New Recurring Bit, Because I Ran Out of Gas: The Sports Illustrated Covers

Much has been made of the impending (and moronically inevitable) demise of the greatest sports magazine of our time, Sports Illustrated. After Authentic Brands denuded the once must-read publication and announced it was planning to go all-digital, Minute Media stepped in recently with plans to continue publishing on a monthly basis. It is, to state the obvious, not what it once was. 

When I heard the initial news that the once-great SI was going out of print, I made a stupid and futile decision, like we're meant to. I decided to write a post naming the best covers in the magazine's history. That was in January.

I got all the way through 1979 before running out of gas, and so that's where this first edition ends. And so I present to you G:TB's definitive list of the best Sports Illustrated covers from 1954 to January 1979. 

Swimsuit issues are an entirely separate category, but if we were to include them, we'd go with Elle.

In general, there's a bias towards action shots for me, though as you'll see, I make an exception or two for striking imagery of fascinating people. Import matters, but in general, this list is about the pictures more than it is about the newsworthiness.

Here we go, in chronological order:

The first one, August 15, 1954, featured Milwaukee Braves' slugger Eddie Mathews. It's a classic.

In February 1958, SI dropped a peach of an image of Villanova high jumper Phil Reavis.

January 22, 1968, Jerry Kramer carrying Vince Lombardi off the field after the Packers won Super Bowl II.

Great shot of a seminal moment in college hoops history from March 28, 1966.

From January 25, 1971 - this one's got import and a cool image.

The iconic Jim Kiick and Larry Csonka from August 7, 1972.

Classic, from February 27, 1978.

This one from January 8, 1979 is personally significant - these were formative years for your boy. Gut check is still a phrase with weight in Alabama.