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Did running back Ricky Watters stop short of proving to the San Francisco 49ers, his former team, the importance of running Watters last season? Not if you ask him. "I […]

"The men who appear on these pages are worth knowing." Ed Fitzgerald ought to know. He was there. Two years before Babe Ruth passed away in 1948, as football salaries […]

WHATEVER IT MEANT, SHAWN KEMP WANTED TO shake it. He wanted to get the irritating phrase on his hip, spin baseline and flash number 40 in its face after a […]

Up the ramp from the Mariners' clubhouse, Seattle's cavernous, cement-headed Kingdome is empty and dark, aside from a pair of naturals, hometowner Ken Griffey Jr. and Frank Thomas of the […]

1996 AMERICAN LEAGUE POWER RANKINGS THE WIND-UP THE PITCH 1. Cleveland What does it do for an encore? McDowell and Franco 2. Baltimore With additions of Alomar, Wells, Myers, Birds […]

A ring o fkeys fit for a janitor sits atop the table. This isn't your ordinary house-key, car-key, office-key set-up. No, these keys are qualities that separate four teams from […]

While the 49ers and Cowboys knock helmets for the right to be engraved on the Lombardi trophy, the AFC is enmeshed in a decade-long identity crisis. The Super Bowl has […]

Call them the Grateful Alive, this legion of talented Eastern Bloc players who've left the upheaval of their homelands to find a new life in America, armed with the game […]

Coke or Pepsi? Turf or grass? The 'Stick or the Star? Neon Sanders or a steamed Rice? True blue or dead red? Smith and Jones or Young and the Effortless? […]

You think blocking Reggie White solo is confounding? Try requesting an interview with him. "You knew that Reggie was signed by New England, right?' says the voice on the other […]

The auctioneer wipes the sweat from his brow. It's the moment everyone's been waiting for. Six NFL teams--the 49ers, Cowboys, Dolphins, Broncos, Eagles and Browns--are in black-tie, fidgeting at reserved […]

Stop listening to that old Tina Turner record. We do need another hero, and we certainly need to know the way home. At least if we're to continue relying on […]

The Chicago Buns' Michael Jordan has been decertifying defenses since his rookie year. Recently, he took steps to decertify the strongest union in all of professional sports. Jordan admits he's […]

The newest feather in President Carmen Policy's cap is rookie wide receiver J.J. Stokes, whose tools and upbeat attitude are qualities not unlike those of Jerry Rice, a receiver the […]

A staire and Rogers had nothing on these pairs. Footwork, forget it. Picture-perfect timing. And the chemistry, tops in the business. Step one. A bullet from a dancing Dan Marino […]

Growing up in Washington the son of two English teachers, Drew Bledsoe listened and learned. And then got lucky. "Even if we won a big game in high school, I […]

Adegree in law on paper, a Super Bowl MVP Trophy in gold. A guy who can throw, run and win. Blue eyes and a name in the record books, in […]

New York winters can be cold and unpredictable. But in this, the silver anniversary of the New York Knickerbockers' last NBA title, the city, media and management have turned up […]

Kids get wide-eyed and eager on Christmas morning. Teen-agers gets sweaty palms on first dates. Athletes toss and turn trying to sleep the night before a big game. But these […]

Whether or not the NCAA subscribes to the theory--you can just see the athletic directors and coaches nationwide shaking in their Nike sweatsuits--college basketball is mirroring the NBA. Every giant […]

In television's legendary "Bonanza" saga, the character of Hoss illustrated the sturdy, loyal, rugged yet gentlemanly hero of the ol' West. The show's producers could have had no idea they […]

With apologies to the Iceman, pro basketball in San Antonio for the last two decades has carried the consistency of a Dennis Rodman hairstyle. Despite having finished No. 1 or […]

Inevitably, the day will knock on Marcus Allen's door. Wind no longer whistling through the earholes of his helmet, feet no longer dancing on blades of chalked grass, he will […]

To Randall Cunningham, it was the most haunting of instant replays. Everything was poignanty familiar - even the pain. Instead of gripping the football confidently in the pocket, he stood […]

"Old and cold, now that's not every winning combination!" calls out 36-year-old Marcus Allen, shuffing into the Kansas City Chiefs' locker room soaked, but smiling. Soaked because the Chiefs have […]

