Chris Ballard in this week's SI

I tend to post a lot of griping about SI on here, but Chris Ballard's back-page column this week is outstanding. Immense amount of detail. And I like that the national columnist doesn't mind referencing the tiny daily newspaper that first brought the story to light.

Here's the link:

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1156477/index.htm

Most sobering thing is something I picked up on second read: The young man was a high school junior in 2005.

 

This is the best back-page piece SI has had in years.

 

I thought it was great, too.
Really simple and really evocative.

 

A great read. (Makes me guilty about sitting here on my fat butt.)

Thoughts and prayers that this story ends with mother and son running that final mile side by side.

 

Really good, as was the Alzheimer's one last week. (Or maybe the week before?)

 

Yes, an excellent read. They should have just given Ballard the back page after Reilly left instead of throwing all that money at Selena Roberts.

 

Great story.

As I started reading it, and then saw the sentence where Brian was sent to Iraq, I started fearing the worst -- that the story would end with the son dying in combat and her running in his memory.

Fortunately, Brian's still OK and I hope he'll be running side by side with Mom soon.

 

Yeah I also loved that story. Well done Chris

 

wonderful piece. not overdone. hit all the right notes. eager to have mrs. shockey read it.

 

It was last week.

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1156219/index.htm

The Point Afters, as a whole, have been fine IMO. There have been some that have been underwhelming, but at least they never feel mailed in, like the last several years of Reilly.

 

Agreed. I think Phil Taylor has been doing some nice stuff lately, too.

 

Had the same thought in MPCinCal midway through -- please let this story not end the way it could end ...