ESPN (1-year)

I used to be a big fan of Sports Illustrated, but after reading ESPN the Magazine, reading SI is like reading the Wall Street Journal. Too boring. Maybe some people won't like the way ESPN the Mag delivers the stories, but I love it. I think this magazine is very entertaining.


ESPN: Stick with the Network, Ditch the Magazine   October 28, 2004
Bryan Carey (Houston, TX)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

Sports publications seem like a dime a dozen, and in the case of ESPN magazine, this fact is true almost in the literal sense. This magazine is one of the least expensive on the market and this fact alone might make it seem tempting to purchase.

Before you act too quickly, however, you should know that ESPN magazine is not one of the better sports publications available. For starters, the magazine's dimensions are a little too large, making it seem more like a newspaper than a magazine. Second, the paper quality is poor. It is similar to a newspaper, but maybe one step above, which isn't saying much. The binding of this magazine is bad, too, with three staples holding each issue together.

These physical characteristics are annoying, but what's even worse with ESPN magazine is the articles themselves. There is little cohesiveness among the different sections of this magazine and the articles themselves are usually simplistic in nature and don't really offer any form of intellectual discussion. They point out a few facts about a popular sports personality, make a casual mention about his/her family and goals, along with a few other bits of fluff, and then end right there. There is nothing stimulating at all to the majority of the articles.

ESPN is a good network, and I watch its programming with a good degree of loyalty. But the people at ESPN really need to make some improvements to this magazine. It's the type of magazine that you toss aside after skimming through a few pages. There just isn't enough here to keep one's interest for very long.




Great if your attention span is less than 30 seconds   January 11, 2007
secoulte (Lake Tahoe, CA)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

I purchased this magazine solely to get cheaper access to ESPN Insider Online. The magazine is so all over the place otherwise that its hardly worth reading. Its chock full of tidbits that barely gloss over sports topics. I keep it in my bathroom and I guess its good there when I only have a few minutes to read while brushing my teeth or whatnot. Don't expect SI-type depth though, its full of ads and slick factoid type departments. Reading this magazine is like watching Sportscenter, a lot of many little things with no depth on anything. I guess its worth it for less than 60 cents an issue, but if I sat down to read this magazine cover to cover I would be done with it totally in under 15 minutes....enjoy.