Sports Illustrated (1-year)

-the provactive close-up pictures at the beginning
-Letters to the Editor (maybe the only ones I read of any mag)
-Go figure (intriguing numbers that tell a story)
-Rick Reilly's last page column (he has a warm, conversational style that's almost mesmerizing)

Yes, it's true. You'll read more about baseball, football and basketball than you will about swimming, golf, or extreme sports. But accept SI for what it is - a great way to stay current, go deeper than the daily sports page, and be entertained. The price offered here is cheaper than my own subscription - it's also cheaper than a cup of coffee and lasts longer. So if you are even half a sports fan, you should be treating yourself to a weekly SI.


How to get the best deal on SI, the top sports magazine....   August 28, 2005
A. G. Corwin (St. Louis, MO)
25 out of 30 found this review helpful

Sports Illustrated has been around forever. Many claim that the magazine has lost relevance in the age of the Internet and ESPN. I disagree. Though the articles are not as timely as those other sources, the writing is still classy and fascinating. To SI the formula is simple and enduring: athletes are people, and the stories behind those people make for great reading. Throw in columnists like Peter King, Michael Silver, and Rick Reilly, and you have three must reads almost every issue. I like my sports with depth and substance, and that is what SI provides. ESPN the Magazine pales in comparison. Though I am still annoyed with SI over their brutal and unnecessary cover article on the University of Miami football program years ago, I still have to respect them for putting their opinion out there, agreed with or not.

That being said, should you wish to subscribe here is some good advice for you on getting the best possible deal. Don't order here. Go to their website and to the subscription inserts in the magazine itself, compare the prices, and request that a billing notice be sent to you instead of paying with a credit card. This way when your subscription is up for renewal, you have the opportunity to cancel without your card being charged. Often times sites like this one utilize a third party service that contracts with the various magazines, your payment goes to them and they auto-renew you. I find it easier to do it through the magazine themselves. Saves me the trouble, and invariably, the magazine comes a lot quicker.


The PROS & CONS of Sports Illustrated   January 13, 2007
Eddie Lancekick (Pacific Northwest)
13 out of 16 found this review helpful

I've been reading Sports Illustrated since 1986, and have been a subscriber since 1996. Throughout that time I've seen a lot of change with the magazine, some I feel is positive, and some I feel is to appeal more to a mad magazine/maxim style of editorial finesse.

The Pros: SI is still good at covering a variety of sports that range from high school to the pros. Not just covering basic athletes like football, basketball, or baseball players, SI tries to apply a balanced dish of athletic endeavors so that they please all of the people some of the time.

Writers: I particularly enjoy Peter King. His analysis of upcoming events as well as his slight humor makes him one of the better journalists in the sports realm. Steve Rushin's "Air and Space" is always extremely well written and is a one-page feature per magazine that I never grow tired of. Rick Reilly's "Life of Reilly" is just as well written and applies some great analogies when it comes to showing sports and life itself.

CONS: As a famous sports radio announcer said once: "They send you all these re-subscribe letters, I don't know if I'm 3 months behind or 3 years ahead". SI constantly bombards the mailbox with re-subscription letters, baiting you with nice gifts like fleece blankets, jackets, gym bags and the such. You need to keep on top of when you subscribed, because usually when they say "your subscription is almost up" it often times means you still have 10 months to go on a 12-month subscription. I haven't had this problem with other magazines, but considering the cool gifts, perhaps this is not pro or con and can sit in the middle.

Another reviewer brought out the fact that they have changed their format to make it more, well in my own words, an MTV feel. Lots of cutesy coo one liners and blips that are almost out of Entertainment Tonight tend to bog down page space that this reader feels could be better served with more in-depth articles and behind the scenes type approaches.

I see dead people: I'm all for recognizing those who have passed on who are part of sports. From members of Flight 93 to the recent passing of former President Gerald Ford (a center for the University of Michigan back in his day) there are many people who leave us that also left a favorite sport or pastime behind. The problem is that SI is starting to be afraid of getting in trouble or something if they DON'T mention every single person that ever played any professional sport when they died. The last issue I got had two major articles of people who had passed on as well as a practical 2 page obituary column. Recognizing these people's achievements when they are still living is more important I think, for them and their families.

The ultimate and one of the oldest disciplines in the realm of athletics is Track and Field, and through the years I've seen less and less coverage of it. Soccer, a sport followed in great passsion worldwide but not so much in America, is also put on the back burner.

At times it shines, but its not anything like it used to be.


The #1 Sports Magazine   June 10, 2004
C. Baker (Washington, DC)
11 out of 17 found this review helpful

Sports Illustrated remains the best sports magazine on the market today. I have been a subscriber off and on since I was a kid, and have been a current subscriber for three years.

Sports Illustrated has excellent feature stories and profiles of teams and athletes. They do a superb job of covering the major sporting events and major sports. It also keeps the reader abreast of developments in a large numbers of sports. And it frequently has longer features that focus on everything from sports history, important current sports issues (such as steroid use), and profiles of more obscure sports.

If you are going to subscribe to a sports magazine, this is the one to go with.


renew sports illustrated magazine   July 6, 2006
Lisa Crosman (South Berwick, Maine)
9 out of 13 found this review helpful

I clicked the links to renew my subscription to sports illustrated and now i receive two every week untill my old subscription runs out. I thought it would just keep going from may first subscription.