BTSC Housekeeping
by Michael Bean on Nov 11, 2008 8:35 PM EST
Email
PrintAs always, feel free to drop me a line to say what's up or to share any comments, suggestions, or concerns you may have with regards to the site. Many have teamed up with me to work on collaborative posts. Always looking to get to know new peeps and add to the variety and quality of content posted. I can be reached at behindthesteelcurtain@gmail.com.
Grr. I'd rather write about the quietly stellar season Phillip Rivers is having, but let me get this out of the way before things deteriorate any further. Since we could just be at the edge of the precipice leading to a late season meltdown, thngs could get much uglier in the near future. Hopefully not. Not sure if you read other blogs, but most editors/moderators rule with a much tighter iron fist than me. While moderating the ever growing volume of voices weighing in, I'm of the laissez-faire hands off approach to letting the market (in this instance, individuals and how they're treated by the community) correct itself. So far so good for 3 plus years deploying that approach. I don't want to have to have a change in philosophy. Don't make me y'all. Please. Anyway..there's more after the fold. I could probably end here because I know the message is plain, but if you so choose...
There are varying views on the degree to which QB Ben Roethlisberger is struggling lately. That's good healthy debate. But after some reflection at the end of this contentious day, I decided I unfortunately had to say a few words about feeling strongly about something vs. going overboard in a crusade to try to hammer that point home with others.
I feel dirty even saying such a thing, but It's just that if you want to do nothing but fixate on a particular negative aspect of the team, there are better venues to do so. Seriously, there's a plethora of Steelers blogs and message boards out there. Without naming names, I can confidently say that at least one or two are delineated by non-stop vitriol and disgust with anything and everything. For some people, that's their comfort zone. That's fine. We all turn to the Steelers, the internet, and entertainment in general, for different reasons. Like taste in music, food or women/men, nobody's reasons for how and why they seek diversion are superior. Totally the way it should be and thankfully in today's information and social media age, there's literally something for everyone.
It's not what BTSC is all about though.
For the record, I've thoroughly enjoyed a number of y'alls takes on why Ben needs to sit for a few weeks, and I've enjoyed some opinions on Arians, the OLine, Zeirlein, Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, and on and on. Some posts are more opinion-centric than fact based, but so too are some of mine, and just about every last fanpost has added something to the site. And I hate to name names, but even beerman has had a few moments where he's taken the time to back up his beliefs and make some good points. So basically, even in the toughest of stretches to follow this team, I know it can be done. The right blend of disagreement, passion, etc can be achieved.
The reason I'll make an effort to occassionally write y'all to say thanks for all your help is because I can't count the number of times I've gotten emails from Steelers fans, as well as fans of other teams, praising BTSC for being the most even-handed community they've encountered, with a healthy amount of information and entertainment sprinkled in. I think it's important to note that we try to find the right balance of loyalty and realistic analysis, but come on, this is a freaking fan site, and the last time I checked, being a fan of this franchise puts us in pretty lucky and elite company with a select few other fanbases.
So while I'm fine frustrated outbursts like 'Player X is playing like _____lately', I'm just not so sure I'm cool with 'Player X is a sack of _____, always has been, always will be'. Unless Player X = Ricardo Colclough, the sentiment is too excessive and only leads to tension and bickering amongst what should be a largely unified contingent of football fans. I don't care about Player X's feelings if I knew they happened to be reading. They're grown men with lots of money in the bank. Don't want to hear that retort. It's just that Tom Donahoe and Kevin Colbert and the Rooneys have kept our cupboards fairly stacked for decades and decades. Any player that's been kept around for any prolonged period of time has shown promise in practice and during games to warrant wearing the Black and Gold. It's never all negatives, nor is it ever all positives for any given player or coach.
Frankly, self-regulation has gotten out of hand here, and it's not just any one person this week. We're just another venemous message board right now. Not acceptable.
