Porn sites exploit photos of high school athletes
An investigation by Scott M. Reid and Dan Albano of The Orange County Register has revealed that photographs of unsuspecting high school athletes are being posted next to pornographic images on Internet sites. Investigators are tracking Web profiles and e-mail trails to determine the source of photos taken at water polo events. The discovery also raises questions about privacy and First Amendment rights.
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Alleged doping aligns with boosts in stats, paychecks
Ben Poston, Derrick Nunnally and Bill Glauber of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel built a database of every player named in the Mitchell Report. The reporters analyzed statistical performance before and after the players allegedly began taking drugs and found that more than half the 90 players named in the report showed an improvement in performance within two years. The reporters also looked at the financial rewards for a smaller group of star players by comparing salaries in the year the doping began to the next contract signed.
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College bowl system lines pockets
Brent Schrotenboer of The San Diego Union-Tribune dissected the college football bowl system to reveal the lucrative financial structure that helps explain the system's staying power. The investigation checked IRS records for 19 current bowl games to find that net assets grew by 85 percent from 2001-2005, up from $3.4 million to $6.3 million The article also disclosed the compensation packages of bowl executives.
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Plenty of holes in drug screening for college athletes
A survey by The Salt Lake Tribune of Division 1-A schools exposed extreme differences in how drug-testing programs are administered from school to school. Through FOIA requests, The Tribune "requested detailed information on student-athlete drug testing programs administered by the schools themselves, separate from the NCAA." Findings show that broken systems allow students to abuse performance-enhancing drugs with little risk of being caught. The data gathered in the survey is available online.
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Neglect plagues property holdings of ex-NBA star
An investigation by The Sacramento Bee's Terri Handy and Phillip Reese shows that former NBA star Kevin Johnson is responsible for a slew of neglected properties in the downtrodden area of Oak Park where his investments have been widely publicized and praised. "Within a two-mile radius, a Bee investigation found, half of the 37 parcels owned by Johnson or companies and organizations he founded have been cited by the city in the past decade, some multiple times. The 73 violations at those Oak Park properties resulted in 42 fines or fees totaling at least $32,080."
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Athletes' weight gain can lead to major problems
Garry Lenton of the Patriot-News in Harrisburg, Pa., reports on the increased average size of high school football players. The newspaper used high school football rosters from 1988 and 2006, calculating the body mass index of 800 players total and finding that "Eighteen percent of 2006 players had a body mass index of 30 or more, twice the 1988 rate." Some of these young athletes, if they maintain their 300-plus pound weight after their playing days are over, risk health problems like leg and back issues, as well as strokes and heart problems. The culture that has led to this trend is discussed, as one coach brings up the old adage that "You can't coach size."
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Credit card promotions profitable for two Iowa universities
Clark Kauffman of the Des Moines Register reported in a two-part series that Iowa's two largest public universities are aggressively marketing credit cards to their students as part of an arrangement that generates millions of dollars for the schools' privately run alumni organizations. Records obtained by the Register showed that while the schools and their alumni have kept secret the details of their arrangement with Bank of America, they have given the bank access to mailing addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of students, parents and people who buy tickets to football and basketball games. One of the schools has used coaches and student athletes to promote the cards, promising the biggest spending cardholders lunches with football players and private, 90-minute Q&A sessions with coaches.
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The football injury to die for
Most high-school football players aren't concerned about concussions, nor would they tell their coach if they got one. However, Alan Schwarz of The New York Times, gives some compelling arguments for why they should be a lot more concerned. According Schwarz's investigative report, teenagers who receive a second blow to the head following a first, even benign, injury can very easily slip into a "metabolic chain of events," winding up in a coma or even dying. At least 50 high school football players have been killed or have sustained serious head injuries on the field since 1997.
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Focus intensifying on Toledo point-shaving scandal
ESPN.com reporters Mike Fish and George J. Tanber investigate the point-shaving scandal involving a University of Toledo football player. Harvey "Scooter" McDougle would have been a senior this season, but his implication in a gambling ring has likely ended his chances at playing football again, college or pro. The report includes a list of four possible games in question, in which players including quarterback Bruce Gradkowski had questionable performances.
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Attendance discrepancies skew economic impact figures
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports that inaccurate attendance reports could be skewing the economic impact that sports venues have in the community seeing as though turnstile counts are often lower than the published "official attendance" numbers. As the County Commission in Orange County, Fla. prepare to consider a $1.1 billion plan for a new downtown arena, they face concerns that discrepancies in attendance prevent an accurate assessment of the venue's potential economic impact.
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Prominent trainers cited for horse doping
All seven of the top horse trainers leading the national earnings list faced penalties for horses testing positive for ephedrine, bicarbonate loading or powerful painkillers in the past decade, a San Diego Union-Tribune investigation found. Reporter Brent Schrotenboer checked records for 20 successful trainers in Southern California; 12 had violations, including some in 2006. Trainers debate whether stringent testing rules penalize legitimate treatments or whether unethical practices are widespread.
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NFL arrests consistent with general population rates
Brent Schrotenboer of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports on an investigation into hundreds of news reports and public records since 2000 to compile an unofficial list of 308 arrests and citations involving NFL players for all offenses except speeding tickets. The paper "found that the league's biggest problems with the law are in many ways just as ordinary: drunken driving, traffic stops and repeat offenders. In addition, contrary to public perception, the arrest rate among NFL players is less than that of the general population, and fueled by many of the same dynamics, analysts say."
