Sports Illustrated dismissed a lot of reputed journalists in the past week, which only revealed how hard the publication is fighting for survival. Among the laid-off writers are some of the best in golf media, whom fans will definitely miss.

Renowned journalists Bob Harig, Michael Rosenberg, John Schwarb, and Jeff Ritter are part of the 12% staff who were laid off this week. Minute Media, Sports Illustrated’s parent company, claimed that the harsh decision was made because of “changes in the media market” and the “rise of AI.” The golf writers alone have spent decades covering the sport.

This also comes in the wake of Minute Media ending its contract with VideoVerse, which it had acquired for $200 million. The AI video editing company works primarily in the sports and news industries.

🤔 golf trivia

This Should Be an Easy One, Right?

01/10

On Which Hole Jordan Spieth’s Ball Got Stuck Under a Trashcan?

14th 15th16th 17th

Oops, bogey!

But don’t worry, there’s still the back 9 to prove your high golf IQ

PLAY GOLF TRIVIA

It is sad to see these veteran names leave the platform because of the weight they added to Sports Illustrated’s golf coverage.

Bob Harig has worked in the industry for more than 30 years, with tenures at ESPN and the Tampa Bay Times. He used to be a caddie giving expert advice in the Chicago suburbs before moving to journalism.

Rosenberg has also worked for more than three decades in golf media and was with Sports Illustrated since 2012. He took to social media to share a parting message.

“When I was a kid, I dreamed of writing for Sports Illustrated,” Rosenberg wrote on X. “I am grateful I got to do it for 14 years, and that SI let me go before I start eating the press meals at next month’s U.S. Open. Life has been good to me in so many ways.”

Senior editor John Schwarb came to Sports Illustrated after working at ESPN, PGATour.com, the Tampa Bay Times and is also a memeber of the Golf Writers Association of America.

Jeff Ritter was the Managing Director of SI’s golf division, and has also worked with Golf Magazine and Morning Read, and was also honored for his work with the Edward R. Murrow Award.

Fans now have little faith in Sports Illustrated, which did not hold back on their disappointment.

Netizens are not happy with Sports Illustrated’s poor business decision

“To be fair- the rules of the game changed on them dramatically. I 💯 agree with the generational fumble, but a hard transition for the leadership team they had in place.”

This is not the first time Sports Illustrated has laid off people. The publication laid off 40 people in 2019, followed by 17 more in 2023. Sports Illustrated has been in shambles for some time now.

Another fan wrote, “There are still a few good writers at SI but the end product is so poor that it’s just sad. Yes, I still subscribe just for the article or two each month.”

For nearly 72 years, Sports Illustrated has been a staple source in the American sports news market. The brand is reputed for its credibility, but it hasn’t been able to deliver of late. SI was also accused of using fake authors who had no publishing history or social media presence. Their readership has also taken a hit, and is down to only 400,000. The number was 3 million in 2010, according to the LA Times.

“Just write good stories, take good pictures and publish them in a compelling way,” another fan wrote. “… Not that difficult. Sports Illustrated was a must-read for me for a long, long time. I didn’t just read it. I read it a certain way, taking my time working my way to the back page.”

“The biggest mistake was reviving SI after the last time it almost died,”  a disappointed user wrote. “I was a big SI fam back in the day, but the business changed and SI didn’t change with it. Honestly, the brand should probably have been sunset long ago.”

The brand has been struggling to stay relevant for quite a few years. Sports Illustrated, which was initially a weekly publication, turned into a bi-weekly in 2018 and a monthly in 2020. It has continually been losing the stronghold it once had.

Lastly, a comment read, “The publication has been on life support since it became a commodity decades ago. Nostalgia won’t change that. That being said, I have subscribed for decades and won’t cancel until they stop publishing.”

Sports Illustrated used to be unputdownable in the 80s and 90s. But now, with their best writers no longer in the building, will the publication be able to salvage the little relevance it has today? We will have to wait and watch.