Week 13 Assignments

This blog post is part of a class project.  My intended audience is my professor and my classmates.

1.  Read the posted privacy policy of your favorite Web site, preferably one for which you supply information and/or content. Write a response to the policy that includes any objections to the ways in which the site reserves the right to use the information and content supplied to or published on it.

 (Yahoo! Sports Privacy Policy)

The Privacy Policy for Yahoo! Sports is limited at first glance.  The policy is used to cover all applications Yahoo! uses in sports related applications.  In my instance, I use Yahoo! Sports to play Fantasy Football.  This is a free service and is played for the fun of tracking stats for NFL football games.

The initial policy for Yahoo! Sports lays out the basics and handles the content in three very broad categories that are detailed.  The interactor must take it upon themselves to dig deeper into the policy to find the bulk of Yahoo!’s full policy. 

Information Collection and Use Practices

I am notified in this section that I can choose to enter a public or private league, as well as creating a private league of my own.  I also have the option of having my email displayed to other people in my league.  It does not, however, point out if other interactors within the Yahoo! network can view my information if I sign up for a public league. 

The premium package requires the interactor to set up another Yahoo! service called the Yahoo! Wallet.  This is an account that stores credit card, shipping and billing information. 

I am also told him section that I am required to provide a name and email address when submitting feedback to Yahoo! Sports.  There is an assurance that my name and email address that are submitted for this purpose will not be used for marketing any products to me.  They are simply to allow Yahoo! Sports to respond to me. 

Information Sharing and Disclosure Practices

This section details what Yahoo! Sports can do with the information I provide.  It does not detail how I limit my personal information but that is to be expected.  I can only assume since it is not specified here that I must set those restrictions in the signup process or figure out how to edit my account once it is set up.

Promotions are covered here to let me know that sometimes there are sweepstakes in connection with the fantasy games on Yahoo! Sports.  I cannot tell whether or not I am automatically enrolled in these sweepstakes or not.  I would like to see this section be more clear as to how interactors are entered into these contests. 

The final point in this section is a good disclaimer to let me know that if I choose to post personal information third party agents my contact me based on the publishing of that information.  Yahoo! Sports can plausibly deny any responsibility for that contact based on this disclaimer. 

Other

The final section of the privacy policy is also very vague and is simply a reference to other web pages within the Yahoo! framework.  The first point is a reference to the Yahoo! Terms of Service, which is a 13-page legal document. 

The second point is a helpful link to the Yahoo! Frequently Asked Questions page.  The policy wraps up with a link to the full Yahoo! privacy policy that covers all Yahoo! properties. 

While this single page initially appeared vague to me, it provides a clean link to all necessary pages in the Yahoo! infrastructure.  It requires a great deal of due diligence on the part of the interactor to find all of the information they are looking for but all of the bases appear to be covered.  It’s not entirely clear where the opt-in and opt-out opportunities are and I believe that is the most glaring issue with this policy. 

2.  Read through the following news article excerpt and argue for or against NRECA’s infringement claim by applying U.S. copyright law’s “Fair Use” provisions (Title 17, U.S.C. § 107). Include in your answer a rationale for how copyright law should be applied in the United States, a rationale that articulates the purpose for copyright and intellectual property protection.

In defense of a copyright infringement suit against the Competitive Enterprise Institute filed by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the CEI is justified in their claim that the copyrighted footage in question is protected under United States Trademark Law under “fair use.”  The argument for or against copyright infringement has merit on both sides and the decision could easily go either way.  However, based on the facts provided, the claim of fair use has more substance.

To be able to justify fair use, the claim must be able to stand on its own.  There are many criteria that must be taken into account.  Criticism, commentary and news reporting are among the fair use foundations and have used as justification for fair use in previous cases.  The footage in question does not demean the overall value of the copyrighted material, especially considering how little is used from the overall piece. The fact that the footage is being used by a non-profit agency also assists the claim. 

The fact that NRECA placed the footage on YouTube does not reduce NRECA’s copyright ownership and this point is somewhat insignificant in terms of legal claim.  However, a copyright owner must assume some risk when placing material on a file-sharing medium such as YouTube.  In the end, the fact that NRECA posted the footage on YouTube has little bearing in this case.

I believe the footage was used to dispute certain claims that conflict with the mission of the Competitive Enterprise Institute.  In addition, the particular footage was a direct implication that some of the most vocal opponents of the CEI and their causes do not always practice what they preach.  In a way, it can be translated to be a parody of Al Gore to show a different view of his activism on behalf of Global Warming. 

Using parody as a claim in fair use has some precedent.  Dating back to 2002, the United States 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of an artist, Tom Forsythe, in a copyright infringement suit filed by the Mattel Corporation.  Mr. Forsythe created a line of art using Mattel’s Barbie Doll called “Food Chain Barbie.”  Forsythe intended the work to be a parody of the Barbie line of toys.  The 9th Circuit ruled that his inclusion of the Barbie Doll was protected under fair use

The summary from the court stated:

“However one may feel about his message – whether he is wrong or right, whether his methods are powerful or banal – his photographs parody Barbie and everything Mattel’s doll has come to signify.  Undoubtedly, one could make similar statements through other means about society, gender roles, sexuality and perhaps even social class.  But Barbie, and all the associations she has acquired through Mattel’s impressive marketing success, conveys these messages in a particular way that is ripe for social comment.”

Similarly, the activism of Al Gore on behalf of the Global Warming initiative is open for social comment.  I believe that is what the CEI was aiming to do with the use of this footage.  Based on that conclusion, and the definition of “fair use” given above, the ruling should favor CEI. 

3.  You are legal counsel to MyFacebookSpaceNews.com, which is facing a libel suit. Advise the news site as to how to avoid or win the libel action.

In any libel or defamation case, the burden of proof is on the plaintiff.  Based on the article this case is centered upon, Mr. Simmons must prove libel per se. 

Libel per se would have to show an attack on his moral character or his integrity.  I believe Mr. Simmons would have a hard time proving an attack on his moral character by MyFacebookSpaceNews.com.  The two instances in this article that could pertain to an attack on his moral character or his integrity were the quotes by Sgt. Rocco T. Ruggiero and Robin Hubier.  The MyFacebookSpaceNews.com reporter was simply quoting the available sources at the time. 

There are six ways in which a plaintiff can prove libel per se.  They consist of defamation, identification, publication, fault, falsity and injury.  I will deal with each of these individually. 

