I once had a 12-month gift subscription from Columbia House or some shit like that. I remember finding it a bit too “illustrated.” There was almost no actual content to it, I could read one cover to cover in like 20 minutes.
For those of us who were young sports loving adults in the seventies and eighties, getting the weekly gems from Dan Jenkins, Curry Kirkpatrick and even Frank Deford were big days.
It was the sports magazine for people who liked really good writing.
Note that, in the beginning, SI was a money loser for Time Inc. It was years before it made a profit.
I subscribed back in the day, but only to get that handsome football phone.
It’s seems pretty fitting that Sports Illustrated would name Deion Sanders as their Sportsperson of the Year and then completely fall to pieces soon thereafter.
Probably not. I imagine even the skin mags are suffering mightily.
Not to take anything away from the pulchritude of remarkably preserved 80 year old Martha Stewart, nor any other non-traditional models. Was this the right move, considering all perspectives?
Yup, that was when they truly jumped the shark.
Even up til a decade ago, SI was still producing quality articles, with great depth and detail. Crap now.
I wonder if this will effect the price of my copy of the first issue.
Yeah, this might be a good time to hoard up every physical copy as collectibles, potentially worth more in the future.
Dad had the first issue mailed to him. Has his original address on the dust cover. Not mint but in very good condition.
ETA that’s not my copy but a good example with the mailing cover.