CONTENTS

NFL PLAYOFFS 10

Denver fended off Cleveland 38-33 in the AFC
by Rick Reilly

Washington beat Minnesota in the NFC
by Paul Zimmerman

BIG BEN STRIKES TWICE 22
Supersprinter Ben Johnson flew 2,800 miles to win two races in two days and establish a 50-yard world standard
by Craig Neff

SCORING IN HIGHEST STYLE 24
College basketball's leading scorer, Hersey Hawkins of Bradley, has elevated his game in grand fashion
by Alexander Wolff

THIS NEW FLAME IS FIERY HOT 26
High-scoring Calgary center Joe Nieuwendyk has already put a clamp on NHL rookie-of-the-year honors
by Austin Murphy

BROADCAST NEWS 28
Nah-nah-nah-nah-na-nah, the sports divisions at CBS and NBC are having at each other in a puerile feud
by William Taaffe

LA BOMBA'S A REAL BLAST 30
Italy's Alberto Tomba has exploded onto the World Cup ski scene. Now he is setting his sights on Calgary
by Bruce Newman

BULLISH ON THE BEARS 34
Stirring a state whose teams are unaccustomed to such lofty heights, Maine is No. 1 in college hockey
by Morin Bishop

FAT IS LEAN AND TOUGH 38
Denver guard Lafayette (Fat) Lever may finally get the NBA All-Star recognition he so richly deserves
by Hank Hersch

FRANK DEFORD GOES BOWLING 50
The author, who's reluctant to photograph bowlers from the front, hits the sport's image problems head-on
by Frank Deford

DEPARTMENTS

Letters 4
Scorecard 7
Golf 42
College Basketball 44
Luge 48
For The Record 64
Point After 66

Cover Photograph by Peter Read Miller

PHOTO

JOHN D. HANLON

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE: It's said that time flies when you're having fun, and no one had a better time in Vancouver on Saturday than Ben Johnson, who blew away the competition in this 60-meter race (page 22).