Bills Digest

[Lori]

I've thumbed through a few issues of ESPN:Mag. Haven't seen anything yet that would make me even consider subscribing.

 

The Sporting News has fallen far since I began subscribing in 1989. Used to be I'd read S.I. for the features, then get the NEWS from TSN. No more - by pandering to the masses with glossy paper, more photos and dumbed-down content, it's become a pale shadow of what it once was. I'm seriously considering letting my sub lapse.

 

S.I.: as previously noted, it consistently boasts some of the finest sportswriting in the country. I couldn't care less about baseball... unless I see Tom Verducci's name on the byline. Ditto for Jack McCallum and the NBA, and I'll read just about anything written by Gary Smith or S.L. Price. Can't pass up Dr. Z, of course.

And while he still drives me to distraction at least three or four times a year, there's a valid reason Rick Reilly has collected all those Sportswriter of the Year awards -- he really is that good. (Except when I disagree with him. Then, he sucks swamp water.)

When their renewal form shows up in the mailbox, I automatically check off the 3-year box and send it back, no questions asked.

 

Bills Digest: Makes me miss Shout!. I agree with most of Chris Brown's op-ed pieces, and you're not going to find some of the "insider" features anywhere on the Web. (The "war room" on draft day, the locker room during halftime, etc.) Funny, though, that the "Letters to the Editor" section suddenly vanished last year... and I also get the impression there was a lot Brown *couldn't* say.

 

I'll be interested to see how the mag changes, now that One Bills Drive is under new management. My sub runs through October of '07 (I had JUST re-upped with Shout! for the max, an issue or two before the change), so I've got plenty of time to decide whether to keep it.

[Buftex]

I've thumbed through a few issues of ESPN:Mag. Haven't seen anything yet that would make me even consider subscribing.

 

The Sporting News has fallen far since I began subscribing in 1989. Used to be I'd read S.I. for the features, then get the NEWS from TSN. No more - by pandering to the masses with glossy paper, more photos and dumbed-down content, it's become a pale shadow of what it once was. I'm seriously considering letting my sub lapse.

 

S.I.: as previously noted, it consistently boasts some of the finest sportswriting in the country. I couldn't care less about baseball... unless I see Tom Verducci's name on the byline. Ditto for Jack McCallum and the NBA, and I'll read just about anything written by Gary Smith or S.L. Price. Can't pass up Dr. Z, of course.

And while he still drives me to distraction at least three or four times a year, there's a valid reason Rick Reilly has collected all those Sportswriter of the Year awards -- he really is that good. (Except when I disagree with him. Then, he sucks swamp water.)

When their renewal form shows up in the mailbox, I automatically check off the 3-year box and send it back, no questions asked.

 

Bills Digest: Makes me miss Shout!. I agree with most of Chris Brown's op-ed pieces, and you're not going to find some of the "insider" features anywhere on the Web. (The "war room" on draft day, the locker room during halftime, etc.) Funny, though, that the "Letters to the Editor" section suddenly vanished last year... and I also get the impression there was a lot Brown *couldn't* say.

 

I'll be interested to see how the mag changes, now that One Bills Drive is under new management. My sub runs through October of '07 (I had JUST re-upped with Shout! for the max, an issue or two before the change), so I've got plenty of time to decide whether to keep it.

606077[/snapback]

 

 

I really have only read Bills Digest out of habit, and loyalty. It really is a pretty thin read though...I let my subscription lapse once, and after a few missed issues, they started sending it to me again, even though I didn't re-subscribe.

 

I still like to read the various preview mags, but they too, are "lite" on real news. The only one left is Pro Football Weekly. I like it, but, most of the "insider" news is old news by the time I read it...

 

I used to love the Sporting News as well, but they have dumbed themselves down to ESPN the magazine, I rarely read either.

 

I don't know why, as handy as the internet is, I still love reading magazines and newspapers.

[The Dean]

I really have only read Bills Digest out of habit, and loyalty.  It really is a pretty thin read though...I let my subscription lapse once, and after a few missed issues, they started sending it to me again, even though I didn't re-subscribe. 

 

I still like to read the various preview mags, but they too, are "lite" on real news.  The only one left is Pro Football Weekly.  I like it, but, most of the "insider" news is old news by the time I read it...

 

I used to love the Sporting News as well, but they have dumbed themselves down to ESPN the magazine, I rarely read either.

 

I don't know why, as handy as the internet is, I still love reading magazines and newspapers.

606089[/snapback]

 

 

When ESPN the Mag started, it wasn't half-bad, IMO. It stinks on ice now (stinks like ICE now?).

 

Shout was OK at least...this new rag is rettatta.

 

As for the brick and morter read (hard copy)...I like it, too particularly for the commute and on the commode.

[Ned Flanders]

The Sporting News has fallen far since I began subscribing in 1989. Used to be I'd read S.I. for the features, then get the NEWS from TSN. No more - by pandering to the masses with glossy paper, more photos and dumbed-down content, it's become a pale shadow of what it once was. I'm seriously considering letting my sub lapse.

 

S.I.: as previously noted, it consistently boasts some of the finest sportswriting in the country. I couldn't care less about baseball... unless I see Tom Verducci's name on the byline. Ditto for Jack McCallum and the NBA, and I'll read just about anything written by Gary Smith or S.L. Price. Can't pass up Dr. Z, of course.

606077[/snapback]

I really like Steve Rushin...I think he's the best part of SI...and everytime I start to think of letting the subscription run out, they do a photo spread like a couple of weeks ago, when they did a two-pager on the pond hockey tournament...I musta gawked at that pic for a good twenty minutes.

 

Sporting News I let run out when they started to feature NASCAR. If NASCAR's a sport, so is driving to work.

[Stl Bills]

The Sporting News has fallen far since I began subscribing in 1989. Used to be I'd read S.I. for the features, then get the NEWS from TSN. No more - by pandering to the masses with glossy paper, more photos and dumbed-down content, it's become a pale shadow of what it once was. I'm seriously considering letting my sub lapse.

 

The Sporting News is actually based out of St. Louis and a lot of people (all my friends from Chicago anyway) claim it is a "pro St. Louis" publication. I have to admit that it does kind of seem that way when they talk baseball, they really seem to like the Cardinals (and for good reason ). Untill last year I lived with the son of Hub Arkish (owner of Pro Football Weekly and former Bears broadcaster) so I still get a free subscription to PFW. Thats a pretty good read although I have sat down and talked football with the owner and one of the editors and their knowlledge of the game isn't really superior to my own or a lot of the people on this board for that matter. The difference is they know whats going on behind the scenes, unlike the rest of us (unless your name is Soprano )

[Lori]

re: PFW - I've thought about subscribing, but I already have access to their Bills beat reporter.

 

The print version is a little on the expensive side, but still worth the read for true football junkies. Their bookmark is right under the team media folder on my "FB links" toolbar button...