Dear ESPN, you’re ruining sports

by Zak Kertesz,
The Sports Complainer
written on 06/16/09

http://www.sportscomplainer.com

—-Plaxico Burress’ hearing is delayed. Donte’ Stallworth is sentenced to jail time. Ryan Leaf (Ryan Leaf?) is eluding the police. courtTV, right? Uh-uh. It’s the present day ESPN. (Note: courtTV is now truTV.)

When Bill Rasmussen, the creator of ESPN, developed the idea in 1978, was his idea to televise scofflaws or sports? I cannot state for certain, but I naturally assume the “S” stands for the latter.

ESPN calls themselves the leading destination for American convicts, I mean sports. So where’s the actual sports coverage?

Sports aficionados don’t want to see the amiss in sports. They “witness” (No LeBron, I’m not talking about you) society’s turmoil everyday when they get out of bed. They don’t need more bedlam and they certainly don’t want it either. They want stats. They want scores. They want actual sporting events.

We, as an aching nation, as a wounded world, want to see things like Michael Jordan’s game winner over Bryon Russell in the Finals. We want to see things like Kirk Gibson’s limp-off home run over Dennis Eckersley in the World Series. We want to see things like USA miraculously beating the Soviet’s in the 1980 Winter Olympics. (”Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” – Thanks Al Michaels)

We want to see things that make our body succumb to horripilation (goose bumps). The joyous feeling that begins in our thoughts but travels to our hearts; the feeling that makes our eyes water and our speech stutter. That’s why we watch sports. That’s why we love sports.

But what does ESPN give our nation, our world, instead? Scandals. Trials. Convictions. Imprisonments. All resulting in further defamation of our beloved sports.

Understandably, it’s a slow time for sports, the summer, it always is. And I accept the fact that news is news and more significantly, this news does involve athletes. Fine ESPN. Put it out there. Remind us of how atrocious our civilization is. But please, oh please, not under the bleeping headlines of your website and not under the bleeping LEAD of your television station.

Rather, install a section entitled: “we must make money” and place these journalistic necessities under such.

Dear worldwide leader in sports, if you insist in altering the “S” in ESPN from sports to scofflaws, then here are some revisions that may assist in further developing your new image:

Sportscenter to Convictcenter.

Jim Rome is Burning to Jim Rome is in the
Courthouse.

Around the Horn to Around the Federal Penitentiary.

Sounds pretty entertaining actually…but not, I repeat not, for a sports network.

Dude, head CEO man (I refuse to waste my efforts in researching your name or title), change it up.

At precisely 12:32 pm on Tuesday, June 16, 2009: ESPN offered courtTV-esque stories as five of its top six headlines (on their website). And the singular headline that differentiates itself from the rest: Brett Favre (but with all of his deception and betrayal, he fits the bill). At least your consistent, ESPN.

Shall we go through the headlines one by one? We shall: (Reminder: This is just in one day. ESPN perpetually does this.)

1. “Stallworth gets 30 days in jail in DUI fatality”

2. (The Lying Wrangler)

3. “Leaf faces Thursday deadline to turn himself in”

4. “NASCAR says Mayfield expert lied about degree”

5. “Phelps gets first endorsement since scandal”

6. “Burress hearing delayed to Sept. 23″

Get it? Got it? Good. Because I don’t get it.

Ryan Leaf? Really? My youngest brother’s JV summer basketball practices are more relevant.
At least he plays.

Poor Michael Phelps. ESPN, Do you really need to continue to bring the kid down? So, he smoked pot. George Washington used to grow fields upon fields of it.

Plaxico Burress shot himself. He shot himself. That should be on Comedy Central, not ESPN.

Indeed, as I previously confirmed, ESPN, the supposed worldwide leader in sports, does have the journalistic responsibility to entertain these topics. But not as main headlines.

Italy rallies to defeat U.S. by a score of 3-1 in the FIFA Confederations Cup; As New Jersey-born (traitor) Giuseppe Rossi scores two goals.

Manny Pacquiao (49-3) (the Philippine Elvis, who is singlehandedly bringing back the sport of boxing) is set to fight Miguel Cotto (34-1) (who is coming off a split-decision victory over Joshua Clottey (35-3)) on November 14 in Las Vegas.

