Sports Illustrated is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sportSport is an activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. Sports commonly refer to activities where the physical capabilities of the competitor are the sole or primary determinant of the outcome , but the term is also used to include activities such as...
s
magazineMagazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles, generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
owned by
mediaMass media denotes a section of the media specifically designed to reach a very large audience such as the population of a nation state. The term was coined in the 1920s with the advent of nationwide radio networks, mass-circulation newspapers and magazines. However, some forms of mass media such...
conglomerate
Time WarnerTime Warner Inc. is the world's largest entertainment conglomerate , as well as the world's fourth largest media conglomerate, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City...
. It has over 3 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men, 19% of the adult males in the United States. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twice. Its
swimsuit issueThe Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is published annually by Sports Illustrated. It features fashion models wearing swimwear in exotic locales. Inclusion is considered a stick by which supermodels are measured. In addition, the issue is a media nexus that in 2005 carried $35 million in...
, which has been published since 1964, is now an annual publishing event that generates its own
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
shows, videos and
calendarA calendar is a system of organizing days for social, religious, commercial, or administrative purposes. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months, and years. The name given to each day is known as a date. Periods in a calendar are usually, though not...
s.
History
Two other magazines named
Sports Illustrated were started in the 1930s and 1940s, but they both quickly failed. Following these events, there was no large-base general sports magazine with a national following. It was then that
TIMETime is a component of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify the motions of objects...
patriarch
Henry LuceHenry Robinson Luce was an influential American publisher.-Biography:Luce, known to his friends as "Father Time," was born in Penglai City, China, the son of Elizabeth Middleton and Henry Winters Luce, who was a Presbyterian missionary...
began considering whether his company should attempt to fill that gap. At the time, many believed sports was beneath the attention of serious
journalismJournalism is the craft of conveying news, descriptive material and comment via a widening spectrum of media. These include newspapers, magazines, radio and television, the internet and even, more recently, the mobile phone...
and didn't think sports news could fill a weekly magazine, especially during the winter. A number of advisers to Luce, including
Life Magazines Ernest Havemann, tried to kill the idea, but Luce, who was not a sports fan, decided the time was right.
After offering $200,000 in an unsuccessful bid to buy the name Sport
for the new magazine, they acquired the rights to the name Sports Illustrated
instead for just $10,000. The goal of the new magazine was to be "not a
sports magazine, but the
sports magazine." Many at Time-Life scoffed at Luce's idea; in his Pulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by Hungarian-American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City....
-winning biography, Luce and His Empire,
W.A. SwanbergWilliam Andrew Swanberg, 1907-1992, was a Pulitzer-Prize-winning American biographer. He is perhaps best known for Citizen Hearst, his biography of William Randolph Hearst. He was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1907 and earned his B.A. at the University of Minnesota in 1930 He always wrote under...
wrote that the company's intellectuals dubbed the proposed magazine "Muscle," "Jockstrap," and "Sweat Socks." Launched on August 16, 1954, it was not profitable (and would not be so for 12 years) and not particularly well run at first, but Luce's timing was good. The popularity of spectator sports in the United States was about to explode, and that popularity came to be driven largely by three things: Economic prosperity, television, and Sports Illustrated
.
The early issues of the magazine seemed caught between two opposing views of its audience. Much of the subject matter was directed at upper class activities such as yachtingYachting refers to recreational sailing or boating, the specific act of sailing or using other vessels for sporting.-Competitive Sailing:...
, poloPolo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a long-handled mallet...
and safariA safari is an overland journey, usually a trip by tourists to Africa, traditionally for a big-game hunt; today the term often refers to a trip taken not for the purposes of hunting, but to observe and photograph big game and other wildlife...
s, but upscale would-be advertisersAdvertising is a form of communication used to influence individuals to purchase products or services or support political candidates or ideas. Frequently it communicates a message that includes the name of the product or service and how that product or service could potentially benefit the consumer...
were unconvinced that sports fans were a significant part of their market.
Innovations
From its start, Sports Illustrated introduced a number of innovations that are generally taken for granted today:
- Liberal use of color photos - though the six-week lead time initially meant they were unable to depict timely subject matter
- Scouting reports - including a World Series
The World Series has been the annual championship series of the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada since 1903, concluding the postseason of Major League Baseball...