It's mostly just us here doing our thing, but as was confirmed by none other than the legendary Art Rooney Jr. himself in a recent interview here on the site, there are others who we don't know about watching and judging our discourse and interaction. Some of those eyes are even coming from the North Side headquarters, not to mention from the venture capital firms and individual investors that have bet their own money on BTSC and other SBNation sites to rise above the nonsense that limits the long-term viability of most blogs and message boards. I personally have worked too hard to build this site from absolute scratch. Scores of y'all from ages 16 ( ? High School Steeler, can you drive?) to age 60+ have also played a long-standing role in building and maintaining a brand for the site as thoughtful, even-handed, kind, welcoming to outsiders and offering different opinions, etc. All of that collective effort is why a man of Art Rooney Jr.'s prestige and importance would be willing to take a few moments to speak to us. That flat out doesn't happen if he and others had made their initial impressions of us from this past several days.
Last thing. It's important that BTSC remains a place where one can vent on Sundays and Mondays. Hell, maybe even Tuesdays. And by vent, I don't mean a long fanpost with well thought out sentences and facts to support a frustrated feeling. I'm talking about a place where you can go bonkers really if that's what you need to do to get it off your chest and prepare for the new week of work, family, friends, etc. There was plenty of it on Sunday night and I was cool with it. It usually gets bumped off the main page by the next day, so I don't mind, and I respect how some just want to drop a couple dozen F bombs after a tough loss.
In fact, I got an email from a reader on Monday thanking me for letting him blow off steam here after the game. I'll be honest when I say I was a bit disappointed in some of the excessively reactionary things that this reader had posted, and I wasn't thrilled with so much profanity from not just him, but many of us. But it was confined to a few hours where he felt the need to get it out of his system. Nothing since, yet I am nearly 100% confident that he's been lurking around the site. And he's not a one-trick pony either. His comments and contributions have run the full gamut of emotions.
I think we all get it. Vent. Be frustrated. Yell, curse, do whatever on gamedays. Pine over it the next day with still a frustrated and hopeless outlook. But no longer will we have singular missions to lambast players or coaches in this organization if they are not breaking the law or are giving it their all yet falling short in their performance. In other words, not to individuals who aren't selfishly bringing the team down with them repeatedly. The correct long term personnel choices will be made with this football team, from top to bottom, coaches to players. They have been during nearly 100% of the franchise's history, and they will continue to be made wisely moving forward.
Remember, we're supposedly "thoughtful discussion, with a sense of history." Not lately we're not. But I'm confident we'll get things right and again find the right equilibrium of healthy debate. And I know there can be room for all of us, from the never wavering kumbaya types to the most opinionated of naysayers. Come on. Let's buck this lame ass trend, see where the chips fall the next two months, then reasses the state of the roster and coaching staff this offseason in what I know will be very passionate, entertaining, and informative debates while we await free agency, the draft, training camp, and then finally, another year of Steelers football.
Time to open our minds a bit wider..all of us..and start fresh. We're as sad as our fourth quarter performances against the Giants and Colts lately.
In the words of datruth4life (who likely hasn't joined us with his nuts and bolts approach to the roster because of all the distracting bickering)...
Be blessed Steelers Nation!
40 comments
|
1 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
because i know u have real thick skin robert ethan
Let me mention you as a good example of how we can all fit in. I’ll be honest, sometimes youve frustrated me to no end, but you largely have a good sense of humor, you back off when appropriate, etc. I can’t force you to occasionaly say something positive :) but I appreciate you most times knowing where the line is, particularly lately. Thank you. I know this is very possible to get right without me having to play police. Hate this shit, but like I said, I’ve put too much time and effort into this for free in my spare time to ultimately decide not to keep things clean and fun.
Again, hope ure not offended RE. It was a compliment of sorts and an appropriate example, just didnt wanna write it in the post.
You're right, I don't take the things said here too seriously..
…if I seem negative it’s just that I don’t see much point in responding to a post if I’m in complete agreement with it. That and the fact that it isn’t usually necessary to point out positives on a team fan board.
If it ain’t broke don’t fixate on it, is my motto. So I talk up the problems or mistakes as I see them and leave the compliments to others. On a couple of points at least, I took quite a bit of flak in the past for making suggestions that are now mainstream topics here.
by robert ethan on Nov 12, 2008 2:52 PM EST up reply actions
Five cornerstones of a great fan site
1) Leadership. It is hard for me to fathom any fan site in more energetic and passionate hands than our leader, Blitz. Being recently invited to make occasional contributions, I know from the inside out how much time Bluitz puts into this. All of us owe him a great deal of gratitude. Stop and think about what goes into this site from the top and you will join me in this regard. And let us not forget the lieutenant, CGolden, who is comes off the bench when called upon even though he too is spread too thin with other duties. Those two at the top are what stirs this drink.