The claim on defamation may exist, but not at the fault of MyFacebookSpaceNews.com.  The only claim Mr. Simmons could make in the form of defamation would be directed at Robin Hubier.  The fact that MyFacebookSpaceNews.com printed a quote from this eyewitness does not hold the web site liable for what the eyewitness says. 

The identification in this article came from the New York Police Sargent.  Sgt. Ruggiero identified the driver as Mr. Simmons and the reporter was simply reporting the fact as given to them. 

By publishing the article, MyFacebookSpaceNews.com is responsible for this information being available in a public space.  This is a very shaky claim and if Mr.Simmons’ case depends on this area as proof of libel then he has no case. 

The issue of fault is one of the areas where I believe this case will favor MyFacebookSpaceNews.com.  As stated earlier, if any libelous activity occurred in this case, it is not the fault of your web site.  The reporter was stating the facts as presented to them.  The fault, if any, would be on the law enforcement officer and the eyewitness. 

Similarly, Mr. Simmons may be able to prove falsity in this case based on what was reported.  Depending on a breathalyzer test conducted after the fact, he may be able to prove the claims of driving under the influence were false.  However, the reporter for MyFacebookSpaceNews.com was not intending to print a false statement and was rather quoting his or her source.  He was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence.  This is a fact and that is what the reporter was stating.   

Other than the obvious injury to the other individuals referenced in this story, Mr. Simmons would have a hard time proving injury to him based on this article.  If any injury to his emotional well-being is claimed, there is no way to prove whether or not that emotional injury is a derivative of the article or if it is a result of his being involved in a terrible accident and being incarcerated. 

I believe MyFacebookSpaceNews.com should focus on these categories because they are what Mr. Simmons needs to prove if he is to be awarded a settlement in a libel case.  Without significant proof of some kind to show that the two individuals conspired with the reporter against Mr. Simmons, there is very little here for a libel case to get any traction.

Week 12 Assignment – Create an interactive FAQ

This is a post for a class project on creating an interactive FAQ.  My intended audience consists of my professor and my classmates, as well as anyone looking for information on the NCAA Men’s Final Four.

THIS BLOG POST WAS REVISED BASED ON PROFESSOR FEEDBACK ON 11/22/08.

2009 Final Four - Detroit

1.  Where is the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four? 
The semifinals and finals of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, otherwise known as the Final Four, will be held at Ford Field in Detroit, MI.  The semifinals will be held on April 4, 2009 beginning at 6:00 p.m. Eastern.

Future Men’s Final Fours will be located in the following cities:

• 2010 – Indianapolis, IN
• 2011 - Houston, TX
• 2012 – New Orleans, LA
• 2013 – Atlanta, GA
• 2014 - Dallas, TX
• 2015 - Indianapolis, IN
• 2016 – Houston, TX

For more information about the Men’s Basketball Final Four, please visit NCAA.com.  

2.  How Can I Get Tickets to the Final Four? 
Public tickets for the 2009 Men’s Final Four are sold out.  Final Four ticket purchases are handled through a ticket application system that is conducted during the previous year’s tournament. 

The ticket application process for the 2010 Final Four will begin on March 15, 2009 and will run through May 15, 2009.  Fans interested in entering the application process can submit as many applications during the open period.  A maximum of four tickets can be part of each application, which includes a $4.00 handling fee that is non-refundable. 

1. Full payment is due upon completion of application
2. Notification of application approval or disapproval will be communicated in December 2009
3. Disapproved applications will be refunded full amount of ticket price upon notification of disapproval
4. Handling fee of $4.00 is non-refundable for each individual application

Official Final Four ticket and hospitality packages are still being sold for the 2009 Final Four through PrimeSport, the NCAA’s official ticket and hospitality provider.  The packages include private functions and accommodations.  Visit www.NCAA.com/hospitality for more information on these packages. 

3.  How many seats are available for the Final Four?
Starting in 2009, the seating capacity for the Men’s Final Four will be expanded at each venue to approximately 70,000, depending on the venue.  This is a result of a new seating configuration that maximizes the full potential of the venues hosting the Final Four.  

The basketball court will be placed in the center of the facility on what is better known as the 50-yard line for the football configuration.  Specially designed risers will then extend from courtside to approximately half way up the permanent seating structure.   This configuration was used at Ford Field in 2008 when the facility hosted the Midwest Regional. 

4.  Where can I stay if I have tickets to the Final Four? 
The NCAA has listed several options that are within walking distance to Ford Field and other ancillary events taking place during Final Four weekend.

Hotel accommodations fill up quickly for the Men’s Final Four.  The Detroit metropolitan area has many options for hotel accommodations and the Detroit Local Organizing Committee has listed over 200 options on their web site. 

View Larger Map

5.  What events are taking place outside of the games?
There will be something to do for everyone in Detroit during Final Four weekend.  Events start on Thursday, April 3, 2009.  There are over eight scheduled events during the weekend, which are listed below:

• Final Four Friday – Team Practices
  All four teams will conduct a one-hour practice on the game court at Ford Field.  This event is open to the public with the doors opening at noon on April 3, 2009.
• Final Four Friday – College All-Star Game
  Select college seniors who have exhausted their eligibility to compete in the NCAA will be invited to play in an all-star exhibition game on the Final Four game court on Friday, April 3, 2009.  The game begins at 7:00 p.m. ET, after the conclusion of the team practices. 
• NCAA Hoop City^®
  The NCAA conducts a fan festival each year in connection with the Final Four.  Hoop City is where you’ll find interactive activities for the kids, as well as fun events for adults.  Tickets to Hoop City are $8.00 and can be purchased at the entrance, located at Cobo Arena.   Hoop City opens on April 3 and stays open until April 6.  Hours of operation are still being determined, but check back at NCAA.com/HoopCity for more information. 
• YES Clinic
  College coaches present instructional skill sessions in basketball while NCAA Life Skills coordinators conduct session in personal enrichment for youth ages 10-16.  Parents also participate by attending their own information session.  YES Clinic will be held on April 4, 2009, from 8:00 a.m. ET until noon Eastern.  The YES Clinics will be held at Macomb Community College, Western International High School and Renaissance High School. 
• NCAA^® Final Four^® Dribble
  Youth, ages 18 and younger, will dribble basketballs through the streets of Detroit to center court at Hoop City.  This event will be held on April 5, 2009. 
• Road to the Final Four 5k
  For the running enthusiasts, the NCAA will sponsor a 3.1 mile race through the streets of downtown Detroit.  The Road to the Final Four 5k will be help on April 5, 2009. 
• The Big Dance^®
  The NCAA and their Corporate Champions will host an outdoor live concert festival all weekend in downtown Detroit.  The festivities begin on Friday, April 3, 2009 along the Detroit riverfront outside the Renaissance Center.  Concerts will be held all weekend at this location.  Check back on NCAA.com/FinalFour for a list of performers. 

