By Madhuri Dey

Dec 15, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Sports Illustrated has welcomed in its fraternity of swimsuits models and athletes, a star from a different arena to grace its cover page. The latest star to feature on the cover page of the magazine is Stephen Colbert. He is the host of the show “The Colbert Report” that airs on Comedy Central. The latest issue of the magazine will hit the newsstands on Wednesday. The other non sports celebrities who have featured on the cover of the magazine are Bob Hope and Chris Rock.

This particular issue of the Sports Illustrated is concerned with the sports media. The cover page shows the Comedy Central correspondent posing, dressed in a speed skating uniform that is donned in the Olympics. It is quite understandable why an out and out comedian has been chosen to feature on the cover page of a magazine that is devoted strictly to sports. Almost on every episode of the “The Colbert Report,’ there is some performance that draws from the Olympics. Seen from that point of view, the selection does not seem any bit surprising.

In fact, in the November of this very year, an organization formed by the fans of Stephen Colbert, called the “Colbert Nation”, were named the primary sponsors of the United States speed skating, officially. This came as a huge relief to the team, particularly as the chief sponsor, the DSB Bank NV, had to withdraw the contract after it faced bankruptcy during the recession. The “Colbert Nation”, that have raised money almost completely on the basis of donations from fans, have been able to collect almost 25,000 dollars between them.