Fan Mail:
You Whine Back!

As our readers are well aware, SportsHollywood consists of jokes and jabs at everyone in sports, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual preference, religion, or anything else. But, since it is OUR newsletter, it is always possible that we may lean one way or the other on the odd occasion. That said, we always hope that people keep in mind that what we do is intended to be HUMOROUS, and that if you can't take the heat- then UNSUBSCRIBE! However, knowing we are not perfect, we also read our reader response and take it very seriously. So without further ado, we invite you to read the following correspondence between a subscriber, and various members of our staff:

Initial complaint letter sent to various members of the Sportshollywood staff:

Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2001
Subject: I will never understand...
From: "Kristie Marshall"

August 20th, 2001

I really do not understand why people make the comments they do. What you or whomever wrote in your last email newsletter was completely ignorant, as well as entirely degrading. Why must you pick on, in such a ridiculous manner, the one professional sport that women, real women, have to watch and care for? I have been a recipient of your newsletter for quite sometime now, but this morning I canceled my association because of the comments I read in your last release dated Friday, August 17, 2001.

We do not need a rib from Jordan to create a star. We have plenty of incredible stars that we are dieing to get our eyes on every season, regardless of what you or anyone else thinks. Judging by your comments, I'm sure your making some type of sexual preferences joke about my character, since I seem to be and am such a devout fan of the WNBA, but let me reassure you, even though it makes no difference whatsoever, I am most certainly on the straight and narrow, and would much prefer to see Yolanda Griffith on the cover of Sports Illustrated instead of Anna Kournikova, since I thought it was a magazine designed for pro sports, not sports modeling.

I am a real woman, a real business woman, whom knows a good thing when I see it, whom works overtime to eliminate boredom caused by the women's Pro ball off-season. Because of your comments I don't suspect that you Will care anything for this email, but that's not why I'm writing this. I'm writing because I believe in something and have no problem letting people know. I'm defending what is important to me, because I'm not going to sit around all day waiting for someone else to.

I understand you thought you had a funny, and you might have someone laughing, but realize, you've lost someone today, someone who will be sure to send this letter to those on my press release mailing list, as I'll get my reassurance, knowing without a doubt, there will be many people in my constituency who will not be laughing.

Ever Sincerely,
KGB Marshall

The following is an exert from your (www.sportshollywood.com) Newsletter, (08/17/01).

NBA - Michael Jordan's personal trainer...Tim Grover, who has worked with Jordan for the past 12 years, says he thinks missing a month of conditioning due to two cracked ribs makes it unlikely his 38-year-old client will be fit enough to launch a comeback...

... Too bad you can't take the rib out and create a star for the WNBA?

BASKETBALL - Stephanie Ready became the first woman to coach a men's professional team when she was appointed Wednesday as an assistant on the Greenville Groove of the new National Basketball Developmental League...

... She says she's proud to be a minor league coach, but would one day like to coach the REAL men - you know, the WNBA...

In all fairness, and always looking to have an open forum for discussion, our editor and President Rodney Lee responded:

Rodney's response #1

Kristie;

How about you writing a column for us? Wouldn't that be better than running off in a snit? I'll print it.

Rodney
SportsHollywood

So...

Well, that didn't go over too well, as the insults started flyin'… From:'Kristie Marshall'
Subject: RE: I will never understand...
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2001

CONCERNING YOUR NEWSLETTER,(08/17/01).

[NBA - Michael Jordan's personal trainer...Tim Grover, who has worked with...] I too am highly concerned by this attitude toward women in sports.

You should consider the millions of children you effect when you criticize a league is such a way. If you have any young girls in your life, daughters, nieces, cousins...granddaughters, you should realize you have the power to use your position to elevate their sense of security and personal power. Maybe take a look at the FUTURE instead of thinking about how ignorantly funny you can make yourself today.

What, do you hate your mother too?

Okay, that's it… Rodney's response #2

oh please. you bring my mom into it? you just lost your credibility and my offer to run your column. I have over 300,000 people that read the newsletter, but since you're a prick with the mom comment, you can forget it.

ps: blow me

A touch heavy handed, perhaps. But she did bring RL's mom into it… Meanwhile, the same complaint/response letters were also sent to every Sportshollywood contact address, including Office Goddess, Melissa Jones. Her response? (Keeping in mind that Melissa works for Rodney)…

Khimmberly,

My name is Melissa Jones, and I am Vice-President of Sportshollywood.com, and am in charge of advertising and promotion.