2) Quality. When I came aboard a few years ago, I knew much of the peripheral of football, but not the real Xs and Os like I wanted to. Folks like RickVa, Most Violent, 5020, Wolfpack, SteelerArk and Maafala tought me and others alot about the game. They were my EF Huttons. When they talked I listened. Since then many of the newer folks have picked up and added quality to this board. There is no substitute for quality, and there is no better quality than on this particular fan board. I’ve checked them all.
3) Quantity. What magnifies the quality is the number of great posts. They come one after another. Many times I can’t even get my own two cents in because many others beat me to it. That’s a good thing. I am sure that many of you feel exactly the same way. By the time you start reading a post, others have chimed in with all of the relevant points. It is almost as if it is hard sometimes to get your thoughts in just because you went about your life and failed to get in on time. Think about how neat that is.
4) Respect. I love debate. It teaches us that while me may stick to our guns, there are opposing points of view that have merit also. Healthy argument, catharsis and debate are great things, as long as ther are done with class and respect. Emotion and passion are great also, but only when tempered by poise. When I see something on this board that I deem disrespectful, I stop reading. The air is taken out of me. Respect is like quality. There is no substitution for either.
5) Keeping it Clean. I am older than most of you and surely old-fashioned compared to all of you. But I just don’t understand vulgarity. The people I admire the most in this world, and I’ll bet you can say the same, probably do not rely on trash mouth to communicate. Sometimes young people think vulgarity makes them cool, when in fact it does nothing but knock them down a peg. I believe there are people in the Steelers organization and others we don’t know about who like to see what the pulse of the fans are. I also like to think we can attract young people to the site, like my daughter and others. Just like sitting at Heinz Field, you can never stop or control all of it, but I sure do appreciate when it is kept to a minimum.
Thoughtful discussion with a sense of history
to point #5
Appreciate you weighing in Rose. You probably have the most weight in the room when it comes to being rationale.
I sometimes wonder if I make the wrong decision with letting profanity fly. It’s probably wiser to err on the side of caution. If the sites fun, people wont NOT come b/c they cant curse. But the opposite cant be said so confidently.
I will say that I think its spread thin enough not on game days where its not a huge issue. It’s the wild wild west during the games and after, and i’m partly guilty as much as anyone. But I guess I’d like to think that most kids under age 14-16 are off pal-ing around with their friends to not read regularly enough to see some of the bad stuff.
If the vibe from the peanut gallery is that I’m making the wrong choice here, please all let me know and I’ll gladly reconsider.
by Michael Bean on Nov 11, 2008 9:36 PM EST up reply actions
I'm on the prude side of things
Probably not in the mainstream with this point. I just hope the bombs are kept to a minimum so I can feel good about wanting family and friends to see the site. Like the catch-phrase of ESPN, you’re not going to stop it, you can only hope to contain it!
Thoughtful discussion with a sense of history
ok, perhaps it should be kept to game threads only
I myself have trouble tying my tongue in those.
I really don’t think it’s all over the site, certainly not F bombs in posts for no reason, and as I hope is the case, not in fanposts unnecessarily. People get that it doesnt make them look smarter and are usually judicious about it.
by Michael Bean on Nov 11, 2008 9:47 PM EST up reply actions
nah
I think you’re in the mainstream. Question is whether I want to have an iron clad policy thats tedious to enforce and makes me feel like a tool. Just not really my style, until things get out of hand. But when they do, as evidenced by me writing this, I’m willing to step in. So I’ll keep that in mind MR. Thank you.
by Michael Bean on Nov 11, 2008 9:49 PM EST up reply actions
Game threads are similar to game days at Heinz
It’s not choir practice nor should it be. I am not saying we have a problem with profanity, I am just stating my five cornerstones for an ultimate fan site. All five are present with this one, for the most part, which is why it is the best in my opinion.
Thoughtful discussion with a sense of history
for sure
Seriously, many thanks for weighing in and the words of support. Other than Golden, you have the clearest window into seeing the time involved, so I know u are aware of the importance I put in getting feedback and taking time out to sort through things occasionally.
