"Sports" Illustrated

This is going to be a rant, so if you don't feel like listening to me complain, go ahead and just close the window now. I'm pissed off. I'm upset that Sports Illustrated is no longer the magazine I once loved. For the better part of the past decade I've had a subscription to Sports Illustrated, it's always been a birthday present from my parents. I looked forward each week to the new issue and reading stories from around the world of sports. Not anymore.

My love for SI first hit a bump earlier this year. I get my issue every Wednesday; always have, since day 1. However this year, right before March Madness began I didn't get it on Wednesday, I got it on Thursday. Normally not a big deal, but for someone who loves March Madness as much or more than the Super Bowl, I was upset. This is the issue that breaks down each team/region and gives you the pullout bracket you can fill in. Now it's entirely possible that this is because of the Post Office, but I thought I would bring it up to SI through their Twitter account. I voiced my displeasure/concern and they asked if I normally got my issue on Wednesday or Thursday. I said I've always gotten them in the past on Wednesday's, and their response was something to the effect of oh, well that stinks. Not exactly what you would call excellent customer service. But I brushed it off, not like there was anything they could do.

What really started this fire burning was when my Kings won the Stanley Cup. Their first Stanley Cup in the history of the organization. That would surely merit coverage and the cover of the most prominent sports publication in print journalism right? Nope. The covers of Sports Illustrated during July featured in order; Ken Caminiti, Josh Hamilton, Kevin Durant or LeBron, depending on where you live, LeBron again (this time attempting to dunk over Serge Ibaka, and if you didn't know any better you'd think he did, but in fact Ibaka totally stuffed him) and then to start off July LeBron was on the cover again. So depending where you live you might have received 3 straight issues with LeBron James on the cover. Wow. Talk about shoving it down our throats. The Stanley Cup is widely regarded as the most difficult trophy to win in North American professional sports, and it wasn't on the cover of Sports Illustrated. That's unacceptable. Not only that, but there was never a story written about the Kings winning the Cup. There was a story about Jonathan Quick that was great, but come on guys. I looked up covers to see when the last time the Stanley Cup Champions didn't appear on the cover, it was 2007 when the Ducks won. Apparently Southern California doesn't matter. What a joke.

The past two weeks have really made my blood boil when I've opened my mailbox on Wednesday. Last week Deron Williams was on the cover. I have no idea why. The NBA season is weeks away, the NFL season is in full swing, and the MLB playoffs were going on. Yet a player who is nowhere near the top 10 in the NBA on a team that finished 22-44 last year was on the cover. Not only that, but there was only 1 MLB story in the entire issue. This week, Tyrann Mathieu is on the cover. WHAT IS GOING ON?!?! Why is a player who had one good year, who isn't playing this year and isn't enrolled in school on the cover of a sports magazine? This makes absolutely no sense. Miguel Cabrera just won the Triple Crown. The Atlanta Falcons are 6-0 right now. The NHL is in the midst of yet another lockout. Even NASCAR is in the middle of their run towards the championship. But no, a college kid who got kicked off a team for drugs is on the cover. Disgusting. The major stories in this week's issue are college football (Alabama), college football (Mathieu, which really isn't college football seeing as he's NOT PLAYING THIS YEAR), Lance Armstrong and his legal troubles (better suited for Time magazine in my opinion), NFL (the Vikings punter is profiled, does anyone outside of Minnesota care?), and a baseball story that isn't related to the MLB playoffs. There is no mention of the playoffs except for the Leading Off section that shows some great pictures. But that's it. Football, football, football, and cycling. In the last two issues of Sports Illustrated there has been one story related to the MLB playoffs.

I looked up the cover and the stories in last year's Sports Illustrated from the same week. NASCAR superstar Jimmie Johnson was on the cover, and there were stories about the NFL, the MLB playoffs, college football, golf, and a little bit of basketball. Yes the NBA was in the middle of their lockout, so naturally coverage would be lighter. But still. Look at the difference between the two years. I'm sure it would be even worse if I dug through the issues I've saved (all of them) and looked at the diversity of stories from around the same time. Don't get me wrong, there are still things I love about SI. I love the Sign of the Apocalypse, the They Said It quote, By The Numbers, the back page article, and the Dan Patrick interview. I just want to be able to read stories from the world of sports, not just the world of football and basketball. Miguel Cabrera won the first Triple Crown in 45 years, how does that not merit some sort of story? I realize we'll probably get a feature story at some point in the next month or two, but come on guys. How is this not brought up without a story a page long or so?

Sports Illustrated used to be my go to source for sports information. You could find stats and stories that you wouldn't see or hear anywhere else. That's just not the case anymore. If it's not football or basketball, they just don't care. Yes there are baseball-centric issues, but they are so few and far between now that it's laughable. Hockey coverage is nearly non-existent, and forget soccer. I have no reason to ask for my subscription to be renewed. They don't cover the sports I'm most interested in. I realize the NFL and college basketball are the most popular sports in the country, but maybe that’s because the sports magazine with a circulation of over 3.2 million chooses to focus on them and nearly nothing else. The magazine no longer lives up to its name, the name Sports Illustrated is misleading.  It’s upsetting, but my wife will be thrilled that I won’t be getting more magazines I refuse to throw away, so at least there’s an upside.

Follow me on Twitter- @TwittinSports Like the blog on Facebook- A Bloop And A Blast