An Ending And Also a Beginning

An odd month, December. The Saints went marching into the NFL playoffs for the first time, while the Giants racked up the most losses ever by a defending Super Bowl champ. Ivan Lendl, who had earned $583,200 in a weekend of gimmicky Stakes Match tennis, got not one-half that for beating the elite Nabisco Masters field.

Dennis Conner pondered New Zealand's court victory for the right to an America's Cup challenge as early as 1988—perhaps in boats twice as large as those used for decades. Miami finished an 11-0 season, setting up an Orange Bowl battle for No. 1 against Oklahoma.

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JOHN BIEVER

The Packers unloaded on Viking kickoff returner Neal Guggemos—but didn't recover.

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BILL EPPRIDGE

This skier became a flier upon taking off from the 70-meter ramp in Lake Placid.