6.  I live in Detroit.  How can I get involved in the Final Four?
The host city for the Final Four has many opportunities for local residents to volunteer for events surrounding the Final Four.  Thousands of volunteers will be needed to assist at events such as Hoop City, the Big Dance, the Road to the Final Four 5k, as well as opportunities within the game venue at Ford Field.  Contact the City of Detroit for more information on how to volunteer.

7.  What will the weather be like in Detroit in the first week of April? 
Average temperatures in Detroit for early April show an average high of 55 degrees and low temperatures at 33 degrees.  The record high during the period of April 3-6 in the city of Detroit is 80 degrees on April 3, 1963.  The record low was recorded at 14 degrees on April 6, 1995.  Expect to wear a light jacket during the day and temperatures will likely drop after sunset. 

Snow is very rare during this timeframe, but it is still possible.  In fact, the worst snow storm in Detroit history happened on April 6, 1886.  A record 24.5 inches fell that day.

Week 11 Assignment

This is a writing assignment for a class.  My intended audience consists visitors to the Indianapolis area and running enthusiasts interested in running a marathon in Indiana.

THIS BLOG WAS REVISED BASED ON PROFESSOR FEEDBACK ON 11/22/08.

A Monumental Running Event in Indianapolis
by Jeramy Michiaels

Indianapolis is known as a racing town.  From the Indianapolis 500 to the Brickyard, Indiana’s capital city has racing in its blood.  What many people unfamiliar with the area don’t know is that outside of auto racing, Indianapolis is also a running town and one with a landscape lined with national monuments. 

Tying the running passion and the landscape of the city together into a running race was the goal and passion of Indianapolis resident Carlton Ray for several years. 

On November 1, 2008, the culmination of more than three years of planning came together with the inaugural running of the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon.  More than 3,100 runners and walkers descended upon downtown Indianapolis for the 26.2 mile journey around the city and the many monuments that dot the landscape. (Video link courtesy of MonumentalMarathon.com)

View Larger Map

Ray initially tried to plan a race in 2006 but found little support.  After gaining some traction in getting a race scheduled in 2007, those plans ultimately fell through, as well.  Ray was determined to see his vision realized and continued pushing into 2008. 

“We were able to build off of that energy from last year and see that hard work finally come to fruition,” he said.

According to the Indiana War Memorial, the city of Indianapolis has over 24 acres dedicated to monuments, statues and sculptures, which is more than any other city in the United States.  Ray’s plan was to design a race course that captured as much of that space as possible.  

Monument Circle

“I’ve always felt that Indianapolis needed to have a downtown marathon,” said Indianapolis Monumental Marathon President, Carlton Ray.  “This city has so many beautiful monuments and buildings to highlight, as well as some wonderful neighborhoods.”

Ray’s vision and planning turned into race-day reality beginning with an opening ceremony at 7:25 a.m. at the starting line.  Once the race officially started just past 8:00 a.m., the runners saw their first monument with the Indiana State Capitol building on Washington Street.  

Just before hitting the three-mile mark, runners circled the State Soldiers and Sailors Monument, otherwise known as “Monument Circle.”  Built in 1902, Indy’s most prominent monument is a memorial to American soldiers and sailors who fought in wars prior to World War I.   This monument is also featured on the race’s official web site. 

Turning the corner onto Ohio Street and north on Pennsylvania Avenue, runners passed the Indiana War Memorial Plaza Historic District.   This area has the highest concentration of memorials in Indianapolis, and the entire United States. 

“No other city in America maintains as many acres dedicated to honoring veterans,” said Brigadier General J. Stewart Goodwin, the executive director of the Indiana War Memorial.  “Only Washington D.C. has more veterans’ monuments, but Indianapolis dedicates the most space to war memorials.”

Indiana War Memorial - courtesy IN.gov

Participants spent the next four miles running through various neighborhoods in the downtown area before turning onto Fall Creek Parkway shortly after the 6-mile marker.  Running along Fall Creek, the transition from downtown to the near north side’s historic neighborhoods is highlighted by the shady trees lining Fall Creek. 

“The shade along Fall Creek was a nice change of pace,” said Mark Bedics, who was running his first marathon.  “It was a cool morning anyway but getting a break from the sun shining in my eyes really helped.”

The near north side is a historic district with turn-of-the-century homes providing a view into Indy’s past. 

“It was important that we took runners through the Meridian-Kessler and Broad Ripple neighborhoods,” said Ray.  “We wanted to show the contrast between the busy downtown area and the quiet, historic neighborhoods just north of downtown.”

Broad Ripple was the turnaround point in the marathon.  Mile marker 14 took runners on Central Avenue up to 71st Street, which was the northernmost point of the race.  After a left turn onto Meridian Street, runners spent six of the final 12 miles on Meridian. 

Meridian Street - Indianapolis

“I loved the scenery on Meridian because of all the mansions we passed,” said Bedics.  “It just started to get old after a while.  I felt I was running in place being on that street so long.”

There was a brief break in the route, which took runners off of Meridian into the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood.  Home to Butler University, the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood is centered around Hinkle Fieldhouse, where Butler plays its home basketball games. 

Hinkle was featured in the movie “Hoosiers,” in which the fictional Hickory Huskers won their improbable state title game.  Hinkle Fieldhouse actually hosted the high school state championship game the movie was loosely based upon, as well as all other Indiana high school basketball championship games from 1928-1971. It also hosted the ABA Indiana Pacers, as well as many other national and international events.  The arena was built in 1928 and for over 25 years was the largest arena in the United States. 

Hinkle Fieldhouse - courtesy Butler University

“Running past Hinkle was a no-brainer,” explained Ray.  “It may not be a national monument or a war memorial, but it is Indiana’s basketball cathedral.” 

One last turn before the final stretch back on Meridian took participants by the Crown Hill Cemetery.  As stated on its official web site, there are over 555 acres and 25 miles of paved road.  Crown Hill is the final resting-place to over 185,000 citizens, dating back to the first burial in 1864.

