December 2, 1996 Table Of Contents

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NFL Extra

THESE CARDS ARE WILD BOOMER ESIASON'S HOT HAND HAS HELPED SURPRISING ARIZONA RAKE IN THREE CONSECUTIVE WINS

By John Walters

RISON'S FALL

By RICHARD DEUTSCH

SIDELINES

By David Fleming

SPOTLIGHT MICHAEL SINCLAIR

By David Fleming

WITHOUT THE EYE IN THE SKY TO WATCH OVER THEM, OFFICIALS ARE BLOWING MANY A CALL

By Paul Zimmerman

Catching Up With...

OHIO STATE CENTER JERRY LUCAS JANUARY 8, 1962

By Seth Davis

Faces In The Crowd

FACES IN THE CROWD

Pro Football

GOLD RUSH WITH STEVE YOUNG BACK IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND BILL WALSH RIDING SHOTGUN, THE 49ERS GEARED UP FOR A PLAYOFF RUN BY RALLYING TO BEAT THE REDSKINS IN OVERTIME

By Michael Silver

Baseball

DOUBLE PLAY WHEN HE SIGNED ALBERT BELLE, JERRY REINSDORF BROKE THE BANK--AND MAYBE THE LABOR IMPASSE

By Gerry Callahan

College Football

PSYCHED AGAIN UNBEATEN, NO. 2-RANKED OHIO STATE HOSTED AN OVERMATCHED MICHIGAN, AND--AS USUAL--THE WOLVERINES WON

By Marty Burns

NO. 1 VS. NO. 2 THE DREAM SHOWDOWN BETWEEN UNBEATEN FLORIDA AND UNDEFEATED FLORIDA STATE WILL TURN ON FIVE KEY FACTORS

By Tim Layden

Pro Basketball

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE UNSURE OF ONE ANOTHER AND NEEDING A BARKLEYESQUE LEADER, THE SUNS FELL ON DARK TIMES: 12 LOSSES IN A ROW

By Phil Taylor

Inside College Football

IOWA STATE'S TROY DAVIS RUSHES FOR 2,000 YARDS... AGAIN A NEW BOSS FOR THE IRISH RAZING ARIZONA

By Christian Stone; Ed Hinton

College Basketball 96-97 Preview

ALIVE AND KICKING DESPITE THE WAVES OF PLAYERS DEPARTING EARLY FOR THE NBA, THE COLLEGE GAME IS AS GOOD AS EVER

By Alexander Wolff

BREAKING THROUGH BOB HUGGINS HAS TAKEN CINCINNATI FROM THE PITS TO OUR NO. 1 RANKING, BUT GIVEN HIS PLAYERS' HISTORIES OFF THE COURT AND IN THE CLASSROOM, HAS HE DONE IT THE RIGHT WAY?

By Alexander Wolff WITH SPECIAL REPORTING BY Don Yaeger

TOP 20 LET OUR SCOUTING REPORTS BE YOUR GUIDE TO THE NEW FACES AND NEW FORCES ALONG THE ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR IN INDIANAPOLIS

1 CINCINNATI

By Alexander Wolff

2 KANSAS

By Tim Crothers

3 WAKE FOREST

By Tim Crothers

5 NEW MEXICO

By Kelly Whiteside

4 UCLA

By Alexander Wolff

6 VILLANOVA

By Tim Crothers

7 KENTUCKY

By William F. Reed

8 MICHIGAN

By Tim Crothers

9 DUKE

By Tim Crothers

10 UTAH

By Seth Davis

12 FRESNO STATE

By Kelly Whiteside

11 NORTH CAROLINA

By Tim Crothers

13 PROVIDENCE

By Tim Crothers

14 STANFORD

By Alan Shipnuck

15 G. WASHINGTON

By Tim Crothers

16 IOWA STATE

By Seth Davis

THE REST OF THE FIELD

YOU BE THE COACH THE BOARD GAME FOR HOOP HEADS OF ALL AGES, IN WHICH YOU TAKE A TEAM TO THE FINAL FOUR--OR GO DOWN IN FLAMES TRYING

By Steve Rushin

BOUND FOR GLORY FORWARD CHAMIQUE HOLDSCLAW IS ON THE FAST TRACK TO BECOME TENNESSEE'S BIGGEST STAR EVER

By Dana Gelin

College Basketball 96-97 Preview [bonus Piece]

IF YOU THINK YOU KNOW SYRACUSE COACH JIM BOEHEIM... ...GUESS AGAIN!

By Jack McCallum

Inside The NFL

MOVE OVER, O.J. SANDERS PASSES SIMPSON ON CAREER RUSHING LIST ERICKSON, SEAHAWKS SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE A MOTIVATIONAL GEM

By Peter King

I GOT GAME AS COLLEGE BASKETBALL TAKES OVER THE TV SCHEDULE, ONLY THE CLICHES OUTNUMBER THE CONTESTS

By Leigh Montville

Departments

LETTERS

SOCCER CZAR IS CASHING IN TOO MUCH...RICHIE PARKER'S FIRST GAME...U.S. TRACK SHOULD GET RID OF CASSELL... NHL SUPERSTITION...SECOND SACKER REMEMBERED

By Dana Gelin EDITED BY Jack McCallum AND Kostya Kennedy