FAQ/Help

What is Bleacher Report?

Bleacher Report is an Open Source Sports Network committed to preempting the top-down approach of mainstream media outlets.

New technologies have greatly expanded the availability of sports information on the Internet—and now more than ever, the tools of sports punditry are at the disposal of the masses. Bleacher Report aims to empower the most hardcore of experts—the fans—who would otherwise be shut out of the mainstream debate.

By pooling the passion and expertise of a wide contributor base, Bleacher Report channels a mix of in-depth local coverage and breaking national news. This isn’t just any online sports site; with its professional standards and collaborative culture, Bleacher Report gives writers and photographers the resources they need to reach an audience of millions.

In the decentralized world of the sports blogosphere, creators who aren't plugged into the mainstream struggle to get their voices heard. Bleacher Report is the vehicle by which isolated experts can bring their work to a global stage.

What is an Open Source Sports Network?

An open source system is one in which the tools to create, refine, and review content are available to all members, regardless of rank or experience.

The only barriers to entry at Bleacher Report are literacy and sports knowledge. If you’ve got the goods to write, edit, or otherwise contribute to the network—you can.

A sports network is exactly what it sounds like: a network devoted to the sports world. The stated goal of Bleacher Report is to provide in-depth coverage, opinion, and analysis on everything and anything that matters in sports.

It's why we’re here. It's what we do.

Bleacher Report is an ever-evolving organism—not a walled corporate garden. The site’s content is a direct reflection of the interests of the writers, editors, and other key contributors who comprise the network.

Bleacher Report can and will cover all the sports terrain it has access to. The only limit is you.

What are the core values of Bleacher Report?

• Openness

  Bleacher Report is an open forum, conceived and sustained without bias or agendas. All opinions are welcome.

• Freedom

  Bleacher Report gives you the freedom to write what you want to write—and to defend your opinions passionately in the face of disagreement.

• Honesty

  Honest debate is the lifeblood of Bleacher Report. If you have something to say, say it. There’s no need to apologize for speaking your mind.

Who started this?

Four obsessed sports fans from the Bay Area, who saw with their own eyes just how many independent sports experts and analysts there were on the Internet.

Bryan, Dave, Dave, and Zander looked for a way to pool the talents of these experts in a sports network capable of reaching a mainstream audience. With the help of a loyal contributor base, Bleacher Report was born.

Who is allowed to write articles on Bleacher Report?

Bleacher Report is an open source network, meaning that all members of the community are encouraged to write articles as they see fit.

How do I write an article?

Click “write” on the upper right hand menu bar from any page. Then:

1. Give your article a headline.
2. Place the text of the article in the field titled "Article."
3. Click "Insert a Photo" and choose an appropriate photo from the network's library for your article. If you can't find a photo to fit your article, consider uploading your own!
4. Come up with a brief intro and place it in the field titled "Teaser."

After you have filled out the "Headline," "Article," and "Teaser" fields and added an appropriate photo, click the "continue" button at the bottom of the screen.

It's now time to look over your article one final time and add appropriate tags. (hyperlink) After you're finished with this, click the "Submit Article" button at the bottom of the page.

Your article is now published; you will be provided with a link to locate your piece on the network.

What should I write my article about?

Community members are encouraged to pursue a variety of goals in writing their pieces. Popular themes for articles include, but are not limited to:

1. Game recap: How did your favorite (or least favorite) player/team perform in a given game? What do you feel explains the nature of their performance? What does it indicate about the season as a whole?
2. Player/team analysis: What should your favorite (or least favorite) player/team do in order to improve? What explains their current and past performance?
3. Personal take on player/team: Why is it that you like/dislike a particular team or player? Feel free to discuss both on-field performance and off field antics or traditions.
4. Speculative/Predictive pieces: How will a given team (or teams in a particular division/league) perform this season? Who will that team select in an upcoming draft? Why or why not may a team decide to trade their star player?
5. Historical comparison/nostalgic pieces: How is the game played differently today as compared to the past? What about the way the game is played today is worse/better than before? How should a particular player/team from the past be remembered? How do players of the past stack up to today’s players?
6. Contemporary issues in sport: How do modern issues in sports reflect upon society in general, or vice versa? What is your take on that issue?

