Sports Illustrated

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Sports Illustrated

The first issue of Sports Illustrated, showing Milwaukee

Braves star Eddie Mathews at bat and New York Giants catcher Wes

Westrum in Milwaukee County Stadium

Editorial Director Chris Stone

Staff writers show

Staff

Categories Sports magazine

Frequency Monthly

Publisher theMaven, Inc. (brand licensee)

 Total circulation 1,618,476[2]

(Dec 2020)

First issue August 16, 1954

Company ABG-SI, LLC (brand owner)

Country United States

Based in New York City

Language English

Website www.SI.com

ISSN 0038-822X

Sports Illustrated (SI) is an American sports magazine owned by Authentic Brands

Group, and was first published in August 1954.
It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine
Award for General Excellence twice. It is also known for its annual swimsuit issue,
which has been published since 1964, and has spawned other complementary media
works and products.
In 2018, the magazine was sold to Meredith Corporation by means of its acquisition of
parent company Time Inc., but Meredith stated that it planned to sell Sports
Illustrated as it did not align with its lifestyle properties. The following year, Meredith
announced that it would sell Sports Illustrated to Authentic Brands Group. While
Meredith initially planned to continue publishing its print and digital properties under
license from ABG (who planned to leverage the Sports Illustrated brand in other
markets), ABG later announced that it would instead give the publishing rights to The
Arena Group (formerly theMaven, Inc.)—a digital media company.

Contents

 1History
o 1.1Sale to Authentic Brands Group, theMaven
 2Innovations
 o 2.1Color printing
 3Regular segments
 4Awards
o 4.1Performer of the Year
o 4.2Sportsperson of the Year
o 4.3Sportsman of the Century
o 4.4Sports Illustrated's Muhammad Ali Legacy Award
o 4.5All-decade awards and honors
o 4.6Top sports colleges
o 4.7Wrestler of the Year
 5Cover history
 6Writers
 7Photographers
 8Spinoffs
 9See also
 10References
o 10.1Citations
o 10.2Sources
 11Further reading
 12External links

History[edit]
There were two magazines named Sports Illustrated before the current magazine was
launched on August 9, 1954.[3] In 1936, Stuart Scheftel created Sports Illustrated with a
target market for sportsman. He published the magazine from 1936 to 1938 on a
monthly basis. The magazine focused on golf, tennis, and skiing with articles on the
major sports. He then sold the name to Dell Publications, which released Sports
Illustrated in 1949 and this version lasted six issues before closing. Dell's version
focused on major sports (baseball, basketball, boxing) and competed on magazine
racks against Sport and other monthly sports magazines. During the 1940s these
magazines were monthly and they did not cover the current events because of the
production schedules. There was no large-base, general, weekly sports magazine with
a national following on actual active events. It was then that Time patriarch Henry
Luce began considering whether his company should attempt to fill that gap. At the
time, many believed sports was beneath the attention of serious journalism and did not
think sports news could fill a weekly magazine, especially during the winter. A number
of advisers to Luce, including Life magazine's Ernest Havemann, tried to kill the idea,
but Luce, who was not a sports fan, decided the time was right. [4]
The goal of the new magazine was to be basically a magazine, but with sports. Many at
Time-Life scoffed at Luce's idea; in his Pulitzer Prize–winning biography, Luce and His
Empire, W. A. Swanberg wrote that the company's intellectuals dubbed the proposed
magazine "Muscle", "Jockstrap", and "Sweat Socks". Launched on August 9, 1954, it
was not profitable (and would not be so for 12 years) [5] 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.[6]
Mark Ford, President of the Sports Illustrated Group in 2010

