Hello, everyone! My name is Joshua Bendetowies and I am here to try to persuade you to join me in living my dream. Growing up, I loved to play sports. The only issue is I have no up's and I'm pretty out-of-shape. Did you know that 8 out of 4,597 college athletes will make it to the pros? That is a pretty startling number when I bet most of us had the dream of making it big one day. I turned my attention to my knowledge of sports and it is time that I put my actual skills to use.

I know what most of you are probably thinking: What is this guy trying to sell us? Imagine an online magazine with no advertisements, pure highlights, and entertaining, un-biased stories. It is time that people, specifically Florida State University students, were able to stray away from sources like ESPN, and truly enjoy everything put in front of him or her. What sets this apart from Sports Illustrated is the capability to be your own writer. There are just too many sporting events going on to document them myself. I want to give people the opportunity to submit articles and highlights going on in their hometowns and abroad. Just because a fantastic highlight is not made in a big city or by a big team does not mean it should get lost. Help me fulfill my dream of writing and giving the people what they want.

I am going to be honest with you all. I am so sick and tired of ESPN's biased articles and certain praise towards leagues. *Cough* *cough* SEC. United We Play is the online magazine the world needs. It is so hard to find unbiased reporting these days and I feel like people have lost sight of what is truly important. It is not always about the ratings. Truthfully reporting the news and giving people what they want is the problem that needs to be solved. During the Jameis Winston debacle, ESPN and other magazines ate up the student body and improperly reported what was really going on. By having people submit stories and highlights, you get a universal opinion and not just one of the specific writers employed.

From what I have learned in my lifetime, the top three topics people discuss are politics, religion and sports. Sports do not just appeal to young adult males. United We Play is aimed at anyone that loves sports. I guarantee that I am not the only one who has an issue with how the news is reported and the way stories are written. This service will benefit the sports journalism world and the way people look at other teams besides the ones they like. I am aiming to introduce a new form of reporting. We are in the age of self-journalism. Just look at Twitter if you do not believe it. United We Play is aimed at anyone interested in knowing how the Yankees did the night before, or how Lauren Hill affected the sports community. For those of you who don't know, Lauren Hill was a 19-year-old basketball player who was diagnosed with in inoperable brain tumor. Her dream was to get a chance to play college basketball, and it was fulfilled in November of last year. I am not here to copy the Sports Illustrated's of the world. I am here to perfect a dying art; and that is giving people unbiased news.

One of the toughest tasks of really launching this online magazine is getting the word out. As much as I want to say I will use social media to garner people's attention, I know you all are expecting much more if you are to invest in United We Play. I will raise awareness in a marketplace that is increasingly cluttered with all sorts of new apps, sites, products and services. It is true when someone says you need to know the right person. Need be, my best friend is a famous celebrity's assistant and one tweet or mention will put me out there. I have met with aspiring writer and editors interested in sports journalism. I plan to use social media, such as Facebook and Twitter to interact with consumers and promote. They rank in the top-2 of used social media sites for connecting with magazine brands. I will measure progress in reaching my audience by having indicators to check the number of views the online magazine is getting daily. The self-writing will attract aspiring writers and viewers wanting a fresh take on sports.

Now here comes the fun part that all you have been wondering: How will I make money? I first needed to get funding for my magazine, which I achieved with the help of Kickstarter. Kickstarter is the world's largest funding platform for creative projects but I am sure you all already knew that. By using the crowdfunding platform, I was able to bypass traditional establishments to create United We Play. I looked to Howler Magazine, a North American soccer magazine, that used Kickstarter and Incentives to get the funding they needed. Backers who contributed 15 dollars or more received the first issue, so the campaign essentially sold over 1,400 copies of the first issue. For the budget, including salaries for staff writers and freelancers, I am looking at about $50 per article submitted and approved. As more people subscribe, more money will flow, and a central office space will be required. ESPN is located in Bristol, Connecticut so I will be looking for a sports town on the West coast. Each yearly subscription will be 8 dollars, which is $4 lower than your average for Hearst Magazines.

The key to getting your funding is getting your trust. As previously mentioned, sports is my life. I love every sport from basketball to bowling. I am well-suited to succeed in this venture because it is my passion. This is not just a little pet project I felt like doing over the summer. This is my life, and I want to make a living out of it. Others will help me by bringing in newer, fresher ideas. Magazines are dying and we all know that. I have writers that will make United We Play the most relevant digital magazine in the world.

I am sure some of you still have lingering questions. The competitive landscape is getting larger because sports is not just a "guy" thing anymore. Being 1 of only 4 guys here today, I know it will take a lot of persuading to fund United We Play. I have enlisted the top digital designers in the world to distinguish this from other sports magazines. Letting people decide what sports stories they want to read sets me apart from everyone else. I have a dream that one day, I will be the head of the largest digital sports magazine in the world. I would like you to take a look at a mock-up of what our magazine might look like.

The biggest favor I can ask, besides the obvious money, is networking. I need to get myself out there if I want to get into the ring with ESPN. I can be contacted via the email tab on the magazine's website. I hope all of you will lace up your sneakers and join me in taking back sports journalism. It is time to give people a voice and offer unbiased news. And I am that voice. Thank you.