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The big four are the big four. Yawn. We know where to find them deep into the majors. If you want intrigue, though, look no further than these unpredictable outsiders.

In ESPN The Magazine, Howard Bryant writes that Derek Jeter, though a great player statistically, can only truly be appreciated through intangibles: his amazing defensive moves, PED-free play and leadership of a franchise.

What happens over the next months and years will say more about American society and its boundaries of acceptance than it ever could about Jason Collins or Kirk Walker or Kevin McClatchy or Martina Navratilova.

Jackie Robinson's story, as told in "42," is incomplete and has some historical gaps, but it allows one father to begin a conversation with his son.

Sports once again are being challenged by a deep and seemingly intractable societal issue: the male problem of defining weakness though homophobia and misogyny.

In ESPN The Magazine, Howard Bryant writes that the 60-day slog of the NBA playoffs needs a remodel, and the perfect example comes from English soccer.

In ESPN The Magazine, Howard Bryant examines how the Oakland Athletics have found a way to win, despite being in an outdated ballpark and poor market for baseball. But the real question is: Why should they have to?

Maria Sharapova beats virtually everyone else in the game but the space between her and Serena Williams is gulf-like. David Ferrer has done well, except against the Big Four. What explains the gap?

The NCAA and its tournament fight the ebb of talent by marketing parity, broadcasting that the beauty of the tournament is that upsets are just 40 minutes away.

In ESPN The Magazine, Howard Bryant writes how the Texas Rangers' struggles are continuing with the power battle between Nolan Ryan and GM Jon Daniels, remarking that the bitterness of losing often begets more problems.

Watching a revived Rafael Nadal raised anew the question of what it takes to be considered the greatest of all time. Should more weight be given to Roger Federer's major wins or Nadal's head-to-head supremacy?

In a time of high unemployment and low job creation, oddly, there still seemed to be money for sports. A closer look reveals a largely stagnant industry -- except for skyrocketing media rights to broadcast sports.

Just when baseball thought it was in the clear, its PED problem is rearing its ugly head again. Good luck going clean this time, Howard Bryant writes in ESPN The Magazine.

The games today are different. The feel is different. Because of scandals, concussions, PEDs and other strains, if sport has not reached its tipping point, it is in the throes of serious transition.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are still very much formidable. But neither heads into Indian Wells as one of the best two players in the world.

In ESPN The Magazine's Analytics Issue, Howard Bryant writes that LeBron James and the Heat are clearly the tops of the NBA and, although they aren't destroying opponents, parity in the league is a myth.