Although we cannot offer eternal labor peace or cheaper seats, we can – for the fourth consecutive year – give you ”The Loyal Fan” – our annual magazine dedicated to you From the best tips on talking trash to Cliff Lee’s admirers analyzing the pitcher’s repertoire, ESPN The Magazine’s “SportsNation” issue on newsstands Friday, July 15, goes beyond the proverbial surface, exploring the various ways in which fans connect – to their respective communities, athletes, and one another.  Cover  |  Photos

This week’s issue of ESPN The Magazine features “Fandom Acts of Kindness” wherein NBA superstar Dwight Howard and his Twitter feed go under the microscope. The appropriately named ‘Dwight Howard Twitter Experiment’ was developed to evaluate the manner in which the subject, the Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard, exploits Twitter and the benefits he derives from it. Another feature in the “SportsNation” issue, “Fans Like Us,” has six Hollywood stars — Justin Timberlake (Memphis Basketball), John Legend, (OSU Football), Penny Marshall (Pro Basketball), Gabrielle Union (University of Nebraska Football), Eliza Dushku (Boston Red Sox), and Jason Aldean (University of Georgia Football) — proudly revealing their true team colors.

Additional items in this week’s ESPN The Magazine include “Stand Up and Jeer,” a magazine-initiated project to celebrate bleacher banter and document the trash-talking college fans are saying about their foes – and determine which put-down was the country’s best – as well as an overall “X Games Preview,” where Travis Pastrana and other X Gamers hone their skills in their own backyards.

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Everybody’s Talking About Cliff Lee
Admirers of the Phillies ace tell his story, pitch by pitch. By Ryan McGee

Say Hello To The Friendliest Football Coach in America
Who’d Make a Voice Mail Greeting For a Lowly Fan – Twice? This Guy. By Ryan Hockensmith

Welcome to the Neighborhood
If You’re in Club 135 at AT&T, You’re Family. By Tim Keown

The Greatest Fight Never Staged

Boxing Fans Dream of a Pacquiao-Mayweather Face-Off. Keep Dreaming. By Jeff MacGregor

Wait of the World

Triathlete Charlie Wittmack Routinely Risks His Life. Wife Cate Lets him, Making Her the Ultimate Fan. By Wayne Drehs

 

 

 

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