<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">[IMGR]http://www.nba.com/media/magic/howard200_espnthemag013107.jpg[/IMGR]Orlando Magic forward/center Dwight Howard will be on the Feb. 12 cover of ESPN The Magazine after being selected by fans as the magazine's NEXT athlete for 2007. The magazine went on sale on newstands today. Each year, ESPN The Magazine's trademark NEXT issue looks ahead and identifies those athletes whose talent and style will shape the landscape of sports in the years to come. This year, in addition to showcasing the innovations and trends that are changing the games we love, The Magazine selected five finalists to vie for the prize of NEXT cover athlete: Dwight Howard, Calvin Johnson, Evgeni Malkin, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jose Reyes. For the second year in a row, fans logged onto ESPN.com during a one week period to vote on who should be NEXT. Previous NEXT cover athletes include Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Yao Ming, Alex Rodriguez and Brian Urlacher.</div> Source Congrats Dwight! He definitely deserves it over those other athletes.
I honestly think Sid the Kid would be the best pick here - he's got the best chance of anyone we'll see for decades to make hockey relevant in America again. Malkin may become the better player, but Crosby is the name that people already know. But why would America pick either hockey player here? Dwight is a very deserving winner, though. He's made huge improvements every season, and now is on the verge of becoming a true superstar.
<div class="quote_poster">Chutney Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I would've chosen Malkin, but it seems to be a basketball-centric mag. A good choice, nonetheless.</div> I would've chosen his teammate Sidney Crosby. But, like you guys said, D12 is still a good choice too.