Authors are also encouraged to write satires, mock interviews, biographies, tributes, book reviews, poems, or just about anything else you can think of.

Any piece that is creative and original will most likely have an audience—don’t hold back! If you’re not sure whether or not your articles “belongs” on the network, rest assured: there is a home for every kind of sports article at Bleacher Report.

How long should my article be?

As long as it needs to be—there are no word minimums or limits. If your article is on the longer side, you may want to consider submitting it in separate chunks (i.e. Part 1/Part 2).

Can authors co-write articles?

As an open source community, Bleacher Report encourages co-authorship. Our staff is working diligently to implement various ways for authors to co-write articles.

What happens after I publish my article?

Once your article is published on the network, it will be automatically placed in an appropriate section of the site. You will then be provided with a link to locate your piece on the network.

Other members of the community will now be able to read, edit, and comment on your article.

How do I add a photo to my article?

To add a photo to your article, click "insert photo into article" in the editing interface.

Who can edit my article?

You (the author), as well as Bleacher Report editors, can make changes to your article. You also maintain the option of reverting back to earlier versions of your work as you deem appropriate.

How do I see what has been changed in my article after it’s been edited?

Click on the article you want to see from your profile—this will bring you to the article interface.

To see the revisions to your article, select "History" from the menu bar. You can now view each revision made to your article. To see what has been changed from one revision to the next, click "Show changes from previous version" and the system will highlight the specific alterations.

How do I erase edits to my article?

Should you strongly dislike a revision of your article, you can always revert back to earlier versions of the article, including the original unedited version.

Click on the article you want to see from your profile—this will bring you to the article interface.

To see the revisions to your article, select "History" from the menu bar. You can now view each revision made to your article. Locate the revision you like the most and click "Revert to this revision."

How do I erase comments from my article?

If you see a comment below your article that you feel is inappropriate or offensive, please contact Alexander Freund, Community Director, at zander@bleacherreport.com.

Who should I contact if I have questions about an article I am writing?

If you have questions about writing or the Bleacher Report editorial process, please contact Ryan Alberti, Managing Editor, at ralberti@bleacherreport.com.

Who is allowed to edit articles on Bleacher Report?

Bleacher Report is an Open Source Sports Network; all registered members of the community who wish to become an editor may do so by reading the Bleacher Report Editing Tutorial.

Who is allowed to comment on articles on Bleacher Report?

As an open source network, all members of the Bleacher Report community are encouraged to comment on articles.

How do I comment on an article?

Scroll to the bottom of the article until the blue "Comments" box appears. Fill in your comment in the appropriate field and click the "post comment" button to publish it onto the article's page.

What should I write my comment about?

There are no restrictions as to how you comment or what you comment on, as long as you do not attempt to humiliate or offend an author. In general: follow your gut and don't be afraid to speak your mind!

1. Applaud an article: Just read through a great piece? Let the author know what you think!
2. Start an argument: See something you disagree with? Let the community know why, and back up your point!
3. Add relevant insight: Is there some outside knowledge you have that could shed light on the subject?
4. Add relevant links: Know of another article on the network that this author may enjoy? Or a website relevant to the subject of the argument?
5. Support the Author: Are other comments on the article unnecessarily critical? Do you feel the readers are missing the author's point entirely? Don't be shy, back the writer up!

How long should my comment be?

The length of your comment is totally up to you. Keep in mind however that short comments (1-2 sentences) tend to lack sufficient insight, while long comments (more than three paragraphs) may go unread by certain users.

What happens after I submit my comment?

Once your comment is submitted to the network, it will automatically appear in the bottom of the comments section underneath the article.

Other community members will now be able to read and reply to your comment.

Can the author of an article delete my comment?

Only site administrators can delete comments. Authors may submit a request to the site administrator to erase a comment if they feel that comment is highly inappropriate, offensive, or inconsistent with Bleacher Report's Community Guidelines (hyperlink).

Who should I contact if I have questions about commenting on articles?

Questions about commenting should be addressed to Alexander Freund, Community Director, at zander@bleacherreport.com.

What is a tag?

Bleacher Report's open source network is organized by a system of tags. Tags are sports, leagues, teams, and players that are described within your article.

How do I add tags to my article?

After you fill in the Headline, Article, and Teaser fields in the "Write an article" (hyperlink) page, click "Continue." The system will then automatically select tags for your article to be filed under.

