This week's New Yorker features an article about ex-baseball player Lenny Dykstra and his new luxury magazine aimed at professional athletes. The Players Club is being published by Doubledown Media which does other niche luxury mags such as Dealmaker and Private Air. The magazine isn't just to show the players how to spend the massive amounts of money they earn but also how to keep their wealth and make smart decisions so they don't join the ranks of players who earn millions and wind up in financial trouble just a few years later. The case of Latrell Sprewell springs immediately to mind but there are many other instances of athletes who have earned enough money to be set for life but end up in financial trouble. Dykstra's magazine will have articles by past players as well as professional journalists (former Mets player Keith Hernandez will serve as food critic). The Players Club will have a circulation of 20,000 and will be spent to athletes in major sports leagues, soccer, professional tennis, the PGA, NASCAR, Formula I and others. Agents, team management, team offices and financial advisors will also receive the magazine. The circulation may be small but luxury advertisers have already committed to the magazine because of the audience. The Players Club will debut in April.