Anyway, as for the other points – quantity, leadership, quality, respect..Not a one man show there. The quantity of fanposts and comments here on Curtain I am pretty sure is unrivalred across the entire network here. Props to y’all. Wish there was way to keep them on the main side bar longer before the next pushes them down, but people can always click through to ‘All Recent Fanposts’ to backtrack to recently written fanposts that arent 1 of the last 10 submitted.
by Michael Bean on Nov 11, 2008 10:04 PM EST up reply actions
Profanity
I don’t mind the occasional cuss-word, and I don’t think they’re the problem. I think the only time it’s a problem is when it’s a directed insult either to one of our contributors or someone associated with the Steelers. If you want to say, “I’m f*ing sick after watching the game this week” fine by me and most people reading a blog. But when that turns into an attack I see it as a problem.
by Chicago Steeler on Nov 12, 2008 10:19 AM EST up reply actions
Fanposts
You can change the number of fanposts that you view on the front page. If you go in your “My Dashboard”, which is the square icon at the top of the page, next to your name and avatar, you’ll get a page with four tabs. Choose Edit Settings, and you will see settings for number of posts on front page, number of fanposts, fanshots, etc.
I found this after the start of the regular season, because traffic picked up so much after the first game, I was missing Fanposts.
by WolfpackSteelersFan on Nov 12, 2008 2:18 PM EST up reply actions
(to point #5) I object to Blitzburgh’s comment on Maryroses weight ; )
This is a lesson for all sites…Thanks for the reinforcement. This is supposed to be fun and positive. People work all day, sit in traffic and this should be a cool place to unwind or healhfuly vent. Thanks.
cheers
Sure u’re a Ravens fan? Sound a little too sane to me :)
by Michael Bean on Nov 12, 2008 3:09 AM EST up reply actions
profanity is completely useless
I wholeheartedly agree. I myself have been recently guilty of it. I rarely curse in life, except when my irish temper gets the better of me. No excuse though.
I feel that I should write so much more...
than a few sentences in reply. I absolutely agree with everything you wrote. I am fairly new to the site and follow it like a hawk. There aren’t too many posts under any given thread that I don’t read. It has actually semi-hindered my work day as much of it is now is dedicated to perusing this site. Keep up the good work. I’m from DC and have turned many-o-steeler-brethren onto this site. If you ever need any help with anything, let me know!
thanks man.
I’ll holler at you one rainy day soon. In seattle, that may mean tomorrow, or the next..or the next..lol.
Actually been beautiful up till like a week ago. Rain is on now though.
by Michael Bean on Nov 12, 2008 3:10 AM EST up reply actions
Animal Farm
I have absolutely no science to support the following comment, but writing on a blog is unlike emotional verbal outbursts where the mind to mouth transmission is so quick that a swear word might leap out unrestrained. In blogging, one has opportunities to maintain foul-mouth free participation. The naturally slower mind to hand to post processing and the preview button are two such opportunites.
The Animal Farm reference? Well, if the book is remembered, the animals took over to escape human rules and behaviors and to establish their own ways. What followed was leadership that changed rules a little bit here and there for convenience. For example, from “animals can’t sleep on beds” to “animals can’t sleep on beds with sheets.” There are numerous reasons not to swear on this blog; those reasons are the children who follow our path. There should be nothing wrong with a rule that says “no swearing” and no blog leader should be concerned about enforcing the rule. From we “really don’t like swearing” to “swearing is okay on Sunday, Monday and some times on Tuesdays” isn’t really good. Do you really want folks to say they like coming to BTSC because they allow us to swear there? Do you really want set the example that swearing is acceptable behavior? Swearing is truly the enemy of “thoughtful discussion” and “level-headed thinking” and where “thoughtful discussion” and “level-headed thinking” exist, there is no need for swearing.
One Of Orwell's Best!
thanks for the title. Think I’m going to go read it again and see if things turn out different for Snowball.
