2004 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED #V101 #12 – CGC 9.6 NM+ PARTIAL ACETATE 50TH ANNIVERSARY COVER

2004 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED #V101 #12 – CGC 9.6 NM+ PARTIAL ACETATE 50TH ANNIVERSARY COVER

CGC – GRADED 9.0 VERY FINE/NEAR MINT

UNIVERSAL GRADE – BLUE

CERTIFICATION NUMBER – 4448400022

SEPTEMBER 27, 2004

COVER – The Sports Illustrated 50th Anniversary Issue (Vol. 101, No. 12, published September 27, 2004) was a special double issue titled Sports in America. It featured retrospectives on 50 years of sports, iconic photography, and cultural impact pieces.

The Way They Were – Childhood and teenage photos of famous athletes and sports figures (ages 14–24), including Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, John Elway, Jack Nicklaus, Pete Rose, Wayne Gretzky, Dan Marino, Joe Namath, and Maria Sharapova.

Top 20 Most Important Events – A feature recounting the most significant sports events from 1954–2004.

Swimsuit Retrospectives – Model Marisa Miller re-created 10 of the most famous Sports Illustrated Swimsuit photos, such as Kathy Ireland (1986 Bora Bora), Heidi Klum (2000 Malaysia with Burmese python), Cheryl Tiegs (1978 Brazil), Elle Macpherson (1990 Windward Islands), and Tyra Banks (1997 Bahamas).

Sports in America Essays – Reflections on how sports shaped American culture, identity, and community over five decades.

50 Years of Covers – A visual archive highlighting all 2,548 covers published between 1954 and 2004.

This issue was not just a magazine but a commemorative retrospective, celebrating Sports Illustrated’s role in chronicling sports history. It blended nostalgia (archival photos and covers) with modern features (swimsuit recreations, cultural essays). The cover itself was part of the “50 Years of Covers” project, showcasing the evolution of sports imagery and journalism.

PUBLISHER – TIME, INC

WRITERS – STEVE RISHIN, STEPHEN CANNELLA, LISA ALTOBELLI, LARS ANDERSON, JEFF MACGREGOR, PHIL TAYLOR

***please contact me with any questions***