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 yachting, polo and safaris, but upscale would-be advertisers were unconvinced
that sports fans were a significant part of their market.[7]
After more than a decade of steady losses, the magazine's fortunes finally turned
around in the 1960s when Andre Laguerre became its managing editor. A European
correspondent for Time, Inc., who later became chief of the Time-Life news bureaux in
Paris and London (for a time he ran both simultaneously), Laguerre attracted Henry
Luce's attention in 1956 with his singular coverage of the Winter Olympic
Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, which became the core of SI's coverage of those
games. In May 1956, Luce brought Laguerre to New York to become the assistant
managing editor of the magazine. He was named managing editor in 1960, and he more
than doubled the circulation by instituting a system of departmental editors, redesigning
the internal format,[8] and inaugurating the unprecedented use in a news magazine of
full-color photographic coverage of the week's sports events. He was also one of the
first to sense the rise of national interest in professional football.[9]
Laguerre also instituted the innovative concept of one long story at the end of every
issue, which he called the "bonus piece". These well-written, in-depth articles helped to
distinguish Sports Illustrated from other sports publications, and helped launch the
careers of such legendary writers as Frank Deford, who in March 2010 wrote of
Laguerre, "He smoked cigars and drank Scotch and made the sun move across the
heavens ... His genius as an editor was that he made you want to please him, but he
wanted you to do that by writing in your own distinct way." [10]
Laguerre is also credited with the conception and creation of the annual Swimsuit Issue,
which quickly became, and remains, the most popular issue each year.
In 1986, co-owned property HBO/Cannon Video had inked a pact to produce video
versions of the magazine for $20 on the sell-through market, running just 30-45 minutes
on the tape.[11]
In 1990, Time Inc. merged with Warner Communications to form the media
conglomerate Time Warner. In 2014, Time Inc. was spun off from Time Warner. In
November 2017, Meredith Corporation announced that it would acquire Time Inc., and
the acquisition was completed in January 2018. However, in March 2018, Meredith
stated that it would explore selling Sports Illustrated and several other former Time
properties, arguing that they did not properly align with the company's lifestyle brands
and publications.[12]
Sale to Authentic Brands Group, theMaven[edit]
On May 27, 2019, Authentic Brands Group announced its intent to acquire Sports
Illustrated for $110 million. Authentic Brands Group stated that it would leverage its
brand and other assets for new opportunities that "stay close to the DNA and the
heritage of the brand." Upon the announcement of the sale, it was stated that Meredith
would enter into a licensing agreement to continue as publisher of the Sports
Illustrated editorial operations for at least the next two years. [13][14] However, on June 18,
2019, it was revealed that the rights to publish the Sports Illustrated editorial operations
would be licensed to the digital media company theMaven, Inc. (now The Arena Group)
[15]
 under a 10-year contract, with Ross Levinsohn as CEO. The company had backed a
bid by Junior Bridgeman to acquire SI.[16][17]
On October 1, 2019, editor-in-chief Chris Stone stepped down. [18] On October 2, 2019, in
preparation for the closure of the sale to ABG and Maven, [19] The Wall Street
Journal reported that Maven was preparing to lay off over 40 Sports
Illustrated employees, with an intent to have their roles filled by contracted writers. [20] The
next day, ABG and Meredith confirmed that the acquisition had closed, with Meredith
stating that staff cuts had been made. [21]
On October 29, 2019, Sports Illustrated announced its hiring of veteran college sports
writer Pat Forde.[22] In January 2020, it announced an editorial partnership with The
Hockey News, focusing on syndication of NHL-related coverage. [23][24] In 2021, it
announced a similar partnership with Morning Read for golf coverage, with its website
being merged into that of Sports Illustrated.[25] It also partnered with iHeartMedia to
distribute and co-produce podcasts.[26]
In 2022, ABG announced several non-editorial ventures involving the Sports
Illustrated brand, including an apparel line for JCPenney "inspired by iconic moments in
sports" (it was not the brand's first foray into clothing, as it launched a branded swimsuit
line in conjunction with its Swimsuit Issue in 2018),[27] and resort
hotels in Orlando and Punta Cana.[28]

