Leading Off

Departments

12 Letters
110 The Life of Reilly

Scorecard

25 Cashing in on the Mick
Another NCAA mess
Outlaw the chaw?
Playing hurt
Ripkenesque streak broken
Soccer over sex
Faces in the Crowd
SI View

Inside...

82 The NHL
86 Baseball
93 The NBA

38 Kick Start
By dismantling opponents with fearsome efficiency, the Yankees, led by the likes of Darryl Strawberry , have run up the best early-season record in the majors in 14 years
by Tom Verducci

NBA Playoffs
44 High and Mighty
As the Lakers took a 3-1 lead over the Sonics, Shaquille O'Neal proved to be both irresistible and immovable by Phil Taylor

Baseball
48 Flame Thrower
Cub Kerry Wood , who's only 20, used a searing heater and sharp breaking balls to strike out 20 Astros
by L. Jon Wertheim

NHL Playoffs
58 More Power to Them
Because of tighter obstruction calls, a team in this postseason must be quick—or it will be dead
by Michael Farber