By DOUG FERGUSON, Associated Press

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — Congressional reopened its gates Sunday to thousands of spectators who got what they expected in the AT&T National — another win by Tiger Woods.

by LISA van der POOL
Boston Business Journal

After eight seasons with the Boston Red Sox , Kevin Youkilis, aka "The Greek God of Walks," leaves behind more than a stellar hitting record and chants of "Yoooouk!"

Youkilis – who was dealt to the Chicago White Sox – also leaves a slew of lucrative local sponsorship deals including with car dealership chain Herb Chambers, the New Balance sneakers, Nantucket Nectars and Liberty Bay Credit Union.

Youk's abrupt exit to Chi-town brings up a dicey issue for local companies and the sports stars they ink promotional deals with: What happens to those contracts if a player unexpectedly leaves the team?

According to local marketing executives, most savvy companies will make provisions for such an event in the contract, so the sponsor is not on the hook to continue payments to the athlete – and so that athlete is free to sign on with different brands in their new city.

"In general, every contract is different, but you would have the ability as a sponsor to terminate the contract .¤.¤. in the event of a trade," said Martha Acworth, Salem Five Bank's chief marketing officer. Acworth says companies will also include a clause about terminating a contract if the athlete does something to damage their reputation.

She knows a thing or two about Red Sox player sponsorship deals. In 2008, Salem-based Salem Five inked a multiyear sponsorship deal with Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia.

The bank recently launched three new billboards for Interstate 93 that feature Pedroia with the headline, "Keep cheering, he's listening."

While Youkilis' exit from the team was speedy, in general, he's just the type of star that local companies look to sign deals with, said Acworth.

"Obviously, you're looking for an athlete who has long-term potential," said Acworth. "That's part of the bet you're placing when you select an endorsement .¤.¤. and (companies) have had a nice long run with Youk."

Athletes can make good money through sponsorships, from deals in the low five figures, to six figures, said Chad Caulfield, managing partner at the Boston-based advertising agency MMB.

Caulfield says Youkilis was such a likeable star, he may wind up signing a number of deals in Chicago.

"He's the kind of player who's easy to like," said Caufield. "He may not get anything the first year, but the second or third, if he gets close to where he was, he'll definitely have some opportunities."

June 26, 2012|By John E. McIntyre | The Baltimore Sun

The argument is that there has been a shocking lapse in competence in writing in the workplace. No doubt. There has always been shocking writing in the workplace: jargon, buzzwords, slack writing, pompous writing, disingenuous writing, slipshod writing. For sheer obfuscatory cant it would be hard to beat the statement by Helen Dragas, rector of the University of Virginia, on the firing of the university president.

But that kind of bad writing is not what the Journal article is about. It is about an "epidemic of grammar gaffes." You might think that in the middle of an epidemic there would be some examples to present, but the article has none. It merely quotes people who say there is an epidemic, which we must presumably take on faith, because The Wall Street Journal quotes people saying so.

There is instead a reference to pitched battles over the Oxford comma.* And the article quotes Bryan Garner on examples of 'uneducated English,' such as saying 'I could care less,' instead of 'I couldn't care less,' or, 'He expected Helen and I to help him,' instead of 'Helen and me.' "

The Garner examples are of interest because they display two very different phenomena. Using I instead of me as an object of a verb or preposition is a misguided attempt to be formal, to write posh. Using I could care less** represents a choice to be informal.

And there, with a preference for informality, we have located the burr under The Wall Street Journal's saddle. It's those damn Young People. "Tamara Erickson, an author and consultant on generational issues, [wouldn't you love to have that sweet gig?] says the problem isn't a lack of skill among 20- and 30-somethings. Accustomed to texting and social networking, 'they've developed a new norm,' Ms. Erickson says."

I thought that breezy business exchanges go back as far as Babbitt, and the young were quite able to write badly without the assistance of texting when I was a graduate teaching assistant forty years ago. New forms of slang crop up all the time, but slang is a continuing phenomenon. Fresh examples of uneducated writing crop up all the time, but bad writing in all its forms is a cultural constant. The Internet has not made writing worse; it merely makes it easy to see just how much bad stuff is out there.

Your working assumption whenever you pick up an article on grammar and usage in a newspaper or magazine, then, is that someone is merely furnishing a platform for the peeververein.***

*This is merely a style convention. Use the final comma in a series or not, as it suits you, or as it suits your employer. Even the Associated Press Stylebook says to use the final comma when it's necessary to avoid ambiguity.

**Though not logical, I could care less is always perfectly understood, though I have apparently not been able to persuade Mr. Garner of this. As I remarked in a different context, English ain't algebra. 

***Jonathon Owen was tickled by this coinage, and I've resolved to include it in the working vocabulary.

This undated photo provided by the Auburn Police Division shows Desmonte Leonard, Auburn shooting suspect.

