s.i. cover this week...

I hadn't seen the cover until this thread. Then again, since Rick Reilly left my subscription ran out within two weeks and I haven't renewed.

SI is not 1/3 the magazine it was with RR, and it won't be taking any more of my moolah anytime soon.

 

Disagree, Huckleberry.

A few months ago, I found SI on the verge of unreadable. Its NFL preview was complete cheese, its back-page columnist was mailing it in more often than not, and it still employed Michael Silver.

Since then, it has hired two very good writers and dudes who have respect for the great sport of football in Lee Jenkins and Damon hack, brought on Selena Roberts who, while her first column was on the shaky side, will make a positive impact on those pages, and it finally is showing signs of going away from wanting to emulate ESPN the magazine's model of burying quality writers under a mishmash of design and "who's dating who?!?!" bullcrap clearly geared to the ages 10-13 set.

Add in the addition by subtraction of losing Michael Silver and Rick Reilly, both of whom have become lazy, uninsightful reporters, and SI has turned a corner. It still writes about sports, which I consider entertainment, but it no longer insults the reader's intelligence.

Now if only Peter King would get an offer from elsewhere that he couldn't refuse . . . .

 

A previous poster mentioned Price's story on Rick Majerus. If you havent read it, do so. A tremendous profile.

 

One of the best stories I've read this year (which is only a few weeks old, I know). However, the last line, I thought it kinda came from nowhere.

Still, I want to hang with Majerus on day.

 

Piotr,

I'm sure there is plenty of truth and validity to your opinion on SI. And while Rick's stuff wasn't the best ever the last couple of years, it was still pretty good when he wanted it to be --- good enough for me to keep subscribing.

But to be honest, RR was the only reason I subscribed to the magazine. You're right, it was way out of whack with what all it was doing and who it was appealing to. It forgot what it's objective is and that is to be the authority on sports.

While I knew that SI was no longer the authority on sports, I sill enjoyed RR ... even when he mailed some in. Yeah those got a little frustrating because you could tell he had put little effort into them. But those good pieces he did were what kept me grabbing my issue week after week from my mailbox. Now he's gone.

And so am I.

Maybe I'll return when the magazine has come full circle and restored its reputation as an authority on sports, but until then. My extra moolah will go to a couple more dinners at Chilli's, Ruby Tuesdays or maybe Dewey Destin's.

 

Agree that the Majerus piece was a fine profile. Disagree that the last line, "There goes the saddest man you ever saw," came out of nowhere. He's 59, long-divorced, lives alone in a hotel, tears up with regret that he'll never have children and is apparently powerless to do anything about his obesity. Majerus may be a jolly guy a lot of the time, but Price does a good job of showing that there's a certain melancholy about him as well.

Huckleberry, the absence of Reilly is enough to make you drop the magazine? I understand his appeal, but I've always thought the real reason to subscribe was the feature work, like the Coolbaugh piece, the Majerus piece, the Bruce Pearl piece. As long as they produce stuff like that often enough, I can live without Reilly.

 

broadway joe,

honest to goodnesss I'm tellling the truth. The Life of Reilly was the only reason I subscribed to the magazine anymore. I have no reason to read it now other than to look at the pretty pictures in Leading Off.

What's been between Leading Off and Life of Reilly has been lacking for several years now. However, I really like the Babyback ribs at Chilli's and Dewey Destin's is a great place for seafood fresh out of the gulf with a nice view when the sun is setting. I'll put my money there for now!

But yeah, I liked Reilly that much.

 

Then you might want to try broadening your horizons, Huck.

 

Luke Winn did a nice piece on Brian Butch in same issue.

The Majerus feature was outstanding. Price is a fabulous writer. Like that hasn't been said over and over and over on SportsJournalists.com

 

You're right. I should and I'm sure I could if I wanted to but with as much as I have going on and all the things I have to do with work and my personal life, much less spend my money on, I'll just stick to good eats and good times rather than SI. My reading time will be spent in other magazines or books.

And just for the record, I just liked Reilly a lot. So that's clearly not much of anyone else's opinion around here and I can live with that. But I'll always like him whether he tailed off at the end or not.

There is something special about RR that, to me, can't be replaced. He's like Royko or Grizzard.

The rest are all immitations. Bye bye SI.

 

I'm surprised that Price's article didn't get more discussion here (unless I missed it). A great, great read. One of the best that SI or the Mag has put out in months.