Now those are headlines. True sports headlines.

And if those are not to your liking, ESPN, then provide MLB scores and MLS scores and NASCAR standings and Tennis rankings as your headlines.

Yes, ESPN does acknowledge such information, although assigns them to purgatory deeply within the confines of the cyber underworld; rather than accrediting them to, oh I don’t know, the headlines!

C’mon, ESPN? Don’t you have anyone, anyone within your staff who could figure all this out? Thanks to The Sports Complainer, you now know this.

People who watch ESPN are sports fans, not court fans. If they were, they’d tune in to Judge Judy.

And granted, some individuals do enjoy the drama, but that’s what E! is for.

ESPN and accompanying suits, you are ruining sports. Please, I’m asking you nicely to stop slaying what our world loves.

Our society watches sports to forget about the disorderly distress that life brings forth. To forget about the pink slips and the shrinking paychecks (economy). To forget about the right-wing crazies and the suicide bombers (terrorism). To forget about the continuously escalating fuel prices (energy crisis). To forget about the insane world leaders with powerful toys (nuclear threats). They tune in to clear their minds of such pandemonium, not to convolute their minds with more brouhaha, especially irrelevant brouhaha.

Open your eyes ESPN, realize this. Realize that this society follows sports with their hearts, with their souls, with an expectation that sports will make them feel better about the world around them. And ESPN, you’re ruining that. You really are.

Dear ESPN, you’re ruining sports

by Zak Kertesz,
The Sports Complainer
written on 06/16/09

http://www.sportscomplainer.com

—-Plaxico Burress’ hearing is delayed. Donte’ Stallworth is sentenced to jail time. Ryan Leaf (Ryan Leaf?) is eluding the police. courtTV, right? Uh-uh. It’s the present day ESPN. (Note: courtTV is now truTV.)

When Bill Rasmussen, the creator of ESPN, developed the idea in 1978, was his idea to televise scofflaws or sports? I cannot state for certain, but I naturally assume the “S” stands for the latter.

ESPN calls themselves the leading destination for American convicts, I mean sports. So where’s the actual sports coverage?

Sports aficionados don’t want to see the amiss in sports. They “witness” (No LeBron, I’m not talking about you) society’s turmoil everyday when they get out of bed. They don’t need more bedlam and they certainly don’t want it either. They want stats. They want scores. They want actual sporting events.

We, as an aching nation, as a wounded world, want to see things like Michael Jordan’s game winner over Bryon Russell in the Finals. We want to see things like Kirk Gibson’s limp-off home run over Dennis Eckersley in the World Series. We want to see things like USA miraculously beating the Soviet’s in the 1980 Winter Olympics. (”Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” – Thanks Al Michaels)

We want to see things that make our body succumb to horripilation (goose bumps). The joyous feeling that begins in our thoughts but travels to our hearts; the feeling that makes our eyes water and our speech stutter. That’s why we watch sports. That’s why we love sports.

But what does ESPN give our nation, our world, instead? Scandals. Trials. Convictions. Imprisonments. All resulting in further defamation of our beloved sports.

Understandably, it’s a slow time for sports, the summer, it always is. And I accept the fact that news is news and more significantly, this news does involve athletes. Fine ESPN. Put it out there. Remind us of how atrocious our civilization is. But please, oh please, not under the bleeping headlines of your website and not under the bleeping LEAD of your television station.

Rather, install a section entitled: “we must make money” and place these journalistic necessities under such.

Dear worldwide leader in sports, if you insist in altering the “S” in ESPN from sports to scofflaws, then here are some revisions that may assist in further developing your new image:

Sportscenter to Convictcenter.

Jim Rome is Burning to Jim Rome is in the
Courthouse.

Around the Horn to Around the Federal Penitentiary.

Sounds pretty entertaining actually…but not, I repeat not, for a sports network.

Dude, head CEO man (I refuse to waste my efforts in researching your name or title), change it up.

At precisely 12:32 pm on Tuesday, June 16, 2009: ESPN offered courtTV-esque stories as five of its top six headlines (on their website). And the singular headline that differentiates itself from the rest: Brett Favre (but with all of his deception and betrayal, he fits the bill). At least your consistent, ESPN.

