An athlete or an athlete-wannabe can spend lots of time contemplating his or her inner sports hero while wandering from one end of Big 5 to the other. Even for those who simply want to look like a good sport, Big 5 offers a huge selection of clothing, and we're not just talking athletic paraphernalia. (Seriously: You could outfit a small city in here.) In addition to all of the regular sports stuff (baseball, football and basketball items, etc.), Big 5 offers a ton of camping gear, fitness equipment, accessories for water sports and footwear. And, hey, where else can you pick up a high-powered rifle and a tie-dye kickball? And you thought big-box stores were a bad thing.
Runners up:
2. Sports Authority, 7160 E. Broadway Blvd., 722-5709; 5185 S. Calle Santa Cruz Road, 889-2081; 4225 N. Oracle Road, 292-6955; sportsauthority.com
3. Play It Again Sports, 4128 N. Oracle Road, 293-2010; 5015 E. Speedway Blvd., 795-0363; 7280 E. Broadway Blvd., 296-6888, playitagainsports.com