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Pivotal player in potential Bonds indictment remains silent
ESPN.com investigative sports reporter Mike Fish reports on Greg Anderson, the personal trainer whose testimony prosecutors believe could put Barry Bonds behind bars and, in turn, derail his record home run chase. Federal prosecutors "convinced U.S. District Judge William Alsup that Anderson's cooperation is pivotal to their ability to indict [Barry Bonds]. Because Anderson isn't talking despite being subpoenaed to appear before two grand juries, he remains locked up for contempt of court." Anderson will remain behind bars until the grand jury session is scheduled to end in July, unless the U.S Attorney grants a six-month extension.
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Post-season success equals big rewards for winning coaches
Steve Weiberg and Jodi Upton of USA Today looked at the salaries of men's Division I basketball coaches. "USA Today obtained contracts or other documents detailing salaries for coaches at 58 of the 65 schools in the 2006 tournament field. Their average salary this season: nearly $800,000. In the six marquee conferences — the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pacific-10 and Southeastern — that average jumps to $1.2 million, not counting benefits, incentives or any of the perks coaches routinely receive." Success in the post-season NCAA tournament often parlays itself into lucrative contract extensions earning coaches even more. Included with the article are links to a database of salaries, contract incentives, mid-major salary trends, and pressure to pay women's coaches more.
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The Dominican Steroid Problem
As spring training opens around baseball, Mike Fish of ESPN.com takes a two-day look at the state of Major League Baseball's fight against performance-enhancing drugs in the Dominican Republic with a series of stories and reports. (The articles are also available in Spanish.)
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Sports "doctor" under investigation
Mike Fish of ESPN.com reports that Mack Henry "Hank" Sloan, who runs an Atlanta clinic with a clientele of sports stars, is under investigation for allegedly practicing medicine without a license. "The 36-year-old Sloan calls himself a naturopath, a practitioner of a medical discipline that emphasizes holistic approaches to enhance the body's innate ability to recover. Naturopathy is licensed in only 14 states, but not Georgia." Fish reports that some high-profile patients were not aware that "Dr. Sloan" is not a licensed physician. Sports medicine experts also question Sloan's treatments to speed athletes' recovery.
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NFL On A Diet
Thomas Hargrove of Scripps Howard News Service found that the average weight of NFL athletes dropped more than a pound last year, reversing a 20-year trend in which pro football's behemoths steadily gained bulk at the rate of more than a pound per man per year. According to the Scripps Howard News Service study of the official rosters of 1,739 active players, 19 of the NFL's 32 teams are lighter than they were a year ago. "The total number of really big players who weigh 325 pounds or more has dropped from 95 in 2005 to 85 on the current rosters." This year the two lightest teams in the NFL - the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears - will face each other in Sunday's Super Bowl. The study also found that the total number of really big players who weigh 325 pounds or more has dropped from 95 in 2005 to 85 on the current rosters. Also see the team-by-team analysis.
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College coaches cash in
Jodi Upton and Steve Wieberg of USA Today have taken an extensive look at the contracts of NCAA Division 1-A football coaches. "Head coaches at the NCAA's top-level schools are making an average of $950,000 this year, not counting benefits, incentives, subsidized housing or any of the perks they routinely receive. At least 42 of the 119 Division I-A coaches are earning $1 million or more this year, up from five in 1999." These lush contracts include far more than a base salary. The perks range from use of private jets to vacation homes and family travel accounts. Media and apparel contracts have also fed the salary explosions. Included as part of the story is a multi-sortable database that is also a table of contents to 100 of the contracts themselves.
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Drunk and disorderly in the Big Ten
Jill Riepenhoff and Mike Wagner of The Columbus Dispatch "collected and analyzed police incident reports to gauge behavior that broke [Big Ten] school rules or criminal laws inside stadiums and to examine police response. More than 4.8 million fans flooded the conference's 11 football stadiums during the [2005] season." Of the almost 1400 incidents reported, alcohol possession and consumption accounted for nearly three-quarters of them.
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At what cost? A look at CA community college football programs
Brent Schrotenboer of The San Diego Union-Tribune looks at the cost of community college football programs in the state of California. There are 72 community college programs in the state of California versus 68 in the rest of the US. Some argue that they cost the state at the expense of academics. "For those that did provide football budgets, expenses exceeded revenue by an average of about $70,000 per year. If that average held for all 72 schools, it would put the cost to the state in excess of $5 million a year." While the football programs continue to be subsidized by state funds, the same schools are having to rely on part-time faculty "who get paid less and are classified as temporary." Advocates argue that the football programs actually make money for the schools because "each full-time student equivalent brings in about $4,000 to cover the cost of his or her education...A football team of 100 could bring a community college $400,000 in public subsidies, mostly from local property taxes and the state general fund. "
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Report links USC Heisman winner to marketing agents' wallets
Charles Robinson and Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports conducted an eight-month investigation and reported that "Heisman Trophy-winning running back Reggie Bush and his family appear to have accepted financial benefits worth more than $100,000 from marketing agents while Bush was playing at the University of Southern California. The story cites hotel records and credit card receipts, documents filed in lawsuits, and interviews with sources linked to Bush or his business associates.
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Steroid abuse in NFL
Using federal court documents filed in the case against Dr. James Shortt, Charles Chandler of The Charlotte Observer uncovered an alarming case of steroid abuse in the NFL. Shortt prescribed a dangerous combination of preformance enhancing drugs to members of the Carolina Panthers without regard for the potential ill effects on the players. "Medical records made public in court documents reveal that players were given multiple refillable steroid prescriptions and that some suffered unwanted, appearance-altering symptoms, prompting more prescriptions...'Several of them were using disturbing, particularly alarmingly high amounts with high dosages for long durations -- some in combinations,' said steroids expert Dr. Gary Wadler...'this wasn't just a passing flirtation with these prohibited substances.'"