When You Run The Ball Good Things Happen
nope
It was a nice reminder that some people view any profanity in discussion a bit differently. Thats all :)
by Michael Bean on Nov 12, 2008 1:06 PM EST up reply actions
Swearing
Just to add to what tenthmtnman said, I know that I swore a lot more in college than I do now. Partly that’s because I’ve got young kids, and partly it’s just a matter of taking my faith more seriously as I’ve gotten older. My point is not to get into a religious discussion (and break one of your rules ;)), but mainly just to say that your view of profanity will probably change as you hit different stages of life. Or, maybe not, depending on the person. But, when I was 20, I probably would have put in a few F bombs a couple times a week. Now that I’m 35, I try not to. Although I will admit, I let one fly after Ben’s first pick in the 2004 AFCC game, which prompted my wife to tell me I should find a sports bar. Seems funny now looking back. (Not the game, of course)
by WolfpackSteelersFan on Nov 12, 2008 2:34 PM EST up reply actions
A few thoughts
I’m guilty of cussing probably more than anybody else, and I apologize-I’ll try to stop, or at the worst “star-out” what I have to say.
But when I read Blitz’s initial post, one thought came to mind: can you imagine how good our secondary would be if Ricardo had panned out?
Totally useless thought, I know, but at the same time…hoooo buddy!
My thoughts
First off I agree in whole with both Blitz and Rose’s assessments. Some practical points as to what I see.
(obviously I’m not a moderator nor do I have the time or insight to become one, the following are simply my own slightly less then humble opinions :)
1. Let’s keep the fan posts specific to their topics. I like seeing new fanposts, it means a break from my workday. But when I open up a fanpost and it’s exactly the same as the past 3 fanposts, I get annoyed. Blitz did a good job of opening up a main page thread for Doom and Gloom this week. Let’s use it. Don’t override the last 3 fanposts because you want to have your name on the front page again to complain about the same thing.
2. No need for personal attacks, ever. We aren’t face to face, I get that. Nor am I innocent of this point as I get over annoyed sometimes. But what turns me off the most is when we get into personal attacks. I’m seeing more of this all over and it sours my gut.
by Chicago Steeler on Nov 12, 2008 10:36 AM EST reply actions
A thought
Maybe we should have a policy of you can’t register and post in the same day. Other sites have a waiting period between registering on the site and having posting privileges (and it is a privilege). I think that would alleviate many of the ridiculous and reactionary (and drunk) posts immediately after a game.
+1
That’s a very good idea. I click on unknown posters of fanposts often and they tend to be the first post. I think a big bummer is that nowadays a lot of the people who find this site immediately post a fanpost without reading the site first. It’s a good idea to read through the site for a couple of days just to get a feel for it, otherwise your “contributions” are either likely to be stale, annoying, or both.
Here here CHicago Steeler
Nothing makes more sick than the Steeler faithful hurling insults at one another! I know we arent perfect and anytime you get so many different people together there will be diffences in opinions, but it’s unacceptable to get into any long drawn out, insult hurling attacks with each other! IMO, we should all be able to respect each others personal opinions whether we agree or disagree with it! I too get a little hot under the collar and have been guilty lately of going off a bit, but I’m game with playing nicely.LOL! After all, we are all fans of the best organization in sports and I for one am proud of that and got nothing but love for anyone who shares that bond with me.
Why does it seem like...
…this exact discussion happens every couple of months, whenever there’s some minor Steelers-related setback?
How many people caused a scene here last year over some Tomlin-related issue? Now it’s a Ben-related issue. Next year, or later this season, it’ll be something else entirely.
There’s a nice quote on the BTSC homepage:
“Level-headed thinking.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Let’s try and keep it that way.
yea
Just dont like the personal attacks. I have a feeling its not going to be an issue for quite some time after this, even if things get worse for the team. Hopefully.
by Michael Bean on Nov 12, 2008 2:56 PM EST up reply actions
As a “new” poster (but someone who’s been checking the site 5-6 days a week for two years or so), I am totally fine with a “No Swearing Rule.” I think it would serve several purposes:
1. Maintains that ever-important “Level-headed thinking.” Blitz, you have been and should continue to be proud that your site got that compliment. It’s a classy fan site. That’s a big reason why I love it. Let’s keep it that way so we can all be proud too.
2. Keeps the bickering between Steelers fans down a bit. If you can’t fire right back with “That’s f____ing bull____!” then it should help calm down responses and, once again, maintain our “thoughtful discussion.”
