espn.com Ali Contest
Other golfers cower in his presence. Beautiful women flock to his side. Fortune 500 companies want him pitching their products. Yet for all the awe that Tiger Woods inspires, there's something missing, says Page 2's Bill Simmons. El Tigre is definitely an all-time great, but unlike Ali or MJ, he's charisma-challenged.
THE SPORTS GUY: WHAT CAN YOU SAY?




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Our intrepid World Cup diarist, Michael Davies, fights through illness, extreme weight loss and the heart-breaking elimination of his adopted favorite team (Japan) to provide exclusive rankings of all the countries remaining in the tournament. And, yes, our man was able to put his rooting interest aside and remain (somewhat) objective about England.

Reel Life The Power Poll
"The Hustler," a film starring Paul Newman as "Fast Eddie" Felson and Jackie Gleason as "Minnesota Fats," has been praised as a classic that explores the dark world of pool hustling. To celebrate the movie's DVD release, Page 2's Jeff Merron looks at how faithful its reel world is to the real world.
Another amazing week in sports saw a Lakers' threepeat, an inspiring upset by the U.S. soccer team, and, of course, Tiger's continuing drive toward a golfing Grand Slam. So who's No. 1 in this week's Page 2 Power Poll? You'll have to check it out. But here's a hint: We polled Elin Nordegren.

WORLD CUP MADNESS
They were deemed "lucky" to make the Round of 16. They were dissed and dismissed by everyone from London to Buenos Aires. Despite it all, the Americans are now players in the soccer world, and Page 2's Michael Davies says they're here to stay.


This week, Page 2 lists the top 10 championship blowouts in sports history. Take a look at our list, then send us your choice for the biggest championship romp of all-time. Later this week, we'll compile our readers' list along with a poll to crown the No. 1 championship blowout of them all.

10]  Dodgers hold Yanks to four runs (1963 World Series)
The Yankees bat .171 for the Series, and have an anemic slugging percentage of .240.
9]  UNLV crushes Duke 103-73 (1990 NCAA Final)
The Runnin' Rebels become the first team to score 100-plus points in a final game, shooting 61 percent from the floor.
8]  Michigan trounces USC 49-0 (1948 Rose Bowl)
The big game against the Trojans, who are 15-point underdogs, is never much of a contest.
7]  49ers trounce Broncos 55-10 (Super Bowl XXIV)
MVP Joe Montana's final line -- 22-for-29 for 297 yards and five TDs. John Elway's line: 10-for-26 for 108 yards and two interceptions.
  • GET THE FULL LIST


ODDS TO WIN WORLD CUP 6/17
Brazil 12-5   Senegal 16-1
Spain 3-1   South Korea 16-1
England 10-3   Turkey 20-1
Germany 7-2   United States 25-1
Bold indicates home team | Complete line


 
Got a comment about something you've seen on Page 2? Here's your chance to sound off to the editors and columnists. Plus, if you'd like to send an e-mail to The Sports Guy, here's your direct link to Bill Simmons.


UNDISPUTED CHAMP
Forget Lennox, the Wings and the Lakers. The real undisputed champ of the sports world is Tiger Woods, and R-Dub says that ain't going to change any time soon.

THE WATER COOLER
Here's to you, Nu Yawk! Page 2's Brian Murphy raises his glass to toast the gallery at Bethpage for the U.S. Open.

THE SPORTS GUY
Bill Simmons offers his minute-by-minute account of what it was like to see the U.S. lose to Poland on TV.

ARMOR-ALL
Jim Caple wonders who's worse -- a pitcher who intimidates batters by throwing at their heads, or a slugger who intimidates pitchers by wearing body armor to the plate?
If your favorite writer isn't on Page 2 today, click here to check out our full roster of columnists.


It's Cobi Jones, left, whose U.S. soccer team is suddenly all the rage, and Zach de la Rocha, the former lead singer of "Rage Against the Machine." Page 2 has received 13 requests for this match. Browse our archives of past pairs or click here to submit a future duo for Page 2.


Soccer: Italy vs. South Korea
7:25 a.m. ET, ESPN
Italy tries to derail South Korea's World Cup dream.
 
College baseball: South Carolina vs. Georgia Tech
2 p.m. ET, ESPN
College World Series at Omaha, Neb.
 
":03 From Gold"
10 p.m. ET, PT, HBO
Thirty years after U.S. hoops team was robbed of gold.
 
• Complete TV Listings


If you missed Page 2 over the last week, check out our back issues:
• Mon., June 17: U.S. Uprising
• Fri., June 14: Up At Dawn
• Thurs., June 13: No Dynasty ... Yet
• Wed., June 12: Love It? Then Leave It
• Tues., June 11: Requiem for a Bad Dude

Other featured content:
• Sportoon: NBA Finals review
• Power Poll
• Makin' it Better: Bills uniforms
• 10 Burning Questions for Bill Walton
• Anna or Not Anna? The Penthouse Quiz
Tuesday, June 18, 2002
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