Sports Illustrated Union and The NewsGuild of New York issued astatementvowing to fight for the workers.
Reaction was swift and emotional on X, formerly Twitter, where Sports Illustrated became the No.
1 trending topic nationally by midday Friday.
Tom Brady accepts the Sports Person of the Year award at the Sports Illustrated Awards in 2021Mark Brown/Getty Images
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ESPN host Scott Van Pelt posted a vintage cover and a tribute.
Adam Schefter, ESPNs veteran NFL reporter, struck a similar tone.
At its peak and even for a while after, Sports Illustrated was an institution, he wrote.
Its covers, and coverage, were legendary.
So much great work was done there.
And now, its the end.
A horrible day for the employees that work there.
His X post continued: I couldnt imagine being a sports fan in my childhood without it.
It was what Carson was for a comedian or SNL was for a band.
Sports is worse off without those things.
That things got this bad this quickly is unfathomable and totally avoidable.
If you are older, you knew exactly what day Sports Illustrated showed up in the mailbox.
RIP SI.pic.twitter.com/z4li784b8x
Real Sports, Outside the Lines, Sports Illustrated and dozens of smaller outlets.
The assumption that AI can cover a team.
Its fair to wonder what the future is for sports journalism and sports writers today.
Horrible to hear about all the layoffs/firings that are happening today at Sports Illustrated.
First magazine subscription I ever had.
It was the go-to publication for thoughtful, long form journalism.
