TSN Archives: Pele's magic ignites U.S. soccer boom (Oct. 29, 1977, issue)

It is a measure of Pele's uniqueness, Paul Gardner wrote in The Sporting News, that in a world that contains literally thousands of pro soccer players, he was the only one who could have succeeded in this missionary role: He brought soccer to Americans.

TSN Archives: Pele a Landslide Winner in Player Vote for NASL MVP (Sept. 11, 1976, issue)

It hardly came as a surprise that Pele, the New York Cosmos' super star, was an overwhelming choice as the 1976 MVP of the North American Soccer League in a poll of the players conducted by The Sporting News.

TSN Archives: Search for Clemente Abandoned (Jan. 27, 1973, issue)

The search for Roberto Clemente's body, off the coast of his native Puerto Rico, was called off some two week after the Pirates super star and four others died in a plane crash on Dec. 31, 1972. A correspondent for The Sporting News was on the island, reporting on the decision.

TSN Archives: Roberto Died as He Lived — Caring (Jan. 20, 1973, issue)

This story is interesting, in that after it discusses the Pirates in the wake of superstar Roberto Clemente’s death and what he meant to them, it moves on at the end — perhaps as Clemente himself would’ve liked — to on-the-field offseason notes about the team.

TSN Archives: Clemente and Charisma (Jan. 20, 1973, issue)

Upon Roberto Clemente's death on Dec. 31, 1972, regular TSN columnist Joe Falls, based in an American League city (Detroit), mused on the baseball superstar he never got to know.

TSN Archives: Baseball Mourns Loss of Bucs Star Clemente (Jan. 13, 1973, issue)

This unbylined story appeared on Page 42, apparently pulled together and inserted into The Sporting News at the last minute following Roberto Clemente’s death in a plane crash on Dec. 31, 1972 (a Sunday).

TSN Archives: A baseball insider's assessment of Roberto Clemente (Jan. 20, 1973, issue)

The Jan. 20, 1973, issue of The Sporting News touched on several topics related to Roberto Clemente, including whether the standard five-year waiting period for induction to the Hall of Fame should be waived for the Pirates star who had died in a plane crash weeks earlier.

TSN Archives: How The Sporting News covered 'The Immaculate Reception'

It only later became known as 'The Immaculate Reception,' but Franco Harris' shoestring catch and last-second, game-winning TD run immediately became part of Steelers and NFL lore.

TSN Archives: Bowe vs. Holyfield I — Playing the fight game (Nov. 23, 1992, issue)

Riddick Bowe laughed out loud, championship belts hanging off his shoulders, and shouted, "I AM THE MAN!" He created more excitement in two seconds than Evander Holyfield did in two years, columnist Dave Kindred wrote in The Sporting News.

TSN Archives: Bowe vs. Holyfield II — When a fan becomes a fanatic (Nov. 22, 1993, issue)

"This just in: We have lost our minds, folks," contributing writer Dave Kindred began his column in the Nov. 22, 1993, issue of The Sporting News after a parachutist crashed the second Evander Holyfield vs. Riddick Bowe fight in Las Vegas.

TSN Archives: Babe Ruth, a “bust”? (Nov. 16, 1922, issue)

In the issue dated 100 years ago today, The Sporting News wrote about a "humbled" Babe Ruth, coming off his worst season as a Yankee and what TSN called his "World Series 'bust.'" Harsh words for the Bambino, who vowed to turn over a new leaf.

TSN Archives: Willie Mays named Player of the Decade for 1960s (Jan. 17, 1970, issue)

From 1960 through 1969, no one played the game at a higher level than Willie Mays, a five-tool star who piled up numbers so impressive that The Sporting News named him TSN's Player of the Decade for the 1960s.

TSN Archives: Willie Mays voted 1954 NL MVP (Dec. 22, 1954, issue)

Only three seasons after being named National League Rookie of the Year, Willie Mays of the World Series-winning Giants was the overwhelming pick as the NL Most Valuable Player for 1954, The Sporting News reported.

TSN Archives: Willie Mays is still having fun (July 25, 1970, issue)

At 39, Willie Mays continued to enjoy playing the game, and it continued to do it at a high level, The Sporting News reported. Teammates and opponents marveled as Mays approached his 3,000th hit.

TSN Archives: Willie Mays smacks his 500th homer (Sept. 25, 1965, issue)

Willie Mays' 500th homer — on Sept. 13, 1965 — was only the latest entry in a long list of achievements he would collect during his illustrious career.

TSN Archives: Wilt Chamberlain answers his critics (Dec. 20, 1961, issue)

Wilt Chamberlain had heard the criticism before, and in the Dec. 20, 1961, issue of The Sporting News, he calmly responded to them and the continued to dominate the NBA that season.

TSN Archives: Wilt's 50-point games rate raves (Dec. 13, 1961, issue)

Wilt Chamberlain's astonishing 1961-62 season, including several 50-point games, had the NBA (and The Sporting News) abuzz. There was even some talk about raising the rims to 12 feet to slow him.

