The End of SI?

IIRC they used to charge like 3.99 plus postage and handling for those posters. You could get two Star Wars action figures for that price.

 

I started to do this, too. King wouldn't make the top 25 of the writing greats at SI.
Jenkins, Nack, Maule, Shrake, Zimmerman, Price, Reilly, and on and on and on ...

Gil Rogin among the execs, also. And six or eight photogs ahead of PK, too.

How does Mulvoy make any list? Always heard he was not well-respected, and especially among the writers.

 

Gary Smith, Leigh Montville

 

Because Mulvoy was the editor for a long time. Mulvoy pushed SI towards becoming a more news oriented magazine focusing on major spectator sports. Being a jerk does not preclude someone from being influential.

 

I also put Myron Cope ahead of King. (Yes, THAT Myron Cope.) He wrote a profile of Howard Cosell in the 60s that was fantastic. It was reprinted in the issue with Clinton on he cover.

 

I haven't read SI since Rick Reilly left. Just like the article stated, it was once a staple and had THE final word in sports for me. Not any more though. Interestingly, though, I've been an ESPN Insider subscriber for their fantasy baseball reporting for at least five years now ... my point being this is how irrelevant Sports Illustrated has become.

 

I have one of those babies and had this on the wall when I was in high school:



And spent hours playing board games like this:

 

We used to play the SI college football game.

 

The thing is though -focusing less on what happened and more on why it happened is probably what all print publications should be doing.
There is no shortage of instant analysis - last week's take (LeBron can't keep it going like that against the Raptors) is forgotten. Better to take a longer look - and a deeper perspective on sports where there isn't that much competition.

 

I have a free subscription to SI. I'm surprised how little I read it. It's in the magazine rack in the bathroom, but I'll be honest, I'm more likely to play Candy Crush or poker on my phone.