Sports Illustrated Rant

[dmr]

Sorry, Everyone I was am no longer able to keep silent my disdain with Sports Illustrated the past few weeks. I will do my best to try and keep this short.

Sports Illustrated, September 26, 2005:

Cover: Picture of T.O. and McNabb, with title of "Brotherly Love?"

Now, that last time I checked it was week 2 of the NFL, Playoff races are going on in MLB, hockey is restarting, WNBA is having it's finals, NASCAR is starting its "Chase for the Cup," so I ask you all, why the heck does philly blowing out san fran, and the antics dweedledee and dweedledumba** make the cover?

Lets take a look at NFL stories that could have taken the place of those two morons on the cover:

--Seattle almost blows 21 point lead in 2nd half, remains scoreless in 2nd Half

--GB drops to 0-2, Favre contiune to struggle

--Jax holds the high power Indy offense to 10pts, Manning throws zero td's

--LT and the Chargers also fall to 0-2

--The "hot/trendy" pick Cards also drop to 0-2

--Panthers show some D and O and beat the Pats

--Culpepper and the Vikes, can't find or do anything right

I digress, since the location of the four main articles in the issue were Philly, Philly, Boston and China, lets look at some stories west of the Mississippi River that could have been more cover worthy then the TO/McNabb cat fight.

--USC stays #1 for 22 straight weeks

--Univ of Wash, hosts ND, new UW coach faces old team

--UT, and V. Young continue on their pursuit of the BCS title

--OU, is lost

--NHL, game was in San Jose, right?

--The White Sox down fall, and odd use of green jerseys

Not all is negative though, with east coast attention it did provide me a break from hearing what Bonds ate for dinner, what socks Bonds prefers, boxers or brief, how Bonds will save the world, how Bonds is a "true" player, etc, etc, etc.

In closing last time I checked it was called "SPORTS Illustrated" which would imply the coverage and emphasis of "SPORTS" not two grown men acting like twelve year old girls fighting over harry potter(which I also despise, but another time and place) and boy bands.

Sorry, I got fed up, just ignore me and i will go away, or distract me with something shiny

dmr

[Seadragon76]

In case you haven't realized, Dweedle Dee (That must be McNabb) and Dweedle Dumb Ass (T.O. in his natural role) have been the talk of nation. Ever since T.O. decided to smack McNabb with that slam after the Super Bowl, things have gone sour fast.

In this era of the media just latching on to big names, these are two of the biggest names out there. What would look better on the cover of Sports Illustrated, those two dingleberries or another story about Bonds?

Plus, the curse should be here in real soon. Trust me

[Ron Mexico]

You lost all credibility when you mentioned the WNBA Finals in comparison to Week 2 of the NFL. In most American's minds, NFL training camp>>>>>>>>>>WNBA Finals.

[TBGKon]

speaking of the SI with McNabb and TO on the cover, in the "Letters" section, somebody sent in a letter talking about the helmet mishaps in the NFL preview section

[OnWis97]

You lost all credibility when you mentioned the WNBA Finals in comparison to Week 2 of the NFL. In most American's minds, NFL training camp>>>>>>>>>>WNBA Finals.

Unfortunately, you could say the same thing about the NHL....

However, I have to agree that I am sooooooooo sick of TO and McNabb. Ever since TO started whining, it's all you hear about from sports media. It made me almost miss "will Bonds play this year?"

It's boring.

[dmr]

Yea, I know the WNBA finals was a stretch, and it wasn't not a comparison for the week 2 action, but any actual sports is better then the TO/McNabb feud. Well, I am pleasently suprised I didn't realize everyone else was sick and tired of the TO/McNabb and bonds like I was

dmr

[lost_limey]

Well, I am pleasently suprised I didn't realize everyone else was sick and tired of the TO/McNabb and bonds like I was

I'm also sick of the Red Sox/Yankees.

[Chief.]

I'm sick of it too. I love football, but the media really screws it up. For example: Sterling Sharpe on Sunday Night Football. I should find a way to contact him to ask if his surgery went okay (He got his lips removed from Randy Moss's ass)

[mjrbaseball]

Well, I am pleasently suprised I didn't realize everyone else was sick and tired of the TO/McNabb and bonds like I was

I'm also sick of the Red Sox/Yankees.

But at least that is something "on the field."

I don't care about off-field stuff.

[Cujo]

Well, I am pleasently suprised I didn't realize everyone else was sick and tired of the TO/McNabb and bonds like I was

I'm also sick of the Red Sox/Yankees.

You can blame ESPN for Yanks/Sox coverage getting outta hand.

[Jigga]

Well, I am pleasently suprised I didn't realize everyone else was sick and tired of the TO/McNabb and bonds like I was

I'm also sick of the Red Sox/Yankees.

You can blame ESPN for Yanks/Sox coverage getting outta hand.

They're about 1.5 hours from both Boston and NYC. They are literally smack dab in the middle of this "rivalry." However, I don't see them being the only media outlet covering this.

It's funny, can't blame Bush for important plop that goes wrong in the USA, but you can damn sure blame ESPN for athletes acting a damn fool.

[gashouser27]

I agree . There are other examples. SI has turned into a "commercial rag" instead of a serious sports magazine. The other thing I hate - these "advertising sections" which are half the magazine sometimes. A recent issue had a whole section on "Tailgate Nation" which was mostly only slightly disguised ads for grills, coolers and food. I mean recipes from Joe Paternos wife!!! What is this Martha Stewart Living!

[yh]

I think SI is doing what they can to adapt to the market that exists in the internet era of sports journalism. Let's face it - in this day and age where every conceivable sports result and statistic (for the major league sports and most of the high profile collegiate sports) is available at the touch of a button and usually within minutes if not seconds of the score/stat occuring, a weekly print publication has to resort to what it feels is going to continue to hook people. By the time SI hits the stands or the mailbox, all of the important games and events it could possibly cover have already been covered ad nauseum by at least two major cable networks as well as their "free channel" contemporaries. We've seen closeups, reverse angles, slo-mo's, telestratored breakdowns and every other possible "illustrated" depiction of the event. Then we go online and get a slideshow of hi-res photos and 50 other dissections of the event - again, often within minutes of its conclusion if even that late in the process. Accordingly, SI has to figure out a way to cover different stories, backstories and different angles on those backstories. Yes, the T.O. saga has been played out for some time on ESPN, however SI gets a chance to do a much longer piece than just an accumulation of sound bites, and when they do, they want to promote that as their hook for the week.

Honestly, I'd just as soon a magazine cover the tabloid sports journalism and let ESPN concentrate on more on-field reporting.

[Gregmond]

I don't really care what SI does all year long, as long as they keep up the excellent work for the Swimsuit Edition (mmmmm)!