(Credit: AP Photo/Auburn Police Division)

(CBS/AP) OPELIKA, Ala. - An attorney for Desmonte Leonard, the Montgomery man accused of killing three people in a shooting at a party near Auburn University, said Thursday she will ask that his trial be held outside of Lee County, where the school is located. 

Pictures: Auburn shooting suspect surrenders

Hundreds of those hit hard by the shootings that killed two former football players gathered on a campus lawn later in the day for a candlelight vigil for all three victims. The first candle was lit by Auburn player Eric Mack, who was wounded in the shooting. He was joined by many of his teammates.

Earlier in the day, attorney Susan James said she was worried it would be difficult for Desmonte Leonard, 22, to receive a fair trial in Lee County because Auburn players were shot.

"We need to get the trial out of Lee County. There's so much interest in that there" James said.

James was one of three attorneys appointed to represent Leonard when he said he couldn't pay for his defense. Leonard faces three counts of capital murder and two assault charges in the shootings that apparently occurred after a fight over a woman.

He is being held without bond.

James helped Leonard turn himself in Tuesday after an intense three-day manhunt. She said she picked him up at an undisclosed location about 50 miles from Montgomery. She said she and Leonard talked on the way back to Montgomery, but she could not disclose much of what they talked about because of attorney-client privilege.

"He told us his side of the story," she said. "He said `people that know me know how I am."'

At his hearing, Leonard wore blue jeans and a black T-shirt. He was shackled at his hands and feet during the brief appearance.

"Do you understand the charges against you?" Lee County District Judge Russell Bush said.

"Yes sir," Leonard said.

There were several dozen spectators in the courtroom including a group that appeared to be Leonard's family and friends.

Killed were former Auburn players Edward Christian, who had to quit the team because of a lingering back injury and Ladarious Phillips, who was transferring to Jacksonville State to play. Also slain was Demario Pitts, 20. Phillips' mother wrote a letter that was read aloud at the vigil.

Mack and Xavier Moss were both treated and released from a hospital. The third person hurt, John Robertson, was in the hospital with a gunshot wound to the head.

At the vigil, student organizer and former softball player Morgan Murphy said emotions were raw.

"We would have never guessed that anything like this would happen," said Murphy. "People are in a delicate state."

The players wrapped up the vigil by going on stage to sing "Lean On Me," which the team usually does after a win.

Leonard was taken Thursday from the Montgomery County Jail to Opelika for the hearing, but James said he will be taken back to Montgomery. She said he feels safer in the Montgomery lockup.

Auburn University spokesman Mike Clardy said there will be a candlelight vigil on the lawn of Samford Hall at 8 p.m. Thursday.

Meanwhile, a teenager accused of hindering prosecution in the Leonard case pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a separate case in Montgomery.

Jeremy Thomas, 18, pleaded guilty Wednesday in the 2011 shooting death of a 14-year-old girl in Montgomery, Chief Deputy District Attorney Daryl Bailey said.

He is scheduled for sentencing July 12.

Complete coverage of Desmonte Leonard on Crimesider

Tim Tebow ranked No. 2 among famous athletes that women would most like to cheat on their husbands with, according to a poll by AshleyMadison.com.

Tebow, the New York Jets' 24-year-old backup quarterback, finished No. 1 overall among NFL stars, finishing ahead of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

I don't know why anyone would be shocked that a rich, handsome young athlete like Tebow would rank No. 1 among NFL stars on this poll.

Tebow, who stands 6-foot-3, has a muscular 250-pound frame to go along with his strong Christian values and wonderful commitment to charity work. By all accounts, he's the perfect gentleman.

The results of the poll shouldn't surprise anyone. The only thing that people should be shocked at is the premise of the poll itself.

A Steamy Concept

Instead of asking 13,500 women which famous athletes they would cheat on their husbands with, the poll could have easily been a ranking of the top ten most handsome or highest-earning athletes in the world.

AshleyMadison.com was clearly just trying to cause a stir to generate a little buzz around their website, as a list of the top ten most handsome or highest-earning athletes wouldn't have been quite as juicy.

Taking another look at the list of the top ten, which included David Beckham, Tebow, Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Cristiano Ronaldo, Michael Phelps, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Kelly Slater, I wonder how many would have made a list of the top ten most handsome or highest-earning athletes.

Looking further into the matter, Forbes.com reports that David Beckham is the No. 8 highest-earning athlete with a $9 million salary and $36 in endorsements. Ronaldo is No. 9 among highest-earners with $42.5 million in total earnings, and Peyton Manning ranks No. 10 on Forbes' list with a cool $42.4 million in total earnings.

Forbes' poll didn't receive as much attention because it's not as scandalous as a list of athletes that women would cheat on their husbands with, but most of the same names are on both polls.

Physical Appearance vs Emotions

The premise for AshleyMadison.com's poll was ridiculous because the women asked don't know these athletes on a personal level. All they have to go on is their physical appearance and how they are presented in the media.

The decision to cheat on someone has a lot more to do with emotions and attachment than it does about purely being attracted to someone.

