CONTENTS

Let the Games Begin

When the rancorous major league baseball strike came to an end, players began preparing for the "second" season 14
by Jim Kaplan

The two-month layoff could have a profound effect on the 26 teams once they resume league play on Aug. 10 20
by Steve Wulf

Two Wingers and a Big Prayer 22
Cleveland and Atlanta kicked off the 1981 season with Super Bowl dreams built on the arms of Brian Sipe and Steve Bartkowski
by E.M. Swift

Summit Meeting of the Super 7-Footers 24
Three altitudinous freshmen-to-be were the centers of attention at the third National Sports Festival in Syracuse
by Jack McCallum

Channeling Her Energies 30
Cindy Nicholas, who holds the two-way record, is aiming to become the first to swim the English Channel three ways nonstop
by Sarah Pileggi

The Man They Love to Hate 38
Rival harness drivers aren't exactly fond of the abrasive Carmine Abbatiello, but he's already won $29 million in his sulky
by Douglas S. Looney

You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet 48
Cable and pay television are causing a revolution in the world of sport that we see on the home screen
by William Oscar Johnson

The Departments

Scorecard 9
Movies 44
For the Record 69
19th Hole 70

Credits on page 69

Cover photograph by Walter Iooss Jr.