Shall we go through the headlines one by one? We shall: (Reminder: This is just in one day. ESPN perpetually does this.)

1. “Stallworth gets 30 days in jail in DUI fatality”

2. (The Lying Wrangler)

3. “Leaf faces Thursday deadline to turn himself in”

4. “NASCAR says Mayfield expert lied about degree”

5. “Phelps gets first endorsement since scandal”

6. “Burress hearing delayed to Sept. 23″

Get it? Got it? Good. Because I don’t get it.

Ryan Leaf? Really? My youngest brother’s JV summer basketball practices are more relevant.
At least he plays.

Poor Michael Phelps. ESPN, Do you really need to continue to bring the kid down? So, he smoked pot. George Washington used to grow fields upon fields of it.

Plaxico Burress shot himself. He shot himself. That should be on Comedy Central, not ESPN.

Indeed, as I previously confirmed, ESPN, the supposed worldwide leader in sports, does have the journalistic responsibility to entertain these topics. But not as main headlines.

Italy rallies to defeat U.S. by a score of 3-1 in the FIFA Confederations Cup; As New Jersey-born (traitor) Giuseppe Rossi scores two goals.

Manny Pacquiao (49-3) (the Philippine Elvis, who is singlehandedly bringing back the sport of boxing) is set to fight Miguel Cotto (34-1) (who is coming off a split-decision victory over Joshua Clottey (35-3)) on November 14 in Las Vegas.

Now those are headlines. True sports headlines.

And if those are not to your liking, ESPN, then provide MLB scores and MLS scores and NASCAR standings and Tennis rankings as your headlines.

Yes, ESPN does acknowledge such information, although assigns them to purgatory deeply within the confines of the cyber underworld; rather than accrediting them to, oh I don’t know, the headlines!

C’mon, ESPN? Don’t you have anyone, anyone within your staff who could figure all this out? Thanks to The Sports Complainer, you now know this.

People who watch ESPN are sports fans, not court fans. If they were, they’d tune in to Judge Judy.

And granted, some individuals do enjoy the drama, but that’s what E! is for.

ESPN and accompanying suits, you are ruining sports. Please, I’m asking you nicely to stop slaying what our world loves.

Our society watches sports to forget about the disorderly distress that life brings forth. To forget about the pink slips and the shrinking paychecks (economy). To forget about the right-wing crazies and the suicide bombers (terrorism). To forget about the continuously escalating fuel prices (energy crisis). To forget about the insane world leaders with powerful toys (nuclear threats). They tune in to clear their minds of such pandemonium, not to convolute their minds with more brouhaha, especially irrelevant brouhaha.

Open your eyes ESPN, realize this. Realize that this society follows sports with their hearts, with their souls, with an expectation that sports will make them feel better about the world around them. And ESPN, you’re ruining that. You really are.

Dear ESPN, you’re ruining sports

by Zak Kertesz,
The Sports Complainer
written on 06/16/09

http://www.sportscomplainer.com

—-Plaxico Burress’ hearing is delayed. Donte’ Stallworth is sentenced to jail time. Ryan Leaf (Ryan Leaf?) is eluding the police. courtTV, right? Uh-uh. It’s the present day ESPN. (Note: courtTV is now truTV.)

When Bill Rasmussen, the creator of ESPN, developed the idea in 1978, was his idea to televise scofflaws or sports? I cannot state for certain, but I naturally assume the “S” stands for the latter.

ESPN calls themselves the leading destination for American convicts, I mean sports. So where’s the actual sports coverage?

Sports aficionados don’t want to see the amiss in sports. They “witness” (No LeBron, I’m not talking about you) society’s turmoil everyday when they get out of bed. They don’t need more bedlam and they certainly don’t want it either. They want stats. They want scores. They want actual sporting events.

We, as an aching nation, as a wounded world, want to see things like Michael Jordan’s game winner over Bryon Russell in the Finals. We want to see things like Kirk Gibson’s limp-off home run over Dennis Eckersley in the World Series. We want to see things like USA miraculously beating the Soviet’s in the 1980 Winter Olympics. (”Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” – Thanks Al Michaels)

We want to see things that make our body succumb to horripilation (goose bumps). The joyous feeling that begins in our thoughts but travels to our hearts; the feeling that makes our eyes water and our speech stutter. That’s why we watch sports. That’s why we love sports.