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Hundreds of Texas racehorses fatally injured
John Tedesco of the San Antonio Express-News examined the Texas Racing Commission's database of horse injuries, which never had been analyzed by outsiders, and found that "at the state's five licensed tracks, Marsh and other veterinarians with the Texas Racing Commission have euthanized or documented the deaths of 300 horses in the past five years, usually after the animals broke ankles, legs or even spinal cords during races." Although thousands of horses compete safely in Texas, the investigation reveals an ugly side to a industry struggling to fill empty seats.
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Utility district spent ratepayers' money on sports
Andrew McIntosh of The Sacramento Bee found that "the Sacramento Municipal Utility District has spent more than $1 million in ratepayers' money on partnership deals with the Sacramento Kings and Monarchs since 2002." The public utility's contracts with Maloof Sports, disclosed under the state's Public Records Act, offer a rare glimpse into an NBA team's advertising and sponsorship dealings with businesses — and the hospitality perks that go with such agreements. See the 2005 contract and 2003 contract.
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Taxpayers subsidize college athletics
Mark Alesia of The Indianapolis Star finds that "athletic departments at taxpayer-funded universities nationwide receive more than $1 billion in student fees and general school funds and services." The investigation analyzed the 2004-05 athletic budgets of 164 of the nation's 215 biggest public schools. The Star compiled and put online what is says is the "most detailed, publicly available database of college athletic department financial information ever assembled." The data comes from forms required by the NCAA for the 2004-05 school year that the paper obtained through freedom of information requests. Matt Moore, Mark Nichols, Chris Phillips, Ole Morten Orset, Ben Thomas, Jimmy Trodglen and Kandra Branam helped compile the data.
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Sonics' owners are a secretive team
Jim Brunner of The Seattle Times used public records to construct the most complete roster to date of the investors of Seattle's basketball team, the Sonics. "Some were announced when they bought the team in 2001; others were identified in public records or interviews. Several were recently confirmed by the team for the first time after repeated inquiries by the newspaper. " The team still will not identify about a dozen owners; some are family members of other owners. With a combined wealth in the billions, the owners represent a cross section of Pacific Northwest money and influence. It is a millionaires' club with solid political connections. Owners have contributed more than $2 million to state, federal and local campaigns since they bought the team.
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Prep players enroll in questionable schools
Pete Thamel, with contributions from Thayer Evans, Jack Begg and Sandra Jamison, of The New York Times found more than a dozen institutions claiming to be prep schools, some of which closed soon after opening. "All or most of the students were highly regarded basketball players. These athletes were trying to raise their grades to compensate for poor College Board scores or trying to gain attention from major-college coaches." The paper " found that at least 200 players had enrolled at such places in the past 10 years and that dozens had gone on to play at N.C.A.A. Division I universities like Mississippi State, George Washington, Georgetown and Texas-El Paso." Some of these institutions recently joined to form the National Elite Athletic Association, a conference seeking a shoe contract and a television deal. Its teams sometimes travel thousands of miles to play in tournaments that often attract more college coaches than fans. Those coaches will pay $100 for booklets of information about the players.
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Ex-adviser gets out of jail early, but victims get little
Brent Schrotenboer of The San Diego Union-Tribune used court records in an investigation of John W. Gillette Jr., a former financial adviser to high-profile athletes. He is four years removed from prison after fleecing those athletes out of more than $11 million. He serves as the chief operations officer at Shadow Mountain Community Church in San Diego. The investigation found Gillette was released three years after his sentencing because he cooperated in recovering more than $5 million, including turning over his 50 percent share of Seau's Mission Valley restaurant. "But after attorneys were paid and assets distributed through bankruptcy court, many victims said they received only a small fraction of what Gillette took, if anything." Records show Gillette's family lives in a three-bedroom house with mountain views (owned by his in-laws) and is financing a 2005 BMW SUV.
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High school coach recruits players, violates rules
Christine Willmsen and Michael Ko of The Seattle Times investigated the Chief Sealth High School girls basketball team's head coach, Ray Willis, and found that the coach had violated numerous amateur athletic rules. Willis and his assistants, Amos Walters and Laura Fuller, have recruited players for more than three years, six of whom helped the Seahawks win a state championship last year. The Chief Sealth coaches found these players by scouting gyms in the region, then enticing them with talk of starting positions and college scholarships. "In four cases, parents say the coaches provided bogus lease agreements and offered addresses in West Seattle so the girls could establish residency in the Seattle School District without moving from the suburbs." Other parents and players said Willis and assistant coach Fuller bought prospective players meals.
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NFL players dying young because of weight-related ailments
Thomas Hargrove of the Scripps Howard News Service tracked the deaths of 3,850 pro football players to show that athletes of the National Football League are dying young at an alarming rate and many of the players are succumbing to ailments typically related to weight. The heaviest athletes are more than twice as likely to die before their 50th birthday than their teammates. "Most of the 130 players born since 1955 who have died were among the heaviest athletes in sports history, according to the study. One-fifth died of heart diseases, and 77 were so overweight that doctors would have classified them as obese, the study found." Twenty years ago, it was rare for a player to weigh 300 pounds. But more than 500 players were listed at that weight or more on NFL training-camp rosters this summer.