The last World Series no-hitter? Don Larsen's pefect game in 1956 (TSN Archives)

On Oct. 8, 1956, Don Larsen of the Yankees pitched the first no-hitter in World Series history. To this day, he remains the only MLB player with a perfect game in the postseason.

TSN Archives: The Phillies and Astros' unforgettable 1980 NLCS (Oct. 25, 1980, issue)

The 1980 NLCS — with four consecutive extra-inning games — has endured as one of the greatest in MLB postseason history. The Sporting News wrote at the time: "There may never be another playoff like it!"

TSN Archives: The 2002 Angels' one-of-a-kind World Series win (Nov. 4, 2002, issue)

Twenty years ago, on Oct. 27, 2002, the Anaheim Angels — yes, ANAHEIM Angels, at the time — defeated the San Francisco Giants in Game 7 of their World Series, for what remains the Angels' only championship. But, The Sporting News wrote, what a championship!

TSN Archives: Roberto Clemente collects 3,000th hit (Oct. 14, 1972, issue)

Roberto Clemente dedicated his 3,000th (and final) major-league hit on Sept. 30, 1972, to Pirates fans, The Sporting News reported. Only three months later all of baseball would mourn his death in a plane crash near Puerto Rico.

TSN Archives: Why Roger Maris' 60th home run caused a controversy

The Yankees' Roger Maris tied Babe Ruth's single-season record for home runs with his 60th in September 1961, causing MLB Commissioner Ford Frick to weigh in. The Sporting News covered the controversy.

TSN Editorial: Babe Ruth is in a class of his own (Oct. 6, 1927)

When Babe Ruth broke his single-season record for home runs by hitting 60 in 1927, The Sporting News declared in an editorial that he was a power hitter like no other.

TSN Originals: How The Sporting News covered the 'Munich Massacre'

Fifty years ago, on Sept. 5, 1972, 11 members of the Israeli delegation to the Summer Olympics in West Germany were killed by a terrorist group aptly named Black September, and The Sporting News was on the scene.

Munich: Massacre, Mourning, Medals (TSN Archives)

The 1972 Olympics in Munich were scarred by the murders of 11 members of the Israeli delegation by terrorists.

TSN Archives: After 'Munich Massacre,' where do Olympics go from here? (Sept. 23, 1972, issue)

In the wake of the so-called "Munich Massacre" at the 1972 Summer Games, an unsigned editorial in the Sept. 23 issue of The Sporting News asked, "Where do the Olympics go from here?"

TSN Archives: Confusion Reigns as U.S. Court Dynasty Collapses (Sept. 23, 1972, issue)

The U.S. men's basketball team's amazing streak of 63 consecutive Olympic victories and seven straight gold medals ended amid "organized confusion," The Sporting News reported from the Munich Games in September 1972.

TSN Archives: How Kobe's NBA debut was covered in 1996

The Sporting News chronicled 18-year-old Kobe Bryant's rookie season, 26 years ago, through all the ups and downs and finally to his 'playing at his highest level yet.'

Baseball, Vin Scully and The Sporting News, intertwined since the 1950s

The Sporting News first wrote about Vin Scully in 1953, when he was barely out of college and calling a World Series. Across the years, TSN checked in regularly with Scully, who died Tuesday at 94.

TSN Archives: Shift Leaves Mellifluous Scully With Local Accent (March 19, 1990, issue)

Ahead of the 1990 MLB season, NBC lost the national-TV rights, leaving Vin Scully to call only Dodgers games. And that was fine with him, he told The Sporting News.

TSN Archives: Scully Still Gets — and Gives — Goosebumps (July 21, 1986, issue)

By the 1980s, Vin Scully was at the height of his profession. Why, at 57, did he keep pushing? "Because after all these years, when I hear the roar of the crowd, I still get goosebumps," Scully told The Sporting News.

TSN Archives: Vin Scully Is Dodgers’ MVP (Jan. 10, 1970, issue)

Dodgers came and went, milestones were reached and records broken, and all the while one man was on the call: Vin Scully. Writing in The Sporting News, Hall of Fame sportswriter Jim Murray, in 1970, called him the Dodgers' MVP.

TSN Archives: Vin Scully earns TV plum only four years out of Fordham (Oct. 15, 1953, issue)

Vin Scully saw his first World Series in 1952. A year later, only a few years out of Fordham University, he would call his first Fall Classic, The Sporting News wrote in October 1953. The rest is history.

TSN Archives: 58 stories across 100 years of Mount Rushmore athletes

As part of The Sporting News' Mount Rushmore project, we’ve combed through our Archives to find stories about the vast majority of athletes selected in the 13 qualifying cities. The range of stories is, frankly, astonishing.

TSN Archives: Jackie Robinson inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame (Aug. 4, 1962 issue)

After Jackie Robinson had broken another color barrier, becoming the first Black player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 23, 1962, sports writer Doc Young wrote about what Jackie meant to all Blacks in America.

