How happy are you with Flying Disc Magazine?

Well if you are like me, you thought to yourself (when faced with the choice to renew PDGA membership) I'm opting in......

Well now that I did, and I have got two issues of flying disc magazine, I'm not all that impressed with the outcome.

Many members that I am aware of have the following problems:

- Magazine was badly damaged when delivered
- Magazine was a month late
- Magazine was two months late
- Magazine never arrived
- Certain content of magazine is offensive to the sport and to the players of disc golf
- FDM does not reply to emails
- PDGA members don't feel totally comfortable with leaving the magazine at Park Depatments, Schools etc... to introduce the sport...

There are more than likely other issues as well.... So lets here what you have to say about the new face of the PDGA FDM......

[Senior]

Russell,

What is about the word "Official" that you don't understand. To simply say that the general public will just ignore that word and what it means, implies, etc is ludricrous. You see the PDGA logo and everything that follows is now Official in regards to disc golf.

The FDM Ads, the web site, the cover, the pages inside all say: The oficial magazine of Disc Golf and The official magazine of the PDGA

It is much easier to assume that someone will take exactly the opposite position of what you are suggesting they will.

It does not say the kind of sort of magazine of disc golf, or the magazine with a few items about disc golf, (but we are not official).... it says Official.

The fact that the PDGA is comprised of 11,000+ members who elect a BOD, who in turn facilitate the contract for an official publication, and we in effect hire that company, that we (the PDGA) would expect that publication to support our mission statement, rules of play etc accross the board. The word professional is all over the place if you haven't noticed.....

The idea that this magazine is also affiliated with all disc sports is a bit lacking, considering the only reference has been articles with content somewhat derogetory to disc golf .

It is obvious the main content is right in line with what has already been labled official. That being the PDGA

[Russell Gore]

I'm not disagreeing with either of you on these points. I am however trying to get you to understand that no matter how much you don't like the content, it's allowed and the PDGA ( maybe not every board member)doesn't seem to have any objection at this point. Now, I don't know this for sure but there is nothing posted anywhere. So I have to assume that the governing body is not yet opposed . I completely understand your points of view, but the sad truth is this that this goes on all the time. Not just in Disc Golf but many other sports. Look at Tennis for example, you can't tell me that there soul purpose with the womens side isn't to promote or sell sex. It has gotten to the point that some of them wear next to nothing. Than the stars of there sport go and pose almost and sometimes fully naked in magazines and on the internet for the whole world to see. Is that right? I doubt it, but it happens. So no amount of words will ever make it change. Modern media is out of control and it will only get worse in time. I will be the first to say that in todays world their are no morals! Point blank there it is! I know it hurts, but you know it is true. So why not agree to disagree and leave this subject alone. Right now it's just us talking about this, you won't like it when a person or persons in favor of illegal activities start chiming in. Than it might get out of hand, just stop focusing on the negatives and start focusing on the positives.
Besides, with the exception of those 2 things the magazine really is better than the old one in my opinion. I love that they are doing reviews on certain holes, and old supercourses. I loved the article on Hawaii. The instructors(all of them) are doing a great service for disc golfers. The PDGA pages in the back are much better. All and all it's much better than what we had. And like the one guy said it's $10. Where I live that will only get you about 2 1/2 gallons of gas. So look at it as a bargain. Because at least it doesn't cost what Sports Illustrated cost...........

[eric beich]

some good thoughts/discussion going on here. right on.

[Acoustic_Carnival]

Where's my 2nd Issue!!!??? I want to see what all the hype is about.

As is usually the case, controversy increases curiosity. Now I want the magazine more than usual.

[Lyle O. Ross]

Another excellent post Russell but I think you miss some important points.

First, we don't know the PDGA's position on this, although it should be a reflection of the membership and the judgment of our elected officials. It is quite possible that the Board isn't pleased at all and simply hasn't spoken out. On the other hand, we know clearly from written policy that the PDGA opposes drug use at it's events and that in the past the PDGA leadership has worked diligently to oppose the drug image associated with our sport. The position you are taking isn't, based on history, consistent with what we are.

To suggest that the PDGA has no impact on the magazine might be mistaken. If we do not then I am severely disappointed with those who structured our relationship with FDM. This journal does not exist without the support, financial and otherwise, of this organization. We'd better have some say about what goes in there!

As for your comparison to tennis, I might suggest you are pretty wrong. Tennis has all along pushed for dress codes and most events have stringent ones. The newer images and the sex has been driven by players and their agents, not tennis. Indeed, those players do what they do to enhance their market value outside the venue of tennis. You find me someone that wants to see our top stars partially naked while they play and that are willing to pay good bucks and I'm all for it. Even accepting that the money would go to them and not the sport. However, that isn't what FDM was doing here, they weren't selling either players, or the sport, they were selling the magazine to the subset of players who want that image.

This has nothing to do with morals or any other issue, the question is what are we getting out of OUR magazine? The hot chick pictures are minor at best. The poor overall structure is important, as is the presentation of our culture as a druggie culture. Neither is beneficial to the use of the magazine as promotional material. Even more important is the inability of the publisher to deliver the magazine in a timely and professional fashion. Mainly because that issue could easily be predicted prior to the signing of the contract.