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College boosters wield powerful influence
Mike Fish of ESPN.com examines the role of the college booster, finding "It's a love-hate relationship that binds a college and its boosters. They are often the first ones pointed to when recruiting violations surface. And the first ones called upon when facilities need an upgrade. With their money comes their two cents. Some call it influence. Others say it's meddling." The series looks at Phil Knight's relationship with University of Oregon; Oklahoma State University benefactor T. Boone Pickens; Joe Malugen's support of Troy University's football team; Tulane's athletes as ambassadors for the storm-ravaged university; and mandatory donations tied to college ticket sales.
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Correspondence school offers speedy academic makeover
Pete Thamel and Duff Wilson of The New York Times used academic transcripts and documents obtained through a freedom of information request to show that University High, a correspondence school which has no classes and no educational accreditation, offered students little more than a speedy academic makeover. "Athletes who graduated from University High acknowledged that they learned little there, but were grateful that it enabled them to qualify for college scholarships. " The man who founded University High School and owned it until last year, Stanley J. Simmons, served 10 months in a federal prison camp from 1989 to 1990 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud for his involvement with a college diploma mill in Arizona. Among the activities Simmons acknowledged in court documents were awarding degrees without academic achievement and awarding degrees based on studies he was unqualified to evaluate.
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High school athletics organization spending questioned
Jean Rimbach and Gregory Schutta of The (Hackensack, N.J.) Record have a two-part series on spending by the non-profit association that oversees New Jersey high school athletics: "It's a good thing the organization that oversees high school sports in New Jersey is making money because it's spending plenty, too. On handsome salaries. On generous retirement packages. On out-of-state trips and cars for its directors." A second piece details how the group does not split revenues from tournaments with the host school, a practice that "is the norm for schools chosen as tournament sites to benefit from the ticket sales."
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Athletic department purchased banned supplements
Danny Robbins of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram used the Texas Public Information Act to show that "the Texas A&M University and University of Texas at Austin athletic departments have routinely purchased tens of thousands of dollars worth of dietary supplements labeled as containing ingredients that make them impermissible for distribution to student-athletes under National Collegiate Athletic Association rules." The two universities have spent about $120,000 during the past four years on such supplements.
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Profits high, payroll low for Pittsburgh Pirates
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette spent two months delving into the finances of the Pittsburgh Pirates, owned by a private company, to project "that the Pirates will make a $12.8 million profit in 2005." The average Major League Baseball franchise generated about $4.4 million in profits last year, and the Pirates' payroll has been among the lowest in the league - it increased by $1.4 million since 2004. The team's managing partner said that "the team has chosen to apply most of that profit toward a debt that is estimated by knowledgeable sources at $110 million. The rest, he added, is being used for capital projects such as the $2 million scoreboard the Pirates bought for PNC Park this year."
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Connections land luxury seating at professional sporting events
Marcia Gelbart of The Philadelphia Inquirer used city records to show that more than 1,000 seats in luxury suites at professional baseball and football games went "mostly to people with clout." Among the top recipients were members of the city council, aides to Mayor John Street and members of his family. Street has distributed another 72 tickets to non-profit groups and police officers.
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Recruiting actions put program under investigation
Carter Strickland of The Oklahoman used the state's Freedom of Information Act to obtain phone records from Oklahoma University's men's basketball program showing improper contact with high school recruits. "Coaches are allowed one phone call a week to recruits, parents or legal guardians. But phone records obtained by The Oklahoman show representatives of the OU program called an Amarillo, Texas, player and his mother 18 times last August. Members of the OU staff called a Seattle recruit and his family 13 times in September."
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Baseball doctor overstates credentials
Duff Wilson of The New York Times found errors in Dr. Elliot Pellman's stated credentials and education. Pellman is the medical adviser to Major League Baseball, whose testimony praised the recent congressional hearing on steroids. Pelman "has said repeatedly in biographical statements that he has a medical degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. But Dr. Pellman attended medical school in Guadalajara, Mexico, and he received a medical degree from the New York State Education Department after a one-year residency at SUNY-Stony Brook, state records show." Other descrepancies include he stated that he is an associate clinical professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, which he is not. He is an assistant clinical professor, which is an honorary position given to thousands of doctors.
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White coaches lasting longer than black coaches in NBA
David Leonhardt and Ford Fessenden of The New York Times used regression analysis to show that "over the last decade, black NBA coaches have lasted an average of just 1.6 seasons, compared with 2.4 seasons for white coaches ... That means the typical white coach lasts almost 50 percent longer and has most of an extra season to prove himself." The paper used all coaching tenures since 1989 involving 110 men who are not currently working as head coaches in the league (more on methodology).
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Investigation uncovers reasons for Devil Ray's failures
Marc Topkin, Damian Cristodero and Louis Hau of the St. Petersburg Times examines the ten-year history of Tampa Bay's major league baseball franchise, finding that the Devil Rays' lack of success can be attributed to a number of factors:
* Major League Baseball put the new owners in a financial hole before the team ever took the field, raising the expansion fee to an unprecedented $130-million and forcing them to forfeit millions in national TV revenue at a time when the overall costs of competing were soaring. The financial wherewithal of the Tampa Bay ownership group was immediately challenged, and has been a persistent concern.
* While the Rays stocked their inaugural roster with veteran players, they fielded too many rookies in key management positions. The owner, Naimoli, had never owned a sports team; the general manager, Chuck LaMar, had never been a general manager; the manager, Larry Rothschild, had never managed. Of the six department-leading vice presidents on the 1998 staff, only one had done his same job before.
