December 29, 1997 Table Of Contents

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High School Football

SURE-HANDED RECEIVER JOE SCHEID LOST HIS LEFT ARM IN AN ACCIDENT--BUT NOT HIS DESIRE TO COMPETE

By RICHARD DEUTSCH

Contents

1997 THE YEAR IN COVERS

Catching Up With...

TAMPA BAY BUCS LINEBACKER DEWEY SELMON OCT. 1, 1979

By RICHARD DEUTSCH

Olympics

MODELED ON A MYTH EDDIE EAGAN OUTDID HIS HERO, FRANK MERRIWELL, WITH GOLD IN BOXING AND BOBSLEDDING

By Brad Herzog

Games

AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP AFTER THE AUTHOR GOT HOOKED ON A FORMULA ONE SIMULATION, THE REAL PAIN BEGAN

By Preston Lerner

Faces In The Crowd

FACES IN THE CROWD

Surfing

ENDLESS SUMMER IT'S NOT THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS FRIGHTFUL, BUT THE WAVES IN MAINE ARE DELIGHTFUL

By MIKE CANNELL

Television

SI VIEW THE WEEK IN TV SPORTS

By John Walters

Pro Football

RUSH TO THE SUPER BOWL THE STEELERS, 49ERS, CHIEFS AND PACKERS ALL HAVE TWO THINGS A TEAM NEEDS TO REACH THE TITLE GAME: A STRONG RUNNING ATTACK AND A WEEK OFF

By Michael Silver

Hockey

LOOMING LARGE ARRESTS, BRAWLS AND BOOZING WERE ON CHRIS PRONGER'S RESUME BEFORE HE GREW UP TO BE A SOARING PRESENCE FOR THE BLUES

By Michael Farber

Baseball

A BIG HIT THE GOOD DEEDS OF EMERGING BIG LEAGUE STAR MATT STAIRS HAVE MADE HIM A HERO IN NAVOJOA, MEXICO, HIS WINTER LEAGUE BASEBALL HOME

By Kostya Kennedy

College Basketball

VIVE LAFRENTZ KANSAS'S RAEF LAFRENTZ, THE LIKELY NO. 1 NBA PICK, HAS SMALL-TOWN ROOTS, A MOVIE CHARACTER'S NAME AND HOOP-HAPPY PARENTS

By Gerry Callahan

Pro Basketball

A TOUGH QUESTION WHEN TRACY MCGRADY OF TORONTO IS ASKED IF HE'S HAPPY THAT HE SKIPPED COLLEGE, THE REPLY IS YES, BUT...

By Tim Crothers

Rose Bowl Preview

FLASH POINT THE PROSPECTS FOR PASADENA ARE PYROTECHNIC AS WASHINGTON STATE'S HIGH-OCTANE AIR ATTACK MEETS THE FIRED-UP D OF MICHIGAN

By Tim Layden

Orange Bowl Preview

WITH NO DUE RESPECT IF SCOTT FROST'S UNSUNG CAREER IS ANY GUIDE, NEBRASKA WILL GO UNDEFEATED AND STILL NOT GET A SHARE OF THE NATIONAL TITLE

By Ivan Maisel

The Year In Sports 1997

MOMENTS OF TRUTH

By Steve Rushin

HAPPY ENDING

By Peter King

RISING TO THE OCCASION

By Leigh Montville

SEEING WAS BELIEVING

By Michael Bamberger

SCOTTY'S ICECAPADE

By Michael Farber

NEVER SAY DIE

By Phil Taylor

STAR BURST

By Tim Layden

GRISLY REQUIEM

By Richard Hoffer

FOND FAREWELL

By S.L. Price

ROCKET'S RED GLARE

By Gerry Callahan

GENDER BENDER

By Alexander Wolff

LITTLE HEROES

By E.M. Swift

Inside The NFL

LIKE IT OR NOT, THE SALARY CAP BROUGHT PARITY TO THE LEAGUE IN '97--OUR ANNUAL AWARDS--TWO CLASS ACTS BID FAREWELL TO THE GAME

By Peter King

DR. Z'S ALL-PRO TEAM

By Paul Zimmerman

Inside College Football

YOUNGSTOWN STATE RULES I-AA--BUNGLED HANDOFF AT USC--INJUDICIOUS JUREVICIUS--A BOWLFUL OF PREVIEWS

By Ivan Maisel; Jeff Pearlman

Pro Football [bonus Piece]

RETURN MAN

SI followed Dick Vermeil through his first season as the Rams' coach. Here is an inside look at his NFL encore.

By Peter King

WRESTLING'S DIRTY SECRET THE NCAA SHOULD BE CALLED ON THE MAT AFTER THREE COLLEGIANS DIED TRYING TO SHED POUNDS

By David Fleming

Departments

LETTERS

BOXING PRINCE KO'S NEW YORK...DEATH OF A COURAGEOUS COACH...DISTAFF DUNKERS...BOWL TICKETS: A TOUGH SELL...THE NBA IS HURTIN'...STANFORD WINS VOLLEYBALL TITLE

EDITED BY Jack McCallum AND Hank Hersch SCORECARD STAFF WRITER Kostya Kennedy

MY LEFT HOOK THE BOXER, DIRECTED BY JIM SHERIDAN, OPENS NATIONWIDE ON JAN. 9

By Richard O'Brien

SPOKANE, WASH., DEC. 20, 1997 THE FOLKL POINT OF STANFORD'S VOLLEYBALL TITLE? NO SURPRISE: IT WAS KRISTIN

By Kelli Anderson