Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is a popular American sports magazine owned by media giant Time Warner. It has over 3 million subscribers, the third highest magazine circulation in the United States, and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men, 19% of the adult males in the country. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twice.
Its "swimsuit issue," which has been published since 1964, is now an annual publishing event that generates its own television shows, videos and calendars.
Sportsman of the Year
Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated has annually presented the "Sportsman of the Year" award:
The Cover Jinx
Volume 1, Issue 1 of Sports Illustrated was published on August 16, 1954. When Major League Baseball player Eddie Mathews, who was pictured on the first cover, suffered a hand injury a week later that forced him to miss seven games, the "Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx" was born, as some noted that bad things seemed to happen to people soon after they appeared on the magazine's cover. Other notable cover coincidences include:
- January 31, 1955 - The week that an issue featuring her was on the stands, skier Jill Kinmont struck a tree during a practice run and was paralyzed from the neck down.
- May 26, 1958 - SI's 1958 Indianapolis 500 preview issue featured Pat O'Connor, who was killed in a 15-car pileup during the first lap of the race.
- February 13, 1961 - Laurence Owen was billed as "America's Most Exciting Girl Skater." Two days after the cover date, Owen and the rest of the United States Figure skating team perished in a plane crash.
- December 14, 1970 - The University of Texas, 10-0 and enjoying a 30-game winning streak, fumbled nine times in its next game, a 24-11 loss to Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl.
- September 4, 1989 - Not his picture, but Major League Baseball Commissioner Bart Giamatti's words about Pete Rose appeared on the cover the week Giamatti died of a heart attack.
- June 5, 1995 - Three days after his appearance, San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Williams, the National League leader in home runs, batting average and RBIs, fouled a pitch off his right foot, breaking it, and forcing him to miss 2 1/2 months.
Spinoffs
Sports Illustrated has helped launched a number of related publishing ventures, including:
- Sports Illustrated for Kids magazine (circulation 950,000)
- Won the "Distinguished Achievement for Excellence in Educational Publishing" award 11 times
- Won the "Parents' Choice Magazine Award" 7 times
- 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 Almanac annuals
- Introduced in 1991
- Yearly compilation of sports news and statistics in book form
- SI.com sports news television network
- 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.
Notable Editors
- Ray Cave
- Sidney James
- André Laguerre
- Mark Mulvoy
- John Papanek
- Gil Rogin
Notable Writers
- Roy Blount, Jr.
- Robert W. Creamer
- Frank Deford
- Ron Fimrite
- Dan Jenkins
- Sally Jenkins
- Peter King
- Curry Kirkpatrick
- Tex Maule
- Jack McCallum
- Leigh Montville
- Jack Olsen
- George Plimpton
- Rick Reilly
- Steve Rushin
- Bud Shrake
- Michael Silver
- E. M. Swift
- Rick Telander
- John Underwood
- Tom Verducci
- Alexander Wolff
- Paul Zimmerman
Notable Photographers
- John Biever
- Rich Clarkson
- John Iacono
- Walter Iooss, Jr.
- Heinz Kluetmeier
- David E. Klutho
- Neil Leifer
- V. J. Lovero
- John McDonough
- Manny Millan
- Peter Read Miller
- Ronald C. Modra
- Tony Triolo