CONTENTS

18 Bad Actors
The growing number of selfish players are damaging their teams and the NBA'simage
by Phil Taylor

24 Wings ofHope
With a new goalie and an improved defense, Detroit thinks this could be itsyear
by Austin Murphy

32 Duke Takes aDive
The absence of Coach K has hastened the Blue Devils' fall from the basketballheights
by Tim Crothers

40 The DailyDouble
First it was Kyle Rasmussen and then Picabo Street as U.S. skiers rose in thedownhill
by Christian Stone

42 Going for theGreen
Huge appearance fees lured six of the top golfers to a tournament in Dubai
by Ricky Reilly

54 Super Bowl XXIXPreview

If San Diegocontrols the ball—and Steve Young—it could upset San Francisco
by Paul Zimmerman

The Chargers' besthope for a win resides with pass rusher extraordinaire Leslie O'Neal
by Peter King

John Taylor, theother 49er wide receiver, has quietly bowled over the NFL
by Michael Silver

72 True Miami
The host of the Super Bowl has come a long way since the riot-marred 1989 titlegame
by S.L. Price

Departments

4 Letters
8 Faces in the Crowd
11 Scorecard
86 Inside College Basketball
90 Point After

Cover Photographby Chuck Solomon

PHOTO

BOB MARTIN

This Ain't Bermuda Dunes C.C.: Two burnoosed duffers putter around an all-sand course situated in the world's largest bunker, a.k.a. the Arabian Desert, not far from the grassier layout where Fred Couples won the Dubai Desert (oh, really?) Classic (page 42).