Shortly after the 21-mile marker, runners turned back onto Meridian Street for the final leg of the race. 

“Most people say that runners hit a wall after the 20-mile mark in a marathon,” said Kristen Jacob, who was running her 12th marathon.  “The last thing I wanted to see at that point was the Meridian Street sign knowing that the rest of the race would all be on that street.”

Scottish Rite Cathedral

Almost four more miles were spent on Meridian taking runners back toward Monument Circle.  One last highlight before entering the Circle included passing the Scottish Rite Cathedral.  It is the largest Masonic building in America.  After exiting the Circle, a lap around the State Capitol completed the race. 

The official results said that 1,109 people completed the full marathon.  Another 1,734 completed the half marathon.  Race officials dubbed it a big success. 

 
“The number of registered runners was over twice our 2008 goal and we’re very excited to have so many wonderful athletes,” said Ray. “Our organizing team is made up of local runners, community leaders and event planners who understand the thrill of participating in, as well as witnessing, an epic feat such as the completion of a marathon.”

 

Questions asked:

Carlton Ray – President of Indianapolis Monumental Marathon

1. How did the race get started?
2. What were some of the biggest challenges of putting the race together?
3. When you were planning the race, what was most important to you?
4. How did you decide on the route and what monuments to include?
5. Why did you choose the first weekend in November to run the race?
6. How many runners do you expect and how many to make the race a success?
7. Who were some important people you worked with to get this race going?

Brig. General J. Stewart Goodwin – Executive Director of Indiana War Memorial

1. What is unique about the monuments in Indianapolis?
2. Why did Indianapolis dedicate so much space to war memorials?
3. What does this race mean to the Indiana War Memorial Foundation?

Race Participants

1. What was your favorite part of the race?
2. What did you like the least?
3. Did the race course have anything to do with you choosing to run this race?
4. What was your biggest motivation for running the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon?
5. Will you run this race again?
6. What are some general thoughts about the race?

Facts Checked and Verified

1. The race route
2. The list of monuments
3. The history of the monuments
4. The amount of space dedicated to war memorials in Indianapolis
5. The comparison of space and monuments compared to other cities
6. The size of the Scottish Rite Cathedral
7. The timeline and history of the race
8. Other races in Indianapolis of similar size
9. Number of runners who registered for the race and completed the race

Sources Contacted

1. Indiana State Government
2. Indiana War Memorial
3. IUPUI Max Kade German-American Center
4. Hoopedia (The basketball Wiki)
5. St. Francis Hospital & Health Care Centers – Race Title Sponsor
6. Indianapolis Monumental Marathon race directors
7. Crown Hill Cemetery
8. Meridian Street Foundation
9. Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association
10. Masonic Fraternity – Scottish Rite Cathedral

Ways to further ‘Webbify’ this article

1. Embed video of race course.  This is also found on the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon official site. 
2. Embed video of Indianapolis monuments.  This is found on the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association official site. 
3. Include a comment section for other participants to provide their experiences running the race. 
4. Run an online poll for interactors to vote on their favorite monument included in the race.
5. Provide a feedback option from participants to make suggestions on how to improve the course for next year. 
6. Provide a podcast of the interviews with the race director and other individuals interviewed for this article. 

Week 10 Assignments

This is a project for my class.  My intended audience are my classmates and my professor.

1.  Google Maps

View Larger Map

2.  Twitter

I set up a Twitter account and am Tweeting from my freelance job for ESPN this weekend.  You can read my Tweets at http://twitter.com/jeramy8373

3. Wikipedia

I edited the college lacrosse page on Wikipedia and added the NCAA championship history. I created a table that listed all of the NCAA champions, score and runner-up, since a tournament started being held in 1971.

Week 8 Assignment – Live Blogging

This post is part of a class project.  My intended audience is my class professor and my classmates.  

Reflection on Blogging

I thoroughly enjoyed this experience.  I knew the trip to Wisconsin was coming up with my friends and I was excited this assignment would fall during the time period of the trip.  I like to share information by nature and having this outlet to capture the weekend was both educational and fun at the same time. 

The biggest challenge during this assignment was figuring out what was “blog-worthy.”  I started out intending to blog the entire weekend.  Once I started writing, I quickly realized that I was going to end up with way too much information and some of my content was looking somewhat irrelevant.  I decided to narrow it down to just game day and talk about what happened the day before and after as references in individual posts.  I think that helped focus the blog on what was interesting to the reader and eliminated the more inconsequential events. 

If I had to do the live blog over again I think I would have tried to map out a few things I intended to do in advance.  While I feel that live blogging should be a contemporaneous exercise, I think having some structure never hurts.  I knew my friends and I would be tailgating prior to the game and that would warrant a post or two.  In addition, I knew the atmosphere at the game would be relevant.  I feel my blog did a decent job of taking the reader inside my day and my experience but I think there were some things that happened I could have talked about that I just missed.  Having a mental outline heading into the exercise would have helped and still would have allowed me to be spontaneous with my posts as well. 

This experience was more fun than I had anticipated.  It became a running theme throughout the day as to what events would end up in the blog.  I was constantly paying closer attention to everything that was happening because I was analyzing on the fly what deserved to be covered.  It made the day more memorable simply because I was committing the events to memory as I went based on the analysis of blog-worthiness.  This was my favorite assignment so far. 

Saturday, October 11, 2008 – 10:08 p.m. CT

We have moved to the Big 10 Pub down the street from Camp Randall Stadium.  A few friends who work for the Wisconsin athletic department are meeting us here while we watch the Red Sox vs. Rays American League Championship Series.  It’s been a long day but I seem to have been able to catch a second wind.  For my own protection, I will wrap up today’s blog from Wisconsin.  

We’ll drive back to Indianapolis tomorrow after we drop Mike off at Midway airport in Chicago.  His wife is about to give birth to their first child so the fact that he is even here speaks volumes to how cool his wife is.  I am relieved she didn’t go into labor while he was here. 

Penn State is moving on to play Michigan next weekend so that will be an interesting game.  Wisconsin must find a way to right the ship on the road against Iowa next week.  That is no small task and things are starting to look bleak for the Badgers.  I understand Joe Paterno has a bad hip and that’s why he wasn’t on the sidelines.  I’m sure there will be more to that story in the coming weeks too. 

Even though the Badgers got blown out in the game this has still been a very fun trip.  That’s all from here in Wisconsin.  So long.   

