The Sporting News: Dancing a Jig to a Great Tradition

From their start as a humble baseball rag, The Sporting News has gone on to become a Sports Media giant. However, it was at their birth that they were most pure, concentrating solely on the "American" pastime.

Throughout even their early years, during the many decades from their inception to the middle of the last century, The Sporting News was considered the premier baseball publication. They covered baseball like nobody's business.

Their articles were in-depth, and informative, and always left their readers wanting more.

While their prime business was their baseball paper, they also provided fans with year-end record books, as well as baseball cards.

Also, there was never a sports publication that had better cartoons than The Sporting News. Their cartoonists cut to the chase, and never shied away from tackling the tough issues of the day with biting humor.

Although they had their start in baseball, by the middle of the last century they had branched out into other sports, giving sports fans the information they needed to follow their favorite players and teams.

Here you can see they've covered college football from the early days of the sport right on through to the college titans of today.

Of course they didn't stop with covering just college football, but also became a premier outlet of news and information about the pro game. Some of their issues tackled fun subjects such as the 101 Best NFL Players, while others gave in-depth analysis of the coming seasons.

They covered the pros in basketball with equal insight, delving into the issues of the game with tidbits found nowhere else. Of course, they also made sure to keep their fans in mind, never forgetting that Michael Jordan was what most NBA fans wanted to read about during his heyday.

They've also not forgotten those fans of college basketball. Providing them with everything they could want to prepare for each season. Giving them in-depth analysis of who would, and who wouldn't make it to the Dance in March, while covering all the issues of the day.

They've even covered the sport played on ponds, from the days of the Great One, to Sid the Kid.

In an effort to reach even more readers, they've even gone after aficionados of the fastest growing sport in the nation, NASCAR, giving fans of that sport the same in-depth analysis and insight they've provided the fans of other sports for over a century.

The Sporting News also has provided many great commemorative issues over the years, highlighting the achievements of all the great heroes in sports.

Although they've changed with the times, The Sporting News wasn't hard pressed to provide all the stats and data fantasy sports fans needed, considering they'd been doing so since before any of those fans were born.

The Sporting News also found no problems extending their reach both online and over the air.

And while at times they've attempted to do battle with their rival publication, Sports Illustrated, and have had some questionable covers, they've also still covered the hot topics of the day with more clarity and understanding than their rivals in my opinion.

Over the years they've covered the many championships won by teams in all sports...

...while bringing readers stories of new heroes in those sports...

...but have maintained their status as the Premier Baseball publication in America and the world.

So, I dance a jig for you, The Sporting News, on your 123rd birthday. Happy Birthday to you on this St. Patrick's Day, and may you still be around long after I've left this earth.