THE TOP SPORTS OF 1997

WINNERS

1 GREEN BAY PACKERS The team is too good to be good–yet it won the Super Bowl. Owned by 1,915 locals who volunteer to shovel snow before games, the Pack has role models galore: all-handsome quarterback Brett Favre, who overcame an addiction to pain killers, and all-best defensive end Reggie White, a minister whose burned-down Kentucky church the folks of Green Bay chipped in to rebuild. This season Coach Mike Holmgren, with his Poppin Fresh face and Dad-knows-best style, led his team easily into the playoffs. The Pack seems set to face the 49ers for the NFC crown, with the winner inflicting the ritual Super Bowl humiliation on the AFC champ. Can nice guys finish first again?

2 Courage at the bat Two flinty veterans faced something more frightening than a 100-m.p.h. fastball: cancer. The Orioles’ Eric Davis returned from chemotherapy for colon cancer to bat .310 in September. Brett Butler of the Dodgers, who had throat cancer, hit .283 and stole 15 bases. They win our vote for Comeback Heroes of the Year.

3 Tara Lipinski In 1996 the pixie from Sugar Land, Texas, finished 15th in the World Figure Skating competition. This year, at 14, she was first, and for an encore won the nationals with a credulity-defying triple-loop triple-loop combination. Now she’s off to the Olympics, again to battle grizzled champ Michelle Kwan. Michelle is all of 16.

4 Arizona men’s basketball team The NCAA champs were steered by freshman point guard Mike Bibby, son of UCLA’s point guard in its golden years. But Dad wasn’t around much; it was Mike’s mom who prodded and inspired her boy to excel. Said Mike: “She’s the reason I’m here.” Yes, Santa, there is a Virginia Bibby.

5 Florida Marlins In just their fifth year the Marlins proved that football isn’t Florida’s only big-time sport. Jim Leyland’s club, led by pitchers Kevin Brown and Cuban refugee Livan Hernandez, beat the powerful Braves, then outlasted the Indians to win the World Series in an extra-inning thriller. Way to go, kids!

LOSERS

1 THUGS IN SHORTS We’ve heard of players choking during a game, but Latrell Sprewell couldn’t wait that long: the Golden State Warriors star throttled his coach, P.J. Carlesimo, in practice. At times, NBA royalty beat up fans, refs and each other, but Sprewell’s attack won him a year’s suspension–and the services of Johnnie Cochran. Now the streets are filled with cries of “Free Spree!” And the coach, who is no more a psycho Patton than Bobby Knight or Woody Hayes, must be wondering how an assault victim could become the perp. Advice to P.J.: This is hardball. Press charges.

2 Wild and wacky Marv Blame the Victim, Part II: sportscaster Marv Albert pleaded guilty to biting a woman during sex, then told Barbara, Katie and Dave it was the woman’s fault. Albert ignored the first law of celebrity: being famous allows you to do all the naughty things you ever wanted; it also makes it a lot more likely you’ll get caught.

3 Tyson’s teeth Bite Me, Part II: in his bout with Evander Holyfield, Iron Mike chomped twice on the heavyweight champ’s ear; he lost the fight and, for a year, his license to box. Poor Tyson: he should have tried team sports. Then he could kick a photographer, spit on refs, attack fans–and get a fat contract peddling overpriced sneakers to underprivileged kids.

4 Thugs in shoulder pads As a star back for Nebraska, Lawrence Phillips pleaded no contest to assaulting his ex-girlfriend. As a rookie for the St. Louis Rams, he did time for drunk driving. The Rams finally dropped him–for missing practice!–and the Dolphins picked him up. Coaches have a soft spot for Phillips; they must find his misdemeanor appealing.

5 Florida Marlins What price glory? To buy a championship, zillionaire owner Wayne Huizenga spent $89 million for the mercenaries known as free agents, then, after the World Series, sold out to a group that stripped the team of its top talent. The moral? In modern sports it’s not how you win the game but whether you can pay that counts.