CONTENTS

14
BAWL PLAYERS
As baseball players' earnings continue to escalate, more and more stars are suffering from salary envy
BY PETER KING

18
OUT OF SYNC
With Isiah Thomas hurt and other players also dealing with injuries, the Detroit Pistons are struggling
BY BRUCE NEWMAN

22
SHOOTING STAR
Brett Hull of the NHL-leading St. Louis Blues has become a goal scorer of near Gretzkian dimensions
BY AUSTIN MURPHY

28
COULD ANYBODY BEAT UNLV?
Maybe not this year or any year, not even by history's best college basketball teams. But then again....
BY CURRY KIRKPATRICK

36
A CAREER IN THE BALANCE
Atlanta Braves first baseman Nick Esasky is struggling to get back on his feet after a dizzying season
BY STEVE RUSHIN

60
STILL HEAD OF THE CLASS
Grand Prix champion Ayrton Senna opened the new Formula One season with a romp in Phoenix
BY SAM MOSES

78 A TOO-BRIGHT FLAME
Hobey Baker, golden boy of sport before World War I, found little worth living for off the playing field
BY RON FIMRITE

DEPARTMENTS

5
LETTERS

9
SCORECARD

64
TRACK & FIELD

66
TENNIS

68
PRO BASKETBALL

72
COLLEGE BASKETBALL

96
FOR THE RECORD

98
POINT AFTER

COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID E. KLUTHO

PHOTO

BOB MARTIN/ALLSPORTS

Bikes on Spikes: Harald Baumann of Germany leans into a turn during the World Ice Speedway Semifinal in Frankfurt. In the newly popular European sport of ice motorcycle racing, bikers drive their machines, equipped with steel-studded tires, on a 400-meter speedskating track at speeds that go as high as 55 mph.