112. John Papanek: From SI for Kids to ESPN the Magazine.

The February 23, 1976 issue of Sports Illustrated featured a colorful and compelling story on Seattle SuperSonics guard Slick Watts, written by veteran reporter John Papanek who had a gift for capturing the spirit of athletes who didn’t always fit the traditional superstar mold, and Watts — with his bald head, crooked headband and relentless defensive energy — was perfect material. Rather than reduce him to novelty, Papanek portrayed Watts as a symbol of grit and individuality in a changing NBA, blending humor, texture and sharp reporting in a way that defined Sports Illustrated in the 1970s. By 1976, Papanek was already a seasoned voice at Sports Illustrated, known for immersive storytelling and his ability to find humanity beneath the box score. His profile of Watts reflected SI’s editorial golden age — long-form narrative, scene-setting detail, and cultural context wrapped around sports performance. The piece didn’t just chronicle steals and assists; it explored personality, confidence and the way Watts connected with Seattle fans. Papanek understood that sports stories resonated most when they revealed character, and that approach helped solidify SI’s reputation for literary sports journalism. In addition, Papanek helped launch Sports Illustrated for Kids, proving his versatility across audiences. He tells us on the show how he had to convince the powers that be that their main competition wasn't other magazines, but rather, to their shock, video games and M-TV. Papanek always had his finger on the pulse of pop culture and later carried that storytelling sensibility he developed at SI into the modern media era with ESPN. He became part of the launch team for ESPN The Magazine in the late 1990s, helping shape its voice as a sharper, more contemporary counterpart to traditional sports publications. He also contributed to ESPN.com, adapting his narrative instincts to the digital format while maintaining depth and personality in his features. From Sports Illustrated’s golden age to the multimedia expansion of ESPN, John Papanek’s career reflects the evolution of sports journalism that spans half a century... which is just perfect for our show. One of the all-time greats from Sports Illustrated... John Papanek on the Past Our Prime podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices