Sports Feature
First place: Adrin Snider, Daily Press

Sporting the #3 Jersey of Allen Iverson, Robert Trader, 16, is but one of many kids frequenting a playground in south Philadelphia emmulating his favortie NBA star, Allen Iverson.

First place: Adrin Snider, Daily Press
Second place: Mike Fender, Indianapolis Star
Third place: Chris Tyrese, The Virginian-Pilot
Honorable Mentions: Peter Calvin, The Dallas Observer and Walter looss, Jr., Sports Illustrated; Carlos Brigo, Diario Popular

Winners' Comments:
"I'm shocked and humbled at the same time. It's nice to receive the honor. I shot it as part of a story about the frenzied support surrounding Allen Iverson. It was a 'local boy makes good' story. A reporter and I went up to Philadelphia and tried to do something that showed the hoopla and support he was receiving. We decided to go to some of the playgrounds and everywhere we turned someone had an Allen Iverson hairdo or jersey."

-- Adrin Snider

Judges' comments:
"I think it's that out of 1000 pictures... that playground picture, it encapsulates a feeling you don't see a lot anymore. I think everybody thinks they have to turn in something that had to be shot at a Major League Ball park...I think we are rewarding someone who went out and found some thing else....There's a graphic element about it. First you look at Iverson's number glowing in the subtle light, then you move beyond the number and start to look at the other subjects: the kids playing in the background. It's one of those pictures that you look at, and then you keep looking and you go beyond the obvious and it just got better and better and better."

-- Robert Hanashiro

Overall:
"It's not a picture show of a dejected ball player at a pro game or a college game...it's something more than that."

-- Robert Hanashiro