Although Sports Illustrated is an extremely popular magazine (primarily with a male readership) these days, there were similar magazines called Sports Illustrated which failed before the current incarnation of the magazine that arrives on news stands and in mailboxes across the country. Hard as it may be to believe, sports journalism was once considered beneath other forms of writing. That was before writers like Frank Deford, Robert Creamer and others came along and proved that writing about sports could grab readers and have them debating the pros and cons of various aspects of basketball, football and..yes.. even swimsuit models. Reporting on the Olympic Games was also in demand and some of those covers featuring Olympic athletes have become collector’s issues.

Ironically, an early publisher of the magazine, Henry Luce, was not even an avid sports fan. He could probably be called lukewarm (at best). Still, he managed to ignore those who scoffed at the idea of a magazine focused only on sports reporting and photos. His instincts served him in good stead and Sports Illustrated was ready to take off.

Of course, timing is everything. It didn’t hurt that television was about to help Americans sit in the comfort of their dens or living or family rooms and watch a baseball or other game. It was a natural move to buy a magazine to read during the commercials and Sports Illustrated filled the bill. If there was any question about a particular batting average, the magazine could be consulted. Besides, it was just plain fun to read – and it only became better through the years.

Sports Illustrated was responsible for many innovations in sports reporting. Their noted “Sportsman of the Year” was popular from the start. Everyone loves a good competition so readers were eager to see who’d grace the cover each year – and why. Winners have accomplished such feats as breaking the four minute mile (Roger Bannister) or some other athletic feat. If the covers are representative of the popularity of specific sports, then Major League Baseball seems to be the most popular sport, followed by Pro Football and Pro Basketball. Read the rest of this entry »