But what does ESPN give our nation, our world, instead? Scandals. Trials. Convictions. Imprisonments. All resulting in further defamation of our beloved sports.

Understandably, it’s a slow time for sports, the summer, it always is. And I accept the fact that news is news and more significantly, this news does involve athletes. Fine ESPN. Put it out there. Remind us of how atrocious our civilization is. But please, oh please, not under the bleeping headlines of your website and not under the bleeping LEAD of your television station.

Rather, install a section entitled: “we must make money” and place these journalistic necessities under such.

Dear worldwide leader in sports, if you insist in altering the “S” in ESPN from sports to scofflaws, then here are some revisions that may assist in further developing your new image:

Sportscenter to Convictcenter.

Jim Rome is Burning to Jim Rome is in the
Courthouse.

Around the Horn to Around the Federal Penitentiary.

Sounds pretty entertaining actually…but not, I repeat not, for a sports network.

Dude, head CEO man (I refuse to waste my efforts in researching your name or title), change it up.

At precisely 12:32 pm on Tuesday, June 16, 2009: ESPN offered courtTV-esque stories as five of its top six headlines (on their website). And the singular headline that differentiates itself from the rest: Brett Favre (but with all of his deception and betrayal, he fits the bill). At least your consistent, ESPN.

Shall we go through the headlines one by one? We shall: (Reminder: This is just in one day. ESPN perpetually does this.)

1. “Stallworth gets 30 days in jail in DUI fatality”

2. (The Lying Wrangler)

3. “Leaf faces Thursday deadline to turn himself in”

4. “NASCAR says Mayfield expert lied about degree”

5. “Phelps gets first endorsement since scandal”

6. “Burress hearing delayed to Sept. 23″

Get it? Got it? Good. Because I don’t get it.

Ryan Leaf? Really? My youngest brother’s JV summer basketball practices are more relevant.
At least he plays.

Poor Michael Phelps. ESPN, Do you really need to continue to bring the kid down? So, he smoked pot. George Washington used to grow fields upon fields of it.

Plaxico Burress shot himself. He shot himself. That should be on Comedy Central, not ESPN.

Indeed, as I previously confirmed, ESPN, the supposed worldwide leader in sports, does have the journalistic responsibility to entertain these topics. But not as main headlines.

Italy rallies to defeat U.S. by a score of 3-1 in the FIFA Confederations Cup; As New Jersey-born (traitor) Giuseppe Rossi scores two goals.

Manny Pacquiao (49-3) (the Philippine Elvis, who is singlehandedly bringing back the sport of boxing) is set to fight Miguel Cotto (34-1) (who is coming off a split-decision victory over Joshua Clottey (35-3)) on November 14 in Las Vegas.

Now those are headlines. True sports headlines.

And if those are not to your liking, ESPN, then provide MLB scores and MLS scores and NASCAR standings and Tennis rankings as your headlines.

Yes, ESPN does acknowledge such information, although assigns them to purgatory deeply within the confines of the cyber underworld; rather than accrediting them to, oh I don’t know, the headlines!

C’mon, ESPN? Don’t you have anyone, anyone within your staff who could figure all this out? Thanks to The Sports Complainer, you now know this.

People who watch ESPN are sports fans, not court fans. If they were, they’d tune in to Judge Judy.

And granted, some individuals do enjoy the drama, but that’s what E! is for.

ESPN and accompanying suits, you are ruining sports. Please, I’m asking you nicely to stop slaying what our world loves.

Our society watches sports to forget about the disorderly distress that life brings forth. To forget about the pink slips and the shrinking paychecks (economy). To forget about the right-wing crazies and the suicide bombers (terrorism). To forget about the continuously escalating fuel prices (energy crisis). To forget about the insane world leaders with powerful toys (nuclear threats). They tune in to clear their minds of such pandemonium, not to convolute their minds with more brouhaha, especially irrelevant brouhaha.

Open your eyes ESPN, realize this. Realize that this society follows sports with their hearts, with their souls, with an expectation that sports will make them feel better about the world around them. And ESPN, you’re ruining that. You really are.

What is a leaflet?

