A Slice of Life

Back when I was 12 or 13 years old, I received my first subscription to Sports Illustrated. It wasn’t something I asked for or necessarily wanted, but as soon as the first issue arrived in the mail, I was hooked.

Each week, I’d impatiently wait for it to arrive. In fact, Wednesdays sort of became like a weekly mini-Christmas for me that year. I remember racing home from school, tearing open the mailbox cover, and looking expectantly inside to behold the present that had been left for me by the mailman.

But it wasn’t too many issues into that first subscription that I began to form a strange reading habit. While most magazines are meant to be read from front-to-back, I quickly learned that the best way to read Sports Illustrated was from back-to-front.

Why? Because that’s where you’d find “The Life of Reilly”—a weekly column written by Rick Reilly that served its readers a thought-provoking slice of life viewed through the lens of sports. And because I’m the kind of guy who likes to eat his dessert before his meal, open the biggest Christmas present first, and fast forward to the end of movie to get to the climax, I always found myself opening to the back page of Sports Illustrated first, because that’s where the treasure was hidden.

Recently, Mr. Reilly switched teams and moved from S.I. to ESPN the Magazine, but thankfully his column hasn't changed a bit.

I think what I find most endearing about The Life of Reilly is that it isn’t a column that peppers you with stats, opinionated rhetoric, and other sports-related information. The Life of Reilly has heart. It has feeling. It's always written in a way that helps the reader remember that there is far more to life than just sports—or anything else for that matter—and that every now and then it’s important to keep the big picture in mind.

If you’ve ever read any of his work, you know that Rick Reilly has an uncanny ability to warm your heart and tug at your soul. This week’s column was no exception. In fact, it proved to be just what I needed to read this Christmas season.

Maybe it’s what you need to read, too. That’s why I thought I’d link it here.

Enjoy!