The paper also conducted a poll among area baseball fans to gauge their support and concerns.
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Politicians benefit from cheaper tickets
Dave McKinney of the Chicago Sun-Times obtained a list of state politicians who have the opportunity to purchase tickets to the top-ranked University of Illinois basketball team's games at face value. "As demand for Illini tickets has rocketed off the charts, the university has dispersed more than 2,000 tickets to its trustees, dozens of state lawmakers, congressmen, lobbyists and even the son of indicted former Gov. George Ryan, who has booked most of the team's schedule."
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Coaches' contracts with Nike raise ethical questions
Hartford Courant reporters Lisa Chedekel and Matthew Kauffman won a month-long legal battle for release of the contracts between University of Connecticut mens' and womens' basketball coaches Jim Calhoun and Geno Auriemma and Nike Inc. Over strenuous objections by the coaches' lawyers, the state Ethics Commission decided that the contracts were public documents. A Courant review of the contracts raised questions about whether the contracts violate state ethics laws by linking Calhoun and Auriemma's endorsement deal to a requirement that the teams where Nike sneakers and uniforms.
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Local government pays big for unsuccessful game
Brent Schrotenboer of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that "more than $1.5 million of taxpayers' money has been spent subsidizing a lightly attended college football game played annually at Qualcomm Stadium since 1999." The Gold Coast Classic continues to receive government support despite a series of unpaid bills during the past several years. "The city apparently didn't know there were that many claims and judgments against the Gold Coast game."
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N. Texas high school athletes using steriods
Gregg Jones and Gary Jacobson of The Dallas Morning News found that steroids in north Texas high schools are "readily available and commonly used." In a four-month investigation, "The News interviewed more than 100 current and former high school students, coaches and parents about steroids in high schools." They found students buy the drugs from "friends, classmates and sometimes varsity athletes" and coaches rarely confront players or parents when they suspect steroid use.
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Documents reveal baseball's cost to taxpayers
Mark Segraves of WTOP-Radio in Washington, D.C., used documents obtained through the FOIA to determine the District of Columbia "has paid $465,000 to consultants linked to baseball" despite the city's insistence that bringing baseball wouldn't cost the taxpayers. One of the consultants is from Oakland, Calif., so D.C. must foot the bill for her travel and related expenses. Money for the consultants came from a newly created city agency, the Center for Innovation and Reform, that D.C. Council members haven't even heard of.
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'Free rides' come at high cost, despite regulations
Mike Knobler of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution used public record requests to investigate the recruiting expenditures on top high school football prospects by Georgia and Georgia Tech. The restrictions on lavish expenditures have not effected the food and hospitality, the results are still impressive. "Tech budgeted $556,703 for 2004-05 football recruiting, which works out to more than $25,000 for each of the 18-20 players expected to sign with the Yellow Jackets on Wednesday. But that per-player figure is misleading: In recruiting, like in fishing, you spend much of your effort on the ones that got away." The story details expenses ranging from filet mignon dinners to rental cars with GPS navigation systems so that coaches don't get lost visiting recruits' homes.
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Recruiting expenditures high at Ind. universities
Mark Alesia of The Indianapolis Star used public records requests to track what Indiana colleges spend to recruit top high school football players. A single weekend at Indiana University in December 2003 cost nearly $50,000 for 22 recruits and eight parents. "In all, IU spent $314,120 on football recruiting in the 2003-04 fiscal year. Purdue University spent $299,943." The paper tracked dinners, travel and even security by off-duty police officers.
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Colo. football appears exempt from cutbacks
Kevin Vaughan and Todd Hartman of the Rocky Mountain News examined University of Colorado spending records and found that while the basketball program was cutting its budget, "the football team was spending $34,922 to give every player an electronic organizer as a memento for playing in the EV1.Net Houston Bowl." At the same time, "men's basketball coach Ricardo Patton was cutting back on the use of chartered airplanes - which saved money but meant that his players missed all their classes last week as they navigated the schedules of commercial air carriers."
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Backside track workers lack protection
Lexington Herald-Leader reporter Janet Patton, with help from Frank Lockwood and Steve Lannen, found that "only about a third of the trainers licensed in Kentucky report carrying workers' compensation insurance for the grooms, hot walkers and exercise riders who work for them." While the state's courts consider many of those workers to be "independent contractors" and not entitled to worker's comp or other protections, "several lawyers question whether backside workers meet generally accepted tests for being called contractors, such as using your own tools or setting your own hours." The paper looked at records of public ambulance runs to four Kentucky tracks from January 1999 to March 2004 but was not able to see the records for Churchill Downs because it uses a private ambulance service and it refused to release any statistics.
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Steroid sales bypass security team
Mike Brunker of MSNBC.com spent three months following the sale of anabolic steroids on eBay, finding that "a few of the auctions occurred in the open but many used the simple ruse of listing the drugs as 'books about steroids' to avoid detection by the site's security team." An eBay vice president said that such sales haven't received the proper scrutiny:" Until you brought this to our attention, it wasn't getting as close a look as it should have." MSNBC.com worked with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy to purchase four of the products and have them tested. "All four products - injectable solutions in factory packaging, oral tablets labeled in Spanish as being for veterinary use and unmarked pills in a plastic bag - turned out to be just what the sellers claimed they were: anabolic steroids like Dianabol, Sustanon and testosterone propionate."
