ESPN the Magazine - 14 April 2014

8/12/2019 ESPN the Magazine - 14 April 2014

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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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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.

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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

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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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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.


21/88

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NASCAR AND EVERYTHING WE LEARN MAKING THEIR TIRES INSPIRES WHAT WE ROLL INTO YOURS.

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22/88

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


23/88

ASK YOURSELF, WHATS IN YOUR WALLET?

2013 Capital One


24/88

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


25/88


26/88

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,


27/88

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

20 MINUTES PLAYED

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'

DEGREESOCCER.COM

ENTER FORYOUR CHANCETOWIN* AT

THIS SUMMER TO CHEER ON U.S. SOCCER.

DEGREEISSENDINGONELUCKYFAN TOBRAZIL


28/88

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.


29/88


30/88

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


31/88

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32/88


33/88

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


34/88

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.


37/88

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39/88

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].


41/88


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


43/88


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


44/88

2014 Porsche Cars North America, Inc. Porsche recommends seat belt usage and observance of all traffic laws at all times.


45/88

We spend years designing cars to be timeless.

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The Porsche 919 Hybrid at the 24h of Le Mans.Mission 2014. Our Return.

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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


46/88

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


47/88


48/88

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


50/88

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,

ESPN the Magazine - 14 April 2014

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Transcript of ESPN the Magazine - 14 April 2014