Sporting News

Infobox Magazine
title = Sporting News


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editor =
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frequency = Bi-weekly (2008-present)Weekly (1886-2008)Daily (2008-present, online)
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category = Sports
company = American City Business Journals
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firstdate = 1886
country = United States
based = Charlotte, NC
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website = http://www.sportingnews.com
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"Sporting News" (previously "The Sporting News", and known colloquially as "TSN") is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball – so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball". Along with its affiliated radio network, Sporting News Radio, it is currently owned by Charlotte, North Carolina-based American City Business Journals, Inc.

The main sports "SN" currently covers are Major League Baseball, National Football League, National Hockey League, National Basketball Association, NASCAR, and NCAA basketball and football, with occasional coverage of other sports.

As part of its baseball coverage, "SN" sponsors its own annual "Player", "Pitcher", "Rookie", "Manager", "Reliever", and "Comeback Player of the Year" awards. Prior to 2005, the "SN" Comeback Player Award was generally recognized as the principal award of its type, as MLB did not give such an award until that year.

In April, Jeff D'Alessio was appointed editor-in-chief of Sporting News magazine and Sporting News Today. D'Alessio came to Sporting News from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where he'd served as college and Sunday sports editor, deputy sports editor and senior editor/days. It is the St. Bonaventure University graduate and Syracuse native's second stint with SN after previously serving as a senior editor with SN's website from 2000-02.

Following 122 years of existence as a weekly publication, the magazine switched to a bi-weekly publishing schedule in 2008. Earlier that year, it launched a daily online newspaper, "Sporting News Today," which proved to be a smashing success with readers. In less than three weeks, more than 100,000 readers had subscribed for the cutting-edge publication, which is distributed daily, 365 days a year, at 7 a.m. ET.

As part of the summer 2008 staff overhaul, Sporting News named three managing editors — Paul Kasko (SN Today), Dan Graf (SN magazine) and Marcus DiNitto (sportingnews.com).

History

"TSN" was founded by Alfred H. Spink, a director of the St. Louis Browns and former writer for the "Missouri Republican" daily newspaper. Each number was 17 by 22 inches, eight pages, price five cents (Cooper 1996). The Browns were champions of the American Association, one of two major leagues in baseball, with a claim to the championship of the United States or the world based on the disputed 1885 World Series contest with regional rival Chicago, and the undisputed 1886 win. Meanwhile the sporting weeklies "Clipper" and "Sporting Life" were based in New York and Philadelphia. By World War I, "TSN" would be the only national baseball newspaper. Al Spink had long turned it over to his brother, first hiring Charles as business manager, then selling his stock, and finally departing from writing and editorial work in 1899 (Cooper 1996).

Throughout much of the 20th century "TSN" was decidedly non-glamorous, consisting of black-and-white newsprint with staid graphics. However it was the only vehicle for serious sports fans to follow teams from around the nation. For example, each week it printed a box score and blurb for every baseball game played in the major leagues and numerous minor leagues. Similarly, every issue had a report on each major league baseball team, usually written by a local newspaper's beat writer for that team.

With the advent of national sports media in the 1980s such as "USA Today" and ESPN, and of comprehensive web sites run by the major sports leagues in the 1990s, "TSN" lost this unique role. Consequently, it evolved into a more of a conventional, glossy sports magazine in both appearance and contents. Box scores disappeared from its pages in the late 1980s, but were still made available to subscribers in a separate publication for an undetermined period of time afterwards. The online "SN Today" revived the tradition of publishing boxscores in its virtual pages.

In 2001, the company acquired the One on One Sports radio network, renaming it "Sporting News Radio".

In September of 2006, American City Business Journals, Inc. acquired "TSN" and its online division. With the change in ownership, the company ceased most of its book publishing efforts. The 2006 "Baseball Guide", a "TSN" annual in one form or another since the 1920s, was its last. The 2007 "Baseball Register", an annual since the early 1940s, was its last. The 2007 "Baseball Record Book" was only available online, as a download. None of these guides were published in 2008.

portsman of the Year

Since 1968, the magazine has selected one or more individuals as recipients of this honor. On four occasions, the award has been shared by two recipients. Twice, in 1993 and 2000, the award has gone to a pair of sportsmen within the same organization. In 1999, the honor was given to a whole team. No winner was chosen in 1987.

On December 18, 2007, the magazine announced New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady as 2007 Sportsman of the Year, making Brady the first to repeat as a recipient of individual honors. Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals was also honored twice, but shared his second award with Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs.

*2007 - Tom Brady, New England Patriots
*2006 - Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
*2005 - Matt Leinart, USC football
*2004 - Tom Brady, New England Patriots
*2003 - Dick Vermeil, Kansas City Chiefs, and Jack McKeon, Florida Marlins
*2002 - Tyrone Willingham, Notre Dame American football
*2001 - Curt Schilling, Arizona Diamondbacks
*2000 - Marshall Faulk and Kurt Warner, St. Louis Rams
*1999 - New York Yankees
*1998 - Mark McGwire, St. Louis Cardinals, and Sammy Sosa, Chicago Cubs
*1997 - Mark McGwire, St. Louis Cardinals
*1996 - Joe Torre, New York Yankees
*1995 - Cal Ripken, Baltimore Orioles
*1994 - Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys
*1993 - Cito Gaston and Pat Gillick, Toronto Blue Jays
*1992 - Mike Krzyzewski, Duke University basketball
*1991 - Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
*1990 - Nolan Ryan, Texas Rangers
*1989 - Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers
*1988 - Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Olympics
*1987 - None
*1986 - Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
*1985 - Pete Rose, Cincinnati Reds
*1984 - Peter Ueberroth, Olympics organizer
*1983 - Bowie Kuhn, Major League Baseball commissioner
*1982 - Whitey Herzog, St. Louis Cardinals
*1981 - Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers
*1980 - George Brett, Kansas City Royals
*1979 - Willie Stargell, Pittsburgh Pirates
*1978 - Ron Guidry, New York Yankees
*1977 - Steve Cauthen, horse racing
*1976 - Larry O'Brien, National Basketball Association commissioner
*1975 - Archie Griffin, Ohio State football
*1974 - Lou Brock, St. Louis Cardinals
*1973 - O.J. Simpson, Buffalo Bills
*1972 - Charlie Finley, Oakland A's
*1971 - Lee Trevino, golf
*1970 - John Wooden, UCLA basketball
*1969 - Tom Seaver, New York Mets
*1968 - Denny McLain, Detroit Tigers

Writers

* Troy Aikman
* Chris Bahr
* Ken Bradley
* Tim Brando
* Albert Breer
* Clifton Brown
* Greg Cosell
* Randy Cross
* Matt Crossman
* Dave Curtis
* Craig Custance
* Jeff D'Alessio
* Mike DeCourcy
* Sean Deveney
* Ryan Fagan
* Mike Florio
* Dan Graf
* Steve Greenberg
* Matt Hayes
* Bob Hille
* Todd Jones
* Brian McLaughlin
* Stan McNeal
* Reggie Miller
* Greg Oden
* John Riggins
* Hank Steinbrenner
* George Winkler

Customer Service

* Drew Burns

External links

* [http://www.sportingnews.com Sporting News web site]
* [http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com Sporting News: Fantasy Games site]
* [http://www.sportingnewstoday.com Sporting News Today]
* [http://www.sport.co.uk Sport UK]

References

*Cooper, Mark (1996). "Alfred Henry Spink". "Baseball's First Stars". Edited by Frederick Ivor-Campbell, et al. Cleveland, OH: SABR. ISBN 0-910137-58-7