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Data provides insight into NFL injuries
Carl Prine of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review used numerous interlinked databases for a comprehensive report on how and why professional football players get injured. "To understand how football affects the bodies and minds of those who play it, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review analyzed four years of NFL injury data; interviewed more than 200 current and former players, coaches and managers; and delved into thousands of pages of the latest medical research." Among Prine's findings: in four seasons, NFL players racked up 6,558 injuries; defenders are injured more than their foes on the offense; and quarterbacks, tight ends, wide receivers, safeties and cornerbacks routinely suffer high rates of brain concussions and spine injuries.
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Conflict of interest on regulatory board
Brent Schrotenboer of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that "because California puts few restrictions on who can serve on the California Horse Racing Board that oversees the state's $3 billion horse-racing industry, the panel is principally composed of people who have a significant economic stake in the sport." At least six of the seven board members acknowledge that they gamble at tracks and five of them actively own or breed racehorses in the state.
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Gymnasts' risk of injury rivals that of NFL players
Scott M. Reid of The Orange County Register interviewed 122 elite women gymnasts and found "a culture in which pain and suffering are acceptable risks in the quest for success." Reid's reporting "found that the obsession with Olympic gold has created a system in which injuries are so prevalent that athletes are as likely to require surgery during their careers as National Football League players." Other findings: the rate of injuries has almost doubled in the past eight years, 90 percent of gymnasts continued training while they were injured, and the sport's obsession with weight and diet has led to eating disorders.
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College apparel still made in sweatshops
Matthew Kauffman and Lisa Chedekel of The Hartford Courant find that college-licensed apparel is produced in sweatshop conditions, despite pledges made by academic leaders five years ago. "But today, the $20 T-shirts and $40 sweat shirts that bear the logos of UConn and other major universities are sewn under conditions that are as dismal as those that prompted the pledges — and rapidly getting worse."
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Sports owners donate millions to candidates
Michael Hiestand of USA Today, with assistance from a number of other staffers, surveyed the political contribution habits of professional sports team owners, finding that "NFL, NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball and NASCAR Nextel Cup team owners, commissioners and spouses contributed at least $14.6 million to national political candidates, parties and other political advocacy groups in the two years leading into Tuesday's election." Just four individuals - owners of the San Diego Chargers, Orlando Magic, Houston Texans and Cincinnati Reds - accounted for about 71 percent of the donations.
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Extra taxes pay for baseball stadium
Mark Gillispie of The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer checked local records to find that taxpayers in Eastlake "have been overcharged more than $5 million in property taxes since 1988, nearly a third of which has helped pay for a professional baseball stadium they were promised would never cost them a cent." City officials erred in drafting and approving budgets that overstated the money the city should get to help pay off a $7.1 million sewer loan. "A Plain Dealer review of records shows Eastlake used at least $2 million of the money to make payments on loans for a new municipal complex, which opened in 1994. And $1.6 million more has gone toward interest payments on loans for Eastlake Ballpark, home of the Lake County Captains, a minor league affiliate of the Cleveland Indians."
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Buckeyes have edge in close games
Rusty Miller of The Associated Press reviewed Big Ten football records to find that Ohio State's reputation for winning tight games is well-deserved: "An Associated Press analysis of the results of Big Ten teams in coach Jim Tressel's three years with the Buckeyes shows that the other 10 teams have a 42-percent success rate in games decided by a touchdown or less. Ohio State has won 74 percent of such games." That's partly a factor of OSU playing in so many close games — "half of Ohio State's 14 wins during its perfect season and national championship run in 2002 were decided by seven or fewer points."
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Job claims cost coach his job
Brent Schrotenboer, Steve Brand and Nicole Vargas of the San Diego Union-Tribune report on false and unverifiable claims made by a recently hired high school football coach. After the Union-Tribune's began reporting on claims Stewart Roper had made on previous job applications, the school district began its own investigation and Roper has been dismissed after 13 days on the job. Roper had made the claims "on previous job applications and has been fired or resigned under pressure from at least two of his four jobs since 2001, according to previous employers and others who know him." The San Diego Unified School District has refused to release Roper's latest job application, citing personnel matters. Among Roper's claims were his assertion that he is a former Canadian Football League player and that he was "involved in a football book published by Coaches' Choice in Monterey, according to Dave Renquist, superintendent of Needles Unified School District." Roper is not listed on League rosters and "officials at Coaches' Choice said they don't recognize his name."
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NASCAR plans draw opposition from area residents
Scott Morris and Scott North of The (Everett, Wash.) Herald used mapping software, Census data and county records to show that a proposed NASCAR racetrack will have plenty of neighbors. "More than 17,000 people live within a roughly two-mile area around the track site. That's more than 6,000 homes, U.S. Census records show." Snohomish County has approved more than 800 permits for new construction in the area since 1995. "Those numbers explain why opposition to the track has been strong. Snohomish County Citizens Against a Racetrack, or SCAR, gathered more than 1,000 signatures opposing the track earlier this year, mostly from Marysville and Arlington."
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Selig has unprecedented control over MLB
Steve Fainaru of The Washington Post has a three-part series about how Major League Baseball does business, describing Commissioner Bud Selig as the sport's unchallenged leader, even though he has attracted scorn in his hometown for how the Milwaukee Brewers' stadium was financed. "The Major League Constitution was rewritten to give Selig increased authority over economic issues — powers so sweeping that they expire at the end of his term so his successors cannot abuse them. Selig can act unilaterally on any matter pertaining to collective bargaining between the owners and players." Selig will decide shortly on the prospects of placing a team in Washington, D.C.
