"Sports Illustrated, Blockbuster, and Your Church" By Marty Duren
Years ago there was a world-beating sports magazine called Sports Illustrated . It was the one thing that every football, baseball, basketball loving person could not wait to see weekly in the mailbox or on the newsstand. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the throne crumbled. An upstart cable TV network called ESPN became the must-watch channel for sports fans. ESPN provided sports updates all morning so people getting ready for work could catch up on the scores and highlights from the previous night. No more having to wait a week for Sports Illustrated. Fans did not even have to wait until the sports segment on the evening news. Now ESPN boasts multiple cable channels, a partnership with ABC Sports (via parent company, Disney), its own Olympics (the X-Games), its own magazine, and a host of other properties. ESPN is now THE undisputed leader in sports. Sports Illustrated still exists, but its once dominant foothold is long gone. What is the difference? Sports Illustrated mistak