CONTENTS

16 Wide Left
Florida State won its first national title by defeating Nebraska in the Orange Bowl
by Rick Reilly

28 Driving in the West
The Phoenix Suns do not mind being outshone early in the NBA season
by Phil Taylor

34 NFL: The Final Week

Emmitt Smith did it all as the Dallas Cowboys beat the New York Giants in OT
by Paul Zimmerman

Two former third-stringers led the Detroit Lions to the NFC Central championship
by Rick Telander

54 Xmas in Vegas
That was just one of the stops during Oak Hill preps ill-conceived 16-day basketball trek
by Ned Zeman

56 Russian Revolution
Capitalism has brought change, both good and bad, to spans in the former U.S.S.R.
by Jeffrey Lilley

68 The Rabbit Hunter
This SI classic is still a revealing portrait of Indiana basketball coach Bobby Knight
by Frank Deford

DEPARTMENTS

6 Faces in the Crowd
8 Letters
11 Scorecard
24 Sports People
62 Pro Football
84 Point After

Cover Photograph by Damian Strohmeyer

PHOTO

RICHARD MACKSON

Bowled Over

In a thorny Rose Bowl moment far UCLA, receiver J.J. Stokes was upended by Wisconsin's Yusef Burgess during the fourth quarter of the Badgers' 21-16 victory.