Where Are They Now?

Our first issue cover subjects have taken different paths to 2008. Some became champions. Some are still waiting for the ring. And some have just moved on.

-Kordell Stewart:
"Slash" did a little of everything9catching, running, receiving, and even
punting. But it was never enough for Steelers fans. After eight years in
Pittsburgh where he quarterbacked the team to the AFC Championship Game
twice (and racked up a 13-3 record in 2001, his lone Pro Bowl year), Stewart
was picked up by the Chicago Bears in 2003, playing mostly as a backup. By
the time he ended his career in Baltimore after the 2005 season, Stewart
ranked second all-time in rushing touchdowns for QBs (38), behind only Steve
Young. Today, he is retired, living in Atlanta and "playing a lot of golf."

-Kobe Bryant:
On March 23, 19989the cover date for the first issue of ESPN The Magazine
­Bryant dropped 23 against the Denver Nuggets. It was the most points he
would score in a game that month. Just two years later, he was a World
Champion (he's got 3 rings now). He¹s generally regarded as the best player
in the NBA, with the accolades back it up: 10 All-Star appearances, nine
time All-NBA, seven time All-Defensive Team, two time scoring champion. He
lit the Raptors for 81 points one Sunday and he holds, or shares, 29
franchise records. Despite very public battles with the law (a 2003 sexual
assault charge was dropped) and his teammates (See: Shaquile O'Neal) plus
repeated trade rumors9Bryant remains the quintessential Laker.

-Alex Rodriguez
Since 1996, A-Rod has led the Majors in HR, runs, RBI, total bases and
extra-base hits. Among all players in history prior to their 31st birthday,
he ranks first in HR, runs, and total bases. He has three MVPs, and the two
largest contracts in baseball history9the latest a 10-year, $275 million
beast that could be worth even more if he breaks the all-time HR record as a
Yankee. But Rodriguez has had his problems, ranging from certain
off-the-field comments ("When people say bad things about me, I don¹t know
if it's because I'm good-looking... I make the most money ... Or I play on
the most popular team.") to a rep for not delivering in the postseason. The
numbers may be gaudy, but since coming to the Bronx in 2004 from Texas via
Seattle, the Yankees haven¹t sniffed a World Series.

-Eric Lindros
Lindros was supposed to be the next Great One, a player that Flyers teammate
John LeClair said "had it all." Unfortunately, injuries took their toll.
Lindros' eight concussions ultimately cut short his career. He did win a
Hart Trophy (League MVP), and reached one Cup Finals; in 760 career games,
he recorded 865 points, including 57 in 53 playoff tilts. His
larger-than-life abilities and physique on the ice could sometimes carry
over to a larger-than-life ego off of it: he refused to wear a Nordiques
jersey on draft day, and his time in Philadelphia, while mostly successful,
was marked by feuds with team management. After injury-plagued stops in New
York, Toronto and Dallas, Lindros retired in 2007. Today, he lives in
Toronto and serves as ombudsman for the NHLPA.

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