Your letter, along with our editor's inappropriate response, has been forwarded to our president, with a personal recommendation for his dismissal and/or resignation.

We do not condone behavior of this type.

Thank you for your vigilance.

Melissa Jones
Vice-President
Sportshollywood.com

cc:president@sportshollywood.com (Rodney)

Now the plot thickens as we think we are wrapping this up...

From: "Maarshall"
Subject: RE: I will never understand...
Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2001

I truely thank you for your concern. And hope that in the future the writters take into account the power of their works.

Yet my intension was not to force such strong disiplinary action. I Only wanted the writer to understand that because many people read this column a bit of fairness toward the subject matter needs to be addressed. To encourage the writer against making degrading remarks for the sole purpose of a cheap joke. Inspire. Not Destroy.

Again thank you for your concern in this matter,

Khimmberly

Fine. We could let the matter rest here...but oh no, it had to go one step further...

Date: Tue, 21 Aug
Subject: FW: I will never understand...
From: "Kristie Marshall"

Melissa,

This is KGB Marshall, I was the original person with the complaint regarding the comments that were published in your last email newsletter regarding the WNBA. At the end of this message you will find the original email of which I wrote to Rodney. This situation has gone way over the edge, and I must say that Rodney's behavior is completely sickening, and I would hope for the sake of your organization that you do something about him. But I must return to my original issue. I'm asking that someone, be it from our organization or yours, write appropriate and respectful comments about these women who are doing one hell of a job in this brand new major league. I'm hoping that you will do this, and give these women the respect they deserve. Will this be done?!? That's all we ask. Will this be done?!?

Again sincerely,
KGB Marshall

Sooo...since we get the final word...

August 24, 2001

Dear KGB-

Your complaints have already resulted in the dismissal of a writer we have had for over three years.

But now, you are asking, demanding actually, to be the arbiter of our content, and have us relinquish our first amendment rights.

Now I know how you got your name, KGB.

Thanks for your concern, comrade.

Quickly we received a response:

Sat, 25 Aug 2001 13:14:52 -0700
Subject: Re(2): FW: I will never understand...
From: "Kristie Marshall"

I've grown tired, and this is the end. All we are asking is that some kind of apology flows through your newsletter or that you actually cover the Women's League as you do other professional leagues. It is not right that you make fun of them but do not cover them. Don't you see how this creates bad imagery on them?!? I'm sorry I thought you were female.

The reason I offered our assistance was because it's obvious that no one on your staff watches women's ball. If you wanted assistance we would have offered that to you, as we do others, as your original co-president Rodney Lee asked for at one point, before he requested help with his sexual life. I'm not demanding we be a part of anything. You are not reading correctly.

And I do not appreciate the comments about my name, which stop here.

I ask two things, when you got your promotion, and why you email is from a yahoo address.

It's obvious you or anyone from your organization are not going to do anything about these comments and this must all be very amusing to you. Everyone on this side of the fence is extremely bored, so I believe we're down here.

KGB Marshall

...Then...

Sat, 25 Aug 2001 14:12:32 -0700
Subject: Re(3): FW: I will never understand...
From: "Kristie Marshall"

Excuse me, I believe we're done here.

- KGB Marshall

So...

Dear KGB:

You may be done on that side, but believe me, we are not done over here. As we speak, heads are rolling, people are being thrown out of office windows, and my pet iguana has moved in with the cat.

So where everything is peachy in your life, I hope you're happy for the chaos you've injected- shall I say, "incited" over here.

Signed,
CIA

P.S. Are you nuts? Do you really think we fired the writer? He owns this stupid company!

Mon, 27 Aug 2001 17:58:15 -0700
Subject: Re(2): Re(3): FW: I will never understand...
From: "Kristie Marshall"

We're done! Please do not send anymore. You've shown who you are, and we've seen enough.

- KGB Marshall

From RL:

Hey! You got mentioned in the latest issue of Sportshollywood!

Wed, 29 Aug 2001 13:34:12 -0700
Re(2): Re(2): Re(3): FW: I will never understand...
From: "Kristie Marshall"

That's amusing, since I no longer have a subscription. I can just imagine what you've said.

The End,
KGB Marshall

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