Preview and New Year's DayNew Year's Day is the first day of the new year. On the modern Gregorian calendar, it is celebrated on January 1, as it was also in ancient Rome . In all countries using the Gregorian calendar as their main calendar, except for Israel, it is a public holiday, often celebrated with fireworks at the...
bowl gameIn the United States, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
round-up that enhanced the viewing of games on television
- In-depth sports reporting from writers like Robert Creamer
Robert W. Creamer is an American sportswriter and editor. The majority of his career was spent at Sports Illustrated....
, Tex MauleHamilton Prieleaux Bee Maule, commonly known as Tex Maule was the lead American football writer for Sports Illustrated in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s...
and Dan JenkinsDan Jenkins is an American author and sportswriter, most notably for Sports Illustrated.Jenkins was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, where he attended R.L. Paschal High School and Texas Christian University , where he played on the varsity golf team...
.
- Regular illustration features by artists like Robert Riger
Robert Riger was a celebrated sports illustrator, photographer, award-winning television director, and cinematographer....
.
- High school football Player of the Month awards.
- Inserts of sports cards in the centre of the magazine.
Color printing
The magazine's photographers also made their mark with innovations like putting cameras
in the goal at a
hockeyIce Hockey is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a puck into the opposing team's goal. It is a fast-paced and physical sport...
game and
behind a glass backboard at a
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
game. In 1965,
offset printingOffset printing is a commonly used printing technique where the inked image is transferred from a plate to a rubber blanket, then to the printing surface...
began to allow the color pages of the magazine to be printed overnight, not only producing crisper and brighter images, but also finally enabling the editors to merge the best color with the latest news. By 1967, the magazine was printing 200 pages of "fast color" a year; in 1983, SI became the first American full-color newsweekly. An intense rivalry developed between
photographersPhotojournalism is a particular form of journalism that creates images in order to tell a news story. It is now usually understood to refer only to still images, but in some cases the term also refers to video used in broadcast journalism...
, particularly
Walter IoossWalter Iooss Jr. has been a professional photographer since the age of 19. He is perhaps best known for his work with Sports Illustrated magazine and for his portraits of famous athletes like Michael Jordan, Cal Ripken, Jr. and Ken Griffey, Jr....
and
Neil LeiferNeil Leifer is a noted photographer for the Time family of magazines. As a boy in New York City, Leifer would gain free admission to New York Giants games by pushing the wheelchairs of handicapped patrons into the stadium...
, to get a decisive cover shot that would be on news-stands and in mailboxes only a few days later.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, during Gil Rogin's term as Managing Editor, the feature stories of
Frank DefordBenjamin Franklin Deford, III is a senior contributing writer for Sports Illustrated, author, and commentator for NPR and correspondent for "Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel" on HBO.-Background:...
became the magazine's anchor. "Bonus pieces" on
Pete RozelleAlvin Ray "Pete" Rozelle was the commissioner of the National Football League from January 1960 to November 1989, when he retired from office...
,
Bear BryantPaul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his twenty-five year tenure as Alabama's head coach he amassed two national championships and thirteen conference championships...
,
Howard CosellHoward William Cosell was an American sports journalist.-Early life:Cosell was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to Nellie and Isidore Cohen, who was an accountant. He was raised in Brooklyn, New York. His parents had wanted him to become a lawyer...
and others became some of the most quoted sources about these figures, and Deford established a reputation as one of the best writers of the time.
Regular segments
Who's Hot, Who's Not:
A feature on who's on a tear and who's in a slump.
Inside the NFL
, MLB
, NHL
, NBA
, College FootballCollege football is American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies. It was the venue through which American football first gained popularity in the United States...
, College BasketballCollege basketball most often refers to the American basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III.-Division I:There are 347 schools in 32...
, NASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947-48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
, GolfGolf is a precision club-and-ball sport, in which competing players , using many types of clubs, attempt to hit balls into each hole on a golf course while employing the fewest number of strokes. Golf is one of the few ball games that does not require a standardized playing area...
, BoxingBoxing is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds. There are three ways to win...
, Horse RacingHorse racing is an equestrian sport that has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times are an early example, as is the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. It is inextricably associated with gambling...
, Soccer
and TennisTennis is a sport played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a strung racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court....
(sports vary from issue to issue) has the writers from each sport to address the latest news and rumors in their respective fields.
