let's get weird
Sports Illustrated Kids|January - February 2023
Getting gritty with it
let's get weird

Q: Do you have a best friend among the other mascots? Do you have a rival?

A: "I have friends. I have enemies. They know who they are."

THERE'S NOT ENOUGH WEIRDNESS IN SPORTS.

That's not to say that sports themselves aren't a little odd. Imagine explaining the concept of going to a football game to an alien. Yeah, so thousands of people get together, many of whom put paint on their faces or wear giant blocks of cheese-shaped foam on their heads, to scream for guys in very tight clothing who try to advance a ball that is purposely oblong-shaped so it won't bounce normally. And when things go bad, they yell at a man in a striped shirt.

But once you accept that this universe exists, you have to concede that life inside it can become a little mundane. Sports are a massively big business. Not many athletes want to risk alienating their audience by being too different. Press conferences yield boring answers. Teams have the same attitude: The easiest way to appeal to a wide crowd is to play things right down the middle. Be safe. Normal. Not weird.

But there's hope. A beacon of bizarreness. Someone (thing?) who just doesn't care what you think of him. A creature who embodies everything that's wonderfully odd about not just the world of sports, but the world. A beacon we should all aspire to follow.

I'm speaking, of course, of Gritty.

Esta historia es de la edición January - February 2023 de Sports Illustrated Kids.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición January - February 2023 de Sports Illustrated Kids.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE SPORTS ILLUSTRATED KIDSVer todo
Sister Act
Sports Illustrated for Kids

Sister Act

Meet Brooke, Tai, and Rainn Sheppard, three athletes from Brooklyn who are excelling in their sport, spreading optimism, and thriving off the track.

time-read
6 minutos  |
December 2016
How to Win at the Slots
Sports Illustrated for Kids

How to Win at the Slots

When offenses started moving receivers inside to exploit matchups, defenses countered by inventing a part-time linebacker-safety-corner hybrid. In today’s NFL, that’s one of the most important (and challenging) spots on the field.

time-read
7 minutos  |
December 2016
Sports Illustrated for Kids

Do Teams Fire Coaches Too Quickly?

ON JANUARY 6 the Tennessee Titans beat the Kansas City Chiefs for their first playoff win in 14 years.

time-read
2 minutos  |
March 2018
Sports Illustrated for Kids

Court Vision

Former point guard DORIS BURKE uses her hoops knowledge— and a tireless work ethic—to be one of the best NBA analysts.

time-read
1 min  |
March 2018
embiid, indiid
sports illustrated for kids

embiid, indiid

after two years in which he contemplated quitting as he battled injuries and nursed shirley temples, joel embiid is finally in the 76ers’ lineup — and out to validate “the process.”

time-read
7 minutos  |
january - february 2017
Should Franchises Ever Relocate?
Sports Illustrated for Kids

Should Franchises Ever Relocate?

ON JANUARY 12, the San Diego Chargers announced that they were relocating to Los Angeles.

time-read
3 minutos  |
March 2017
Get Your Head In The Game
Sports Illustrated for Kids

Get Your Head In The Game

In sports you train your body to be in tip-top shape. But what about your mind? Meet Graham Betchart, who is on a quest to expand mental conditioning throughout athletics.

time-read
4 minutos  |
September 2016
Island Livin
Sports Illustrated for Kids

Island Livin

A cornerback must have confidence and control to shut down opposing receiver's in today's pass-happy NFL

time-read
6 minutos  |
September 2016
late breakout
sports illustrated for kids

late breakout

in his 12th year in pro football, bills linebacker lorenzo alexander has proved what his teammates have always known: this guy can play.

time-read
4 minutos  |
january - february 2017
Minkah Fitzpatrick
Sports Illustrated for Kids

Minkah Fitzpatrick

Team  :Alabama Crimson Tide ,Position: Defensive Back,  Spotlight :After winning a second national title at Alabama, this serious (and seriously talented) go-getter will pursue success at the game’s top level.

time-read
5 minutos  |
March 2018