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As easy as it is to appreciate Rafael Nadal's greatness when he's in action, it's even easier to appreciate it when he's sidelined, writes Howard Bryant in ESPN The Magazine's Perfect issue.

The 2012 Grand Slam season will be remembered by many things, but the most significant of them is that it was the year the men's Big 3 evolved into the Fantastic 4, Howard Bryant writes.

Let's be real here: This is Novak Djokovic's U.S. Open title to lose. But that doesn't mean the other three guys won't try to steal the spotlight.

Andy Roddick and Kim Clijsters are gone for good. And how can that be good for tennis?

Novak Djokovic is no longer invincible, but that doesn't mean he can't win the U.S. Open.

Good for Serena Williams and her gold medal. But her year won't be complete unless she avenges two recent drama-filled U.S. Open disappointments.

Watching USA basketball is less about the Americans against the world, or even the players competing against themselves or their Dream Team predecessors, but instead the USA against the dollar.

Roger Federer proved at Wimbledon that his game is lethal. In ESPN The Magazine, Howard Bryant writes about the deeper point Federer will make at the upcoming Olympics.

Rafael Nadal's already tumultuous season just took a turn for the worse. So it begs the question: Now what?

Could we ask for more than the wild sports ride 2010 has already given us? From a smashing Super Bowl to the maddest of Marches and fabulous finals, it's been a thrill a minute.

Sports keeps getting bigger, not better. The expansionist tendencies of professional leagues and the NCAA are putting cash flow ahead of competition, Howard Bryant writes.

The 2010 Winter Games have come to a close, but our experts can't forget these top moments from the past few weeks.

There's only one conclusion to draw from these Vancouver Games: The Winter Olympics are back as a major event.

You would think a historic day that ended an interminably long drought would pack a bit more punch. But the vaunted USA-1 crew was so good, the competition turned into a coronation.

While some may consider the USA I team to be a cocky bunch, it has the stats to back it up. Case in point: the Americans' lead heading into Saturday's final two heats.

The Canadian celebration following Thursday's women's hockey gold-medal game displayed the essence of the Olympics. But the victory raised questions about the sport's growth and its future in the Games.