Faces in the Crowd:
honors talented amateur athletes and their accomplishments.
The Point After: A back-page column featuring a rotation of SI writers as well as other contributors. Content varies from compelling stories to challenging opinion, focusing on both the world of sports and the role sports play in society.
Creative freedom that the staff had enjoyed seemed to diminish. By the 1980s and 1990s, the magazine had become more profitable than ever, but many also believed it had become more predictable. Mark Mulvoy was the first top editor whose background contained nothing but sports; he had grown up as one of the magazine's readers, but he had no interest in fiction, movies, hobbies or history. Mulvoy's top writer
Rick ReillyRichard "Rick" Paul Reilly is an American sportswriter. Long known for being the "back page" columnist for Sports Illustrated, Reilly moved to ESPN on June 1, 2008 where he is a featured columnist for ESPN.com and also writes the back page column for ESPN the Magazine...
had also been raised on SI and followed in the footsteps of many of the great writers that he grew up admiring, but many felt that the magazine as a whole came to reflect Mulvoy's complete lack of sophistication. Mulvoy also hired the current creative director Steven Hoffman. Critics said that it rarely broke (or even featured) stories on the major controversies in sports (drugs, violence, commercialism) any more, and that it focused on major sports and celebrities to the exclusion of other topics.
The proliferation of "commemorative issues" and crass subscription incentives seemed to some like an exchange of journalistic integrity for commercial opportunism. More importantly, perhaps, many feel that 24-hour-a-day cable sports television networks and sports news web sites have forever diminished the role a weekly publication can play in today's world, and that it is unlikely any magazine will ever again achieve the level of prominence that SI once had.
Another example of a big change in direction for the periodical is in its capitalizing on alternative covers. The concept took off in the 2000s. There was an alternative issue in fall 2000 for the
2000 World SeriesThe 2000 World Series featured a crosstown matchup between the two-time defending champion New York Yankees and the New York Mets, with the Yankees winning four games to one for their third straight championship and 26th overall. It marks, to date, the last World Series won by the Yankees, and the...
. One issue featured
Derek JeterDerek Sanderson Jeter is an American professional baseball player. He is a Major League Baseball shortstop who has played his entire career for the New York Yankees. He has served as the Yankees' team captain since 2003...
with the heading
Subway SeriesThe Subway Series is a series of Major League Baseball games played between teams based in New York City.The term's historic usage has been in reference to World Series games played between New York teams, but since 1997 it has also been applied to interleague play during the regular season between...
. In January 2004, the controversy over USC and LSU's share of the National Football Championship, resulted in SI creating one issue for the West Coast with USC as champions while the state of Louisiana had an alternative cover with LSU as National Champions. In 2006 alone, there have been three different weeks in which alternative covers have been featured. The August 21 issue featured the College Football Preview and had five alternative covers. The October 23 issue was the NBA Preview and featured three covers with
LeBron JamesLeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James," he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar...
,
Dwyane WadeDwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr. , nicknamed "Flash" or "D-Wade", is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association . Wade was named 2006 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated...
, and
Carmelo AnthonyCarmelo Kiyan Anthony is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets, of the National Basketball Association . He has also played with the United States national basketball team. He went to Towson Catholic for high school and decided to go to Syracuse for college...
. The College Basketball Preview was dated November 20 and had five alternative covers.
Sportsman of the Year
Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has annually presented the
Sportsman of the YearSince its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has annually presented the "Sportsman of the Year" award to "the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement." Both Americans and non-Americans are eligible, though in the past the...
award to "the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement."
Roger BannisterSir Roger Gilbert Bannister, CBE is an English former athlete best known as the first man in history to run the mile in less than 4 minutes...
won the first ever Sportsman of the year award thanks to his record breaking time of 3:59.4 for a mile (the first ever time a mile had been run under four minutes).
Michael PhelpsMichael Fred Phelps is an American swimmer, frequently cited as the greatest swimmer and one of the greatest Olympians of all time. He has won 14 career Olympic gold medals, the most by any Olympian...
is Sports Illustrated's most recent Sportsman of the Year, for 2008. Phelps won 8 gold medals at the
2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, were a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 302 events in 28 sports, one...
in
BeijingBeijing is a metropolis in northern China and the capital of the People's Republic of China...
.
