This month's featured articles

Features The Redemption of a Sneaker Pimp Why are NCAA athletes worth millions and paid nothing? Neal Gabler profiles Sonny Vaccaro, who helped create the system he is now on a mission to destroy. Gilding the gridiron Our crash course in gentlemanly tailgating will show you how to dress, eat and drink with distinction. The gaming gold rush? Forget Facebook. David Kushner goes inside the billiondollar world of mobile gaming, where thumbsize diversions mean big business. Fiction Circuit Builders At a rehab center where patients are encouraged to indulge, an addict’s fantasy quickly becomes his nightmare. By Don Peteroy Cover Story Pamela Horton is a work of art, revealing her sporty side as our cover girl and artistic soul as October’s Playmate. Is it any wonder our Rabbit was smitten with her charms? Playboy Forum Hands Off My Big Gulp Mayor Bloomberg wants to downsize New York’s soft drinks. But as melba newsome argues, the only thing he’s downsizing is your freedom. Reader Response The true cost of concealed carry; American anger, online and off; straight talk about gay marriage. How Apple Rules America Brian Cook’s ongoing series reveals the brutal reality under Apple’s polished veneer. A party of Pirates From the murky seas of the web emerges a new political force. Josh Kron chronicles the rise of the Pirate Party.

Columns Forget money—Get a Job with Sex Appeal Lisa Lampanelli gets you laid, via LinkedIn. Fashion Fall for Fragrance Our guide to autumn’s most rugged scents. Curated by Jennifer Ryan Jones Pictorials Girls of the Big Ten Playboy’s campus tour uncovers the unspoiled beauties of the Midwest. News & Notes World of Playboy Mingling with the vixens of True Blood; pregaming the ESPYs; Kendra shows Hef her Love Candy. Hangin’ with Hef Cee Lo Green, Pauly Shore and our Playmates make this a Midsummer Night’s Dream to remember. Playmate News Carrie Stevens and her Playmate pals make dinner beautiful again; rocking with Nikki Leigh.