TSN Archives: Michael Jordan retired; Bob Costas weighed in (Jan. 25, 1999)

NBC's Bob Costas offered in The Sporting News what he called “some random secondary observations” after Chicago icon Michael Jordan announced Jan. 13, 1999 that he was retiring (again).

TSN Archives: Bobby Hull, the Golden Jet of hockey (March 19, 1966)

Chicago icon Bobby Hull, 27, was enjoying arguably his best season in his ninth of 15 with the Blackhawks when in March 1966 The Sporting News profiled "the Golden Jet."

TSN Archives: Walter Payton’s lessons in greatness (Nov. 15, 1999)

Upon Chicago icon Walter Payton's death from cancer in 1999, The Sporting News offered up lessons he learned from him, and memories made with him.

TSN Archives: Ernie Banks puts it all together (Sept. 3, 1958)

Chicago icon Ernie Banks had 42 home runs by late August 1958, and The Sporting News profiled him as some began to ask if the man who would come to be called "Mr. Cub" could break Babe Ruth's hallowed single-season home run record.

TSN Archives: Darrell Green, Washington cornerstone (Oct. 27, 1997)

In 1997, D.C. icon Darrell Green, 37 at the time, was still holding down his cornerback spot, and, The Sporting News noted, the Washington DB could still run, cover and, if he got beat, recover.

TSN Archives: Walter Johnson Proves Hero in Deciding Game 7 (Oct. 16, 1924)

Washington icon Walter Johnson, who went 23-7 in the regular season and that year would win his second AL MVP award, wasn’t at his best in the 1924 World Series but shut down the Giants in extra innings in Game 7 to get the only World Series victory in his Hall of Fame career. The Sporting News, est. 1886, covered it all.

TSN Archives: Isiah Thomas has had a bumpy rookie year (Feb. 20, 1982)

The Pistons — led by Detroit icon Isiah Thomas — won back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and '90. But in 1982, Isiah was a 20-year-old rookie out of Indiana University, just learning through the ups and downs of his first season as a pro, as The Sporting News chronicled in February that year.

TSN Archives: Gordie Howe, at 42, yields to injury (Jan. 2, 1971)

Gordie Howe, at 42 in January 1971, was nagged by a rib-cartilage injury that at least allowed him to see more of his hockey-playing sons' games, The Sporting News wrote. Howe retired later that year after 25 years with the Red Wings, and by 1973 he and his two boys were playing for the Houston Aeros of the WHA.

TSN Archives: Wes Unseld Offers Off-Court Assists (March 27, 1976)

Washington icon Wes Unseld’s impact off the court was measured by his treatment of a severely injured college player from the D.C. area, The Sporting News wrote in March 1976.

TSN Archives: Barry Sanders rushing toward 2K (Dec. 15, 1997)

Detroit icon Barry Sanders was very much on The Sporting News' mind before, during and after the 1997 NFL season. TSN featured him in the season preview, covered and columnized about him during the year and named him the 1997 NFL player of the year after his 2,000-yard rushing season.

TSN Archives: Lawrence Taylor, linebacker at large (Nov. 17, 1986)

New York icon Lawrence Taylor was the primary cover subject in the Nov. 17, 1986, issue of The Sporting News as Peter King chronicled LT's comeback from substance-abuse issues in a story headlined, "A Taylor-Made Turnaround".

TSN Archives: Walt Frazier leads Knicks in style (Feb. 14, 1970)

In 1970, Walt "Clyde" Frazier was equal parts style and substance as he helped lead the Knicks to the first NBA title in franchise history.

TSN Archives: Alonzo Mourning’s anxious days (Oct.16, 2000)

The Miami Heat's training camp in October 2000 was rocked when center and team leader Alonzo Mourning was diagnosed with kidney disease. The Sporting News was there as the team awaited word on Mourning's medical tests.

Archives: Griese Routs Rivals as AFC Player of the Year (Jan. 22, 1972)

Miami icon Bob Griese won The Sporting News' 1971 AFC Player of the Year in his fifth season in the NFL, far outdistancing other contenders.

TSN Archives: Dan Marino is Quite a QB (Jan. 22, 1984)

Dan Marino, passed over by several teams that chose other quarterbacks in the 1983 NFL Draft, got the first laugh: He was chosen The Sporting News' Rookie of the Year after a sparkling season for the Dolphins.

TSN Archives: Joe Montana, the best (April 24, 1995)

The Sporting News' award-winning columnist Dave Kindred mused on the greatness of Joe Montana upon the quarterback's retirement from the NFL in April 1995.

TSN Archives: Barry Bonds’ 71 homers are a lot, how about 755? (Oct. 8, 2001)

The Sporting News' MLB Insider, Ken Rosenthal, looked beyond Barry Bonds’ 73 home runs in 2001 and looked at Bonds’ shot at Hank Aaron's career home-run record.