Tiger WoodsEldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Currently the World No...
is the only athlete to win the award twice as an individual. (Curt Schilling won in 2001 along with Randy Johnson and then won the award when he was a member of the 2004 Boston Red Sox).
Cover history
The magazine's cover is the basis of a
sports mythA sports-related curse is the effective action of some power or evil, that is used to explain the failures or misfortunes of specific sports teams, players, or even cities...
known as the
Sports Illustrated Cover JinxThe Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx is a myth that states that individuals or teams who appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated magazine will subsequently be jinxed .-Explanations:...
. To find the number of times an athlete has appeared on the cover go to:
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/cover/home/index.htm
Most covers by athlete, 1954-2009
| Athlete |
Number of covers |
Michael JordanMichael Jeffrey Jordan is a retired American professional basketball player and active businessman. His biography on the National Basketball Association website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed...
|
56 |
| Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali is a retired American boxer and three-time World Heavyweight Champion, who is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweight champions. As an amateur, he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome...
|
38 |
Tiger WoodsEldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Currently the World No...
|
30 |
Kareem Abdul-JabbarKareem Abdul-Jabbar is an American retired basketball player. During his 20-year professional career in the NBA, from 1969 to 1989, he scored the highest points total of any player in league history , in addition to winning a record six Most Valuable Player Awards and six NBA championships...
|
22 |
Magic JohnsonEarvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
|
22 |
Jack NicklausJack William Nicklaus , also known as "The Golden Bear", is regarded by many to be the greatest professional golfer of all time. Nicklaus, who holds the record for the most victories in major championships , was continuously ranked as the world's number one golfer on McCormack's World Golf...
|
22 |
Most covers by team, 1954-May 2008
| Team |
Number of covers |
New York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division...
|
66 |
Los Angeles LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association team based in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers play their home games at Staples Center, which they share with their fellow NBA rival, the Los Angeles Clippers, and their sister team, the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA...
|
64 |
| Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team that plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . They are headquartered in suburban Irving, Texas, which lies between Fort Worth and Dallas...
|
46 |
Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. The "Red Sox" name originates from the iconic uniform feature....
|
44 |
Chicago BullsThe Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
|
44 |
| Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics are a professional basketball club based in Boston, Massachusetts, playing in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team is owned by Wycliffe Grousbeck and coached by Doc Rivers, with Danny Ainge as the President of...
|
39 |
Los Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles, California, USA. The team is in the Western Division of the National League. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming the Brooklyn...
|
38 |
Cincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. They are members of the Central Division of the National League....
|
38 |
San Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team. The team plays its home games in San Francisco, California, while the club's headquarters and practice facility are located in Santa Clara...
|
34 |
Notre Dame FootballNotre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, USA. The team competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level. The current head coach is Charlie Weis....
|
33 |
Most covers by sport, 1954-2009
| Sport |
Number of covers |
| Baseball-MLB |
628 |
| Pro Football-NFL |
550 |
| Pro Basketball-NBA |
325 |
| College Football |
202 |
| College Basketball |
181 |
| Golf |
155 |
| Boxing |
134 |
| Hockey |
100 |
| Track and Field |
99 |
| Tennis |
78 |
Celebrities on the cover, 1954-2003
| Celebrity |
Year |
Special notes |
Ed SullivanEdward Vincent "Ed" Sullivan was an American entertainment writer and television host, best known as the presenter of a TV variety show called The Ed Sullivan Show that was popular in the 1950s and 1960s....
|
1959 |
On cover as golfer |
Bob HopeBob Hope, KBE, KCSG was an American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO tours entertaining American military personnel...
|
1963 |
Owner of Cleveland Indians |
Shirley MacLaineShirley MacLaine is an American film and theater actress, dancer, activist, and author, well-known for her beliefs in new age spirituality and reincarnation. She has written a large number of autobiographical works, many dealing with her spiritual beliefs as well as her Hollywood career...
|
1964 |
Wearing a football uniform |
| Steve McQueen |
1971 |
Riding a motorcycle |
Burt ReynoldsBurton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Paul "Wrecking" Crewe in The Longest Yard, Coach Nate Scarborough in the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard, Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, J.J...