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Wealthy schools win championships
Erik Brady and MaryJo Sylwester of USA Today built a database of high school sports champions in 27 states, finding that "public schools in the wealthiest neighborhoods win state team championships at more than twice the rate of schools in the least wealthy neighborhoods." The analysis included 5 "core" sports for boys and 5 for girls and used championships between January 1999 and December 2003 for all divisions. Using Census data, the paper ranked the schools using the 2003 median income based on school district boundaries, as well as the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunches. "Only in Rhode Island did schools in the least wealthy neighborhoods win state championships at a greater rate than in wealthy ones, USA Today found. Louisiana, Vermont and Alabama were the only states where schools from the least wealthy areas won almost as many state championships as the schools in wealthy ones."
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Jump to Division I could cost school
Jeff Kolpack of the Forum studied North Dakota State's planned jump to Division I athletics, finding that "the NDSU sports budget for next year could hit $7.7 million — or nearly the outer limits of what a consulting group said the university can afford. That's $1.7 million more than NDSU will spend on sports this academic year." The paper used school records to compare its budget to those of other colleges heading to D-I, including South Dakota State and Northern Colorado. "Compared with the eight established schools in the Big Sky Conference, NDSU's budget would rank third highest behind the University of Montana, at $9 million, and Montana State, at $ 8 million — both of which struggle with financial problems."
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Ky. schools in danger of not meeting tougher NCAA rules
Brian Bennett of The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal analyzed graduation rates of athletes at University of Louisville, University of Kentucky and Indiana University in advance of tougher new NCAA standards expected to be passed later this month. Bennett finds that "the UK football team ranks in the bottom 5 percent of Division I-A in graduating players" and the University of Kentucky men's basketball team "has not listed a graduate in nine of its past 13 annual reports to the NCAA." Indiana has a graduation rate of 72 percent in football for the past four classes. The Courier-Journal looked at NCAA graduation reports as well as including transfer students and those who graduated after more than six years, two factors not included in the NCAA reports.
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Runs, high salaries draw fans to baseball games
Anthony Spangler and Jeff Claassen of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram compiled a database of factors that affect attendance at Major League ballparks then performed a statistical analysis to find runs scored and high-salaried player, not wins, were the most significant factors in drawing fans to ballgames. But the Texas Rangers bucked that trend. Although the Rangers scored the second-most runs in the last five years and had the fifth-highest team payroll during that period, the team ranked 15th in attendance. The Rangers also lost a quarter of its fan base since the team last made the playoffs in 1999. (Free registration required to view the link.)
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IRE awards three medals
An astonishing story of brutal war crimes by The (Toledo, Ohio) Blade and a book on the American tax system by David Cay Johnston took top honors in the 2003 IRE Awards. In addition, the Freedom of Information Award went to a team from the (Sioux Falls, S.D.) Argus Leader for exposing a massive secret pardons program rife with questions and conflicts for the governor.
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Colleges spend money on athletics that would have gone to academics
In a joint venture, MaryJo Sylwester of USA Today and Tom Witosky of The Des Moines Register published an examination of college athletics finances. The story found: "Average athletic budgets rose at a pace more than double the increases in average university spending at Division I schools between 1995 and 2001. Athletic revenues are not keeping pace, so schools have increasingly used money that would normally be spent on academics, and have tapped student athletic fees paid by all full-time students. Sidebars look at how Tennessee is dealing with a state mandate to reduce the amount of taxpayer money used for athletics; how one school, Northern Iowa, is content and successful not competing in the so-called arms race; and how Florida A&M is caught between its desire to move up to the more lucrative Division 1-A and the financial reality of the price tag for that move."
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Athletes fare better in court than most
Tom Weir and Erik Brady of USA Today report that, based on cases in the past 12 years, athletes accused of sexual assault "fare better at trial than defendants from the general population." Their investigation looked at 168 cases and found that "of those that have reached disposition, just 32% were convicted, either at trial or through a plea agreement." The story includes a list of the cases where there was a conviction.
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159 Wash. coaches fired or reprimanded for sexual misconduct
Christine Willmsen and Maureen O'Hagan of The Seattle Times conducted a year-long investigation of girls' sports coaches, finding that in the past 10 years, "159 coaches in Washington have been fired or reprimanded for sexual misconduct ranging from harassment to rape. Nearly all were male coaches victimizing girls. At least 98 of these coaches continued to coach or teach." The paper sought records from Washington state school districts, one of which sought to prevent disclosure of files by collaborating with the teachers union.
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NASCAR crashes up 26 percent this season
Chris Jenkins and MaryJo Sylwester of USA Today tracked the number of crashes on the NASCAR racing circuit this season, finding that the figure increased 26 percent over the previous season. "Many in the sport attribute the increase in on-track incidents to passing difficulties that lead to over-aggressive driving. NASCAR officials don't agree that parity is causing more accidents, but they do acknowledge it's too hard to pass."
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Football revenue supports other prep sports
Using school budget and booster club records, Florida Today reporters Alan Snel and John A. Torres discover just how much football means to high schools in Brevard County: "Ticket sales and other revenue from football games have raised nearly $7 out of every $10 schools can spend on prep sports in Brevard, records show." In addition, public money alone represents less than 10 percent of what is spent on high school sports, with booster clubs and other fundraising providing the bulk of the money. "The picture that emerges is a system that spends little public money yet receives much in return. High school sports, an American tradition, prevent kids from dropping out while rallying community support for local schools, experts and educators said."