The Red Sox's Mo Vaughn, who tips the scale at 245 pounds, dismantled a handful of gang members for his girlfriend's honor at a Boston bar last year. Talk about […]

"I can't wait to get another crack at San Francisco," says Dallas' Michael Irvin. "We've got to get our Super Bowl back." Nigh super, the annual Superb Bowl is upon […]

Nestled in the heart of rural America, Green Bay is known for two things: toilet paper and the beloved Packers. Which is why, in the commons of St. Norbert College, […]

Welcome to the wonderful, wacky world of Rocketman Robert Horry. Riding his tanktop tails can be a wild experience when it takes you from the NBA Finals in both Orlando […]

Riding high in a limousine off the shores of Oahu, Indianapolis Colts running back Marshall Faulk is in his element, a mai-tai in hand and the NFL world at his […]

AMID A SCRIMMAGE AT THE Utah Jazz training camp in St. George, one unassuming play symbolizes one illustrious career. Back-up point guard John Crotty cuts through the lane with defender […]

GARY PAYTONHAS METTHE boiling point. Again. Houston has just trimmed Seattle's lead down to three from nine, and Payton wants to strangle somebody, namely Rockets guard Vernon Maxwell. "Come on […]

"Cortez is just blessed with major, major ability," says Seahawks team captain and All-Pro safety Eugene Robinson. "He can do it all--chasing down screens from the back side, slamming quarterbacks. […]

Though he turns 34 in June, Clyde Drexler can still glide. On and off the hardwood, Drexler's as smooth as they come. . . as is his head. "What you […]

With 10 players already chosen to represent the red, white and blue in the Atlanta Olympics this summer, the anticipation mounts for the two remaining selections. A couple of powerful […]

After Mo Vaughn was awarded the American League MVP last winter, he scheduled a news conference. Not your ordinary suit-and-tie, sit-down news conference, but then again, this isn't your ordinary […]

His philosophy is simple. Aggressively guard your opponent, try to steal the ball, and when he covers it up, get on his case, screaming madly: "Ball! Ball! Ball! He looks […]

About 14 feet from the cup, he calmly preps for the par putt. The trail bends left to right, slightly downhill. You rub your eyes and squint because for a […]

They say the parts can be more effective than the sum. Is that the case in Orlando? Sans Magic center Shaquille O' Neal, Penny Hardaway was the runaway early-sea son […]

For a guy so short he'd have difficulty getting on the coolest rides at Disneyworld, the Charlotte Hornets' Muggsy Bogues has become huge. The 5-3 Bogues missed just 18 games […]

Never mind the recent shoulder surgery and the effects of being blocked and shoved and kicked by 300-pound blocking dummies for a decade. Surprisingly, at age 32, the only pain […]

Tiaina Seau Jr. has people fooled that he's all biceps and bench press. Yet this strong Samoan, known as Junior Seau to the NFL world, has something for which most […]

To be the best at anything, you must be talented, strong and clutch. Andre Agassi, with an unsteady hold on the tennis world's No. 1 ranking, is finding out he […]

San Francisco wide receiver Jerry Rice is a poster child for fitness. His set of legs makes a racehorse jealous, and his Velcro hands catch footballs better than any pair […]

Aside from the gaudy championship belt, the last remaining symbol of George Foreman's 1974 loss to Muhammad Ali is the same lucky, faded red trunks he wore in his upset […]

Gabrielle Reece, the 6-foot-3, 24-year-old pro beach volleyball star, has beauty and spark to match her height, but perhaps more impressive is the height of her careers. As a former […]

Life on the NBA road. You never touch your bags. You sign autographs for fans, sign room-service bills for more fans. Killing time, you read books, watch TV, listen to […]

The phrase "long drink of water" takes on a whole new meaning when you encounter Shawn Bradley, the Philadelphia 76ers' slender 7-6 center. An update: He's still eating for two, […]

A trio of Cy Young Award trophies are shelved at the Maddux home in Las Vegas, hardware symbolic of the dominance this pitcher has displayed in the big leagues. Greg […]

Foster parent Fanny Threet has raised 49 children in Chesapeake, Va., yet one stands exceptionally tall among the rest. His name is Alonzo Mourning, the 6-10 center of the NBA […]