TSN Archives: Joe Montana, the bottom line (April 24, 1995)

After Joe Montana announced that he was retiring from the NFL in 1995, The Sporting News went to those who even if they weren’t his best friends were certainly in closest touch with him during his playing days: his centers.

TSN Archives: Jerry Rice was some catch (Dec. 24, 1990)

By the time Bay Area icon Jerry Rice had reached his sixth season with the 49ers, the discussion — including in The Sporting News in December of that year — had already begun: Was he the best wide receiver ever?

TSN Archives: Lou Gehrig’s Death Shocks All in Game (June 5, 1941)

After Lou Gehrig, 37, succumbed June 2, 1941, to ALS, The Sporting News, in addition to multiple stories about "the Iron Horse," wrote in an unsigned editorial: "Gehrig's baseball deeds were dwarfed by the courage with which he met his last fight."

TSN Archives: Babe Ruth bookends — Yankees acquire Ruth, Babe Ruth Day 1947

New York icon Babe Ruth became much more than just a record-shattering slugger. He was a phenomenon, and The Sporting News (est. 1886) chronicled it all, including here: his acquisition by the Yankees from the Red Sox and 1947's Babe Ruth Day, as his health declined.

TSN Archives: The book on … Steve Nash, Suns guard (Jan. 19, 1998)

Three years after The Sporting News had described Phoenix icon Steve Nash as a lightly recruited “crown jewel” at Santa Clara in the West Coast Conference, TSN gave NBA readers a scouting report.

TSN Archives: Randy Johnson, dissected (June 12, 2000)

Having led the Diamondbacks to the postseason in their second season (his first with the team) in 1999, Phoenix icon Randy Johnson got the "See A Different Game" treatment in the June 12, 2000, issue of The Sporting News.

TSN Archives: Sandy Koufax Spins Strikeout Tale (Oct. 19, 1963)

Dodgers ace Sandy Koufax struck out a record 15 Yankees in Game 1 of the 1963 World Series, part of a remarkable season after which he was voted the NL MVP and Cy Young Award winner, as well as The Sporting News' Player of the Year.

TSN Archives: Magic Johnson scores with the Showtime Lakers (April 27, 1987)

The Lakers became Magic Johnson’s team in 1987. He led the Lakers’ to an NBA Finals win over the Celtics and was named MVP as well as The Sporting News' Player of the Year.

TSN Archives: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s retirement leaves large void (July 3, 1989)

Los Angeles icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 42, retired after the Lakers' NBA Finals loss to the Pistons in 1989. The Sporting News assessed his place in basketball after a remarkable career.

TSN Archives: Kirby Puckett, an appreciation (July 22, 1996)

Kirby Puckett was forced to retire because of problems with his vision in 1996. Five years later, he would be a part of the 2001 Hall of Fame class and, sadly, 10 years later he would be dead, at 45.

TSN Archives: Harmon Killebrew named A.L. Player of Year (Oct. 25, 1969)

Twin Cities icon Harmon Killebrew was voted by fellow AL players as The Sporting News' AL Player of the Year, presented in the Oct. 25, 1969, issue of TSN.

TSN Archives: Fran Tarkenton named 1975 NFC Player of the Year (Jan. 31, 1976)

When Twin Cities icon Fran Tarkenton, frequently overlooked, finally received the ultimate in recognition by being named The Sporting News NFC Player of the Year, his reaction, according to TSN itself, amounted to a "So what?"

TSN Archives: Al Kaline, 16 years a Tiger, finally on a winner (Oct. 5, 1968)

Legendary Detroit columnist and longtime TSN contributor Joe Falls wrote about Motown icon Al Kaline in The Sporting News in 1968, shortly after the Tigers had clinched a spot in what would be a classic World Series they won over the Cardinals, four games to three. It was Kaline's first and only World Series.

TSN Archives: Joe Sakic is sneaky good (Jan. 14, 2002)

Shaped by immigrant parents and an early tragedy, Joe Sakic let his actions on the ice speak for him, and the Avalanche reaped the rewards — and Stanley Cups.

TSN Archives: Bobby Clarke, the modest Flyer with firepower (March 10, 1973)

When The Sporting News wrote about Bobby Clarke, 23, in March 1973, he was on his way to winning the Hart and Pearson (now Lindsay) trophies on a Flyers team that was becoming the “Broad Street Bullies” who would win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1974 and ’75.

TSN Archives: Mike Schmidt Selected TSN Player of Decade (Jan. 29, 1990)

A cover story in the Jan. 29, 1990, issue of The Sporting News, under the main headline “Nobody Did It Better”,offered a wide-ranging and candid conversation with Mike Schmidt, upon being named TSN’s Player of the Decade for the 1980s.

TSN Archives: John Elway, back-to-back Super Bowl winner, retires (May 3, 1999)

By the time John Elway retired in 1999, he had gone from an impatient risk-taker to being a savvy, reliable Hall of Fame QB — and back-to-back Super Bowl champion, The Sporting News wrote.

