The latest in SI‘s “Where Are They Now?” series covers longtime staffer Smith, arguably one of the finest profilers the journalism world has ever known. His portraits of Mike Tyson, Andre Agassi, and other icons cut through the insularity of sports fandom to become the stuff of magazine legend. Now, Joseph Bien-Kahn heads to South […]
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Posted inEditor's Pick
Braydon Bringhurst Versus the Beast
“Is this mountain biking’s greatest uphill achievement?”
Posted inEditor's Pick
How the War Over Trans Athletes Tore a Volleyball Team Apart
“Blaire Fleming was a little-known college player. Then she suddenly became a symbol of injustice — to both sides of the controversy.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Serena Williams Refused to Bend. She Bent Tennis Instead.
A stunner of an ode to Serena, who came into the game on the heels of her older sister, but leaves it having changed it irrevocably. An exacting portrait of an unprecedented competitor. Part of Serena’s genius—competitively, personally—is that she never can quite be anything but herself when she’s desperate. And she’s desperate every time […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
Roll With It
Ian Mackay was paralyzed 14 years ago in a bike accident, leaving the active 26-year-old with the physical abilities of an infant. Today, he’s traversing hundreds of miles in an Invacare TDX SP2. For Sports Illustrated, Joseph Bien-Kahn tells Mackay’s inspiring story and offers an account of his latest challenge: breaking a world record for […]
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Outlaw Tradition of Noodling for Catfish
“The secretive, centuries-old outlaw tradition of noodling reaches its peak every summer at a Lake Tawakoni tournament with the kings of catfish.”
Posted inTop 5
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
In this edition: gambling’s grip, a story of plumes and poachers, bemoaning American tourists in Rome, a magical history tour, and a fake poultry flinger.
Posted inReading List
Dimes, Dunks, and Devotion: A Basketball Reading List
Seven essays that go beyond the box score.
Posted inEditor's Pick
How the 1% Runs an Ironman
“Inside the world of Ironman XC, which makes the endurance contest a little more endurable — for executives who can afford to pay.”
Posted inEditor's Pick
Joe Montana Was Here
“No. 16 is no longer what it once was. Joe Montana now must be something else.”
