December 18, 2000 | Volume 93, Issue 25

Alex Rodriguez hit the jackpot when the Rangers' owner offered him $252 million and the city of Dallas

Here is a breakdown of Alex Rodriguez's record $252 million guaranteed contract which was agreed to by the Texas Rangers on Monday

In less than five years the average salary of baseball's highest-paid player has jumped 196.5%, from Ken Griffey Jr.'s 1996 contract with the Mariners to Alex Rodriguez's new deal, negotiated by...

On a pivotal weekend for three NFC contenders, the moribund Redskins effectively buried their playoff dreams, while the Bucs and the Rams showed strong vital Signs

Using the plan that worked so well last year, the Bucs turned things over to their defense and beat the Dolphins

The Rams rediscovered their swagger and ran circles around the Viking

Lyghts OutRams cornerback Todd Lyght covers the eyes—and back—of Vikings fullback Jimmy Kleinsasser while making a tackle during St. Louis's 40-29 victory (page 118).

As Rams wideout Az-Zahir Hakim grew into one of the game's most electrifying players, he had to hide the existence of his father, who was running from the law

Aging coaches like Dick Bennett, who recently quit while at the top of his game at Wisconsin, find it increasingly hard to put up with the pressures of their profession

WHEN THE FROST IS ON THE PUMPKIN, IT'S TIME FOR THE NCAA POSTSEASON, A FALL FEST OF SPORTS AS DIVERSE AS WOMEN'S FIELD HOCKEY AND MEN'S WATER POLO. GLADIATORS GET THEIR KICKS ON GRIDIRONS AND...

Erupting for 51 points in back-to-back games, the Warriors' Antawn Jamison shot his way into the spotlight and stole some thunder from his old college classmate Vince Carter

Vince Carter (left) and Antawn Jamison are two of the four North Carolina alums among the NBA's top 20 in scoring. Had Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace returned to Chapel Hill for their junior...

With a 31-point demolition of Kansas capping a 7-0 start, Wake Forest showed it's a little school that can slay the big boys

BASEBALL

Sky-high WagerThe Rockies bet big that Mike Hampton can tame hitters in Colorado

Perfectly FrankA maturing Frank Williams has Illinois off to a hot start against a very tough schedule

Sibling rivals Joe and Jon Crispin are teaming to make Penn State tough

Super, MarioThe comeback of Mario Lemieux is good news for everyone in the league

PETER SVOBODAD LIGHTNINGAt 34, he's the senior member of Tampa Bay's defense. The 16-year veteran has provided valuable leadership, and through Sunday he had a goal and three assists in 17 games.

Once the Bruins and Paul Coffey, who was waived last week, agree on a buyout of the $4.5 million Boston still owes him, look for the Maple Leafs to pursue the 39-year-old defenseman. Toronto could...

Squeeze PlayThe Jaguars must cut $40 million in payroll to get under the 2001 cap

Why the spate of big rushing days? "Sloppy tackling," says former Steelers linebacker Andy Russell. "In the old school you'd put your face into a guy's knees and hold on. Now they go high and...

BittersweetThe careers of two of the biggest stars of the Cowboys' title teams are heading in opposite directions. Troy Aikman, 34, suffered the 10th concussion of his career in Dallas's win over...

Inside the locker of which NFL player?A Polish flag; a team playbook; knee braces; a black leather belt; a protein bar; one banana "for after lunch, because I can never eat enough lunch"; three...

"Don't tell me about the pain. Show me the baby. We're not showing the baby; we're just bitching about the pain."—CARDINALS STRONG SAFETY PAT TILLMAN, on his teammates' excuses for losing

My Two Cents

Last season the Buccaneers and the Rams battled each other for a trip to the Super Bowl. The stakes won't be as high when they meet again this Monday night, but the downside is scarier—the specter...

New Breed of CatWith his leopard 'do, U.S. downhiller Chad Fleischer is getting ahead

If the political waters are safe, U.S. backstroker Lenny Krayzelburg, who won three golds in Sydney, will honor his Jewish heritage by competing at the Maccabiah Games in Jerusalem beginning in...

Time for the annual Chuckie Awards, named for skilled bar patron Charles Barkley, who pitched an annoying fan through a plate-glass window without spilling a drop of his own grog. The Chuckies are...

FEBRUARY 20, 1984

Hunting: a sport? How can anything be called a sport if one of the competitors doesn't even know that he's playing?—SIG MEJDAL, Sunnyvale, Calif.

Letters to SPORTS ILLUSTRATED should include the name, address and home telephone number of the writer. They may be mailed to The Editor, Sports Illustrated, 135 West 50th Street, New York, N.Y....

