espn.com Ali Contest
Take a bunch of highly competitive guys, a bunch of hot women, outrageous amounts of cash, mix them all together and what have you got? Well, the NBA, for one. And the cast of "Rounders," for another. Mix some more, and you've got Page 2's Bill Simmons' recipe for the 2001-02 edition of his annual NBA awards.
THE SPORTS GUY'S NBA AWARDS




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Samuel L. Jackson is not just at the head of his acting class ... he's a class act. Page 2's Eric Neel caught up with the star of "Pulp Fiction," "Changing Lanes" and "Star Wars, Episode II" to ask him 10 Burning Questions on a variety of provocative subjects, including the fact that he'll be host of the ESPYs in July. That's right ... again. The man's a glutton for punishment.

What Are They Thinking? Bizarre & Bogus
Why is Madonna suddenly feeling shy? Who invited Ozzy Osbourne to the White House? And what caused the spat between Chuck Finley and Tawny Kitaen? Page 2 tries to answer these questions and more in the latest edition of "What the Heck Are They Thinking?"
When starlets start roughing up big-league pitchers, the headlines in your sports section are getting mighty strange. When things get weird, the weird turn to Page 2's Bizarre & Bogus. Check out our collection of unbelievable stories -- and see if you can spot the phony.

SPORTOON
By now, you're probably sick of hearing about "Tiger-proofing" and all the updates at Augusta National. To make The Masters' changes actually interesting, Page 2 cartoonist Kurt Snibbe turned to a man we can all understand -- Carl Spackler.


You've already looked at Page 2's top 10 disappointing teams of the past year. Now we've compiled our readers' list of the most disappointing teams along with a poll to determine the most frustrating team of 2001-02.
10]  New York Mets
"Sure, they had a nice quasi-comeback at the end of the year, but for all intents and purposes they were out of the race in a weak NL East."
9]  Minnesota Vikings
"I always thought they choked during the postseason, not during the regular season."
8]   Oregon State football
"How does a team that's a national title contender before the season not even make one of the 300,000 bowl games?"
7]   Cincinnati men's basketball
"They fight their way to a 30-3 regular season record, C-USA title, and No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament -- only to flame out in the second round to UCLA with befuddled looks on their faces."
  • GET THE FULL LIST


Baseball futures: Odds to win World Series
Yankees 2-1 Athletics 8-1
Mariners 4-1 Diamondbacks 7-1
Braves 6-1 Cardinals 10-1
Devil Rays 200-1 Pirates 150-1
Expos 150-1 Brewers 200-1
All Times ET -- Bold indicates home team
Complete Line


 
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Here's your chance to sound off to the editors and columnists.


REEL LIFE
You know "The Rookie" is based on a true story, but just how accurate is Dennis Quaid's new movie? Page 2's Closer Look explores.

GAMBLIN' MAN
This country loves its risk-takers, so Page 2's Ralph Wiley can't understand why so many people are on Phil Mickelson's case.

GETTING UNRULY
After Pedro Martinez erred by entering the Blue Jays' clubhouse, Page 2's Jim Caple wants to clarify all the "Unwritten Rules of Sports."

THE SPORTS GUY
Bill Simmons gives a blow-by-blow account of his fantasy baseball draft, highlighted by the reunion of him and his dad -- the legendary "Simmons Brothers."

NAKED TRUTH
Michael Malone surprisingly found a way to make many NBA players blush: Ask them which woman they'd like to see pose for Playboy.
If your favorite writer isn't on Page 2 today, click here to check out our full roster of columnists.


These guys have taken their share of shots throughout the years. It's Sixers forward Derrick Coleman, left, and former heavyweight champ George Foreman. Page 2 has received 25 requests for this match. Browse our archives of past pairs or click here to submit a future duo.

Golf: The Masters
4 p.m. ET, USA
Why all the fuss over an ugly jacket?
 
Sharks at Blues
7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN (regional)
Big battle in West or Bruins and Senators jockey for position in East.
 
Timberwolves at Lakers
10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Possible first-round foes fight for seeding in West.
 
• Complete TV Listings


If you missed Page 2 over the last week, check out our back issues:
• Wed., April 10: Think Again!
• Tues., April 9: Getting Unruly
• Mon., April 8: No Nudes
• Fri., April 5: Blood Feuds
• Thurs., April 4: Anna vs. Marilyn

Other featured content:
• Mystery Photo: Broderick in the swing
• Take Page 2's Bearcat Quiz
• The Power Poll
• Anna Kournikova vs. Marilyn Monroe
• Sportoon: How healthy is Shaq?
• Makin' it Better: Seahawks uniforms
• 10 Burning Questions with Dennis Quaid
Thursday, April 11, 2002
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