Saturday, October 11, 2008 – 10:08 p.m. CT

The game is finally officially over.  Judging by the way the Badgers played this game was over before half time.  Penn State came to Camp Randall and proved they are the team to beat in the Big Ten.  I didn’t see Joe Paterno on the sidelines.  He apparently is still coaching the games from the press box.  

Saturday, October 11, 2008 – 9:31 p.m. CT

This game is a blowout.  The one thing we knew we could count on was the Wisconsin band and student section getting together for the traditional break between the third and fourth quarters.  The PA system runs through a few announcements before playing “House of Pain’s” version of the song “Jump Around.”  The student section, as well as a good majority of the rest of the stadium,  jumps up and down for the entire song.   It’s truly a site to see.  This YouTube clip from another Wisconsin home game doesn’t quite do it justice but you get the idea.  

Saturday, October 11, 2008 – 6:34 p.m. CT

Walking to the stadium at Wisconsin is a fun event.  It is kind of a hike but we have many other Wisconsin and Penn State fans walking along with us to keep things lively.  The Penn State folks never seem to grow tired of their favorite chant.  Half the group yells “WE ARE” while another group responds with “PENN STATE.”  Glad we have that settled.  The Wisconsin fans have their own colorful language they like to shout.  I’d rather not repeat it verbatim, but it’s funny. 

Mike and I are sitting together in Section Y2 while Dave and the others are in section Q on the other side of the stadium.  Camp Randall Stadium went through a renovation about five years ago and now boasts three levels of luxury suites.  Ty, Dave and Booker were able to use Booker’s connections to get into a suite.  Mike and I weren’t getting cell reception in the stadium so we missed the call to come join them.  

Saturday, October 11, 2008 – 5:46 p.m. CT

The Heels just came from behind to beat the Irish in an incredible game.  It wasn’t looking good for a while and the Notre Dame fans around me were letting me hear about it.  This game really came down to the wire and I thought Notre Dame was going to have another chance to score in the last seconds.  Carolina’s defense stepped up and forced a fumble to end the game.  It’s the second time in three weeks where the defense came up with a turnover to thwart comeback bids in the final seconds of a game.  They beat Miami in similar fashion on September 27 so this is looking to be a key characteristic of the team this year.  

State Street Brats has cleared out with people heading over to Camp Randall stadium for tonight’s Badger game.   My friends and I are finishing up our final round of Leinenkugel’s and are making our way to the stadium shortly.   

Saturday, October 11, 2008 – 2:28 p.m. CT

We are on our fourth round of pitchers of Leinenkugel’s Red Ale.  It is brewed in Wisconsin and it one of the best beers around.  They also make a Summer Shandy, which my girlfriend calls the Fruity Pebbles beer since it tastes a little like the kids cereal.  I used to like it very much until she said that.  Now all I can think about is Fruity Pebbles when I have some and it just doesn’t taste the same anymore.  The Red Ale is fantastic and doesn’t taste at all like kids cereal.   

The Carolina game is getting ready to start and I have found a few Notre Dame people around me.  They appear way too confident and I am really hoping the Heels come out strong to quiet them down a bit.  I think they have enjoyed their fair share of Leinie’s beers already.  

Saturday, October 11, 2008 – 12:42 p.m. CT

The game doesn’t start until 7:00 p.m. CT so we have a lot of time to prepare.  I have been to Madison three times now and one of my favorite places to visit is State Street Brats.  ”Brats,” as it is called in Madison, is a no-frills place where you can get good beer, excellent brats and the famous Wisconsin cheese curds.  We are watching the “Red River Rivalry” game between Texas and Oklahoma on TV right now.  I am looking forward to the Notre Dame game against the Carolina Tar Heels at 2:30 though.   

Saturday, October 11, 2008 – 11:57 a.m. CT

Madison is only about 75 miles from Milwaukee so it didn’t take too long to get here.   We’re staying at the Edgewater, which is the same hotel as the Wisconsin football team.  Apparently the football team stays in a hotel the night before their home games and this is the one they choose.   It has a great view of Lake Mendota from room 77 and 48.  Now that we are all checked in we’re going to go take in the sights abd sounds of State Street in Wisonsin’s capital city.       

Saturday, October 11, 2008 – 10:35 a.m. CT

A few of my friends and I try to take a road trip to watch college football at least once a year.  This year we decided on going to see Penn State play at Wisconsin in Madison.  Two of my friends from work, a former work colleague and a long time friend from Florida made up the roster this year.  Ty and Dave, my work friends, met at Dave’s house in Indianapolis yesterday.  My friend Mike from Florida flew into Indianapolis and we picked him up before hitting the road for Wisconsin.  We’re heading to Milwaukee first to meet up with my former work colleague, Booker.  He is a lawyer in Milwaukee now but he used to play basketball for the Badgers so we know he’ll be able to show us a good time around his old stomping grounds.   We are at Booker’s right now getting ready to drive from Milwaukee to Madison.

Week 7 Assignment

This post is part of a class project.  The contents do not represent the views or position of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.  The intended audience of this post consists of my professor and classmates. 

THIS BLOG IS A FINAL REVISION BASED ON PROFESSOR FEEDBACK ON 11/22/08.

Objective: To create an informational Web page that gives a brief overview of the NCAA and supplement the information that already exists on NCAA.com. 

NCAA.com

Mission of NCAA.com

NCAA.com is the official Web site for college sports.  The site is an online destination for interactors seeking information on all NCAA events, student-athletes and sports news involving the National Collegiate Athletic Association.  The Web site is run in association with CBS Sports, which owns the rights to operate the NCAA’s commercial online presence.  NCAA.com provides continuous updates on regular season and post-season competition in the form of text, audio, video and new media content.    

Many people arrive at NCAA.com expecting to find information about a wide array of topics related to college sports.  While NCAA.com provides excellent access to sports events, there is a need to provide an overview on how the organization works.  This informational Web page is a brief guide to how the NCAA operates. 

NCAA Overview  

The NCAA is a non-profit organization of colleges and universities who join together to collectively govern intercollegiate athletics.  There are over 1,000 members of the NCAA.  The members appoint representatives who serve on committees that are responsible for creating and enforcing NCAA policy. 

The NCAA has offices in New York, Indianapolis and Washington, D.C., with the majority of the over 400 full-time staff operating out of the Indianapolis office.  The full-time staff of the national office serves on behalf of the membership.  They implement rules and policies established by the membership committees. 