3. When we get trolling guys from other teams’ sites, they mostly just want to get a big reaction out of us Steelers fans. If they don’t get the big reactions they want, then maybe they’ll just go back to complaining on their own sites about their perennially mediocre teams with short and meaningless histories.
4. Finally, Blitz, I (obviously) don’t know exactly how much work you put into this site, but judging just how good it is and how great your individual contributions are, I’m guessing it’s a heckuva lot. Thanks for this. We all appreciate it. However, if you make an announcement with a broad-sweeping rule that there will be no words that we wouldn’t say in front of our mothers/kids/wives, then deleting any posts with that kind of language wouldn’t be that much more work. You wouldn’t necessarily be checking the “content” of each post, just checking for foul language. Maybe you could anoint someone else to do it for you. I think we’ll have fewer repeat fanposts whining about similar topics (as most seem to be one time posters using foul language). And anyone who gets their post deleted will learn very quickly the proper etiquette required for this site.
Sorry this is so long. I’ve just been thinking about this for a week now.
thanks man
glad you like the site and thanks for the suggestion.
i have enough evidence now and enough feedback to implement a new swearing rule. Consider it done. When people sign up for new accounts, they will be greeted with that rule. I’m not going to waste any more time writing a new post about this kind of stuff though so we’ll see what happens.
by Michael Bean on Nov 12, 2008 4:05 PM EST up reply actions
I really have no arguments for the pro-swearing rule, but I am very anti-censorship and have always thought that lack of it on BTSC was incredible. I’m clearly in the minority hear though, but since everyone that has commented has pretty much said a swearing rule should be implemented, I just wanted to casually throw in my two cents.
it's just going to be in the greeting for those who sign up in the future
Like I said, enough time spent on this kinda stuff. So no new announcement of a rule. I’m just going to be keeping a closer eye on it and will respond if I start seeing it. Thanks for the input the other way steelguy. Important to me too to not censor. I don’t like telling my elders epsecially, or anyone really, what they can or can not do. So anyway, we’ll see what happens. I don’t expect it to be a big deal. Carry on as normal :)
by Michael Bean on Nov 12, 2008 5:29 PM EST up reply actions
The House That Blitz Built
Remember guys, this is the house that Blitz built. When you’re in another man’s house, you live by his rules. And this is such a nice house and the rules are so simple.
i just want to say, as someone who’s been reading for a couple of months now, that i really REALLY admire this site and the quality of the conversations that occur. i’m not a big fan of the swearing, and so i appreciate Blitz dealing with this with some honesty and vulnerability. it is that kind of leadership that makes this such a great steelers site. my thanks to you, Blitz, not only for your time and energy, but also for your leadership. now let’s get back to talking about the steelers!
...die trying
Just had to add a comment...
I lurk on the site daily and comment only once in a while, but the reason I keep coming back to this site above all others is the intelligent, well-reasoned, respectful comments of Blitz, cgolden, maryrose, all of you really. I am in the rare position of being a wife whose husband hates football, but I was born and bred in the burgh, so he has to put up with me. We have a deal that I get one football game a week and that’s my beloved Steelers. Being biased, he thinks that football fans in general are rude and obnoxious, and has had no love for the sport, but for the past year, I’ve been reading him articles from this site, and it has earned even his respect. In particular, I read him Blitz’s article before the Giants game, giving props to Giants fans, and he was shocked that die-hard fans could be respectful of other teams and other teams’ fans. Since that time, he’s gone from kind of half watching a quarter with me to watching entire games with me. I think some of the credit goes to the hope that BTSC has given him. This is the only site I look forward to reading and I’ve checked out them all. Keep up the great work, go Steelers, and namaste everyone!
- Wendy
And finally (Maybe)
We all like to think that other people will read our posts, no matter how humble. Well, one of the ways that blogs get readers is by linking to other places.
If we want our thoughts to end up on the Sports Illustrated Steelers’ page(as they so often do) we need to do enough self policing so that they can feel “safe” linking to BTSC.
Given current standards for sports reporting, the bar doesn’t have to be too high (did you hear Warren Sapp’s comment on Keyshawn Johnson on Inside the NFL) but at least semi-clean.
by Bob from Virginia on Nov 14, 2008 7:00 AM EST reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
"Thoughtful discussion with a sense of history."
Art Rooney Jr.
"Level-headed thinking." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
