Capitals Alex Ovechkin on the Cover of ESPN The Magazine – Part of the 2008 NHL Preview

Life of Reilly: Getting the Truth from College Football Coach’s

The Washington Capitals have never won a Stanley Cup and after a major victory surge at the end of last season and a trip to the playoffs, Caps fans are buzzing that this is THE year. One major factor for this new level of excitement – Alex Ovechkin, cover athlete for the new issue of ESPN The Magazine on newsstands today. Ovechkin lead the league in scoring and won four individual trophies last season – including The Hart (MVP). After Ovechkin and the Capitals lost in the playoff quarterfinals, he told Caps owner Ted Leonisis he would trade all of his honors for one Stanley Cup. In “Regime Change,” Eric Adelson writes about Ovechkin’s transformation of Washington-hockey and how Caps fans see him as an agent for change – change they can believe in.
“Washington can do the same as Pittsburgh, except we’ll win the Cup.” – Alex Ovechkin

The Magazine’s NHL Preview includes seven pages of conference, team and position rankings. Mag hockey guru E.J. Hradek breaks it all down as the as the race for the Stanley Cup begins.
ESPN The Magazine Picks:

Smart Money
Dark Horses
If God is Canadian
Eastern Conference Champs:
Penguins
Capitals
Canadiens
Western Conference Champs:
Red Wings
Stars
Oilers
Stanley Cup Champs:
Red Wings
Capitals
Canadiens

EXPN, The Magazine’s action sports magazine-within-a-magazine, immerses readers in the culture, lifestyle, music and language of action sports athletes – and its back! The new edition of EXPN includes features on surfer Jordy Smith, skateboarder Terry Kennedy and slopestyle star Jamie Anderson, and her five sisters and two brothers.

This month ESPNthemag.com features the exclusive behind the scenes footage of Ovechkin’s cover shoot and a video tour of Olympic snowboarder Danny Kass’s home…and fridge, and skateboarding on picnics tables with Terry Kennedy.

Can you really trust a college football coach? Rick Reilly introduces his newly-patented TruthClamps™, (orange clamps attach to a certain area of the coach’s chest) which sucks the truth out of even the most beguiling of coaches. Want to finally get a straight answer from the guy who’s leading your team into battle on Saturday? Reilly think this is finally the way to get the straight story!

Here are some testing examples:

Before TruthClamps™: “The young man broke team rules. But it’s an internal matter. I’m not going to embarrass him by discussing it publicly.”

After TruthClamps™: “The kid’s going to be a first round draft choice. So he broke into a Circuit City. We made him return most of the stuff, and he’ll start Saturday.”

Before TruthClamps™: “I have absolutely no personal knowledge of any improprieties involving Tommy’s parent’s living accommodations.”

After TruthClamps™: “Oh, relax. It’s only a three bedroom.”

Other features in the latest issue of ESPN The Magazine include:

MLB Playoffs: HOW TO WIN IN OCTOBER…OR DIE TRYING. Every manager knows that the little things mean everything in the postseason. A closer look at last year’s epic Rockies-Padres play-in game shows just how much. Buster Olney reports.

PLEASE DON’T REMAIN CALM. After an off-season full of high hopes, things are off to a shaky start in Minnesota. So why is Adrian Peterson so relaxed? Could be that he’s just that good. Allison Glock reports.

EAT, DRINK AND BE SCARY. The more George Selvie chows down, the more QBs he sacks. No wonder South Florida’s pass-rushing fiend treats every meal like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Wright Thompson reports.
*** ESPN THE MAGAZINE COVERS AVAILABLE BUSINESSWIRE.COM AND ESPNMEDIAZONE.COM ***

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