The NCAA national office is counted on to perform several functions and there is a great amount of confusion as to which function is performed by the committees and which is performed by the full-time national office staff. 

The NCAA Rule Book

Many people associate the NCAA with rules, and justifiably so.  However, the people who actually propose new or amended rules work for NCAA member schools and conferences.  These individuals serve on NCAA-sponsored committees charged with voting on new rules and making changes to old rules.  The role of the national office staff is to organize information and provide support to the committee structure to enable to individuals on those committees to make the most informed decisions that are in the best interest of student-athletes and the membership.  No NCAA national office staff member is able to vote in the legislative process when it concerns NCAA rules.   

The Committees

The NCAA governance structure is a hierarchy of over 125 committees that are made up entirely by full-time employees of NCAA member institutions.  To become a committee member, the individual must be nominated by a representative from a membership institution.  Each committee position serves a limited term, depending on the specific committee the nomination is for.  

The committees fall into five categories:

• Association-wide
• Division I
• Division II
• Division III
• Sports and Playing Rules

The reporting lines for the various NCAA committees are illustrated by the NCAA Governance Organization Chart.   

NCAA Headquarters Building

The National Office

The NCAA national office is based in Indianapolis, IN.  Over 400 full-time staff members work out of this office in areas such as:

• Membership Services
• Enforcement
• Governance
• Education Outreach
• Championships
• Broadcasting and Corporate Alliances
• Public and Media Relations
• Research
• Finance and Administrative Services

The Championships

The NCAA national office administers national championships in 23 sports over three different divisions for a total of 88 championships.  Similar to the legislative process, the administration of championships is conducted through the committee structure.   Employees of NCAA member institutions are appointed to serve on these committees and they are responsible for selection of post-season tournament teams and the operation of the various championships.  NCAA national office staff again serves the committees and assist them in the decision-making process.

The Business Side of the NCAA

The NCAA partners with major broadcast networks CBS and ESPN to television NCAA championship events. The NCAA also partners with corporations such as Coca-Cola, AT&T, General Motors, among others, to generate revenue for its members.  The operation of all NCAA events are funded through these partnerships, as well other areas of revenue generation. 

• Broadcasting Agreements
• Corporate Partnerships
• Championship Ticket Sales
• National Office Business Operation
• Membership Dues

The NCAA is classified as a non-profit organization.  While a significant amount of revenue is generated by the aforementioned sources, an average of 95% of all revenue is distributed back to the membership.  The remaining 5% is spent on the operation of the national office.  Over 90% of the NCAA’s operating budget is derived from the NCAA’s broadcasting and corporate agreements.

Week 6 Assignment

This posting is a class project and is intended for my classmates and professor.

Proposed Content:

An informational Web page for a Web site called NCAA.com.  The focus of the Web site is to provide exposure for the National Collegiate Athletic Association.   The informational Web page will provide additional information about the NCAA that is not already covered on NCAA.com. 

Purpose:

To become a destination Web site that will compete with the top sports sites.  NCAA.com focuses on college sports and features content on the NCAA’s 88 championship events in 23 sports.  The site centers around the student-athletes and their experience participating in collegiate sports.  It also highlights NCAA championship events.  

 

Frequency:

This Web site is updated on an as-needed basis that is determined by the outcome of athletic competitions in NCAA-sanctioned sports.  Original content based on student-athlete experiences is also updated as they are written.  

Audience:

• College Educated
• Geographical focus on the United States with some International interactors
• Male and Female
• Affluent
• Sports and News Savvy
• Passionate

Information Challenges of Audience:

• Seek a wide range of information
• Multiple levels of technology.  (Browsers, Internet connection, advanced multimedia content)
• Short attention span

Response to Information Challenges:

This Web site contains content for men’s and women’s sports in three different divisions.  The sports are divided up by fall, winter and spring to help interactors navigate to the information they seek.  

 

The site is designed with limited technology in mind but also provides rich multimedia.  Independent studies performed by Williams Randall Consulting on behalf of the NCAA state that interactors with limited connectivity and older browsers tend to seek more text-based information.  It is determined that the site can employ rich multimedia that is geared toward advanced connectivity and download-required media players based on the audience research indicating a higher level of technological advancement of those seeking audio, video and other forms of advanced new media.  The text-based information resides on the main NCAA.com site and all new media is centered in the multimedia player, which requires a download.  The media player utilizes the Microsoft’s Silverlight web browser plug-in. 

 

Competition:

• ESPN.com
• CBSsports.com
• SI.com
• FoxSports.com

FAQ’s:

• Who won the championship in the different sports last year?
• What are the dates for the championships this year?
• How do I get tickets?
• What is the score of a specific competition?
• What kind of coverage is there for a specific competition?  
• What games are on Television? 
• How can an athlete get a scholarship? 
• What is the NCAA?

Online Content I Plan to Create for NCAA.com:

• Overview of the NCAA
• Detail of the NCAA Championship Structure
• Operations of the NCAA National Office
• The Student-Athlete Experience

Chapter 4 Assignments

This posting is a class project and is intended for my classmates and professor. 

Assignment 1 – Find three examples online of poor headlines used as hyperlinks and provide their solutions (in other words, fix the headlines). Be sure to include the source for each bad headline, including URL, where applicable.

Headline: Memorial Connection
Problem: Vague.  This could be about anything.  Even the newspaper version with the accompanying photo doesn’t help guide the reader to what this is. 
Solution: Bridge connects Geist neighborhoods
Source: Indianapolis Star (IndyStar.com), September 19, 2008
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080919/LOCAL1802/809190341/1197/LOCAL1802

Headline: Hello, Postseason!
Problem: This is a good newspaper headline but does not translate well for the Web.  There is little that signifies what the story is about or what the subject is. 
Solution: Rays make history with first postseason
Source: Tampa Tribune (TampaTribune.com), September 19, 2008
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/sep/21/210022/sp-s-hello-playoffs/

Headline: SW Fla. investors skittish as market does flip-flops
Problem: Awkward. There are too many words.  It appears the author was trying to say this phrase two different ways with the presence of the word “does.”
Solution: Volatile market makes local investors skittish
Source: Ft. Myers News-Press (News-Press.com), September 21, 2008
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080921/BUSINESS/80920036/1075

Assignment 2 – Find at least one article on the Web that you think could be improved by deploying lists. Submit the “before” version and your edited “after” version of the article, or part of the article.

