Great stuff on Sports Illustrated. Like most sports fans I knew growing up in the 70s and 80s, I subscribed to SI for many, many years. As a kid (and thereafter), I eagerly anticipated receiving the magazine in the mail, trying to guess who was going to be on the cover, devouring the articles, marveling at the amazing photography. Beyond that, I have a personal connection to the magazine, since I was the in-house litigator for 15 years at Time Inc., which owned and published SI until recently. As a result, I defended the magazine in a number of lawsuits and was lucky enough to meet a lot of great writers and editors.
And indeed, SI had terrific writers - many of whom were simply the best and most articulate about the particular sports they covered: Paul Zimmerman and then Peter King on football, Jon Wertheim on tennis, Tom Verducci and Peter Gammons and Joe Posnanski and Leigh Montville etc. on baseball, Grant Wahl on soccer, Kenny Moore on track and field, Jack McCallum on basketball. But maybe even better were the generalists who wrote amazing profiles of interesting athletes: Gary Smith, Frank Deford, S.L. Price, Dan Jenkins and Sally Jenkins, Rick Reilly, Ron Fimrite, George Plimpton (who authored the Sid Finch hoax story), Alexander Wolff.
The demise of SI was inevitable in an age where no one has the interest to read, let alone pay for, long form journalism and just wants the trade rumors, the fantasy stats and the betting odds. We are poorer for it.
Yes, I read blurbs and they do influence me. Saying that, I CANNOT WAIT TO READ DOGLAND and I'm a cat person who doesn't even own a dog so that's saying something! And, yes, I did pre-order already!
Great stuff on SI, Tommy. I still have TWO Sports Illustrated sweatshirts I got as free gifts for subscribing a few decades back, and I still happily wear them around the house on cold mornings, walking my kids to the bus stop. And while I didn't have a football phone, I did get a sneaker phone from SI when I was a kid and I thought it was so, so cool.
So, completely ignoring the passing of SI (too rooted in the analog world, perhaps?), but let's talk blurbs.
My overall feeling about them is - does the blurber's background make him/her/them uniquely qualified to offer an opinion? I mean, one that is more significant than anyone else's who read the book and liked/loved/hated it. If I wrote a horror story and Steven King praised it, that would have more weight than if Tom Hanks praised it.
I DO look at the blurbs... if there is someone who's writing I really admire saying good things, I'm more likely to buy a book. Joe P's blurb for DOGLAND is THE BEST!
I enjoy blurbs but will pick up an unknown author more based upon the story synopsis. Reading a blurb from an author whose work I admire can add a little kick. Onto the story about the Trump voter, it reads like a Stephen King horror story. I agree that Trump will tear this country apart, but I see not one iota of good in it.
Almost forgot to mention, I remember when the Toomer Oak incident occurred and it deeply saddened me. That’s a great example of the wonderful sports-adjacent stories SI gave us. I miss so many magazines from yesteryear and believe the digital offerings deprive today’s audience of the magic that was the hard copy of newspapers and magazines.
Dustin and you on the cover of a magazine where I loved coming to works each day for five years. Sad, of course, to see it leaving g us, diminishing bit by bit, like I’ve watched those I love with Alzheimer’s vanish before they die. Death seems merciful at this point after the greed of so many highly paid men, who took their money and ran, ruined this American icon.
Agree with many who have commented about blurbs - if it is from a writer whose work I have enjoyed, I will give it a look. Blurbs from random celebrities have much less impact.
(reads blurbs)
(runs through brick wall)
I WANT THE BOOK
Great stuff on Sports Illustrated. Like most sports fans I knew growing up in the 70s and 80s, I subscribed to SI for many, many years. As a kid (and thereafter), I eagerly anticipated receiving the magazine in the mail, trying to guess who was going to be on the cover, devouring the articles, marveling at the amazing photography. Beyond that, I have a personal connection to the magazine, since I was the in-house litigator for 15 years at Time Inc., which owned and published SI until recently. As a result, I defended the magazine in a number of lawsuits and was lucky enough to meet a lot of great writers and editors.
And indeed, SI had terrific writers - many of whom were simply the best and most articulate about the particular sports they covered: Paul Zimmerman and then Peter King on football, Jon Wertheim on tennis, Tom Verducci and Peter Gammons and Joe Posnanski and Leigh Montville etc. on baseball, Grant Wahl on soccer, Kenny Moore on track and field, Jack McCallum on basketball. But maybe even better were the generalists who wrote amazing profiles of interesting athletes: Gary Smith, Frank Deford, S.L. Price, Dan Jenkins and Sally Jenkins, Rick Reilly, Ron Fimrite, George Plimpton (who authored the Sid Finch hoax story), Alexander Wolff.
The demise of SI was inevitable in an age where no one has the interest to read, let alone pay for, long form journalism and just wants the trade rumors, the fantasy stats and the betting odds. We are poorer for it.
Blurbs do influence me to buy books, especially if they are from writers I admire.
Yes, I read blurbs and they do influence me. Saying that, I CANNOT WAIT TO READ DOGLAND and I'm a cat person who doesn't even own a dog so that's saying something! And, yes, I did pre-order already!
Tommy -- Yes, blurbs matter bigly to me. I was gonna buy Dogland eventually but Joe Poz's blurb convinced me to do it today!
Great stuff on SI, Tommy. I still have TWO Sports Illustrated sweatshirts I got as free gifts for subscribing a few decades back, and I still happily wear them around the house on cold mornings, walking my kids to the bus stop. And while I didn't have a football phone, I did get a sneaker phone from SI when I was a kid and I thought it was so, so cool.
So, completely ignoring the passing of SI (too rooted in the analog world, perhaps?), but let's talk blurbs.
My overall feeling about them is - does the blurber's background make him/her/them uniquely qualified to offer an opinion? I mean, one that is more significant than anyone else's who read the book and liked/loved/hated it. If I wrote a horror story and Steven King praised it, that would have more weight than if Tom Hanks praised it.
So...maybe they help?
I DO look at the blurbs... if there is someone who's writing I really admire saying good things, I'm more likely to buy a book. Joe P's blurb for DOGLAND is THE BEST!
I enjoy blurbs but will pick up an unknown author more based upon the story synopsis. Reading a blurb from an author whose work I admire can add a little kick. Onto the story about the Trump voter, it reads like a Stephen King horror story. I agree that Trump will tear this country apart, but I see not one iota of good in it.
Almost forgot to mention, I remember when the Toomer Oak incident occurred and it deeply saddened me. That’s a great example of the wonderful sports-adjacent stories SI gave us. I miss so many magazines from yesteryear and believe the digital offerings deprive today’s audience of the magic that was the hard copy of newspapers and magazines.
Dustin and you on the cover of a magazine where I loved coming to works each day for five years. Sad, of course, to see it leaving g us, diminishing bit by bit, like I’ve watched those I love with Alzheimer’s vanish before they die. Death seems merciful at this point after the greed of so many highly paid men, who took their money and ran, ruined this American icon.
Agree with many who have commented about blurbs - if it is from a writer whose work I have enjoyed, I will give it a look. Blurbs from random celebrities have much less impact.
Can't wait to read the book, based on the blurbs! Great piece in SI btw... I remember reading that when you wrote it. (Updyke apparently passed in 2020. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2902494-alabama-fan-harvey-updyke-dies-at-71-poisoned-auburns-toomers-corner-trees )