George Steinbrenner "looks dreadful," his "body is bloated" and "his skin looks as if a dry-cleaner bag has been stretched over it," according to a lengthy article about The Boss coming out in the September issue of the magazine Conde Nast Portfolio.

"He doesn't look all right. In fact, he looks dreadful," Franz Lidz, the author of the piece, writes in the story, which hits newsstands Aug.15. "Steinbrenner's face, pale and swollen, has a curiously undefined look."

There has been much speculation about Steinbrenner's health in recent months, and The Boss rarely makes public appearances - he's been at only one Yankee game this season, the April2 opener. But, according to team officials and Steinbrenner's personal spokesman, Howard Rubenstein, the Boss is still active in the Yankee decision-making process and recently he was involved in organizational meetings near the trade deadline.

Steinbrenner was seen often by reporters during spring training, but at times walked unsteadily in the hallways at Legends Field. In a recent interview with The Associated Press, in which he said GM Brian Cashman was "on a big hook" this year, Steinbrenner's responses seemed lucid.

Report: George fading