Original Story – http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080921/LIVING09/809210371

Revised Story -  Retailers split over Sunday alcohol sales

Grocers lead push to make first big changes to law since 1973

By Robert King
robert.king@indystar.com
Indiana was once so serious about banning alcohol that the legislature passed the “Bone Dry Act,” which could send people to prison just for owning booze.

Today, one of the lone vestiges of that bygone era is a law that bars Hoosiers from buying a six-pack on Sundays.

Soon, that could be gone, too.

For the first time, grocery stores are leading a push to sell alcohol on Sundays. Their leading advocate for changing the law puts the odds for passage at 50/50. And a key legislator says it is hard to justify keeping grocers, convenience stores and drugstores out of the Sunday alcohol business when restaurants and bars already have the right to sell it.

“If you had no sales on Sundays,” said state Sen. Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, “they might have trouble making an argument.”

Indiana is one of 15 states that still restrict the sale of booze on Sundays. But the high, dry wall that once stood around Sundays began to crumble in 1973, when Indiana first allowed alcohol to be sold by the drink for consumption on the premises of restaurants, bars, hotels and private clubs. Those exceptions grew to include special events, such as Indianapolis Colts games.

Now, the expansion of alcohol’s availability — once described in terms of a scourge or a public pestilence — is discussed mostly in terms of its effects on businesses and its impact on public safety.

Allowed to sell alcohol by the glass on Sundays:

• Restaurants and Bars
• Hotels
• Private Clubs and Special Events

Not allowed and in favor of alcohol sales on Sundays:

• Grocery Store Chains
• Convenience Stores and Gas Stations
• Drug Stores
• Large Liquor Stores that are part of a national chain

Those who are still opposed:

• Church groups who have a moral opposition to alcohol sales on Sunday.
• Small liquor stores that are privately owned.  Sunday is the only day the owners can take off.  They also beleive their Saturday sales would simply spread out over to Sunday instead of increasing overall sales.

Benefits to changing the law:

• Increased revenue for grocery store chains.
• Increased taxes on alcohol for the state.
• Creating a more fair environment for businesses who cannot compete with restaurants and bars for Sunday sales.

Controversy gone
In 1973, when the last major change occurred, newspapers reported that bill sponsors had received only a few dozen calls of opposition. Duvall said he remembers it as a general opposition, rather than a big thrust from churches and other groups. The Indianapolis Star mentioned only an eleventh-hour cry of objection from the Indiana Council of Churches — in the form of letters sent urging the law’s defeat.

Warnings about alcohol are still the written social principles of the United Methodist Church and old preachers such as Hamilton said it remains clear that alcohol abuse damages individuals and families. But he isn’t expecting a large Methodist response to the current alcohol debate.

The same is true with Rogers, who says Baptist pastors are much more focused these days on issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage and property taxes. He hopes Baptist pastors will make some noise, but he fears the alcohol lobbyists will hold the greatest sway.

“We just know this is all greed. This is all about economics, and this is all about votes,” Rogers said. “This has nothing to do with family, with social injustice or what this is going to cost taxpayers to clean up this mess.”

IUPUI’s Bodenhamer said new factors also weigh into the debate. There is the emergence of scientific literature promoting the benefits of alcohol in moderation. And he says there is a new awareness even among conservatives that wine was used prevalently in the Bible.

“My suspicion is that this is a noncontroversial issue when it comes up,” he said. “I think the chances are likely that it will pass, if not this year, then within the next few years.”

Assignment 3 – Re-write the headline for your Chapter 1 writing sample with this chapter to inform your work.

Original Headline:  “Who Really is the Best of All-Time?”
Problem:  The headline shouldn’t be a question.  Also, all time is not hyphenated.  The title is also vague.  It could be about anything with no real connection to the Olympians the story discusses.  

New Headline:  “Historical comparison of 2008 Olympians”

Assignment 4 -
To practice writing to specification, write three different headlines for the following story fragment. Make the first headline eight words and the second six words. For the third headline, provide both a headline and a subhead, a headline of about six words and a subhead of about eight words. Separate the head and the subhead with a colon.

1. China turns food quality argument around on U.S.
2. China, U.S. Spar over food quality
3. China, U.S. spar over food quality: American goods entering China to get closer look

FoxNews.com – A leading web site for the 24-hour news cycle

This is an assignment for my Writing for Digital Media class project.  My intended audience is my professor and classmates. 

FoxNews.com Home Page

THIS IS A FINAL REVISION BASED ON PROFESSOR FEEDBACK ON 11/22/08

Background
FoxNews.com is a cable news network website built for the 24-hour news cycle.  The site deals covers content in business, health, sports, weather, entertainment and science with a primary focus on U.S. and worldwide current events.   The content mainly comes from wire feeds from the Associated Press but also from a staff of full-time writers and contributors.  Content is also generated from the local Fox affiliate news stations in cities throughout the United States.  This site is well organized but it could be improved in some ways. 

Navigation

FoxNews.com uses a horizontal navigation methodology, which has become common on other news sites such as CNN.com, YahooNews.com and WRAL.com.  The navigation bar reads from left to right across the top of the page and allows choices for different subsections to go deeper into the site.  In addition, the navigation includes direct entry points to the Fox News Channel television show content, which generates remediation of the television network on the website.  The main site navigation is designated with a dark blue bar with the secondary navigation to the television content separated with a lighter shade of blue. 

When opening a story page the horizontal navigation shifts to a vertical, right-hand navigation bar.  Further, the navigation is centered on the subsection the story was in.  For example, if the content is listed in the entertainment section, the navigation given would be specific to that section.  The only way to find new content in a different section would be to return to the home page. 

FoxNews.com's Story Page Navigation. The Entertainment Navigation bar runs down the left side.

Recommendation for FoxNews navigation:

1. Keep the navigation used on the homepage consistent throughout the story pages.  If the site is going to utilize the horizontal bar on the home page then that should be a consistent feature throughout the site.   
2. Add links in the subsection navigation to the homepage.  The person interacting with the site may not only be interested in stories in specific subsections.  Allowing easier navigation between those subsections, as well as back to the homepage, should be standard on every story page. 

Page Layouts
The homepage layout is very basic and provides a great deal of white space, which offsets the amount of clutter on the home page.  Each subsection from the navigation bar leads to different page layouts.  The site is missing a sense of unity based on these different designs.  The imbalance in the subsections can make the site  appear to send the user to a new website, especially when the content opens in a new window like the following example of the Business subsection. 

