Walt Bogdanich and Mike McIntire of The New York Times took first place in the Associated Press Sports Editors 2014 contest in the Investigative category for their stories on the Florida State football program and how local police handle reports of criminal behavior by college athletes.
Bogdanich and McIntire will be presented a first-place plaque at the 2015 APSE banquet. The banquet and awards dinner concludes the APSE Conference June 2427 at The Westgate Hotel in San Diego, Calif.
Balloting by six APSE judges ranked The New York Times entry ahead of the runner-up entry by the New York Daily News team and third-place finisher John Canzano of The Oregonian. The contest is open to APSE members. Click here to join.
Sports editors across all circulation categories submitted a total of 41 investigative entries written or directed by APSE member sports departments in 2014. Contest chair and APSE second vice president Mary Byrne numbered each entry, assuring they had been stripped of headlines, graphics, bylines and any other element that would identify the writer or news organization.
In early February in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. preliminary judges selected a top 10 ranked, with each judge listing the stories in order from 1 to 10 separately on a secret ballot. The final 10 were given to a second judging group, which also ranked the entries 1-10 in the same fashion.
The winner and final rankings are determined by tallying the ballots, giving a team 10 points for a first-place vote, nine points for second and so on down to one point for a 10th-place vote
The Investigative category recognizes the best single article or best series of articles displaying investigative sports journalism. Judging is based on the entry’s enterprise, initiative, documentation, resourcefulness and original reporting in uncovering newsworthy and significant facts and developments that otherwise might not have been reported. Impact and aftermath of the work are considered.
The top 10 is listed below with links to writers’ Twitter pages, APSE member websites and winning entries.
- Walt Bogdanich and Mike McIntire, The New York Times, 54 points, 3 first-place votes
A Star Player Accused, and a Flawed Rape Investigation
Reporting Rape, and Wishing She Hadn’t
At Florida State, Football Clouds Justice
Florida State Player Fled Crash but Got Only Traffic Tickets
- Teri Thompson, Mary Papenfuss, Christian Red and Nathaniel Vinton, New York Daily News, 46 points, 1 first-place vote
Brit’s ablaze over Chuck Blazer FBI informant work; Parliament member asks Fraud unit to investigate
FIFA whistleblowers kick back: Two women rip soccer organization over broken promises
Switzerland to give FIFA long look
FIFA dismisses Michael Garcia’s appeal of World Cup probe
Michael Garcia resigns in protest over FIFA’s handling of his report on the World Cup bid process
FIFA agrees to release ‘legally appropriate version’ of Michael Garcia’s corruption report
- John Canzano, The Oregonian, 42 points, 1 first-place vote
16 years after Oregon State football gang-rape allegation, Brenda Tracy steps from the shadows
The Oregonian’s investigation uncovers trail of betrayal for alleged gang rape victim Brenda Tracy
- John Diedrich and Gary D’Amato, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 37 points
Milwaukee kickboxer Dennis Munson Jr.’s death follows cascade of errors by fight officials
Milwaukee kickboxer died of head trauma, not sickle cell trait
Missing video segment in kickboxer’s fatal fight spurs police probe
Unregulated bout pits seasoned kickboxer vs. man with mental disabilities
Wisconsin combat sports regulations lag behind states with toughest rules
County files complaint over Curtis Ambulance handling of fatal kickboxing bout at Eagles Club
Injuries a growing concern in MMA, other combat sports
A look at deaths in mixed martial arts and kickboxing since ’07
MMA, other combat sports grow from underground fistfights to arena events
Disabled man who fought in unregulated kickboxing bout receives medals
- (tie) Tom Farrey and Nicole Noren, ESPN.com, 35 points, 1 first-place vote
Mizzou did not pursue alleged assault
- (tie) Bob Hohler, The Boston Globe, 35 points
MIAA doesn’t conduct criminal background checks on referees
- Josh Peter, with Nancy Armour, Peter Barzilai, David Meeks and Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports, 32 points
Divorce, death and Donald Sterling’s boyhood home
- Steve Gorten, Ryan Clark, Dave Brousseau, Amy Shipley, Malcolm Shields and Barbara Hijek, South Florida Sun Sentinel, 18 points
Miramar’s Matthew Strout out as football coach
Miramar receiver ineligible, coach claims
Miramar under Broward Schools investigation
Miramar to play WR Durante as eligibility probe continues
Miramar admits misdeeds by football team, terminates 2014 season
Ousted Miramar football coach falsified resume
Ex-Miramar coach Strout faked transcript, Ohio State says
Miramar grade-fixing for football players ‘improper,’ district says
Miramar probe turns to ex-coach’s handling of funds
- Lee Higgins, Mike Zacchio and Journal News staff, The Journal News, 17 points
NCAA scholarships yanked, WCC coach fired in transcript probe
WCC broadens athlete transcript probe after fraud charge
Keith Thomas: St. John’s reviewing his WCC transcript
Former WCC star Keith Thomas ineligible, St. John’s says
WCC tipped about basketball transcript fraud a year ago
WCC basketball transcript fraud prompts broad Concordia investigation
WCC basketball program suspended in transcript scandal
WCC transcript scandal ensnares fourth NCAA player
WCC cancels basketball season amid transcript scandal
Ex-WCC player Jamell Walker lost a scholarship a year ago
- Chris Anderson, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 14 points
