espn.com Ali Contest
They were once farther apart than Hootie and Martha. But in a miraculous twist of fate, Pete Rose and Bud Selig now appear to be finding common ground. What prompted this new detente? Perhaps it was their shared courage to sport a bad haircut. Jim Caple planted a listening device in Bud's office to capture the secret talks.
CAPLE: WAR OF THE ROSE




ESPN TOOLS
 
Email story
 
Most sent
 
Tom Berenger will try to fill Bear Bryant's legendary houndstooth hat in ESPN's "The Junction Boys" on Saturday night. So will Berenger be sporting the most famous headwear in sports history? Page 2 looks at the history of chapeaus, caps, fedoras and visors ... and asks you to vote for the best one. As for Berenger, he told us in 10 Burning Questions that he was a little awed by playing the Bear.

King James Rules ... ... No, He Doesn't
Move over, Rachel and Ross. The real must-see TV on Thursday night was "Everybody Loves LeBron James," and Page 2's Dan Shanoff says he couldn't look away for a single minute. With some folks expecting the kid to levitate, sell popcorn and change the game forever, James actually produced a game to match the insane hype.
Everyone's coming to praise King James today. Everyone except Page 2's Charley Rosen, that is. As a former pro scout and coach, Rosen watched Thursday's game with a critical eye and filed a scouting report on LeBron for us. He found plenty of holes in the 17-year-old, including a clunky jump shot and extremely porous defense.

SPORTOON
Winning the Heisman Trophy can be a blessing and curse. Page 2 cartoonist Kurt Snibbe examines the benefits (fame, acclaim and a spot in history) and drawbacks (being lumped in with Gino Torretta, Andre Ware and O.J. Simpson) that come with college football's top honor.


As we've watched Michael Vick explode onto the national stage, Page 2 got to thinking about the most electrifying athletes of all-time. Check out our top 10, and then vote in the poll to pick the most electric performer sports have ever seen.
10]  Babe Ruth
To paraphrase the Babe himself, they came out in groves to see him -- watching Ruth strike out, they said, was almost as exciting as watching him homer. And even his pithiest comments make us wish he were still around today.
9]  Michael Vick
Even if he flames out, Vick has provided enough excitement this season to fill a couple of hours worth of NFL Films reels. Or to put it another way: The bathroom is always empty when the Falcons have the ball.
8]  Mark Fidrych
There are lots of memorable players and moments from the relatively moribund baseball of the 1970s, but the only guy we'd take a time machine to see is The Bird.
  • GET THE FULL LIST


NFL FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG O/U
Sunday Dolphins 1½ Raiders 43
Sunday 49ers 3 Packers 46
Sunday Bills 3 Chargers 41½
Sunday Eagles 7½ Redskins 37½
Sunday Broncos 4 Chiefs 46½
Monday Titans 2 Patriots 43
COLLEGE FB FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG O/U
Jan. 3 Miami 13 Ohio State NL
All Times ET | 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.


HIDDEN MVPS
Forget those flashy media darlings, if you're looking for an MVP, head straight to Tennessee writes Page 2's Ralph Wiley.

TUESDAY MORNING QB
Can't anyone here recognize a reverse anymore? Tuesday Morning Quarterback points out the biggest error made by NFL broadcasters.

BASKETBALL DIARY
Charley Rosen checks in on Tracy McGrady. We know he can score, but even T-Mac admits his defense needs work.

THE SPORTS GUY
Just because he's living the SoCal life, doesn't mean Page 2's Bill Simmons isn't still rambling.

THE HOT LIST
What do the Priest Holmes and "The Hot Chick" have in common? Both are on the chilly side side of our Hot List.

SANTA'S LIST
What do our favorite sports personalities want for Christmas? Who cares! Page 2's Eric Immerman lists what they're actually getting.
If your favorite writer isn't on Page 2 today, click here to check out our full roster of columnists.


It's Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, left, and "Brown Sugar" star Boris Kodjoe. Page 2 has received 41 requests for this match. Browse our archives of past pairs or click here to submit a future duo for Page 2.


Heisman Trophy Award
8 p.m. ET, ESPN
End to one of most suspenseful races ever.
 
ESPN original movie: "The Junction Boys"
9 p.m. ET, ESPN and 11 p.m., ET, ESPN2
Get ready to work with Bear Bryant.
 
Men's hoops: Florida at Maryland
2 p.m. ET, CBS
Terps try to get back on track in big test.
 
• Complete TV Listings


If you missed Page 2 over the last week, check out our back issues:
• Thurs., Dec. 12: Waiting For LeBron
• Wed., Dec. 11: Hidden Agenda
• Tues., Dec. 10: Stuck In Reverse
• Mon., Dec. 9: Who Turns Us On?

Other featured content:
• The List: 10 most hyped phenoms of all-time
• The List: 10 phenoms who flopped the most
• 10 Burning Questions with Tom Berenger
• Athletes can be perfectly NORML
• Makin' It Better: NFL jerseys
• Page 2's Photo Gallery of the Weird
• What the Heck Are They Thinking?
Friday, Dec. 13, 2002
.