It's easy to say athletes with higher incomes and better physical appearances would be the top candidates to rank high on the AshleyMadison.com poll, but not knowing someone on a personal level would make it tough to actually judge whether infidelity would come into play.

Eric Holden is a lifelong New York Jets fan and Tim Tebow supporter. Follow him on Twitter @ericholden.

& & WASHINGTON — While schools across the country are letting out this week, class is in session on the National Mall. That is where the College Board set up 857 student desks in the blazing sun Tuesday.&

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   & Other political news of note&

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   1. & & & & & Health care decision continues to reverberate& & & &

      & & & First Read: Supreme Court's decision to uphold law gets Republicans on the offensive but the issue could cut both ways going forward.& & &

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   2. & & & & & Pelosi: GOP mouthpiece for health insurers& & & &
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   3. & & & & & NYT: Youngest voters shed image as Obama's army& & & &
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   4. & & & & & Gov. Scott: Florida won't comply on health care& & & &
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   5. & & & & & Rubio book tour, but no White House campaign - yet& & & &
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The empty desks — one for each student who drops out each hour of every school day, according to the College Board — are part of its "Don't Forget Ed!" campaign. For the launch Wednesday, College Board representatives including college-aged students will circle the seats on the Mall, asking passersby to sign petitions urging the presidential candidates to say more about education reform.

One of those students is Merone Tesfaye, 18, who will attend the University of Wisconsin in the fall.

"This is supposed to be the land of opportunity, and most people don't pursue a secondary education, because they can't afford it," said Tesfaye, who will take the train from New York City to Washington, D.C., to help kick off the campaign.

The number of desks is derived from a statistic reported by Education Week in 2007 saying that 1.2 million students drop out every year.

The campaign is the College Board's first venture into the world of politics, though its vice president of communications, Peter Kauffmann, assured that they are not endorsing any candidates.

"Really, this is about rallying the American public," Kauffmann said.

In addition to the desk demonstration, College Board will run an advertisement in the New York Times promoting its message.

The ad asserts that the education system in America is "crumbling," the same word President Barack Obama used on Thursday to describe schools in a speech on the economy in Cleveland.

Obama referenced education 28 times in that speech, but the issue was overshadowed by talk of job creation, taxes and the economy.

"Now's the time to move forward and make sure we have the best-educated, best-trained workers in the world," Obama said.

In a speech to the Latino Coalition in Washington, D.C., in May, Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney said the country was in "a national education emergency."

"The only reason we don't hear more about it is because our economic troubles have taken our national attention away from the classroom," Romney said. "But if unemployment was where it should be and home values were going up, there is no question that the crisis in American education would be the great cause of this campaign."

Both Obama and Romney have said they support maintaining the current low interest rate on federal student loans. The rate for new loans is scheduled to double on July 1 unless Congress takes action.

Tom Loveless, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said education has not been an issue of interest to voters on the national level since the 2000 race between George W. Bush and Al Gore, and he does not expect that to change this year, mainly because of the small role the federal government plays in determining education policy.

Loveless said both candidates are likely to stay away from the education issue, because deep divisions within their parties mean taking a stand could lose support.

In the Republican Party, some conservatives back what Loveless called "school accountability." That is the idea that schools should receive praise for demonstrated academic success and face penalties for poor performance. For example, a conservative Wisconsin-based think tank published a study in January proposing that compensation for teachers be based on a school's ability to meet measurable objectives.

But to win over conservatives a potential president must "reduce the federal role as much as possible," according to Lindsey Burke, education fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

The only place for the federal government in education, Burke said, is the D.C. school-choice voucher program, which the Obama administration agreed to fund for another year on Monday.

Burke said even liberals agree that the federal government should move away from far-reaching programs like No Child Left Behind.

"Where we see a difference is what we do moving forward," Burke said.

Though Burke wanted to see Washington moving out of education, she had no problem with candidates speaking about their plans for it.

On the subject of education she advocated "as much public discourse as possible."

The Don't Forget Ed! campaign will also include a public service advertisement, disbursement of stickers and postcards, a website and a social media push.

The College Board is an association with members representing more than 6,000 educational organizations. It offers standardized tests like the SATs, among other educational services.

MINERAL WELLS, Texas -- Veterans in a town in north Texas are outraged over a new ordinance in Mineral Wells regulating flags at gravesites.

It bans flags from being places at the graves of veterans, except for the two weeks around Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

The ordinance also includes items like teddy bears and statues, saying they must be removed 21 days after the funeral. No flowers are allowed at graves unless they're in a vase.

It has a lot of people upset, including a man whose father is buried at a city cemetery there.

"When a veteran tells you they love the flag more than life itself, they mean it. I want the cemetery to look nice. I had statues as you can see and I have removed them. The only thing I won't remove is that flag because he earned it," said Robert Veach.

It's not clear why the city council passed the ordinance except that the items make mowing more difficult.

After all the criticism, the council says it will reconsider the ban.