Your favorite SI story ever

I second this.

 

Right here:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1122011/index.htm

The back story on this is that Deford had never heard of Sullivan until he got on a plane and found a copy of the Jackson Clarion-Ledger that someone had left behind. Rick Cleveland, the paper's lead columnist then and now --- had written a piece about Sullivan and Deford was so intrigued he had to find out for himself if the legend was true.

 

Bill Nack, 'O Unlucky Man,' about Liston

 

"The mourning anchor": Rick Reilly on Bryant Gumbel:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1067784/index.htm

 

I remember that one. I remember quite the argument on this board as to whether it merited being on the cover.

 

If I had to pick just one, it'd be the aforementioned Reilly piece on Bryant Gumbel. But here are three that are very close:

"Heaven help Marge Schott" by Rick Reilly
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1008139/index.htm

"The boxer and the blonde" by Frank Deford (on Billy Conn)
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1119578/index.htm

"True to his words" by William Nack (on Rubin "Hurricane" Carter)
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1003662/index.htm

 

Frank Deford on Joe Delaney's death:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1121456/index.htm

I also loved the cover caption - "Marvin, you don't scare me!" with a photo of Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran facing each other

 

True story: A high school coach I was covering at the time was in his 50s and played at Pearl River JC. I asked him if he played at the time Bull Sullivan was coaching at Scooba, and not only did he, but had a great yarn. Pearl River was playing at Scooba and won the game. Couple of calls went against Scooba and there were a couple of late turnovers that killed them. After the game, the Pearl River bus was about to pull out when Sullivan came on board and talked to the Pearl River coach. He then walked down the aisle of the bus and when he got to the back, found two of his players (who had fumbled or otherwise made mistakes at the end) trying to sneak out on the Pearl River bus.

They were that afraid of the guy. But Deford couldn't find any former player who would talk bad about Sullivan later in the life. Sort of like none of the Junction Boys ripped Bear.

 

Deford's "Confessions of a Sportswriter": http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1167648/index.htm. It's not really a story but a discussion of his life as a sportswriter and sportswriting in general. Only issue I've saved.

 

I third the Smith deep-sea diver story.

 

Reilly's story on Gumbel was the story I read that made me want to be a sportswriter. It's just an amazing piece.