Leaflets are a type of open letter or postcard, designed to be handed out to people, either by hand, by post, inserted in local newspapers for distribution, left in venues, shops, restaurants, cafes, libraries… ANYWHERE where they will catch a person’s eye.

Why produce a leaflet?

A leaflet gives you a chance to put across your argument and to draw attention to your organization, cause or event. A leaflet also gives you the space to present your ideas clearly and with graphical impact. Furthermore as people can take your leaflet home with them, it means they have more time to absorb to your message and to keep a visual reminder of it. Indeed, once distributed, the leaflet may end up being read by many more people that the person it was handed to, widening its impact still further.

Designing a leaflet – the basics

Leaflets are for delivering useful, reusable information. The size and shape of the leaflet is a major factor in its success. A leaflet that people can’t fit easily into a pocket or a bag will be thrown away. Take a piece of paper out of your printer. It should be A4. Now fold it in half, that’s known as A5, now fold it in half again, that’s what A6 looks like. Leaflets are normally created from a single sheet of paper, folded in half (to A5) or in three (to A6). Most leaflets start life as sheets of A4 paper – your design should also start there. Leaflets may seem suitable for audiences who don’t read much or well. However, well-written material will always enable people to make more informed judgments quickly. Don’t cram it with text. People won’t read it. Instead aim for clarity, strong argument and quality.

Designing a leaflet – step by step

When designing a leaflet, you are expressing yourself not only with words but also with pictures and graphics. How you present these pictures and graphics will also contribute to the way readers perceive their importance.

There are four clear tasks in the design of a leaflet.

1. Decide what you want to say

You must be clear in mind about the point you want to make. Though you have lots of space in a leaflet you still want it to be clear and persuasive. If the leaflet is being produced by a group, you should discuss this overall concept together.

2. Text editing

Someone needs to write the text or choose bits of other people’s text that are particularly effective and put these together to make up the text for your leaflet. Remember, your text must be

a) Persuasive,

b) Interesting to read, and

c) Catchy and memorable. Format your text to make it punchy. Use short paragraphs and mark them with headings. Use bullet-pointed lists which are easy to read. You can pull out single lines and highlight them in a different font size or color to make a strong point.

3. Picture design

Make sure your pictures help to get your message across. Commonly you may choose to use

a) Pictures from official sources such as NGOs,

b) Pictures that you drew or created yourself,

c) Pictures taken with a digital camera,

d) Pictures downloaded from the internet, or

e) Powerful graphics such as graphs. Make sure you have permission to reuse these pictures for your leaflet, though.

4. Layout design

The layout of your leaflet needs to be thought out very carefully. Work out with the rest of the group what text and pictures you will have. Using a piece of plain paper sketch out:

* Where blocks of text will go

* Where headings will go

* Where pictures will go

* How big the various bits will be Try to think of colors for the text and background, too.

5. Make a booklet

Imagine an A5 leaflet. Effectively it has a front and back cover and a two page spread inside. The front cover lends itself to a single, powerful statement and a hard-hitting graphic to support the leaflet’s title. These should be gripping enough to make anyone want to read on. On page two you can set out the problem: for instance, the situation against which you are campaigning. On page three, right opposite, you can explain what you are trying to do about the situation on page two – and how, when and where.

Finally, on the back cover, tell us about yourself and your organization. Don’t forget to include contact details for people who want to know more or want to get involved. If you are working in association with another organization, be sure to mention them. See if you can add their logo to your flyer. Their support will add authority to your efforts.

6. PCs and printing

You will need to type and design your leaflet on a computer. For typing and formatting text, you will need a word processing program such as MS Word. Later versions of this program will also handle basic graphics. More experienced computer users may prefer to use specialist graphics programs such as Quarkxpress or Adobe Photoshop for the design process. If you do not have a computer yourself, or do not have a friend or colleague who will lend you theirs, head for your local library where you can get internet access and a PC to use for free. Though it is possible to print off your leaflets on a computer, it will be a long and laborious process. Furthermore your computer’s printer may not handle graphics and colors well.

Your best bet will always be to give the job to a professional. Any small printer will print, cut and fold your leaflets and may even help you with design. There will be a charge for this service so get a couple of quotations from different printers. Remember too that a quotation is just that. See if you can get these prices reduced if you supply your own artwork, order a smaller (or larger print run) or reduce the weight of the paper you are printing on. They may even offer you a discount if they agree with your cause.