Fox Business Section. The Business link from the main navigation opens a this page in a new browser window.

Recommendation for page layouts:

1. Decide on one page layout and keep that consistent throughout the site.  When the page looks different it could seem that the interactor is on a new site. 
2. Do not open new windows for content that is on the same website.  Opening a new window further leads the interactor to feel as if they went to a new site.
3. Do not have separate websites for content that can be housed on the main site.  Multiple websites confuse your audience.  
   

   Ads On FoxNews.com

    

Site Organization
The FoxNews.com homepage utilizes the three column layout.  The right column is often overlooked because the top two sections are dedicated to advertising.  The ad space seems to be generic banner ads with no relationship with the rest of the page.  

The site makes good use of the middle section with user-generated ranking of content.  The default tab is called Latest News, but there are four tabs that allow people to see other options such as Most Read and Top Videos that are predicated on user interaction. 

Recommendation for site organization:

1. Incorporate the advertisements into the content of the site.  When ads look like commercial billboards they are more likely to be ignored.  Unfortunately, content that surrounds the billboards may get overlooked as well. 
2. Reduce the amount of related links in the three featured stories.  The related links seem to look cluttered and may reduce the separation from other items linked around them.  If there are more than four related links in the bullet points then that should signify the need to break some of them out into another story. 

Consistency
Since most of the content coming into the site is ranked by interactor interaction there is a lack of consistency as to what stories are being presented.  A story dealing with politics can appear next to another that is centered on entertainment. 

Recommendation for consistency:

Group stories together because the Latest News section has very little relevance from one story to the next.  Give the interactor an idea of what type story they are about to read other than the title.

FoxNews.com has a very good foundation and serves the latest news in a reliable fashion.  With some relatively simple enhancements to the navigation, page layout, organization and creating a bit more consistency, the site can become more reliable for its interactors.

Who Really Is the Best of All-Time?

This is a revision of an earlier post for a class project.   My intended audience consists of my classmates but anyone can feel free to comment if they enjoy the content.

For anyone who follows any sporting event, or an individual athlete, it is common to debate whether the current version could be considered that best of all-time.  A great deal of debate is currently taking place with sports fans and analysts saying the 2008 Olympics are producing some of the greatest performances of all time.  The current U.S. Olympic Basketball team is being hailed as the greatest basketball team ever assembled.  Michael Phelps, the United States swimmer, is being called the greatest Olympian of all-time based on his winning more gold medals than anyone before him, in any sport.  Jamaican sprinter, Usain Bolt broke world records in the 100 meter, 200 meter and 4×100 relay.  Is he better than Carl Lewis, who did the same thing in the 1984 Olympics?  Are these really valid questions?

As many people know U.S. Olympic swimmer, Michael Phelps, won 8 gold medals in the 2008 summer games.  The previous record holder, Mark Spitz, won 7 gold medals in the 1972 Olympic Games.  That record was said to be unbreakable.  When Michael Phelps won eight, a new debate ensued to name him the best swimmer of all-time.  Not to be outdone, Mark Spitz was recently quoted on Foxnews.com as saying he would have been able to swim “stride for stride” with Phelps if both swam against each other in their prime.  That statement is indicative of the problem with the idea of trying to debate which would be the best of all-time.  Obviously, there is no way the two could ever race against each other in their prime, so it is left up to discussion with no chance of ever really coming to a conclusion. 

The reality of the situation is that swimmers are faster today than they were in 1972. That’s just a proven fact based on the times they turn in at their events. Is it because the swimsuits are more advanced? That is possible. Are the swimming pools technologically engineered to create less drag? Who knows? Either way, Michael Phelps won eight gold medals and swam his races faster than anyone ever had in the history of the sport. To me, that means he is the greatest swimmer of all-time. In the end, Mark Spitz appeared to come around and applaud the accomplishment of Phelps in an interview with Phelps and Matt Lauer on NBC. Regardless, the debate continues on.

A similar argument is taking place surrounding the 2008 U.S. men’s basketball team. In recent years the United States has proven to be vulnerable to the style of play in international competition, which focuses more on team balance rather than individual athleticism. The professional game in America (the NBA) has become increasingly different than the game being played overseas. The individual nature of the NBA relies more on raw athleticism rather than the balanced team concept employed internationally. Many believe that is why the Americans have struggled recently in a sport they have dominated for so long.

The 2008 U.S. Olympic team has been trumpeted as being a more balanced group and incorporating the team concepts that have been missing during their recent struggles. Now that the team has won the gold medal, the inevitable debate about “best ever” is cropping back up.

The 1992 U.S. Olympic basketball team (also known as the “Dream Team”) was also filled with the greatest American players of that era. At that time, no competitive team had ever been assembled that could rival the star power of the 1992 team. Similarly, the 1992 team never played a close contest and routed each of their opponents, cruising to a gold medal in the Barcelona Olympics. The 2008 version (calling themselves the “Redeem Team”) are also winning by large margins but there is no way to compare the two teams outside of a mere statistical debate. To legitimately declare one greater than the other, they would have to go head-to-head. Similar to the debate between Phelps and Spitz, it is impossible for that to happen.

A final example of the never-ending cycle of this type of debate, although there are countless others that could be mentioned, is that of Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. Bolt rather coolly established world records in three separate events at the 2008 Olympics. He became the first sprinter to win all three events since American Carl Lewis in 1984.

During his career, Carl Lewis was hailed as the greatest sprinter of all-time. He is the last person to win the 100 meter, 200 meter and 4×100 meter gold medal in a single Olympics. By accomplishing that feat, and doing so in world record setting fashion, the argument for Usain Bolt as being the best ever has emerged.

The cyclical nature of sports is the reason people keep coming back year after year and argue who is the best. No matter who wins the gold medal this year, people come back to see if they can win it again or if there is a new person or team who can do it better. It never ends, and that is the beauty of it. Is Michael Phelps the greatest swimmer of all-time? He is until another swimmer comes along and wins more gold medals and sets more world records than he did. Is the 2008 Olympic basketball team the greatest? They are until the next star-studded team comes along and destroys the competition in similar fashion. Usain Bolt it the fastest sprinter ever until someone comes along and breaks his records. It goes on and on because sports fans tend to find excitement in the next great thing. Being able to debate who is, or was, the best is what fuels the passion for what people love about sports. The answer is always in the eye of the beholder.