TSN Archives: Todd Helton’s roadmap to .400 (Sept. 4, 2000)

Denver icon Todd Helton entered September 2000 batting .395 in only his third full MLB season. The Sporting News laid out a roadmap for the month to the magic mark.

TSN Archives: Allen Iverson, the mercurial Sixers star in two columns

Two columns in The Sporting News captured the differing ways 76ers star and Philadelphia icon Allen Iverson could be viewed during his career, the good and the maddening.

TSN Archives: “NBA Players Hail Dr. J as No. 1” (April 25, 1981)

Julius Erving was The Sporting News' 1980-81 Player of the Year, as voted on by his fellow players, and would go on to win the 1981 MVP award, his first in the NBA after having been the ABA MVP three times.

TSN Archives: Roger Staubach wins NFC Player of the Year (Jan. 22, 1972)

Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach was named The Sporting News NFC Player of the Year for the 1971 NFL season when Dallas was a week away from defeating the Dolphins, 24-3, for its first Super Bowl victory. Staubach was named MVP of the game.

TSN Archives: Emmitt Smith sets NFL career rushing record (Nov. 4, 2002)

The Sporting News asserted in November 2002 that it was Dallas icon Emmitt Smith’s relentless pursuit of football immortality and his knowing how to achieve it that led him to break Walter Payton’s career rushing record.

TSN Archives: Bob Lilly is what makes Cowboys so rugged (Nov. 18, 1972)

The Sporting News wrote about Dallas icon Bob Lilly in November 1972, the season after the Cowboys broke through in Super Bowl VI by shutting down the Dolphins, 24-3, in no small part because of Lilly.

How Jordan beating Magic paved the path for NBA GOAT

'Individually, Michael Jordan authored one of the best all-around performances in championship series history,' The Sporting News wrote, after the Bulls closed out Magic Johnson's Lakers in 1991.

TSN Archives: Boston icon Ted Williams, 7 stories over 7 decades

Ted Williams' name first appeared in The Sporting News in the mid-1930s and until his death in 2002, which TSN wrote about, we covered The Kid like no other publication, covering hundreds of stories over seven decades. Here are seven important ones.

TSN Archives: Bobby Orr Is Great — And There Are No Dissenters (May 9, 1970)

Opponents marveled in The Sporting News about Bobby Orr, 22, as he led the Bruins to the Stanley Cup in 1970, part of a remarkable fourth season with the team in which he won the Hart, Norris, Ross and Smythe trophies.

TSN Archives: Boston and Red Sox icon Ted Williams, 1918-2002 (July 15, 2002)

Ted Williams' goal was simple, The Sporting News wrote upon his death in 2002: to be called 'the greatest hitter who ever lived.' His lifetime passion for putting bat to ball pushed him from skinny rookie to mercurial superstar and, finally, to cherished elder statesman.

TSN Archives: Dave Kindred on Ted Williams, a nod to a god (July 15, 2002)

Some eight years after they sat poolside in sunny Florida, Dave Kindred recalled in The Sporting News his visit with Ted Williams as "the chance to be in the company of greatness."

TSN Archives: Ted Williams, 22, hits .406 for Red Sox (Nov. 20, 1941)

The Sporting News wrote about hitting .400 in the Nov. 20, 1941, issue, shortly after Boston icon Ted Williams, at 22, batted .406 for the Red Sox. No one has hit .400 since.

TSN Archives: Ted Williams, a hitter first, a hitter always (Nov. 14, 1994)

In 1994, Boston icon Ted Williams invited TSN's Dave Kindred to Florida to talk hitting. “He doesn’t see well, and he walks with a wobble, the result of a stroke nine months ago,” Kindred would write. “The good news is that at 76 he still is animated in conversation, bright and booming, sassy and passionated.”

How Lou Gehrig described his weakening condition, end of streak to TSN in 1939

Lou Gehrig played what would be his final big-league game on April 30, 1939, at 35 years old. A few days later, the Yankees legend known throughout his playing days as “Laruppin’ Lou” sat down with The Sporting News for an honest, in-depth look at the days and months leading up to the end of his historic streak of 2,130 consecutive games played.

TSN Originals: The 1992 Indianapolis 500 was decided in a blink

"How quick is 43/1000ths of a second?" columnist Mark Purdy asked in The Sporting News about the closest Indy 500 in history. "Quicker than you can have a thought about how quick it is."

TSN Archives: NBA lottery (May 27, 1985)

'There is definitely the aroma of a hometown decision,' Bernie Lincicome wrote in May 27, 1985, issue of The Sporting News, but NBA prosperity is tied closely to Knicks success, now guaranteed by drafting Patrick Ewing No. 1.

TSN Originals: 1985 NBA Draft Lottery conspiracy theories

After the first NBA Draft Lottery in 1985, conspiracy theories blossomed. As The Sporting News wrote: The Knicks winning the Patrick Ewing sweepstakes "had the definite aroma of a hometown decision."

