1961

Up goes the Berlin Wall. Down go the Bay of Pigs invaders. Around goes Yuri Gagarin. On top are the Blackhawks, Celtics, Packers and the potent Yankees, whom some compare favorably to the '27 Bombers. The Bearcats (Cincinnati, a year after Oscar Robertson) and the Bear (Alabama) also win titles.

INCIDENTALLY
FINAL ULTIMATUM
A 61-year-old pensioner, outraged because University of Miami football games were not broadcast, said he had planned to leave his body to the university's medical school. "But," he added, "if that's the way they do things, I'm going to leave it to Duke instead."

16 Milt Plum
CLEVELAND BROWNS

22 Bobby Layne
PITTSBURGH STEELERS

14 Sam Etcheverry
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

9 Bill Wade
CHICAGO BEARS

15 Jim Ninowski
DETROIT LIONS

10 Fran Tarkenton
MINNESOTA VIKINGS

17 Don Meredith
DALLAS COWBOYS

15 Bart Starr
GREEN BAY PACKERS

19 Johnny Unitas
BALTIMORE COLTS

16 Norm Snead
WASHINGTON REDSKINS

12 Zeke Bratkowski
LOS ANGELES RAMS

12 John Brodie
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

9 Sonny Jurgensen
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

14 Y.A. Tittle
NEW YORK GIANTS

Above, one of Elgin Baylor's many moves for the Minneapolis Lakers. Another: He and the team have bolted for L.A.

A.J. Foyt wins the Indy 500, a feat he will repeat in '64, '67 and '77.

Gary Player becomes the first non-American to win the Masters.

Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason pool their cinematic talents in "The Hustler."

Roger Maris admires his Bambino-tying 60th home run. Number 61 will follow, allowing Maris to finish seven up on Yankee M & M partner Mickey Mantle.

Ray Kroc negotiates to buy the name McDonald's for his budding hamburger chain.

How many of the NFL's starting quarterbacks-all 14 of whom are assembled for this in-season photo-will make the Hall of Fame? The answer is six: Layne, Starr, Unitas, Tarkenton, Jurgensen, Tittle.

FIVE PHOTOS

PHOTO

HERB SCHARFMAN/LIFE

PHOTO

RALPH MORSE/LIFE

"He got tired of his dad writing him for money."
—BEANO COOK, PITT SPORTS PUBLICITY DIRECTOR, EXPLAINING WHY A STAR BASKETBALL PLAYER DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL