Sometimes the best stories are the simplest ones. The ones that don't involve stars or pro athletes. The SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE's look at seven runners training for the SAN FRANCISCO MARATHON is fantastic. None are famous. None are world-class athletes. And I might not remember any of their names next week. But I was captivated by their journeys. I've trained for a marathon. I know how grueling it is. And how much joy it can bring you. Competition has a different meaning to all of us. Running is the purest form. You're racing against a clock. The hardest opponent is yourself. It's not much different for the ex-NBA stars in the BIG 3. They're no longer pros. They're trying to unearth the closest version of their former selves, putting in hours of training and honing their game. It's easy to appreciate the countless hours pro athletes put in to be great, to be the 0.1 percent. We consume their stories even if we can't relate. There's a gap -- they're the pros and we're observers. The runners in San Francisco have our empathy. They are us... ROGER FEDERER didn't need to win WIMBLEDON to become the GOAT. He already was. He didn't need to win the AUSTRALIAN OPEN to shore up his legacy. But because he won Sunday, we got a chance to appreciate him one more time. He's aging and he's not finished. But he only has so many of these moments left. When someone is so good that DFW fawned over him, the rest of us should give him his due more often. SportsSET: "Game, Set, Match, Federer"... MMQB's All-Time NFL DRAFT series is the quintessential bar conversation. How many times have you talked to your friends about the best quarterback ever? Would you take BARRY SANDERS or EMMITT SMITH? Have you ever cobbled together a new team in the fantasy draft while playing MADDEN? PETER KING and co. did a great job with a fun project. But AARON RODGERS wasn't taken until the eighth round? And RAY GUY -- a punter! -- went fourth overall? Some general managers need to be fired... RICH and CARLENE LEFEVRE are an inspiration. Two septuagenarians who can out-eat us with ease. The couple that competitively eats together is the couple that stays together... A history of man vs. beast.