Editor's Preface

I'm honored and excited to become the editor of the Journal of Sports Media. I thank the former editors, Brad Schultz and Howard Schlossberg, for their dedication and hard work in making JSM a success. I will do my best to live up to the challenge.

JSM continues to publish cutting-edge sports media research. Submissions to the journal are on the rise and come from all over the globe, indicating a growth in sports media scholarship. In fact, included in the current issue is an article from New Zealand on the effects of the broadcast medium on commentary genres in the rugby union lineout by Koenraad Kuiper and Robyn Lewis of the University of Canterbury. Kim Bissell of University of Alabama and Lauren Reichart Smith of Auburn analyze verbal and visual coverage of women's beach volleyball in the 2008 Olympic Games. Lastly, Brody Ruihley of the University of Cincinnati and Robin Hardin of the University of Tennessee add to their scholarly research on fantasy sports with their article on meeting the needs of the fantasy sport user.

Keith Cannon, a freelance sports reporter and faculty member at Wingate University, provides a critique of Harvey Araton's book When the Garden Was Eden, which analyzes the glory years of one of basketball's founding franchises (the New York Knicks).

As in the past, JSM is working with the Broadcast Educations Association (BEA) on some cross promotion. BEA members can still receive a 20% discount ($44 instead of $50 for individual subscription). I'm also excited to report that JSM is currently in talks with the Association for Educators in Journalism and Mass Communication's (AEJMC) Sports Interest Group for cross-promotional purposes, and to extend a 20% subscription discount to its members.

On some other news, I'm excited to announce that JSM has moved to an all online submission and review process. This move streamlines the process, which will make things easier for all involved.

Information regarding subscriptions is located at the University of Nebraska Press, http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/product/Journal-of-Sports-Media,673232.aspx. You can now follow JSM on Twitter @JrnlSportsMedia—please free to tweet and retweet. You can contact me directly (sheffer6@yahoo.com) if you have something you'd like to publicize—whether it is a call for papers or self-promotion.

I extend my sincere gratitude to the following people who helped me tremendously by reviewing papers for this issue:

• Vince Benigni, College of Charleston

• Ron Bishop, Drexel University

• John Carvalho, Auburn University

• Bryan Denham, Clemson University

• Steve Dittmore, University of Arkansas

• Linda Fuller, Worchester State University

• John Harris, Glasgow Caledonian University

• Herman Howard, Johnson C. Smith University

• Jeff Kassing, Arizona State University

• Jim Pokrywczynski, Marquette University

• Scott Reinardy, Kansas State University

• Brad Schultz, University of Mississippi

• Bob Trumpbour, Pennsylvania State University-Altoona