and Kris KristoffersonKristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American writer, singer-songwriter, actor, and musician. He is best known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
|
1977 |
Promoting the film Semi-ToughSemi-Tough is a 1977 movie directed by Michael Ritchie and starring Burt Reynolds, Kris Kristofferson, Jill Clayburgh, Lotte Lenya, Bert Convy, and Brian Dennehy. The plot involves a love triangle between the characters portrayed by Reynolds, Kristofferson and Clayburgh...
|
Big BirdBig Bird is a character featured on the children's television show Sesame Street which airs on PBS. A common misconception is that he is a muppet, but in 1989, Jim Henson explained that characters played by people in suits, rather than just hands in puppets, do not qualify as muppets...
|
1977 |
On the cover with Mark Fidrych Mark Steven "The Bird" Fidrych was a Major League Baseball player for the Detroit Tigers from 1976-1980....
|
Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian American bodybuilder, actor, businessman, and politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of the state of California....
|
1987 |
Caption on cover was Hot Stuff |
| Ice Cube O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper, actor, screenwriter, and producer.He began his career as a member of the rap group N.W.A along with group leader Eazy-E, and later launched a successful solo career in music and cinema. In 1992, he married Kimberly...
|
1999 |
On cover with Shaquille O'NealShaquille Rashaun O'Neal , frequently referred to simply as "Shaq", is an American professional basketball player, rapper, and actor. He is widely perceived as one of the most dominant players in the history of the NBA. Standing at 7 feet 1 inch, 325 pounds, he is one of the largest players to...
|
| Chris Rock Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted by Comedy Central as the fifth greatest stand-up comedian of all time....
|
2000 |
Wearing Los Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles, California, USA. The team is in the Western Division of the National League. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming the Brooklyn...
hat |
Fathers and sons who have been featured on the cover
| Father |
Son(s) |
| Archie Manning Elisha Archibald "Archie" Manning III is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He is the father of current Indianapolis Colts starting quarterback Peyton Manning, current New York Giants starting quarterback Eli Manning, and former Ole Miss receiver, Cooper...
|
PeytonPeyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. One of only two three-time NFL MVPs, he is statistically regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time...
& Eli ManningElisha Nelson "Eli" Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
|
| Calvin Hill Calvin G. Hill is a retired American football running back who had a 12-year NFL career from 1969 to 1981. He played for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns. In 1975 he moved to the World Football League to play for The Hawaiians where he carried the ball 49 times for...
|
Grant HillGrant Henry Hill is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Phoenix Suns. As a collegian with Duke University and early in his professional career with the Detroit Pistons, Hill was considered one of the best all-around players in the game, often leading his team in...
|
Bobby HullRobert Marvin "Bobby" Hull OC is a retired Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the fastest shot, earning...
|
Brett HullBrett Andrew Hull is a former NHL player and the current Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The Golden Jet." He played...
|
Bill WaltonWilliam Theodore "Bill" Walton III is a retired American basketball player and current television sportscaster. The “Big Red-Head”, as he was called, achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s, winning three straight College Player of the Year Awards...
|
Luke WaltonLuke Theodore Walton is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His position is at small forward.-Early life:...
|
Jack NicklausJack William Nicklaus , also known as "The Golden Bear", is regarded by many to be the greatest professional golfer of all time. Nicklaus, who holds the record for the most victories in major championships , was continuously ranked as the world's number one golfer on McCormack's World Golf...
|
Gary Nicklaus |
| Phil Simms Phillip Martin "Phil" Simms is a former American football quarterback, and currently a television sportscaster for the CBS network...
|
Chris SimmsChristopher David Simms is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.Simms has also played for the Tennessee Titans...
|
Dale EarnhardtDale Earnhardt, Sr. was an American race car driver, best known for his career driving stock cars in NASCAR's top division. Earnhardt had four children, Kerry, Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, Dale Jr., and Taylor Earnhardt...
|
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is a professional American race car driver who drives the #88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet Impala SS in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series for Hendrick Motorsports, and drives in the Nationwide Series part-time for the #5 car for his own team, JR Motorsports...
|
| Cal Ripken, Sr. Calvin Edwin Ripken, Sr. was a coach and manager in Major League Baseball who spent 36 years in the Baltimore Orioles organization, also as a player and scout. He played in the Orioles' farm system beginning in 1957, and later served as manager of the parent club, on which his sons Cal Jr...
|
Cal Ripken, Jr.Calvin Edwin "Cal" Ripken, Jr., , is a retired Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman who played his entire career for the Baltimore Orioles....