TSN Originals: At the intersection of sports and the 1992 Los Angeles riots

On April 29, 1992, the Dodgers and Lakers were playing games when Los Angeles exploded in anger, fire, gunshots and more anger following the Rodney King verdicts. The Sporting News put it in a larger perspective.

TSN Archives: Columnist William C. Rhoden on race and the 1992 LA riots

Contributing writer William C. Rhoden wrote in The Sporting News in the immediate aftermath of the violent civil unrest that gripped Los Angeles in 1992, 'In sports, as in nearly every other industry, it was impossible for business to go on as usual.'

TSN Archives: 'A Negro in the Major Leagues'

The Sporting News hailed in an editorial Jackie Robinson's arrival in the language of the era, but TSN's coverage of Black players before and after — including Robinson himself — was hardly so enthusiastic.

TSN Archives: Jackie's first week

Jackie Robinson played four games in his first week and hit .429, but, as The Sporting News pointed out 50 years later, not everyone wrote about the significance of what was taking place.

TSN Archives: 5 short stories from Jackie's debut

The Sporting News' coverage of Jackie Robinson's debut on April 15, 1947, had multiple stories across multiple pages, befitting an event the likes of which MLB and TSN, est. 1886, had never seen.

TSN Archives: Debating Jackie's future

This point-counterpoint appeared in The Sporting News dated Jan. 8, 1947, with an editor’s note that read in part, “Will Jackie Robinson … make the grade in the majors next season, if brought up?"

TSN Archives: Jackie makes the team

It was a Page 1 story in The Sporting News when on April 10, 1947, Branch Rickey purchased Jackie Robinson's contract from the Montreal Royals, making him the first Black major leaguer.

Dodgers split on Jackie

During spring training 1947, The Sporting News gauged how Dodgers teammates might accept Jackie Robinson if he made the big club. The answers were split.

Tiger wins the '97 Masters

At 21, Tiger Woods not only was the youngest champion ever, The Sporting News' Dave Kindred noted, but he also won the 1997 Masters with a record score and by a record margin.

The Sporting News and Opening Day

MLB's Opening Day in 2022 marks the start of the 136th season that The Sporting News has covered baseball. We've seen things, going back to 1886.

TSN Archives: Remembering Carmelo Anthony's domination of Kansas that capped freshman season with title (2003)

Despite his accomplishments in the 2002-03 regular season, Syracuse freshman Carmelo Anthony was named a first-team All-American by only one media organization, The Sporting News. He proved TSN right with his play in the 2003 Final Four.

TSN Archives: How Chris Webber’s timeout call cost Michigan a shot at upending North Carolina (1993)

Michigan star Chris Webber learned hard lessons at the 1993 Final Four. "It takes 40 minutes to lose a ball game. not one play,” teammate Jalen Rose said, and yet, as Dave Kindred wrote, "One mistake, and it's over."

TSN Archives: Indiana’s Steve Alford shoots Bobby Knight to third NCAA title (1987)

The three-point field goal was new to NCAA basketball for the 1986-87 season, and Indiana coach Bob Knight was fiercely opposed — until IU star Steve Alford shot the Hoosiers to an NCAA title over Syracuse.

TSN Archives: How Michael Jordan sealed Dean Smith’s first title at North Carolina (1982)

The Sporting News' coverage of North Carolina's 1982 Final Four victory over Georgetown in New Orleans focused on Tar Heels coach Dean Smith. Michael Jordan? He was "the quick freshman guard," hitting the first of many signature last shots.

TSN Originals: How good was that 1972 UCLA championship team? Only perfect

En route to its sixth straight national title, UCLA (30-0) had some eye-popping numbers with TSN Player of the Year Bill Walton, a sophomore, leading the way.

TSN Archives: Bruins Do It Again … Will Dynasty Ever End? (April 18, 1972)

The Sporting News called UCLA's 81-76 victory over Florida State the 30-0 Bruins' "toughest challenge of what had been an incredibly easy season."

1972 TSN Player of the Year Bill Walton

The Sporting News in 1972 named UCLA sophomore Bill Walton its College Basketball Player of the Year after he led the Bruins to an undefeated season.

TSN Originals: How The Sporting News covered Jackie Robinson's first spring training

April 15, 1947, is etched in baseball lore as the day Jackie Robinson broke MLB's color barrier, but he reported to his first spring training with the Dodgers organization more than a year earlier, ending baseball's segregation.

TSN Archives: The weekend that Michael Jordan flew

"When he landed, a few dribbles and one ZIP code later, Jordan had authored an acrobatic slam to rousing reviews," wrote TSN's Bob Verdi. "The audience loved it, as did the jury, which tendered him a 50 and the trophy for jam session '88."

