CONTENTS

16
THE U.S. OPEN
A par on the final regulation hole and a birdie putt on the 19th playoff hole gave Hale Irwin a third title
BY E.M. SWIFT

24
DROOPING AROUND THE ANKLES
A four-game series against the division-leading Athletics left the surprising White Sox sagging
BY STEVE WULF

32
THORNS IN THE ROSES
Detroit repeated as NBA champion, but the headlines weren't all favorable for playoff MVP Isiah Thomas
BY JACK McCALLUM

38
PUNCH AND DUTY
History is well served as heavyweight KO artists Mike Tyson and George Foreman connect in Las Vegas
BY RICHARD HOFFER

46
DEFEAT CAN BE SWEET
The U.S. soccer team got a big lift from a face-saving 1-0 World Cup loss to the powerful host, Italy
BY RICK TELANDER

52
BRIT GRIT
Peter Elliott, a blue-collar bloke, may be in a class all his own when it comes to running the mile and the 1,500
BY KENNY MOORE

59
30/30 VISION
The Pittsburgh Pirates' emerging outfield star, Barry Bonds, perceives those numbers coming up soon
BY HANK HERSCH

80
CLEANUP HITTERS
By sweeping up the TV sports market, Neal Pilson and his boss, Laurence Tisch, could make CBS a big winner
BY WILLIAM OSCAR JOHNSON

DEPARTMENTS 4

4
LETTERS

11
SCORECARD

66
TRACK & FIELD

68
BASEBALL

76
ROWING

96
FOR THE RECORD

98
POINT AFTER

COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN IACONO

TWO PHOTOS

ANDREW BERNSTEIN/NBA PHOTOS

BUFFING UP THEIR IMAGE: John Salley and the rest of the Pistons, who shone in beating the Blazers 4-1 in the NBA Finals, elevated themselves into the company of the league's best teams ever by carrying home the title trophy for a second consecutive year (page 32).