Best Of The 70s

Long before there was a Thorpedo, there was Mark Spitz, who became a global poster boy with an image that probably makes him cringe today: a shot of him wearing nothing but his Speedo and his seven gold medals. That photo was famous, but not as good as the one at left. Along with such striking action, SI was portrait-heavy in the 1970s, creating a social register of sport's new personalities-many of them outsized, at least one of them Evel.

1972
MARK SPITZ
He dived into the pool seven times in Munich and each time emerged with an Olympic gold medal and a world record.

70s THE CLASSICS
Memorable pictures don't always elicit pleasure—one can only cringe at the grainy shot of a terrorist in Munich's Olympic village—but some of them inspire pure joy: Bobby Orr letting one fly or the riddle of the Leon Spinks grin.

1972
OLYMPIC TERRORISTS

1978
LEON SPINKS

1977
REGGIE JACKSON

1970
BOBBY ORR

1972
GILLES VILLEMURE
There was no rest for New York's goalie against Chicago during the NHL playoffs.

1976
PETE ROSE
Charlie Hustle puts down his landing gear as he approaches third base.

1974
EVEL KNIEVEL