NBA 75: Chris Paul at Wake Forest

Before he was an 11-time (and counting) NBA All-Star, Paul was finding his game under the late Skip Prosser at Wake Forest, and The Sporting News was in early on covering Paul.

TSN Archives: Bill Russell, 1960s Athlete of the Decade (March 14, 1970)

The Sporting News named Boston Celtics star Bill Russell its Athlete of the Decade for the 1960s, saying, "It was almost as though Big Bill strode majestically down Mt. Olympus."

NBA 75: Bill Russell 1 on 1 with Shaq

Two of the best big men in NBA history sat down for an exclusive Q&A with The Sporting News in 1999. Their answers were as enlightening as they were entertaining.

NBA 75: Kevin McHale bids farewell

A Celtics pillar, McHale made his low-key announcement in 1993 after the Celtics were eliminated by the Hornets, and The Sporting News noted the passing of an era in Boston.

NBA 75: Kevin McHale, forgotten superstar

The best power forward in the NBA? In the world? In late 1980s, it was Kevin McHale, The Sporting News asserted, noting that the Celtics star was overshadowed by Larry Bird.

Florida's sweet revenge against FSU

Steve Spurrier won his first national title with the Gators after the 1996 season, in which a late loss to Florida State almost cost his team, The Sporting News noted.

John Madden, 1970 AFL Coach of the Year

In The Sporting News' story naming John Madden 1970 AFL Coach of the Year, there was insight to be gained on what would come: 'John Knows How to Laugh' and 'Never Too Busy to Explain.'

TSN Archives: 'Big O' finally wins a title

In Oscar Robertson's 10 brilliant seasons with the Cincinnati Royals, an NBA title eluded him, The Sporting News pointed out. He changed his game with the Bucks and it paid off in 1971.

TSN Archives: The end of Big O in Milwaukee

Oscar Robertson helped the Bucks to their first NBA title in 1971 but retired by 1974 and, as The Sporting News wrote, left the team much weaker around star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

TSN Archives: Bob Pettit, NBA superstar

"There's not a greater competitor in sports today than Bob Pettit," Celtics icon Bill Russell told The Sporting News in 1965, when St. Louis Hawks star Bob Pettit retired.

Bob Pettit, Hawks sharpshooter

Hawks rising star Bob Pettit got high praise in 1955 from his coach, teammates and opponents in The Sporting News, like the NBA team also based in St. Louis at the time.

Birthday boy LeBron James and 7 early mentions in The Sporting News

Dec. 30 is LeBron James' 39th birthday. To celebrate, here are seven select times, amid dozens from spring 2001 to fall 2003, that LBJ's name came up in the pages of The Sporting News.

Havlicek Ranks in Celtics Galaxy

In December 1963, early John Havlicek's second season in the NBA, The Sporting News already had pegged him as a rising star.

'Hondo' bows out

The Sporting News covered Hall of Famer John Havlicek's retirement in 1978, when he set the standard for calling it quits.

1991 TSN Player of the Year Desmond Howard

Days after his signature punt return TD against Ohio State and days before winning the Heisman, Desmond Howard was named The Sporting News 1991 Player of the Year.

Kobe Bryant's rookie scouting report from 1996-97

Toward the end of Kobe Bryant's first NBA season, The Sporting News' scouting report on the teen said was 'playing at his highest level yet'

TSN Archives: Kobe Bryant's decision to skip college

TSN columnist John Smallwood wrote in May 1996 that 18-year-old Kobe Bryant's parents had prepared him for his jump from high school directly to the NBA.

Memorial to Chuck Hughes

The week after Chuck Hughes died on the field in 1971, TSN's NFC Central columnist offered a heartfelt tribute.

TSN Archives: Death Visits Gridiron

The Chicago Bears beat the Detroit Lions, 28-23. But nobody cared.

TSN Archives: Tragedy on the Gridiron

Columnist Joe Falls was at Tiger Stadium the day Lions wide receiver Chuck Hughes died. This is what he wrote for The Sporting News in 1971.

TSN Archives: Champ Bucs batting 1.000 as seers

To many critics, there was a hollow ring in Roberto Clemente’s assurance to his teammates: “Don’t worry, I’ll pick you up when we get to Pittsburgh.”

TSN Archives: 69 arrested as Pittsburgh 'celebrates'

Pirate fans waited 11 years for a World Series victory to celebrate, and they spoiled the celebration with their exuberance.

TSN Archives: Success with a capital S

The first World Series night game was a smashing success — except for the Orioles, who discovered the Pirates are nobody’s patsies.

TSN Archives: A teammate's view of Michael Jordan's comeback with the Wizards

Two decades ago, Michael Jordan made his second NBA comeback, joining the Wizards after previously serving as an executive. Here's how former Washington guard Chris Whitney described the "Air Jordan" experience.

TSN Archives: Muhammad Ali will always be the greatest

To say Ali is an original is to understate the truth. He is a universe of one. He is the first, the last and the only.

