CONTENTS

Doom in the Desert 34
The ravages of age and his training regimen left Muhammad Ali helpless before the fists of Larry Holmes at Las Vegas
by Pat Putnam

Hockey 1980-81

In a Dear John letter, the NHL president is urged to take a tougher stand on the game's violence and to restore rivalries 50
by Mark Mulvoy

The scouting reports assume a different look, with some sharp opinions on players, coaches, teams and referees 52
by Kathy Blumenstock

A team unto itself is the Sutter family of Viking, Alberta. There are three Sutters in the NHL now, three more on the way 56
by E.M. Swift

The National League Races 88
Houston beat L.A. in the West's sudden-death playoff, and Philadelphia edged Montreal in the East
by Ron Fimrite and Steve Wulf

Missing and Presumed to Be Dead 102
If the black-footed ferret is a case in point, the difference between endangered and extinct may be, in the end, money
by Bil Gilbert

The Departments

Scorecard 29
College Football 65
Pro Football 82
Motor Sports 86
Horse Racing 99
Baseball 133
For the Record 134
19th Hole 136

Credits on page 134

Cover photograph by John Iacono

Next Week

Pro Basketball tips off as the NBA begins its 35th season and SI presents its 24th annual issue. Our starting five: John Papanek's essay on the importance of team play in a sport renowned for individuality; Richard O'Connor's profile of Pacer Coach Jack McKinney; a photographic essay on shot blocking; scouting reports of all 23 teams; and an assessment of the struggling Women's Basketball League. Plus Ron Fimrite and Steve Wulf on the baseball playoffs and our regular features.