Contents

26 Pretenders to the Crown
Hoist The Flag is out with a shattered leg, and lesser horses are taking aim at the Kentucky Derby

30 'We Can Punch, We Can Dance'
That's Gus Johnson's description of how ready his Bullets are for their playoff series with the Knicks

32 They Still Swing a Mean Paddle
The Red Chinese, after a six-year absence, came back to take the World Table Tennis Championship in Japan

34 A Legal License to Steal
The action is frantic, the money is flying and college sport is shaken after a federal judge's antitrust ruling

42 The Ineligible Married Man
Bill Toomey feels it's kind of tragic being the best decathlete in the world and not being allowed to compete

Baseball—the New Season

52 Year of the Player, a report by William Leggett
56 A Game of Geometry, a portfolio by Edward Kasper
62 Scouting Reports: National League East and West
70 The Sislers: Startling System for Rating Pitchers
74 Scouting Reports: American League West and East
78 Frank Deford on "The Best Damn Team in Baseball."

96 And Now for the Resurrection
Mrs. Swan's Cygnets, a gaggle of synchronized swimmers, hope to wow the judges with their big Easter number

The departments

15 Scorecard
85 People
86 Golf
88 Gaelic Sports
94 Bridge
119 For the Record
120 19th Hole

Credits on page 119

Cover painting by Edward Kasper

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96

Next week

The green jacket will be won by somebody, maybe Casper again, maybe Nicklaus, maybe even old Arnold. It's time for golf's storied Masters. A report by Dan Jenkins.

Alcindor analyzes all his playoff rivals, explains why the Bucks lost to the Knicks last year, describes the strategy they hope will prevail this time and picks his own All-Stars.

King of the mountain is a cliffhanging game played with fast cars and furious folklore at the Chimney Rock Hillclimb in the white-lightning region of western North Carolina.