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Air Force Academy players come through prep school
Dan Wolken of The (Colorado Springs) Gazette has the story of the Air Force Academy's prep school, a pipeline of athletes for the Academy's football team. "About 42 percent of the prep school’s students during the past 20 years were recruited athletes, a majority of them football players." More than 60 percent of those football players received appointments to the Academy. More than half of the current team's starting players are from the prep school, which does not market its players to other colleges. "Taxpayers pay almost the entire bill for students at the prep school and the academy, meaning tuition, room and board. One year at the prep school costs taxpayers $30,000 per student."
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Little progress toward fixing long-standing problems in boxing
George Diaz and Rick Maesa of the Orlando Sentinel have a five-part series on the state of the boxing industry, focusing on the times when the sport turns deadly. The paper found "a sport with a long history of disorganization, poor regulation and power brokers whose first concern is not always the well-being of the boxer. The problems exist on every level -- professional, amateur and Toughman -- and affect every weight class, sanctioning body and part of the country." Florida has had more boxing-related deaths than any other state during the past 25 years, and other fighters suffer brain injuries. One piece tells the story of Wilfred Benitez, a former prizefighter who now relies on a government subsidy to pay for his medical bills.
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Athletic directors' salaries, bonuses rival those of CEOs
Brian Bennett of The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal used state open-records laws to obtain the contracts of 57 public university athletic directors from seven Division I conferences to find that more than a dozen earn at least $300,000 a year, while the average salary for ADs in the six largest conferences is $268,000. "Many athletic directors' contracts include performance and longevity clauses that can increase the total potential package anywhere from a few thousand dollars to several hundred thousand dollars. And this does not include other perks that have become nearly standard, such as the free use of one or more cars, memberships in private country clubs and supplemental life insurance." Kentucky's AD has the fourth-highest guaranteed salary among his peers, which does not include private schools such as Duke University or Notre Dame who are not subject to public records laws.
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Girls gaining in high school sports
Erik Brady and MaryJo Sylwester of USA Today examined data on girls' participation in high school athletics, finding that "the percentage of girls who play varsity sports continues on a slow rise at the same time the percentage for boys is flat." Nearly half of high school boys play varsity sports, but that figure has remained constant for about ten years, while female participation has slowly risen to near 33 percent. Girls have made their largest percentage increases in sports that traditionally have fielded all-boys teams, such as ice hockey, wrestling and football, but also have posted gains in lacrosse, crew and soccer.
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Salaries for college coaches continute to rise
Mike Fish of Sports Illustrated.com sent FOIA requests to universities who changed basketball or football coaches in the past year, comparing the contracts of the previous and new occupants of the job. His review shows that when a big name coach left for another school, it created a domino effect of increasing salaries. "At least nine of the 15 basketball coaches hired by major colleges this spring will make more money than their predecessors, and in most cases it's a significant bump." Two schools -- Pitt and Penn State -- refused the requests for records, saying Pennsylvania's new open records law didn't apply to them.
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Big coaches, big pay
Mike Fish of Sports Illustrated.com sent FOIA requests to universities who changed basketball or football coaches in the past year, comparing the contracts of the previous and new occupants of the job. His review shows that when a big name coach left for another school, it created a domino effect of increasing salaries. "At least nine of the 15 basketball coaches hired by major colleges this spring will make more money than their predecessors, and in most cases it's a significant bump." Two schools - Pitt and Penn State - refused the requests for records, saying Pennsylvania's new open records law didn't apply to them.
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Money matters in Texas high school sports
Damien Pierce and Jeff Claassen of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram looked at the disparity in athletic results between rich and poor Texas schools, finding that "schools from the state's most affluent communities have begun to dominate University Interscholastic League athletic competitions, giving children from wealthy suburbs a leg up when it comes to painting championship years on the town water tower and winning athletic scholarships." The paper's analysis found that household income, not tax revenues, best predicts athletic success.
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Amateur 'Toughman' competitions go unregulated
Fred Girard of The Detroit News investigates the "Toughman" competitions that pit amateur brawlers, finding that 12 men in Toughman fights have died since 1979 and at least five more have suffered brain damage. "Unlike other sanctioned sports in which participants face higher injury risks, Toughman fails to provide proper safety guidelines and procedures to protect its fighters."
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USOC allowed athletes to compete despite failed drug tests
Continuin g their investigation into the United States' Olympic program, Scott M. Reid, William Heisel and Tony Saavedra of The Orange County Register report that American Olympic officials "for more than a decade allowed athletes who failed drug tests in qualifying events to compete in the Olympic Games and other world-class competitions." The reporters found more than 100 instances of failed drug tests that American officials classified as "inadvertent use" in order to permit the athletes to compete. "While the rulings may have been within the letter of the law, critics question whether elite athletes could honestly have been unaware they were taking banned substances. And in the cases examined by the Register, the officials in charge appear to have granted appeals after cursory investigations and limited deliberations"
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USOC failed to penalize athletes who failed drug tests
Scott M. Reid, William Heisel and Tony Saavedra of the Orange County Register detailed this week a massive failure by the U.S. Olympic Committee in dealing with drug use by American athletes. For more than 10 years, the USOC and other federations "allowed athletes who failed drug tests in qualifying events to compete in the Olympic Games and other world-class competitions." Internal documents reviewed by the paper show that officials also kept positive test results secret, including tests in 1988 that showed sprinter Carl Lewis had taken banned stimulants.
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