Man or God
They say being on the cover of Sports Illustrated is a jinx, that one is doomed for failure as soon as their image is displayed on the nation's most popular sports magazine. It has previously happened to many athletes, and even entire teams have unreasonably dropped off the face of the earth after appearing on SI's cover. In 1987, Sports Illustrated's baseball preview touted an "Indian Rising," featuring Joe Carter and Cory Snyder of the Cleveland Indians. It said this was the year the Indians would stop being laughed at. The Indians finished with over 100 losses and dead last in the American League. Six months later SI ran the headline: "Toronto takes off" when the Blue Jays took a three-game lead over the Detroit Tigers with the regular season running out. But after that cover, the Blue Jays and company collapsed and Detroit went to the playoffs. The SI jinx is widely known. Lee Smith, the bullpen star of the St. Louis Cardinals once refused to be photographed for the cover out of fear of the jinx. It's hard to argue with him. He retired as the all-time leader in saves.One man, maybe not even a man, but a sort of immortal, has been on the cover numerous times. Never o
nce has he slumped, gone on inexplicable cold streaks, fallen apart under pressure, or lost the big one. He is Michael Jordan. Alesia, Mark. "Before Jordan Had an 'Air' About Him..." CBS Sports Gazette. 11 May The text at the bottom of the screen mentions that this may not have been Michael's last shot. Now just two years since that moment, looking at the cover of this magazine we all know that it was his final shot, the end to a great career. Naturally, his final shot was a buzzer beater that went in to give the Bulls their 3rd straight NBA title. In the June 22, 1998 Sports Illustrated, Michael Jordan is on the cover. He is pictured holding a basketball with two hands above his head, getting ready to loft a shot towards the opposing team's basket. His body - suspended in air, as Michael was often found during a National Basketball Association game, jumping, seemingly floating over his opponents on his way to another two points. The photo was taken in Salt Lake City, Utah, during the 6th game of the NBA Finals, the clinching game for the Chicago Bulls. This was "The Shot" that ended the series, giving Michael and his Bulls their sixth title, third in a row. The Most Valuable Player for all six was Michael Jordan.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1469
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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