CONTENTS

RIDE 'EM, COWBOY! 28
Unshakable Jim Sharp continued to ride 'em and ride 'em some more at the National Finals Rodeo, in Vegas
by E.M. Swift

A STEP UP 36
The surging San Francisco 49ers vaulted past the New Orleans Saints and right into the NFL playoffs
by Paul Zimmerman

A SHOOTOUT IN TUCSON 46
When UNLV faced Arizona in a battle of the West's best, the two coaches had their own scores to settle
by Alexander Wolff

AND HERE WE GO AGAIN 50
Remember when Rennie Stennett got rich? Well, the baseball meetings showed the crazy days are back
by Peter Gammons

TURN UP THE HEAT, PLEASE 54
By losing its first 16 games, the Miami Heat, one of the NBA's two expansion teams, set a record for futility
by Jack McCallum

SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR 60

For setting an imposing record and pitching L.A. to World Series victory, Orel Hershiser is the 1988 Sportsman
by Steve Wulf

In a year of uncommon excellence, any of these athletes might have been our Sportsman or Sportswoman, given a Hershiser-less field

FIESTA BOWL: THE BATTLE FOR NO. 1 84

Quarterback Major Harris leads West Virginia
by Ralph Wiley

Michael Stonebreaker paces the Irish defense
by Jill Lieber

GOODBYE, HELLO 108
The common crow is an uncommonly lovable bird, says the author, who knows these feathered friends intimately
by Bil Gilbert

DEPARTMENTS

Letters 8
Scorecard 23
College Basketball 99
Hockey 102
For The Record 139
Point After 140

Cover Painting by Pier Consagra

PHOTO

LANE STEWART

I GET NO KICK FROM...: But you can bet that Colin Murnion got more than enough kicks out of this bronc on his way to a finish among the also-rans in bareback riding at the National Finals Rodeo (page 28).