December 24, 1979 | Volume 51, Issue 26

If Jefferson Davis had had his way, the U.S. Cavalry would have pursued Comanches on camelback. The Indians, riding mustangs that initially would have widely outdistanced the camels, would have...

In 1633 a shipload of settlers from Dorchester, Mass. sailed down the Connecticut River to the Farmington River and on to what now is Windsor, Conn. Their descendants still live there. In 1932 the...

I was never much of a surfer, but I recall it as a fine sport, one which often demanded the virtue that Hemingway labeled "grace under pressure." Defined in prosaic language, this would be one's...

4—Illustrations by John Huehnergarth30, 31—Richard Mackson32, 33—Manny Millan34—John Iacono (top), Tony Tomsic (center), Manny Millan35—R. J. Capak (left), Lane Stewart (center), Bob Straus Jr.36,...

PRO BASKETBALL—NBA: Milwaukee, which drew away from its Midwest Division rivals early in the year with 10 straight wins, watched its lead dwindle to half a game. The Bucks lost four times, while...

TOM SOUTHALLSTEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLO.Tom, a junior tailback, ran for 412 yards on 28 carries and scored six TDs to lead Steamboat Springs High to a 52-15 win over Sheridan in the state Class-AA...

Sir:I read with interest your article on the University of New Mexico basketball scandal (Now , Dec. 10). You quoted UNM President William E. Davis as saying it was "lack of leadership and...

When it comes to running in unfamiliar territory, I, like Blanche DuBois, "have always depended on the kindness of strangers." With mixed results. Asking a desk clerk or taxi driver where to run...

The mail comes late to my mountain hideout somewhere off the coast of Iowa, but not long ago I read a copy of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED that contained a reminiscence by my old tennis coach. Bud Collins...

•Serge Savard, Montreal Canadiens defenseman, after a game against Gordie Howe: "He didn't show me anything new. All of our guys have been playing like 51-year-olds this season."

The countdown to Super Bowl XIV continues with four divisional playoff games, and both Pittsburgh and Dallas, the rivals in XIII, will enjoy the home-field advantage. Dan Jenkins, Joe Marshall,...

UCLA basketball once was a dynasty of dynasties, but two losses last week showed how far the mighty have fallen

Weighing traditional All-Pro lists and finding them wanting, the author proclaims his own picks for 1979

Twenty-five years ago, when SPORTS ILLUSTRATED was born. Willie (Pops) Stargell, one of our co-Sportsmen of 1979, was known around Oakland, Calif. as Lefty Milkshake—the 13-year-old Wilver was as...

Canadians do not curse their cruel winter; they choose instead to celebrate it with festivals like Winterlude in Ottawa, when the snowy capital becomes a gallery of ice sculptures and a symphony...

Ah, the noble hound: the retriever and pointer, which bring in the game; the bloodhound, which tracks down felons and rescues lost children; the coonhound. which practically qualifies as a...

Like seven-story Christmas tree ornaments, they waft over a New Mexico mesa, their pilots riding in wicker baskets suspended beneath sheer nylon "envelopes." On landing, the hot-air balloonists...

After Kentucky's late burst beat No. 1 Indiana, Hoosier Coach Bobby Knight wished more than ever he hadn't let Indianian Kyle Macy slip off to the Bluegrass State

WEST

MICHAEL BROOKS: The 6'7½" senior center scored 33 points as La Salle beat Rider 102-59, then was named MVP at the Cougar Classic, where his 74-point total helped the Explorers finish second to BYU.

Despite the throbbing arias of a 350-pound cheerleader, Italy was defeated in the Davis Cup finals by the United States, as Smith and Lutz rendered their last duet

Certain things make you feel smart. Remembering a mother-in-law's birthday can do it. Remembering a boss' birthday can really do it. And, occasionally, even buying something can have that effect....

Old Indestructible, Jim Marshall of the Vikings, retires after 302 straight games

His fourth team in four seasons should be Adrian Dantley's last—unless, of course, the struggling Utah Jazz, like the Braves, Pacers and Lakers, up and trade him, too

400-300 You should have taken my place on the U.S. team.