Innovations[edit]
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 Preview and New Year's
Day bowl game round-up that enhanced the viewing of games on television
 In-depth sports reporting from writers like Robert Creamer, Tex
Maule and Dan Jenkins.
 Regular illustration features by artists like Robert Riger.
 High school football Player of the Month awards.
 Inserts of sports cards in the center of the magazine (1954 & 1955)
 1994 Launched Sports Illustrated Interactive CD-ROM with StarPress
Multimedia, Incorporates player stats, video and highlights from the year in
sports.
 In 2015 Sports Illustrated purchased a group of software companies and
combined them to create Sports Illustrated Play, a platform that offers sports
league management software as a service.
Color printing[edit]
In 1965, offset printing began. This allowed 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 photographers,
particularly Walter Iooss and Neil Leifer, to get a decisive cover shot that would be on
newsstands and in mailboxes only a few days later. [29]
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, during Gil Rogin's term as Managing Editor, the
feature stories of Frank Deford became the magazine's anchor. "Bonus pieces" on Pete
Rozelle, Woody Hayes, Bear Bryant, Howard Cosell 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.[30]

Regular segments[edit]
 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 Football, College

Basketball, NASCAR, Golf, Boxing, Horse
Racing, Soccer and Tennis (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 stories to opinion, focusing on
both the world of sports and the role sports play in society.

Awards[edit]
Performer of the Year[edit]
Maya Moore of the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx was the inaugural winner of the Sports
Illustrated Performer of the Year Award in 2017.[31]
Sportsperson of the Year[edit]
Main article: Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year
Since 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has annually presented the Sportsperson of the
Year award to "the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the
spirit of sportsmanship and achievement." [32][33] Roger Bannister 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). [32][34] Both men and women have
won the award, originally called "Sportsman of the Year" and renamed "Sportswoman of
the Year" or "Sportswomen of the Year" when applicable; it is currently known as
"Sportsperson of the Year."
The 2017 winners of the award are Houston Texans defensive end, J. J. Watt,
and Houston Astros second baseman, José Altuve.[35] Both athletes were recognized for
their efforts in helping rebuild the city of Houston following Hurricane Harvey in addition
to Altuve being a part of the Astros team that won the franchise's first World Series in
2017.[36]
The 2018 winners were the Golden State Warriors as a team for winning their third NBA
Title in four years.
Sportsman of the Century[edit]

Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Century Muhammad Ali

In 1999, Sports Illustrated named Muhammad Ali the Sportsman of the Century at

the Sports Illustrated's 20th Century Sports Awards in New York City's Madison Square
Garden.[37]
Sports Illustrated's Muhammad Ali Legacy Award[edit]
In 2015, the magazine renamed its Sportsman Legacy Award to the Sports
Illustrated's Muhammad Ali Legacy Award. The annual award was originally created in
2008 and honors former "sports figures who embody the ideals of sportsmanship,
leadership and philanthropy as vehicles for changing the world." Ali first appeared on
the magazine's cover in 1963 and went on to be featured on numerous covers during
his storied career. His widow, Lonnie Ali, is consulted when choosing a recipient. [38] In
2017, football quarterback Colin Kaepernick was honored with the Award, which was
presented by Beyoncé.[39] In 2018, WWE professional wrestler John Cena was honored
with the award. [40]
All-decade awards and honors[edit]
Main article: List of 2009 all-decade Sports Illustrated awards and honors

 Top 20 Female Athletes of the Decade (2009)

 Top 20 Male Athletes of the Decade (2009)
 All-Decade Team (2009) (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, college basketball, college
football)
 Top 10 Coaches/Managers of the Decade (2009)
 Top 10 GMs/Executives of the Decade (2009)
 Top Team of the Decade (2009) (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, college basketball,
college football)
 Top 25 Franchises of the Decade (2009)
 Major League Baseball honors
 National Basketball Association honors
 National Football League honors
 National Hockey League honors
 College basketball honors
 College football honors[41]
Top sports colleges[edit]
For a 2002 list of the top 200 Division I sports colleges in the U.S., see footnote[42]
Wrestler of the Year[edit]
 Kenny Omega (2017)[43]
 Cody Rhodes (2018)[44]
 Jon Moxley (2019)[45]
 Sasha Banks (2020)[46]
 Roman Reigns (2021)[47]

Cover history[edit]
The following list contains the athletes with most covers. [48]
The magazine's cover is the basis of a sports myth known as the Sports Illustrated
Cover Jinx.
Most covers by athlete, 1954–2016

