SI.COM’S PSEUDO SOFTCORE STRATEGY FINALLY PAYS OFF: Congratulations to SPORTS ILLUSTRATED as ADWEEK has named SI Group Publisher Mark Ford, Editor Terry McDonell, SI Digital President Jeff Price and SI.com Managing Editor Paul Fichtenbaum its Executive Team of the Year!

ADWEEK reports SI execs have “turned their once-struggling online property into an All-Star while continuing to move the ball at the core magazine. … Fighting declining ad sales and circulation, SI has been able to slow the losses and stabilize the bottom line.”

Ford: “We’ve been able to create franchises around our writers because they have loyal followings.” Very true, just look at this lineup of heavy hitters, including Jenn “Two Scoops” Sterger:

More interestingly, OurBookOfScrap today gives a rare glimpse into the crucial, well-reasoned editorial decisions that lead SI.com reigning in Adweek’s prestigious honor.

SI.com did a recent profile on Florida volleyball player Kari Klinkenborg (which I’m sure had nothing to do with her being a slinky model), and in the first version of the online piece, there was a misspelling in the headline - (”stuner“).

So along with the headline correction, the award-winning SI.com editors also swapped out the first photo of Klinkenborg in a volleyball uniform to a red-hot glamour photo of the professional model.

NOW we finally know the behind-the-scene genius that has helped SI fight off “declining ad sales and circulation,” and why its executive team and editorial staff has been able to “slow the losses and stabilize the bottom line“.

Sadly, one thing SI.com has not been able to stabilize is its international traffic, which major advertisers often block during ad campaigns - thus rendering the aformentioned SI.com traffic increase as largely irrelevant when it comes to advertising revenue.

Nearly 30% of SI’s total web traffic now is outside North America, a stat that can’t have its online ad sales department too happy. But then again, I’m sure the bit torrent admins in Eastern Europe are only catching up on Frank Deford’s latest column!