& Billy RipkenWilliam Oliver Ripken is an American radio personality for XM Satellite Radio and is a former infielder in Major League Baseball from –. He threw and batted right-handed.-MLB career:...
|
Mark McGwireMark David McGwire is a former Major League Baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals....
|
his son |
Presidents who have been featured on the cover
| President |
SI cover date |
Special notes |
John F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
|
December 26, 1960 |
First Lady Jackie KennedyJacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis was the wife of the 35th president of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and served as First Lady during his presidency from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. She was later married to Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis from 1968 until his death in...
also on cover and Kennedy was President-Elect at the time of the cover. |
Gerald FordGerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
|
July 8, 1974 |
Cover came one month before President Richard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States and is the only president to resign the office. He was also the 36th Vice President of the United States ....
announced he would resign from the Presidency. |
Ronald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States and the 33rd Governor of California .Born in Tampico, Illinois, Reagan moved to Los Angeles, California in the 1930s...
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November 26, 1984 |
On cover with Georgetown Hoyas basketball coach John Thompson John R. Thompson, Jr. is an American former basketball coach for the Georgetown University Hoyas. He is now a professional radio and TV sports commentator...
and Patrick EwingPatrick Aloysius Ewing is an American retired Hall of Fame basketball player and current assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. He played most of his career with the NBA's New York Knicks as their starting center and played briefly with the Seattle SuperSonics...
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Ronald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States and the 33rd Governor of California .Born in Tampico, Illinois, Reagan moved to Los Angeles, California in the 1930s...
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February 16, 1987 |
On cover with America's CupThe America’s Cup is the most prestigious regatta and match race in the sport of sailing, and the oldest active trophy in international sport, predating the Modern Olympics by 45 years. The sport attracts top sailors and yacht designers because of its long history and prestige...
champion Dennis ConnerDennis Conner is a famous racing skipper, with a bronze medal in the 1976 Olympics, four wins of the America's Cup, many offshore prizes, and two Star World Championships....
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Bill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He was the third-youngest president; only Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy were younger when entering office...
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March 21, 1994 |
On cover about the Arkansas college basketball team |
Tribute covers (In Memoriam)
| Athlete |
SI cover date |
Special notes |
| Len Bias Leonard Kevin Bias was a first team All-American college basketball player who suffered a fatal cardiac arrhythmia that resulted from a cocaine overdose less than 48 hours after being selected second overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1986 NBA Draft.-College career:From Landover, Maryland, Bias...
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June 30, 1986 |
Died of a cocaine overdose just after being drafted by the Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics are a professional basketball club based in Boston, Massachusetts, playing in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team is owned by Wycliffe Grousbeck and coached by Doc Rivers, with Danny Ainge as the President of...
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Arthur AsheArthur Robert Ashe, Jr. was a professional tennis player, born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. During his career, he won three Grand Slam titles, putting him among the best ever from the U.S...
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February 15, 1993 |
Tennis great and former US Open champion who died from AIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus ....
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| Reggie Lewis Reggie Lewis was an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Boston Celtics from 1987 to 1993.-Early life:...
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August 9, 1993 |
Celtics player who died due to a heart defect |
Mickey MantleMickey Charles Mantle was an American baseball player who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974....
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August 21, 1995 |
Died after years of battling alcoholismAlcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions. In common and historic usage, alcoholism is any condition that results in the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages, despite health problems and negative social consequences...
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Walter PaytonWalter Payton was an American football player who spent his entire professional career with the National Football League's Chicago Bears. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
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November 8, 1999 |
Died from rare liver disorder |
Dale EarnhardtDale Earnhardt, Sr. was an American race car driver, best known for his career driving stock cars in NASCAR's top division. Earnhardt had four children, Kerry, Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, Dale Jr., and Taylor Earnhardt...
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February 26, 2001 |
Died in a crashThe death of Dale Earnhardt, Sr. during an auto race on February 18, 2001, was a highly-publicized event that generated intense interest from the media and resulted in various safety improvements in NASCAR auto racing....
on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule. Matt Kenseth is the defending champion of the race....
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Ted WilliamsTheodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was a left fielder in Major League Baseball. He played 21 seasons with the Boston Red Sox, twice interrupted by military service as a Marine Corps pilot...