TSN Archives: Huskers Leave the Shucks for Sooners

The 1971 battle between No. 1 Nebraska and No. 2 Oklahoma was a game for the ages. From the pages of The Sporting News, relive the Huskers 35-31 victory.

TSN Archives: Mike Piazza's post-9/11 home run and the power of emotion

At a time when baseball never was less important, it took on greater meaning than ever before.

TSN Archives: The experience of returning to the baseball field after 9/11

Former major leaguer Todd Jones describes how playing for the first time after 9/11 — and the genuine support everyone showed one another — was one of his proudest moments as a player, and an American.

TSN Archives: An unbreakable spirit

"Father Mike," who died giving last rites to a firefighter in New York on 9/11, was the kind of man who ran toward danger — where he was needed. It was just one example of the many courageous acts during a nightmare that was supposed to kill our spirit — but did the opposite.

TSN Archives: Reflecting on 9/11 and 'the darkest of weeks'

The tragedy that changed the world shook our psyches and closed our stadiums. Our games always have been our companions. Now, as they awkwardly resume, we struggle to reach out again.

19-year-old Kobe was the NBA's most electrifying player

December 8, 1997: "Remember, this is a story about the most exciting player in the NBA. This is not a story about the greatest. Not yet, anyway."

TSN Archives: 'La Russa goes loco' and other stories from the start of a Hall of Fame manager's career

With his 2,764th victory, La Russa moved into sole possession of second place on the list of all-time managerial wins. With the help of The Sporting News archives, let’s take a look back at the beginnings of what turned out to be a legendary career as a big league manager.

TSN Archives: Roger Clemens strikes out 20 Mariners: 'I'm in the Hall of Fame'

Eight months after undergoing shoulder surgery, Roger Clemens, the 23-year-old Boston Red Sox hurler, rocketed into the record books April 29, 1986, by striking out 20 batters in a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

TSN Archives: Remembering Dale Earnhardt's deadly crash at Daytona

The shocking death of NASCAR's biggest star on the final lap of the Daytona 500 in 2001 still reverberates across racing. Read the story that ran in the Feb. 26, 2001 issue of The Sporting News after Earnhardt's final race.

TSN Archives: Dan Daniel introduces Yankees rookie Joe DiMaggio to America

Long before Joe DiMaggio earned the Joltin’ Joe nickname, he was just a kid from San Francisco who wanted to play shortstop. TSN writer Dan Daniel — himself a Hall of Famer — was there for DiMaggio’s first spring training with the Yankees.

TSN Archives: Tracking Ken Griffey Jr.'s meteoric rise from No. 1 pick to MLB star

We give you a glimpse at how The Sporting News covered phenom Ken Griffey Jr. in the world before social media.

TSN Archives: Kevin Dyson, Mike Jones meet again to discuss 'The Tackle'

Mike Jones made one of the biggest tackles in NFL history when he stopped Kevin Dyson short of the goal line to win Super Bowl 34. Months after "The Tackle," TSN arranged for the two to meet and discuss the play.

TSN Archives: Ted Williams surges on last day to finish at .406

Ted Williams wanted to be known as the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived, and he made an excellent case to own that moniker. His 1941 season was when he officially put the baseball world on notice that his skill with a bat would be hard to match.

TSN Archives: Jets stun Colts in Super Bowl III, back Namath's guarantee

Our coverage of New York's monumental upset of Baltimore in Super Bowl III was published in the Jan. 25, 1969 issue of The Sporting News magazine.

TSN Archives: Mike Schmidt was baseball's best in the '80s

Mike Schmidt won three MVP awards and made seven All-Star teams during the 1980s. It's easy to see why The Sporting News named him baseball's Player of the Decade.

TSN Archives: Wayne Gretzky trade still 'unthinkable'

On Aug. 9, 1988, the unfathomable became reality when the Oilers agreed to trade Canada's favorite hockey son to Los Angeles.

TSN Archives: Jim Abbott, Team USA embark on road to Olympic gold

Long before Jim Abbott threw a no-hitter for the Yankees, he brought home a gold medal for Team USA baseball. Here's the start of his journey.

TSN Archives: Rick Cerone talks replacing late Yankees great Thurman Munson

Rick Cerone was next in line for the Yankee catching legacy, following the untimely death of Yankee captain Thurman Munson.

TSN Archives: Bobby Thomson's pennant-winning homer sets new high in drama

Bedlam breaks loose as Thomson turns defeat to victory.

From the archives: Even families of Villanova players doubted they could beat Georgetown

Georgetown had Patrick Ewing and everyone thought they'd win. But Villanova played as close to a perfect game as possible. Ed Pinckney recalled that 1985 stunner.

From the archives: If money-grubbing hypocricy is what you want, Tark is the man

From the archives: Time is right for basketball housecleaning at UNLV

From the archives: In a city built on losers, Tark rarely does

Tarkanian

Jerry Tarkanian's UNLV team won the 1990 NCAA title. A look back at the game and its implications.