Things aren't looking good for Sports Illustrated, the once-storied sports news entity. The once-storied outlet, which has become increasingly far left over the years, laid off most of its staff on Friday, putting the entire future of the brand in doubt. 

They went woke, and now they've gone broke.

Much of the staff of Sports Illustrated, and possibly all remaining writers and editors, received layoff notices Friday, which essentially could spell the end of a publication that for decades was the gold standard of sports journalism.

The union of the staff tweeted Friday that it would continue to fight for the publication of the magazine but that its future is now in the hands of the magazine’s owner, Authentic Brands Group.

“This is another difficult day in what has been a difficult four years for Sports Illustrated under Arena Group (previously The Maven) stewardship," the union said in a statement. "We are calling on ABG to ensure the continued publication of SI and allow it to serve our audience in the way it has for nearly 70 years.”

What could have possibly caused this financial turmoil at a sports news outlet that was once the cream of the crop? There was a time when you couldn't walk into a bathroom in America without seeing an SI issue sitting beside the toilet. Their famous swimsuit editions sold millions of copies over the decades, becoming the pinnacle of the brand's exposure. Those days are long gone, though, and I've got a pretty good idea of what ended them. 

In 2020, Sports Illustrated decided to showcase a "transgender model" who embodied the "well-rounded woman" in the swimsuit edition. In 2023, the outlet went even further, putting another "transgender model" on the cover.

Sports Illustrated magazine features Transgender singer Kim Petras on the cover of the Swimsuit 2023 edition 👙 pic.twitter.com/eMy53FcOJV

— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) May 16, 2023

Yes, a sports news outlet famous for producing swimsuit editions for an audience made up almost exclusively of men decided it'd be a great idea to push transgenderism. Less than a year later, they appear to be facing financial ruin. 

Who could have possibly seen this coming?

This is what happens when news outlets decide effecting societal change is more important than just giving their readers what they want. Sports Illustrated is a sports magazine. Instead of acting like one, the outlet's editors and writers decided they'd rather cosplay as culture warriors. Men want news on football and baseball. They don't want transgender models shoved into their faces and lectures about abortion. 

It's sad that such an iconic brand may be no more, but Sports Illustrated's downfall is deserved. Ultimately, that overrides nostalgia.