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July 15, 2002 |
Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. The "Red Sox" name originates from the iconic uniform feature....
who died of cardiac arrest |
Johnny UnitasJohn Constantine "Johnny" Unitas , nicknamed The Golden Arm and often called Johnny U, was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s, spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback and the National Football League's...
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October 23, 2002 |
Baltimore Colts greatThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
who died from heart attack |
| Brittanie Cecil Brittanie Nichole Cecil was a hockey fan who died from injuries suffered when a puck was deflected into the stands and struck her in the left temple at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on March 16, 2002...
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April 1, 2002 |
Fan killed as the result of being struck with a puck to the head while in the crowd at a Columbus Blue JacketsThe Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . Preceded in Ohio's capital by the Columbus Chill of the ECHL, the Blue Jackets were founded as an...
game |
Pat TillmanPatrick Daniel Tillman was an American football player who left his professional sports career and enlisted in the United States Army in May 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. He joined the United States Army Rangers and served multiple tours in combat before he was killed by...
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May 3, 2004 |
Arizona CardinalsThe Arizona Cardinals are a professional American Football team based in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals are members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Cardinals were founded in 1898, and are the oldest continuously run professional...
player who was killed in a friendly fire incident in AfghanistanThe Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is a landlocked country in south central Asia. It is variously described as being located within Central Asia, South Asia, or the Middle East...
. |
Photographers
- Rich Clarkson
- Mark Kauffman
- Neil Leifer
Neil Leifer is a noted photographer for the Time family of magazines. As a boy in New York City, Leifer would gain free admission to New York Giants games by pushing the wheelchairs of handicapped patrons into the stadium...
- Walter Iooss
Walter Iooss Jr. has been a professional photographer since the age of 19. He is perhaps best known for his work with Sports Illustrated magazine and for his portraits of famous athletes like Michael Jordan, Cal Ripken, Jr. and Ken Griffey, Jr....
- Hy Peskin
Hyman "Hy" Peskin was a Jewish-American photographer notable for several famous photographs of American sports people and celebrities published by Sports Illustrated and Life...
- Robert Riger
Robert Riger was a celebrated sports illustrator, photographer, award-winning television director, and cinematographer....
- Herb Scharfman
Herb Scharfman was an American photographer notable for several famous photographs of American sports people published by Sports Illustrated and other publications....
- Tony Triolo
- John G. Zimmerman
- Bill Eppridge
Spinoffs
Sports Illustrated has helped launched a number of related publishing ventures, including:
- Sports Illustrated Kids magazine (circulation 950,000)
- Launched in January 1989
- Won the "Distinguished Achievement for Excellence in Educational Publishing" award 11 times
- Won the "Parents' Choice Magazine Award" 7 times
- Sports Illustrated Almanac annuals
- Introduced in 1991
- Yearly compilation of sports news and statistics in book form
- SI.com sports news web site
- Sports Illustrated Australia
- Launched in 1992 and lasted 6 issues **
- Sports Illustrated Canadian edition
- Was created and published in Canada with US content from 1993 - 1995. Most of the issues appear to have the same cover except the say 'Canadian Edition'. These issues are numbered differently in the listing. A group of the Canadian issues have unique Canadian Athletes (hockey mostly) and all the Canadian issues may have some article different content. The advertising may also be Canadian centric.
- Sports Illustrated Presents
- Launched in 1989
- This is their tribute and special edition issues that are sold both nationally or regionally as stand alone products. **Originally started with Super Bowl Tributes the product became a mainstay in 1993 with Alabama as the NCAA National Football Champions. Today multiple issues are released including regional releases of the NCAA, NBA, NFL, MLB champions along with special events or special people. Advertising deals are also done with Sports Illustrated Presents (Kelloggs).
-
- Launched on July 17, 1997
- Online version of the magazine and sports site for CNN.com
- Sports Illustrated Women magazine (highest circulation 400,000)
- Launched in March 2000
- Ceased publication in December 2002 because of a weak advertising climate
- Sports Illustrated on Campus magazine
- Launched on September 4, 2003
- Dedicated to college athletics and the sports interests of college students.
- Distributed free on 72 college campuses through a network of college newspapers.
- Circulation of one million readers between the ages of 18 and 24.
- Ceased publication in December 2005 because of a weak advertising climate
See also
External links