January 03, 1972 | Volume 36, Issue 1

On Christmas Day in Bloomington, the Minnesota Vikings, a team that had been uncharitable to its opponents all year, played reluctant Santa Claus to the Dallas Cowboys.

Appalled by the recent transformation of their favorite fanged beasts into pacifist Teddy bears, Boston hockey fans see ruin ahead. But the funny thing is these good little bears are winning, too

Maryland was going to be the best this and the biggest that, but what it came up as was a victim of foot-in-mouth disease. For a while the case looked fatal, but then Lefty Driesell spoke even louder

The killing of a "conscience-clearing" leopard, an armed showdown with a Masai chief, the testing of the spear as a nighttime weapon, assorted midnight musings and reflections on man's ultimate hunt.

It's No. 1 vs. No. 2, the Corn-huskers vs. the Crimson Tide, as the Orange Bowl settles for good the championship of college football '71. Dan Jenkins tells who hit whom with what.

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED'S double year-end issue allows us a few days to catch our breath, but for some, like Pro Football Editor Gil Rogin, all that can be managed is a gasp or two. Just when he would...

Yes, you bet, and the name is Tripucka, yet. He is Tracy, son of Frank and a star on his own

SOUTH

The Europeans were favored, as usual. Then along came America's Tyler Palmer, an hour late and ahead of them all

A mascot is fine, but a good big man is finer—and now the Kentucky Colonels and Artis Gilmore are snapping their way through the ABA

BASKETBALL—ABA: East Division leader Kentucky had a Christmas gift of sorts for second-place Virginia, and that, it seemed, was to forget about catching up (page 54). West leader Utah extended its...

4—Sarah Pileggi12—Herb Scharfman13—Rich Clarkson14—John Iacano, Heinz Kluetmeier17—Sheedy & Long18, 19—Tony Triolo20—James Drake22, 23—Tony Triolo49—Wil Blanche52—Eric Schweikardt54, 55—Neil...

Bob Peck, a junior back at Wayland (Mass.) High, ran for a total of 1,540 yards in eight games to help the Warriors finish with a perfect season and the state Class C championship. He scored 27...

LEESirs:Congratulations for giving your Sportsman of the Year award to Lee Trevino (A Common Man with an Uncommon Touch, Dec. 20). SuperMex typifies the American ideology that anyone can be...

BOBBY

•Shelby Metcalf, Texas A&M basketball coach, after his team lost to UCLA 117-53: "I was asked if our kids were awed. I don't know about our kids, but that was the first time during a game I...