Google Down the Line!: TENNIS mag's October issue scarily thin - what's with the crazy diet?


Monday, September 29, 2008

TENNIS mag's October issue scarily thin - what's with the crazy diet?


So did you get the latest issue of TENNIS magazine yet? No worries - here are some highlights from the pub's October edition:

  • "The Curious Case of Nikolay Davydenko" by Peter Bodo which takes a look at the man who sat squarely in the middle of the match-fixing scandal

  • "How to be a Good Tennis Parent", a special guide for all those stage parents who want to live vicariously through their (maybe) talented mini-ballers

  • "The Golden Year", a look back at Steffi Graf's historic Golden Slam run in 1988
Honestly, I almost missed the issue in my mail today because it's 80-pages thin (down from 136 in their September US Open preview), a featherweight amongst the rest of the full-figured lifestyle mags I've been receiving.

With magazines and newspapers struggling to keep subscribers and the internet taking chunks of their ad revenue, could this be signs of trouble for TENNIS magazine?

(image via TENNIS)

9 comments:

  1. Seriously, I thought the same thing! They need to do something about the format of the magazine STAT.

    Tt is an antiquated form of reporting. It worked when I had to check the newspaper the next day (or sometimes even 2 if it was an overseas tournament) but not now with online tickers and up to the minute blogs. Lets face it, its Grand Slam previews are dated and bland and its tournament reviews are pointless. I want more player exclusives, coach insight, juicy gossip, behind-the-scenes pictures, fashion reviews, really I just want Down the Line in print, is that too much to ask Tennis?! :)

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  2. Hey Rich. I think their post-U.S. Open issue is generally smaller, but I wouldn't doubt it if they're feeling the crunch, too. I think every publication is: Personally, the magazine I work for has gone from a weekly to a biweekly schedule, and there's already rumors that if things don't turn around, we might go down to being a monthly!

    I work for a trade magazine, but we've been around almost 90 years! I don't think anyone's safe, but I hope that's not the case with TENNIS.

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  3. Erin: Why thanks! How interesting that would be - but then I might be in the same boat...you know, sinking and all.

    Yeah, their coverage particularly front-of-book has seemed really dated especially now that blogs are covering these areas sometimes up-to-the-minute. They can't compete there. They do need to have better in-depth coverage and they can with the access they own: in-depth interviews with the ballers, up-and-comers, behind the scenes action at the tourneys esp. Grand Slams. They can offer us that stuff and own it.

    I think it's just a matter of time for the thinking to finally change. Otherwise, it's bedtime for Bonzo!

    Van: Exactly. It really did hit me as soon as I picked it out and up, how light it felt. It's not the most robust mag by any means but it did strike me as unusually thin. It's unfortunate but it's the way the industry, the world is moving.

    I venture to say online will be the place to search for the latest, most current news while longer-leads will need to revamp and go for truly in-depth, original, all-access coverage. I can't see how these longer leads will be able to compete with the internet - they need to find a niche for themselves.

    I think dailies will have the toughest challenge - finding the balance between both current news and in-depth coverage.

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  4. I thought the same thing! It's so severely lacking. I wish it would just cover some of what's going on now, instead of pages and pages of useless information. I wish they would look at Ace and take some cues. Plus give us some warning before throwing Davydenko's whole face in my mailbox. yikes.

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  5. I wish I actually SAW the magazine on shelves here in South Africa. Cause then I could buy it...

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  6. b2012: LOL - yeah his eyeball was staring straight through me, I felt violated!

    tlt: Interesting - what tennis resources do you have available over there, in terms of media, etc.?

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  7. Got the magazine, but i havent read it yet : (
    But from the others from past month every time I opened I pretty much already read all the articles online, so waste of paper if you ask me.

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  8. Don't have that magazine in Austria either. Actually we don't have anything tennis, it's all soccer over here... >:-(

    BTW, love the expression "mini-ballers". So. Cute.

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  9. Those of you who can actually get the mag, did you see that they had a small write-up on p.18 called Miracle on Clay? It's a short preview of the DAVIS CUP SEMIFINAL BETWEEN THE US AND SPAIN!!!! I thought that tie was over.

    If that's not outdated, I don't know what is guys...

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