What's your favorite sports magazine?

Matt L. · Feb 21, 2008

There was a topic related to Sports Illustrated in the 'Journalism Topics' forum, so I decided to make this one. What do you guys think is the best sports magazine?

I am currently subscribed to Sports Illustrated and ESPN the Magazine. I've wanted to subscribe to Sports Weekly because I heard it was the best, but I'm just wondering what you guys think first. ESPN has a good magazine, but it's just way too large. It's like you're reading a newspaper when you read it... However, ESPN the Magazine is very worth it because of the ESPN insider subscription you get on their main site which is totally worth it.

Anyways, after Rick Reilly left Sports Illustrated for ESPN, it just went down hill from there.

SlickWillie71 · Feb 21, 2008

I know I'm probably going to be in the minority, but I still love The Sporting News. It's the same mag that it was when I first started subscribing in 1982, but the one thing I love about it is that it is straight sports, without all the Hollywood and sports meshing that ESPN the Mag does.

STLIrish · Feb 21, 2008

Um... SI. No doubt.
ESPN Insider makes getting the Mag worth it. But that probably generates two-thirds of their subscriptions. The magazine itself too often feels like you're reading SportsCenter. I'll just watch it, thanks.

pseudo · Feb 22, 2008

Sports Weekly? You mean the former Baseball Weekly, the USA Today product that added NFL coverage a couple of years ago? Some decent articles, but nothing groundbreaking... and hockey, basketball, and the rest don't exist, so don't bother looking for them.

TSN isn't what it used to be -- for my money, taking Mr. Kindred off their back page was a far greater loss than Reilly's departure was for SI -- but I'm not quite to the point of letting my subscription lapse. Good features on Scott Drew/Baylor hoops and Dany Heatley in this week's issue.

Irish has it right, though: everyone else is shooting for second place behind SI. Okay, maybe it isn't quite the same as in "back in the good ol' days" either... but if I've got some time to spare and I'm looking for a good story told by a great writer, I know which magazine I'm picking up first.

Those are the three that show up in my mailbox. ESPN:Mag is not on that list, because I was never all that impressed with their presentation. This may change once Mr. Jones' byline begins appearing on their pages.

And if Play ever decides to publish more frequently...

Orange Hat Bobcat · Feb 22, 2008

Sports Illustrated remains at the top of the list. I have subscribed for almost 13 years, and will continue to subscribe. The content waned, briefly and, on because of one thread after another on this board, more noticeably, but it has improved during recent months. The Feb. 18 issue (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) was another strong effort with six features. They offer the best consistent product.

ESPN: The Magazine, on the other hand, provides another forum for the network, but its higher-ups appear to be headed for better days. Will there always be the celebrity/Hollywood feature? Sure. But Wright Thompson, Chris Jones and a handful of other good writers in the pages can only help. I subscribe.

I will be happy when PLAY moves from six issues per year to 12. Issue for issue, that is the best sports magazine. But they cannot offer the sheer quantity that Sports Illustrated offers. Great stories, though. Always a must read.