2008-02-28 00:14:37 -
- ESPN The Magazine Ellie Seifert, 212-515-1108 ellie.seifert@espn.com MLB FANTASY 2008:
DOUBLE DARE YA. To ace your draft, being smart isn't enough - you have to be bold. Start by getting your mitts on the Upton brothers, who promise to make you look like a genius this season. Eddie Matz reports.
YOU WILL NOT BE DENIED.
Bringing home the first-place trophy just got a bit easier - behold The Magazine's six steps to fantasy glory:
-- Step 1 - Spread out The Magazine's exclusive cheat sheet that ranks baseball's top 339 fantasy players by position.
-- Step 2 - Draft from the top.
-- Step 3 - Repeat until your rivals are drowning in blood, sweat and tears.
-- Step 4 - Watch your stats grow.
-- Step 5 - Claim your trophy.
-- Step 6 - Gloat.
JUST CRAZY ENOUGH TO WORK. Playing by the book? That's so 2004. The talented Mr. Roto says forget everything you know about fantasy and take a walk on the wild side. ESPN.com's Matthew Berry reports.
OTHER FEATURES:
MEET THE NEW BOSS. Hank Steinbrenner learned the value of patience and good breeding on the family's horse farm. But if the Yankees falter will he be able to go to the whip? Ryan McGee reports.
-- Steinbrenner on his managing style: "The fear, it's not how I operate. The people here in the front office already know that. The people who know me know that. The Yankee fans have been very good to me so far, but I think it might take some time for people to get used to the fact that I'm not my dad."
-- Steinbrenner on his dad: "Dad is still here. When Andy Pettitte got to camp and wanted to come up and apologize, he met with all of us. And it was Dad who reassured Andy that he was still part of the family."
DEBUTANT BALLER. Billiards with MJ. Tony and Eva crashing in the guest bedroom. Long- distance video gaming with LeBron. Welcome to Chris Paul's world ladies and gentleman. Chris Palmer reports.
-- Chauncey Billups on Paul: "Night in, night out, he's one of the toughest guards you're ever going to play against. I love everything about what he does."
-- Paul on playing in the NBA: "I never thought I'd be in the NBA, never thought I'd have a shoe or meet Michael Jordan. Sometimes I look at my life and can't believe it."
NO COUNTRY FOR BIG MEN. Ask the post men rooted under the hoop or the shooters planted on the wing: Without their guards, like Butler's Mike Green, they'd be just a bunch of guys with no balls. The Magazine's staff reports.
ROGUE SPEAR. As Beijing beckons, the best javelin thrower in U.S. history asks for - make that, demands - your attention. But if he doesn't get it, Breaux Greer always has Plan B: "I think I'll do porn." Alan Grant reports.
SKATING TO A DIFFERENT BEAT. Hall of Famer Peter Stastny was fire. His son - Avalanche super sophomore Paul - is ice. So what do they have in common? Hockey as performance art. Jeff Bradley reports.
CAN'T KEEP A GOOD TRACK DOWN. It took a drought to bring back a flood of memories of a dirt track lost to the waters. Meet a ghost from stock car racings past. Justin Heckert reports. ***ESPN THE MAGAZINE COVERS ARE AVAILABLE VIA AP PHOTOEXPRESS and WWW.BUSINESSWIRE.COM Visit www.espnmediazone.com for ESPN's latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video and audio clips and more.
Plus: Hank Steinbrenner Speaks: "I'm Not My Dad"
