It was another relaxing offseason month for us here at Somanystadiums. We have started our preliminary scheduling but that’s about it. We did, of course, re-do the Sports Illustrated Wall Calendar for May.
Derby Day
Given it is May, the Kentucky Derby features prominently on many covers. I probably could have done the whole month with horse covers if I wanted to.
For the Birds
With increased leisure time, our morning coffee often finds us sitting on our sun porch doing a little bird watching. This graphic cover from the fifties was one that immediately caught my eye. It is probably the only Sports Illustrated cover my wife would consider framing and displaying in the house.
Glacial Speed(!?!)
This is a great cover but I would love to see it updated. I imagine the site looks a lot different and not in a good way. To its credit, SI later on did quite a bit on global climate change. The magazine never pulled punches on the topic.
Be happy you had a job
I have set a goal of posting every cover at least once. I would put good money that this cover of Louis Jacobs is a “one and done”. He and his brothers owned a number semi-pro franchises but the big play was in facilities and sports catering.
The company is now, Delaware North, owner of the Boston Garden with catering contracts in many arenas and in the National Parks. Not known for the best working environment given their decision not to pay their Garden staff during the Pandemic. It was left to Boston Bruin stars like Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle to pay the employees out of their own salaries.
Meanwhile, back in the San Fernando Valley, a new genre is born
Not unlike Louie’s sneer above, I always found this cover a wee bit creepy. I was going to say that SI would never juxtapose that cover with a male owner and a female athlete, but some of the earlier covers say otherwise.
Let’s just scratch the 400M relay
With the summer Olympics coming up, I added this cover of Tommie Smith of San Jose State, a year before the 1968 Mexico Games. Smith won the gold medal at those Games. At the medal ceremony, he and his teammate John Carlos (bronze) defiantly held up their fists in an effort to raise awareness of black poverty. While ultimately recognized as a courageous act of defiance, it was very unpopular at the time.
It also overshadowed an amazing effort on the track, where he set a new world record in the 200M, despite raising his arms in victory in the last 10M. By the way, both Smith and Carlos ran for San Jose State at the same time. Imagine rolling up to that track as a sprinter knowing you had to race both those guys.
Today on campus, Fan Duel and Draft Kings
These two covers are great example of how times have changed. Back in 1983, SI correctly noted how the student athletes were at the mercy of the coaches, athletic departments and the NCAA. Thanks to NIL deals, the tables have turned – it only took forty years. The Paul Hornung cover was about him being suspended for gambling as an athlete. While “still” not allowed, with today’s online gambling, it is hard to believe that players aren’t scratching that itch whenever they want.
Let the kids have some fun
I will leave you with this image from the June 2, 1969 cover with a very early version of a jet ski. It brings out a mix of fear and nostalgia. It makes laugh at the memories of numerous scrapes from the helmetless bike riding days of my youth. I mean those kids on that “boat” look totally safe and in control.
That’s all I have got – enjoy the spring weather.