Favorite Sports Illustrated cover

The Catch cover is fabulous.

This isn't SI, but no boxing photo will ever top this one:

 

Definitely not, complete with an open-mouthed Larry Merchant (or so I have read) visible in the crowd.

 

Sport, not Sports Illustrated but it's in the HoF

 

The one I was certain I’d never see (and I was at that game).

 

The Miracle on Ice cover. I went to the newsstand to buy that one.

 

All those who say the only thing worse than track is field never saw this competition -- Mike Powell vs. Carl Lewis vs. the legacy of Bob Beamon. And it's a fantastic cover.

 

George signed this one for me as a teenager and the 40 years of pictures to remember were amazing, to boot. My all-time favorite issue:

And honorable mention:

 

I miss when being on the cover of SI in a given week meant you were THE ONLY person on the cover of SI that week - the regional covers are weak. The Catch, the Fidrych cover and Lambert are great. Oddly enough - my last issue as a subscriber was the empty seats one from April or May - felt appropriate.

 

Always liked this one of Buster Douglas after he beat Mike Tyson. That huge smile on his face after he pulls off one of the biggest upsets in sports history, and is wearing the title belt, makes the photo worth it.

 

Also, this one, after 9/11. The story on Paul Tagliabue, and all that he was looking at when he was deciding whether to cancel that week's games is a good one.