7. A word about printing

Finally be aware of the following:

* All printers will cut your leaflet to size, so you must leave a “bleed margin”. This is a space of 2mm around the edge of your design which can be lost in the cutting. Don’t run any text into this space.

* If the quality of an image is too low, its corners will “pixel ate” and go jagged. Your images should be saved as 300 dpi and preferably stored as JPG or TIF files.
* If you paper is too thin, heavy colors from one side of the paper will leak through to the other.

Did this guide help? Do you have other things you need to know? Do you have some tips we could add? Let us know.

About Author
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Internet Marketing Company : Toputop.com

Internet Marketing Branding Agency : Dotndot.com

1. What on earth is ‘glamping’?

It’s out with the leaking tents, sodden sleeping bags, tins of spam and baked beans and in with the cashmere socks, designer tents, bunting and furniture from home. The ‘glamping’ cognoscenti sew their own tents in pretty fabric to be unique at festivals – see this Laura Ashley print tent. This ‘glamping’ revolution will affect all corners of the country from Cornwall to South West Scotland as illustrated by ‘Britain’s busiest summer’, a new three-part BBC1 series, produced by Nic Blower, investigating how the recession will prompt millions of Brits to stay at home.

2. Why 2009 has gone ‘glamping’ crazy

In this global recession, millions of people are forgoing the luxuries of air travel and hotels. Fuel prices, carbon footprint and a fear of pandemic disease is keeping more Brits at home. The Camping and Caravaning Club forecast one of their busiest summers on record. Forget plain aluminium flasks; stay hydrated with this pretty blue cherry blossom decorative blue flask from Dotcomgiftshop.

3. Sienna and Kate make camping mainstream

‘There is this obsession with celebrity culture over here, and I think that’s why the whole ‘glamping’ thing has taken off.’ Says Jonathan Night, author of Cool Camping, ‘Staying in a posh tent in Glastonbury once a year doesn’t mean you’re an avid camper but what’s good about that is that people go, ‘Oh right, Kate Moss goes camping, so if she can do it, then I can try it too. ‘Don’t drown in mud, do festivals in style with this Cath Kidston floral teepee…

4. Golden ticket to ‘glamping’ glory

Up the ante with the ‘glamping’ crew by packing this gold plated Juwel vacuum flask thermal jug from Corvus. It will keep drinks cooler or hotter for longer – but most importantly, it just oozes glamour.

5. Giant dominoes round the fire

‘Glamping’ requires a sophisticated kind of campfire game – something like this uber smart set of giant dominoes in navy and cream leather by royal carpenter David Linley. They’re a little on the pricy side but remember, by forgoing your exotic holiday, the bank balance will be healthier…

6. Plastic must be jewel-coloured

Interior designer Danielle Proud, who is dubbed the sexy blonde Nigella Lawson of homemaking, recommends jewel-coloured plastic glass for the campsite. Although truly dedicated ‘glampers’ only eat with silver cutlery, we’re rather bowled over by this retro?style plastic cutlery from Graham and Green.

7. Back to nature with a sheepskin rug

No self-respecting ‘glamper’ would venture from home without a sheepskin rug to keep their teepee or bell tent cosy and homely. Proud recommends sheepskin rugs from John Lewis which are available in many colours including this pretty lavender.

8. Snug as a silk bug

Clever ‘glampers’ pack their silk sleeping bag liner – the camping equal to Egyptian cotton. Everyone raves about the silk sleeping bag company which sells funky sleeping bag liners. Founder Annabel Kilner says, ‘I’m enjoying a bumper year because people are downgrading the types of places they stay in. More people are trying hostels, B&Bs and camping but still want useful bit of luxury like my silk liners.’

9. Inflatable fun brings kitsch to the field

The inflatable aerobed guarantee a good night’s sleep in the great outdoors. But, for the ultimate in bringing silly glamour outside, there is a craze for this blue inflatable sofa from Argos.

10. Paper cups become campsite cool

Don’t think of paper plates and cups as tacky. A little bit of glamour can go a long way: entertain in style with Mediterraneo paper cup holder from Made in Design.