Please look over the suggested tags and remove any that are not essential to the piece by clicking on the trash icon. Make sure to also add any pertinent tags that have not been suggested by typing the first few letters of the tag into the "Add More Tags" field and clicking the tags you wish to add.

If the auto-tagger does not find the tag you are looking for, it's probably because that tag does not yet exist. To add the tag to the database (and your article), type it in and click the button "Can't find the tag you're looking for?"

How do I change the tags of an article?

You must be an editor to change the tags of an article. All registered members of the community who wish to become an editor may do so by reading the Bleacher Report Editing Tutorial.

What are the guidelines for assigning tags to an article?

For players and teams, you should only assign tags when they are directly pertinent to the subject matter of the article.

For instance, if your article is about the Yankees but briefly mentions a win against the Red Sox, you should add the "New York Yankees" tag but not the "Boston Red Sox" tag. On the other hand, if the crux of your piece is a detailed comparison of the Yankees' performance last season to that of the Red Sox, you should use both tags. Follow the same logic when assigning player tags.

You should assign sport and league tags more liberally. If your article is about Peyton Manning and the Colts, you should also tag it with "NFL," even if you don’t explicitly mention the league in the article.

Who should I contact if I have questions about tags?

Questions about tags should be directed to Alexander Freund, Community Director, at zander@bleacherreport.com.

What is my Play-By-Play?

Your Play-by-Play is a running log of user activity on the network pertaining to you in particular.

What goes on my Play-By-Play?

The following actions will appear in your Play-by-Play:

• When another member comments on your article
• When another member makes a revision to your article
• When another responds to a comment you made
• When another member writes on your bulletin board
• When another member adds you as a favorite writer

Who should I contact if I have questions about my Play-By-Play?

If you have questions about the Play-By-Play feature, please email support@bleacherreport.com.

What is my lineup?

Your lineup is a custom feed of articles that pertain to your specific sporting interests. Select your favorite sports, leagues, teams, and players to customize the articles that will appear in your feed.

You can also add your favorite Bleacher Report authors to your lineup, whose work will appear in your feed as well.

How do I update my lineup?

To update your lineup, click "lineup" on the top menu bar. You will then be taken to your lineup page.

To add sports, leagues, teams, and players to your lineup, start typing in the sport/league/team/player you have in mind to the field on the right side of the screen titled "Add a tag to your lineup." Click on the sport/league/team/player's name when it appears.

To add a writer to your lineup, start typing in the writer's name in the "Add a writer to your lineup" field on the right side of the screen. Click on the writer's name when it appears.

Who should I contact if I have questions about my lineup?

If you have questions about your Lineup, please email support@bleacherreport.com.

How do I create a profile?

To create your profile, click "profile" on the top menu bar.

You will then be taken to your profile page, where you should make sure to:

• Write a short bio about yourself.
• Upload a photo of yourself.
• Add your blog (if applicable).

To perform each of these actions, simply click on the appropriate orange button.

How do I update my profile?

To update your profile, click "Profile" on the top menu bar.

Once in your profile page, you can update your bio, photo, and weblog by clicking the appropriate buttons from the red box titled "Profile Options" on the right hand menu bar.

Who should I contact if I have questions about my profile?

If you have questions about your Profile, please email support@bleacherreport.com.

What is my Bulletin Board?

Your Bulletin Board is a designated space on your profile page where other members can leave notes for you. Any member who views your profile can see the notes left on your bulletin board. Members may use this space to give shout-outs, crack jokes, or start debates.

Who can leave notes on my Bulletin Board?

All members of the community can write on any other member's bulletin board.

How do I leave notes on another member's Bulletin Board?

Click on the name of the user whose Bulletin Board you wish to write on—this will take you to their profile page.

Once on their profile page, scroll to their Bulletin Board at the bottom of the page and leave your note in the field titled "Leave a Note."

When you are finished writing your note, click "Leave Note" to submit it to their bulletin board.

How do I delete notes from my Bulletin Board?

To delete an entry from your bulletin board, simply click the blue "delete" button underneath the entry.

Who should I contact if I have questions about my Bulletin Board?

Questions about Bulletin Boards should be directed to Alexander Freund, Community Director, at zander@bleacherreport.com.