The Bottom Line: This magazine is fun and interesting, a lighter approach to keeping sports fans informed as well as entertained beyond the hard news of sports.
fishifishi's Full Review: ESPN Magazine Subscription
I love sports. They’re right up there with wine and Jane Austen novels. A few years ago I got suckered into subscribing to a magazine to support some youngster trying to go somewhere, and after choosing ESPN, and receiving it every other week, I have been hooked.
It’s Different, In Many Ways
First of all, the magazine is a lot wider than you average magazine, almost a foot long by a foot wide. It seems sort of thin, but inside is packed with columns, stories, ads, sports updates, profiles, ads, interviews…did I mention ads? There are quite a few, but it does not deter me. On average, it’s about 90 pages long, but during playoffs or when celebrating anniversaries, it tends to extend beyond 100, full of sports fun and information. It’s important to stress the word fun, though, as this isn’t the most cutting edge nitty gritty look at sports. Although there will be some serious topics and stories, a lot of it is informative but on the lighter side of news.
The magazine starts with its table of contents and then reader mail, usually in regards to previous months’ articles. Then comes a few regular columns, including Bill Simmons, “The Sports Guy”, and a Q&A chat room with Stuart Scott. There’s always a great section of photos, essentially a layout of three or four amazing action shots that cover the whole page.
My favorite parts of the magazine, unless someone that I particular fond of is featured for an interview or a story, are a couple of the more humorous columns. I love when they print a “trivia” contest about a player’s favorites, firsts, fears, etc., a competition between the player’s wife and a teammate, and give the real answers as well add up a score at the end. It’s fun to see what is said by the closest people in a player’s life, and it makes them a bit more real to have nicknames and fears like everyone else.
I also enjoy "Things You Should Know About..." anything from playing a certain sport, being on a certain team, working for a team or player, or management/ownership/sponsorship of a team. It’s always interesting and insightful, and again usually has a relaxed humor about it as well.
The feature stories (typically at least 3 per issue) are often fairly long, 3-4 pages, and very well written. I have been drawn to read about someone whom I have never really considered, and finished the article feeling as though I really know the person. These features also have the knack for making me look at a player I feel as though I somewhat know it a completely different light. Every sport is touched in each magazine, with the extreme range of representation shocking me, as someone who watches ESPN SportsCenter regularly, and really has no clue to the depths that this company covers sports. For instance, teen bull riding competitions have been given pages in a past issue, as well as street sports that may not be “organized” but are part of a city’s culture.
Many of the pages also have a headline “ticker” along the bottom, giving one line facts about anniversaries/birthdays/etc., funkier sports news, and sometimes just really oddball but sports related facts.
The last dozen pages or so give you updates on almost every sport out there-hot players, teams to watch, and maybe who’s looking at whom during trade time. College sports are included in this as well. Typically the final pages also include “Outtakes with Kenny Mayne” which is a part serious, oftentimes more parts funny, interview with an athlete of some kind, complete with silly pictures to emphasize the fun. A great way to end the read.
The only complaint I would even dare to lodge about this magazine is the length-it takes a long time to read this magazine, cover to cover, and I never read the whole thing. I would honestly say it takes me over 3 hours to get through the parts that I am interested in (about 80% of the reading offered). During particularly hectic times of the month for me, I can get backed up and have to have a magazine reading marathon to catch up.
Being published every two weeks, this magazine is a great update on the sports world beyond the day’s headlines. It really provides a different perspective to the players, and the world of sports. Better than that, I feel as though I am informed but also entertained. Perhaps not every sports fan would appreciate the humorous tone of much of the magazine, but I sure do. I have renewed my subscription for years now, and will continue to do so for a long time.
26 issues per year's subscription
Price ranges $15-$30 a year; $3.95/issue newsstands
For more information about “The Mag”, go to http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/index
26 issues - ESPN Magazine is sports reporting the way it ought to be. ESPN puts the emphasis on match-ups, players to watch for, season previews and p...More at SuperMagDeals.com
26 issues - ESPN Magazine is sports reporting the way it ought to be. ESPN puts the emphasis on match-ups, players to watch for, season previews and p...More at Subscription Addiction
26 issues - ESPN The Magazine is the sports lover's magazine with an edge, offering more fantastic color photos, easy-to-read articles, in-depth inter...More at SpeedyMags.com
ESPN targets young, active men whose lifestyles include watching sports, attending games, and participating in all kinds of athletics. The editorial f...More at eBay
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.