
creation of the establishment, a player whose
persona doesnt mesh with reality. (Google Paul
Cousins flop.) After a game last season, Cousins
confronted Spurs broadcaster Sean Elliott when
informed that Elliott had criticized him. The
low rumble. I hate that Im in this position, he
says.I cant believe it, to be honest.Its jarring to hear a 23-year-old man speak of
himself with anthropological distance, and even
more jarring to hear thewordsarrive with such
resignation. There is a person who lives inside
Cousins and an image that does not. The image
is out there, loose in the public arena, like a
balloon after it leaves a childs hand.
He believes he is powerless to stop it,and so
hedoes not try. Hedoes not knowwhat to do,
and sohe doesnothing. It is, headmits,an
approach that values personal defiance over
mans better instincts. No matter. Hes been
fighting perception and assumption for as long
as he can remember, and he knows some ironies
are crueler than others: Cousins was constantly
mistaken for an adult as a child, only to find
himself infantilized as an adult.
If you judge me only by my profession, you
dont know me at all, he says.Those people
who do that? Theyll never know me.
THEY. ITSAMORPHOUSand malleable, and in
Cousins world, comprehensive. The NBA. The
media. Therefs. Anyone whocalls him childish
or immature or troubled. Anyone who mistakes
passion for petulance. Anyone who suggests he
needsto be saved from himself.
The NBA, in his view, kept him out ofthis
seasons All-Star Game despite his double-double
credentials. The media propagate the bad-boy
narrative as if spreading seed, never bothering to
across South Figueroa from Staples Center,
where the Kings are about to play the Lakersin a heroic effort to sift through the grim
remains of another bad season. Sacramentos
star center is alone, suspended from the game
for giving Rockets guard Patrick Beverley a
gutshot three nights earlier.
This has happened many timesthree
suspensions last seasonbut this year, his fourth
in theNBA, was supposed to be different. This
was the year he finally got a coach who didnt
judge on reputation. This was the year his talent
would quiet his temper. This was the year there
would be no nights spent wishing he hadnt put
his worst impulses on public display.
Therain is hitting Figueroa at a 45-degree
slant, bringing LA to a standstill. Cousins clicks
through TV channels, trying to findthe game.
Every local station shows another giddy reporter
standing at a Glendora intersection, where the
rain created a mudslide. He flips through once
more before conceding: The hotel doesnt carry
thenetworkthat is broadcastingthe game.Hes not there,and theyre not here.The
isolation is complete.
Inside Staples, Cousins absence is a huge
presence. Standing with a few reporters 90
minutes before tip-off, first-year coach Michael
Malone says, DeMarcus feels terrible that hes
nothere. Hesworked so hard to get beyond this,
but he has to hold himself to a higher standard.
Three days later,