Re: QED & Marshall McLuhan

At 10:07 AM 6/8/1999 -0700, Kelly Ford wrote:
>Hi All,
>B. How this story should be written or encoded for folks with cognitive
>disorders or learning disabilities.
>
>Original URL: http://www.jsonline.com/packer/news/jun99/packers08060799.asp 

Kelly,

	Went to the site to see what graphics were included with the story and
found none. Not even a Packer's helmet or a football (the Packers is a
football team, isn't it?? I'm totally sports-phobic except for Winston Cup
auto racing) to clue the reader who or what the story is about. A quick
scan of the page indicates the story is a series of bits of financial data
all of which have standard graphic representations already (ask your
sighted friend to describe the information provided in charts on stock
market information pages). This whole article is a textualization of data
normally presented in numerical or graphical format, with an occasional
descriptive sentence or someone's words thrown in for color. The quotes
would be better handled as quotes, with a recording of the person speaking
or a video of same. Personally, I've no clue whether having the oldest
stadium in the league is good or bad ... and I lean towards preserving
historic sites, and against wasting tax money on new stadiums ... so I've
no idea how to make those parts of the article comprehensible. Perhaps a
'ball fan can help on that. 

	But the financial data can be presented in graphs, line graphs, circle
graphs, whatever, with text limited to the titles, and the labels around
and on the graph/s. 

	The readability of the article seems typical of most newspapers, somewhere
around 5/6th level. The statistical information is in two line paragraphs,
which increases readability. I would have no suggestions to reduce the
readability of the text, but I would recommending at least enough
graphics/multimedia for the reader to know what sport and team was being
discussed! (Curiously, I didn't find the sport mentioned in the text
either, but the full team name was given.) 

	As to the www.peepo site, I've been to it several times, and discover more
each time I go. I have learned to remember some of the symbols for the
links I've followed, but I have to "work at" comprehending that site, as,
I'm sure, some people "work at" comprehending sites I find easy to use. I
agree it would be easier to use the site if the symbols were larger. 

				Anne

	

					



	
	
	

	




>
>
>Cash reserves are low, Packers say
>By D. Orlando Ledbetter
>of the Journal Sentinel staff
>Last Updated: June 7, 1999
>Green Bay - The Green Bay Packers sent their annual financial report - a
>report that clearly states the franchise has some serious cash flow
>problems - to their shareholders on Monday.
>
>The franchise has been focusing on replenishing its cash reserves over the
>last four to five years.
>
>"What happened this year is we had a really dramatic economic reality
>check," said John R. Underwood, the Packers' treasurer and executive
>committee member. "The reality is that signing bonuses have become a bigger
>part of this business. During the fiscal year, this organization paid out
>$32.6 million in signing bonuses."
>
>The Packers had a negative cash flow of $154,000 for their 1998-'99 fiscal
>year, which ended on March 31. The sum would have been substantially higher
>had not the franchise received a one-time franchise fee payment from the
>Cleveland Browns of $16.78 million.
>
>After paying the taxes on the Cleveland payment, the Packers pocketed $10.6
>million. If they didn't receive the payment, they would have had a $10.754
>million negative cash flow and may have had to use their line of credit or
>dip into their reserves.
>
>The Packers have cash reserves of $52.4 million, but $20.6 million of that
>is restricted for facilities from their recent stock sale.
>
>"The real challenge is that we are going to find other sources of revenues
>where we can continue to build our cash reserves," Underwood said. "That's
>really our challenge. We intend to continue to win and we will.
>
>"But in order to do that, we still have to keep building our cash reserves
>so that we've got the cash and we can use it to pay the players, to build a
>team and continue to win."
>
>Among the initiatives to create more revenue streams, the Packers - who
>have already announced ticket and parking increases for next season - plan
>to have some reserve seating for their training camp practices, rent out
>the Don Hutson Center for pre-game parties and sell tickets to their Aug. 7
>practice inside of Lambeau Field.
>
>"If you purchase a Lambeau Field tour or a Hall of Fame tour, you can as
>part of your tour package get a reserve seat," said John Jones, the
>Packers' senior vice president of administration. "A family of four driving
>in from anywhere in the state or from outside the state, any fan coming
>from a long distance can purchase in advance his tour of Lambeau and then
>know that he'd have a place for him and his family to sit and watch
>practice for that morning or afternoon."
>
>The Packers also plan to restructure the pricing of their boxes and luxury
>suites for the 2001 season.
>
>In existing stadiums around the league, the average price for boxes/suites
>is $60,000. In the new stadiums,it's $76,000. The Packers average price is
>$30,000.
>
>"That's going to be an area that's going to get a lot of analysis," Jones
>said. "We'll look at it and try to move us closer to the league averages."
>
>The Packers say they'll take extreme care as to not price their fans out of
>the stadium.
>
>"We have to be cognizant of who our customers are," Underwood said. "At the
>same time we have to be competitive."
>
>Over the last three years, the Packers ranked 11th, ninth and 15th in
>overall revenue in the National Football League.
>
>"That's probably where we are going to settle in, somewhere in the middle
>of the pack or even lower," Underwood said.
>
>The Packers are basically trying to fill the economic void until they make
>a decision about how to settle their stadium situation. Since 1990, 21 of
>the 31 teams have either built a new stadium, renovated their stadium or
>have plans in place to build a stadium.
>
>"If we don't do anything, our rank within the league is going to continue
>to erode," Underwood said. "We can't permit that to happen. We have to
>continue to do everything that we can to have the financial resources to
>get the players signed so that we can continue to win."
>
>Jones points to the AFC Central, where Jacksonville's four-year old stadium
>will be the oldest in that division in three years after Pittsburgh and
>Cincinnati complete their stadiums. Cleveland and Tennessee open new
>stadiums this season.
>
>In the NFC Central, Lambeau Field and Soldier Field are the oldest
>stadiums. Tampa Bay opened its new stadium last season and Detroit has its
>stadium plan approved.
>
>The Packers, when it became clear that public funding would not be
>available, put their $75 million plan to renovate Lambeau Field on the
>back-burner.
>
>Stadium projects for Philadelphia, Denver and New England were approved at
>the last owner's meeting. Kansas City, reportedly, is also looking at
>renovating Arrowhead Stadium.
>
>
>
Anne L. Pemberton
http://www.pen.k12.va.us/Pav/Academy1
http://www.erols.com/stevepem/apembert
apembert@crosslink.net
Enabling Support Foundation
http://www.enabling.org

Received on Tuesday, 8 June 1999 21:42:43 UTC