I will grant you that some things have improved (I don't get the magazine so I can't judge those benefits you listed) that says there is promise! But I want that promise in the best, most professional package possible. I don't see the main constituent of this magazine as young men or even myself, I see it as those we want to attract to the sport. While that does include young men, I put them on the low end of the scale. I put patrons, older people who can make contributions, both monetarily and with their time, way over the young male. And if you think I'm off base here, go look at the average age of the BOD, TDs or most sponsors. I also value the parks and potential sponsors this magazine will be shown to. Some of them will value the drug culture hot chick thing, but by and far, our society does not. That doesn't mean that the magazine shouldn't be informative and entertaining to the membership. But if the only way the magazine can be entertaining is via hot chicks and drug commentary then we made a bad choice. I'm pretty confident that isn't true based on the other values you've mentioned.

[Dane Pickens]

At least FDM is speaking truths and not a bunch of lies and propaganda.Some anti-fascist states and countries have accepted the use of a green leafy substance.Even for medical use.Its a plant that helps fight global warming, so GO GREEN!

[Dane Pickens]

Whats the big problem?Can you not tell the difference between right and wrong and decide what choice to make.Dont beleive the hype.

[DiscGolfFlyMart.com]

Constructive input might change aspects of future issues to reflect your opinions...that is the avenue to take....contact the magazine and if they don't live up to your expectations stop reading it and start your own disc magazine....Personally I enjoyed the old magazine and I enjoy the new one.

[Donny Olow]

Magazine was badly damaged when delivered. I was upset about that.

[Joe G 5740]

Personally, I thought Rick Rosthien did a fantastic job given what he had to work with. Obviously, no one on the planet Earth mothership is perfect. I think we should be more realistic in our expectations. We`re a relatively small sport. We`re lucky to have any publications, considering that most are downsizing or disappearing these days, due to the internet.

I also don`t agree with the effort to lump disc golf in with all other disc sports. Disc Golf is golf first, a disc sport second. Heck, we don`t even use the same equipment as all the other disc sports.

Let`s face it - disc golf is the most popular of all disc related activities and is the best one suited for the masses. It deserves its own focused attention. Ball Golf magazines don`t include info about all "ball" sports. 90% of disc golfers are mostly or exclusively interested in disc golf.

Also, if we want to be taken seriously and impress the uninitiated, we need a publication that isn`t so tongue-in-cheek about everything. Throwing Frisbees is a frivolous activity. Competing in Disc Golf is not!

Perhaps we need another "DISC GOLF" Magazine. One that`s not so ambitious. One that covers just our sport and is affordable for the readers and the advertisers. Would you rather have 3 advertisers pay $5000 a year to advertise or 10 advertisers pay $2000 a year to advertise.

P.S. - Every member should opt-in for the magazine. Come on now - we pay no greens fees to play all year. How is it too much to ask of players to support their sport by spending $20 a year on a magazine. IT IS THE VERY LEAST WE CAN DO!

If half of us opt-out and the magazine and content suck as a result of underfunding - then we have no one to blame but ourselves for selling our own sport short.

At least we can all share the blame.

[Senior]

Aside from slow delivery, I am really happy with FDM's latest installments. The quality is really stepping up. In my opinion, they have reacted in a very good way and are beginning to show signs of better editing and overall content.
Not that they have laid down or something, but they have definately made this a publication that can be the face of disc golf.

I thought the fist couple of issues were rough and the paper used a bit thin. But that seems to be water under the bridge. Rich needs our support and I think with his latest efforts we can feel proud to have him as an ambassador of the sport through his way of putting together a magazine. His latest note was the addition of FDM to major news stands. THis is great. Rich and PDGA are starting to speak in terms of actually moving our sport into the mainstream. Not just a dream mind you, but an attitude of we WILL move into the main stream!

Go FDM, GO PDGA

[Todd Mitchell]

What's FDM? (In other words, I have yet to see an issue - though I opted out last year, I figured I would have gotten at least one issue since I renewed with PDGA for '09 - then again, I haven't even gotten my renewal fulfillment swag yet either, though the site says I'm current.

I'm thinking it's all pretty irrelevant anyway, as the PDGA is going in-house again with a publication.

After reading several of the posts in this thread, I really did like the idea of forgoing a hard copy magazine and go online exclusively. Nothing is easy to update as close to real time as the Web. No medium's cheaper to publish than the Web. Eliminating tons of overhead. Wider audience. Available anytime, anywhere with a smartphone. Not subject to being thrown out. Not subject to being damaged while in transit.

As an editorial note - if content in FDM is offensive to some disc golfers, then they are doing a bang up job! If content was acceptable to everyone all the time, then we'd all die of extreme boredom. I'd rather have opposing views presented together rather than separately - it's kind of like that debate thing (please include the tongue and cheek audio effects). You know, where one side has an opportunity to present their views, the other side gets the same opportunity, then the first presenter gets to defend/attack, then the second presenter gets to defend/attack. Let the readers/viewers/listeners decide from there - nothing will ever be acceptable to everyone. We should appreciate that!

If no one ever dissented to popular thought, we'd still be rubbing sticks together for fire to keep warm and to cook. Or fighting to the death over who is the better cave drawer.