December 22, 1997 Table Of Contents

Author:
SI Staff

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Fanfare For An Uncommon Man: He became the winningest college basketball coach of all time and capped an exemplary career with a graceful retirement. For all that we honor North Carolina's Dean Smith

By Alexander Wolff

Dean Smith

The Legendary North Carolina Basketball Head Coach Unplugged

By Alexander Wolff; Dean Smith

Pro Basketball

WHAT A STEAL! CLEVELAND DRAFTED BREVIN KNIGHT WITH THE 16TH PICK, AND THE ROOKIE'S BRIO AND BALL HAWKING HAVE GIVEN THE CAVALIERS A SPARK OF LIFE

By Phil Taylor

BACK IN THE GAME FINDING REFUGE ON THE COURT, THE SUDDENLY RESURGENT WARRIORS LEARNED THAT LIFE AFTER LATRELL SPREWELL HAS ITS BENEFITS

By Richard Hoffer

Soccer

AN L.A. STORY A SKATEBOARDER AND A KEEPER WITH YELLOW TOENAILS LED UCLA TO THE NCAA TITLE

By Grant Wahl

Hockey

GOAL ORIENTED PAUL KARIYA'S STORYBOOK RETURN BUOYED THE DUCKS AND MAY BOOST THE FORTUNES OF OTHER NHL STARS

By Michael Farber

Pro Football

LEAP OF FAITH ROOKIE COACH JIM FASSEL, WHO CAN BE BOTH TOUGH AND TENDER, GOT THE GIANTS TO BELIEVE IN HIM AND THEN LED THEM FROM WORST TO FIRST IN THE NFC EAST

By David Fleming

CARNELL KNOWLEDGE PLAYOFF-BOUND PITTSBURGH IS WELL AWARE THAT ITS ALL-PRO STRONG SAFETY, CARNELL LAKE, PLAYS A MEAN CORNER, TOO

By Austin Murphy

College Basketball

THE NEXT WAVE TICHA PENICHEIRO HAS COME OUT OF PORTUGAL WITH A FLASHY GAME THAT HAS BROUGHT OLD GLORY BACK TO OLD DOMINION

By Kelli Anderson

QUEEN CITY SHOOTOUT BITTER CROSSTOWN RIVALRIES ARE DISAPPEARING BUT NOT IN CINCINNATI, WHERE XAVIER NOW REIGNS SUPREME

By Alexander Wolff

Winter Olympics

LORD OF THE BOARD ARE THE OLYMPICS READY FOR FREESTYLE MASTER TERJE HAAKONSEN, A DUDE WITH SOME SERIOUS 'TUDE? ASK HIM IF HE CARES

By Franz Lidz

Inside The NFL

JERRY JONES IS RELISHING HIS OPPORTUNITY TO REBUILD THE COWBOYS--DECISION TIME FOR KELLY--A PRO BOWL SNUB

By Peter King

DR. Z'S FORECAST

By Paul Zimmerman

Inside College Football

WOODSON RUNS OFF WITH THE HEISMAN--NEBRASKA'S SMOOTH TRANSITION--NORTHERN COLORADO HAS A BLAST

By Ivan Maisel; John Walters

Sports And Politics [bonus Piece]

Curtains?

In only five years, the sports mecca of Minnesota has said goodbye to its NHL team and, by voting down proposals for new stadiums, has all but lost the Twins and begun to alienate the Vikings. The way the economics of sports works nowadays, this could happen to any city in America

By Steve Rushin

THE REAL LESSON OF LATRELL SPREWELL THIS INCIDENT ISN'T ABOUT RACE BUT ABOUT ATHLETES WHO ARE ALLOWED TO PLAY BY DIFFERENT RULES

By Jesse Jackson