After an emotional sports moment, a hard-bitten scribe sets about tracing the tracks of his tears

Highlights

Larry Rifkin believes in 7-foot-tall purple dinosaurs and 6'5" college basketball centers. He can afford to promulgate his unlikely creed: Time has proved him right.

Like the growing variety of ice cream flavors, the increase in sports websites can be overwhelming. At some point, instead of adding to our ever-lengthening list of bookmarks, we choose to pare...

Larry Kehres, coach at Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, has the best winning percentage (.920) in NCAA football history, while John Gagliardi of St. John's University in Collegeville, Minn.,...

Who needs the Next MJ when the NBA may have Bird-Magic II?

Ron HarperGot Next Jordan tab from Cleveland State coach Kevin Mackey in 1986; played in oblivion with Clippers before riding MJ's coattails to three titles.

Upon its debut in 1970, Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh was heralded as a shrine to modernity: an efficient two-sport venue boasting wall-to-wall, ultrapractical synthetic turf. The New York...

It's getting hairy in the NBA. The clean-pated look that had been the players' 'do—or 'do not—of choice is giving way to a furrier feel. Among those who have grown out their hair are Vince Carter...

24Three-pointers made, out of 43 attempted, by Taurean Moy of Memphis's Booker T. Washington High in a 115-59 victory over Manassas; both of his numbers are national high school records.

The NFL's "Show Me Something" campaign

He works weekends under hazardous conditions, and about the only time he gets noticed is when he screws up. To compensate, a veteran NFL official can earn upwards of $100,000 annually. Not bad,...

Named•Pelé, as Player of the Century by FIFA, soccer's world governing body. He won the balloting by FIFA's football committee and readers of its magazine, but when Diego Maradona outpolled the...

After Miami TV station WSVN aired a report on a Dec. 4 traffic altercation, it got a surprise call from one of the principals, O.J. Simpson. Jeffrey Pattinson of Miami told police that Simpson had...

Boris Becker has split from his wife of seven years, Barbara (below, left). According to German press reports, the breakup was caused by an affair Becker was having with German rap star Sabrina...

On Monday, the same day that it heard oral arguments in the Florida election dispute, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it would take on another case of vital national interest, the racketeering...

MOOKIE BLAYLOCKWarriors guard who's in the third year of a four-year, $18 million contract, asked why his team is so inconsistent: "If I knew the answer, I'd be a rich man.

Interactive technology turns attending a game into a high-tech adventure

'Tis the season to be giving, and here's an array of goodies for sports fans on your list

Spain won its first Davis Cup by grinding Australia into the home court dirt

With ultrarealistic graphics and warp-speed action, these are the year's best sports video games

Mitch Meluskey, Houston's irascible catcher, is learning to curb his temper

Kacie Flinn, FENTON, MO.SoftballKacie, a senior pitcher at Rockwood Summit High, went 22-2 this year (softball is a fall sport in Missouri high schools) while striking out 334 hitters and walking...

Guidance for those lost in sports

In the history of sport, has any other athlete burdened by heavy expectations not just lived up to them but also exceeded our wildest projections? Only Tiger Woods, dream beater

Lots of questions remain as we elect to take one more look at the Year of the Tiger

Some people and organizations could have used a second chance in 2000.

1. "What do I have to shoot this week to win? Tiger Woods."

AN ASSORTMENT OF FUN FIGURES FROM 2000

An Eye for DesignClubmaker Stites

What do these players have in common?

Do you believe, as commissioner Tim Finchem does, that in 20 years the Tour will have more fans than pro football?

SYNONYMS for a HOT DRIVERBattle ax, bazooka, big bopper, big gun, big kahuna, big mama, big stick, bomba stick, fat boy, gas, heater, launcher, rocket ship, Steely Dan, sweet thing.

This season will be remembered as the most momentous in golf history. In addition to the seismic breakthroughs of Tiger Woods and Karrie Webb, we were introduced to the Wongluekiet twins, said...

Casey Wittenburg, MemphisCasey, 16, was victorious at the American Junior Golf Association's season-ending Polo Golf Junior Classic, a 138-player event involving stroke and match play. Casey, a...

You could say I'm all wet, but taking a header into a water hazard helped me get through Q school

Golfers are inundated with new products at Christmas, so I sifted through the morass and picked out some items that I believe will still be valued when next Christmas rolls around.

•Feline BetterIn the end, El Pato (the Duck) and El Gato (the Cat) were devoured by Team Tiger.

A jovial David Duval carried his partner, Tiger Woods, and charmed the crowds as the U.S. won the World Cup in Buenos Aires