Athlete Sport Number of covers

Michael Jordan Basketball 50

Muhammad Ali Boxing 40

LeBron James Basketball 25

Tiger Woods Golf 24

Magic Johnson Basketball 23

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Basketball 22

Tom Brady Football 20

Most covers by team, 1954 – May 2008

Team Sport Number of covers

Los Angeles Lakers Basketball 67

New York Yankees Baseball 65

St. Louis Cardinals Baseball 49

Dallas Cowboys Football 48

Boston Red Sox Baseball 46

Chicago Bulls Basketball 45

Boston Celtics Basketball 44

Los Angeles
Baseball 40
Dodgers

Cincinnati Reds Baseball 37

San Francisco 49ers Football 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, 1954–2010

Celebrity Year Special notes

Gary Cooper 1959 Scuba diving

Bob Hope 1963 Owner of Cleveland Indians

Shirley MacLaine 1964 Promoting the film John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!

Steve McQueen 1971 Riding a motorcycle

Burt Reynolds and Kris
1977 Promoting the film Semi-Tough
Kristofferson

Big Bird 1977 On the cover with Mark Fidrych

Arnold Schwarzenegger 1987 Caption on cover was Softies

Chris Rock 2000 Wearing Los Angeles Dodgers hat

Stephen Colbert 2009 Caption: Stephen Colbert and his Nation save the Olympics

Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale 2010 Promoting the film The Fighter

Brad Pitt 2011 Promoting the film Moneyball

Fathers and sons who have been featured on the cover

Father Son(s)

Archie Manning Peyton & Eli Manning

Calvin Hill Grant Hill

Bobby Hull Brett Hull

Bill Walton Luke Walton

Jack Nicklaus Gary Nicklaus

Phil Simms Chris Simms

Dale Earnhardt Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Cal Ripken Sr. Cal Ripken Jr. & Billy Ripken

Mark McGwire Matt McGwire

Drew Brees Baylen Brees

Boomer
Gunnar Esiason
Esiason

Chuck Liddell Cade Liddell

Presidents who have been featured on the cover

 President SI cover date Special notes

John F. December 26, First Lady Jackie Kennedy also on cover and Kennedy was President-
Kennedy 1960 Elect at the time of the cover.

Cover came one month before President Richard Nixon announced he

Gerald Ford July 8, 1974
would resign from the Presidency.

Ronald November 26, On cover with Georgetown Hoyas basketball coach John

Reagan 1984 Thompson and Patrick Ewing

Ronald February 16,

On cover with America's Cup champion Dennis Conner
Reagan 1987

Bill Clinton March 21, 1994 On cover about the Arkansas college basketball team

Tribute covers (In Memoriam)

Athlete SI cover date Special notes

Len Bias June 30, 1986 Died of a cocaine overdose just after being drafted by the Boston Celtics

February 15, Tennis great and former US Open champion who died from AIDS after a
Arthur Ashe
1993 blood transfusion

Reggie
August 9, 1993 Celtics player who died due to a heart defect
Lewis

Mickey August 21,

Died after years of battling alcoholism
Mantle 1995

Walter November 8,
Died from rare liver disorder
Payton 1999
Dale February 26,
Died in a crash on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.
Earnhardt 2001

Brittanie Fan killed as the result of being struck with a puck to the head while in the
April 1, 2002
Cecil crowd at a Columbus Blue Jackets game

Ted
July 15, 2002 Boston Red Sox great who died of cardiac arrest
Williams

Johnny September 23,

Baltimore Colts great who died from heart attack
Unitas 2002

Arizona Cardinals player turned U.S. soldier who was killed in a friendly

Pat Tillman May 3, 2004
fire incident in Afghanistan.

Parkersburg, Iowa high school football coach who was gunned down by

Ed Thomas July 6, 2009
one of his former players on the morning of June 24, 2009.

John UCLA basketball coaching legend who died of natural causes at 99 years of

June 14, 2010
Wooden age.

Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker who committed suicide at 43 years of

Junior Seau May 2, 2012
age