By Mike Sherman, APSE First Vice President/Contest Chair
The New York Daily News team of Teri Thompson, Nathaniel Vinton, Michael O'Keeffe, Christian Red and Bill Madden won the Associated Press Sports Editors Investigative award for their stories on the federal and Major League Baseball investigations into Alex Rodriguez and Biogenesis.
The Daily News team, which received four of six first-place votes from APSE judges, will be presented a first-place plaque at the 2014 APSE Banquet June 28 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va.
The Los Angeles Times team of Ken Bensinger, Armand Emamdjomeh and Maloy Moore placed second for uncovering that thousands of professional athletes from around the country are “seeking medical care or money through California’s workers compensation system for injuries for brain trauma and other injuries suffered on the playing field.”
Dan Kane of the News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C., was third for his investigation of a former University of North Carolina professor at the center of an academic fraud scandal who had close ties to the UNC football program.
The top 10 is listed below with links to each writers’ Twitter pages and entries.
Sports editors submitted 31 Investigative entries. Contest catchers 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 March, preliminary judges at the APSE Winter Conference in Indianapolis selected a top 10, with each judge ranking the entries in order from 1 to 10 separately on a secret ballot. Entries were given 10 points for a first-place vote, nine points for second and so on down to 1 point for a 10th-place vote. The final 10 were given to a second judging group, which ranked the entries 1-10 in the same fashion. The winner and final rankings are determined by tallying the ballots.
Investigative entries can be a single article or series. They are judged based on enterprise, initiative, documentation, resourcefulness and original reporting in uncovering newsworthy and significant facts and developments that otherwise might not have been reported. Judges are encouraged to consider impact and aftermath of the work, which can be detailed in a cover letter.
The contest is open to APSE members. Go to this link to join.
2013 APSE Contest: Investigative (all circulation categories)
(First-place votes in parentheses)
1. Teri Thompson, Nathaniel Vinton, Michael O'Keeffe, Christian Red and Bill Madden, New York Daily News (4), 59 points
What does Alex Rodriguez hope to accomplish by following Lance Armstrong's legal blueprint?
Alex Rodriguez lawyer nearly fights Anthony Bosch's attorney at MLB offices
Biogenesis records that link MLB players to PEDs are for sale to highest bidder
Alex Rodriguez walks out of MLB’s arbitration hearing, slams Bud Selig on Mike Francesa's radio show
Police arrest man, 20, in connection with car break-in at center of Biogenesis scandal
Yankees' Alex Rodriguez may be obstructing Biogenesis probe
MLB done talking with Alex Rodriguez, who faces 214-game ban on Monday after latest outburst
2. Ken Bensinger, Armand Emamdjomeh and Maloy Moore, Los Angeles Times, (1), 49 points
Brain injuries a big problem for NFL in California
Injury claims by professional football players (includes tabs for MLB, NBA, WNBA, NHL, MLS)
NFL dodges a bullet in proposed concussion settlement
California limits workers' comp sports injury claims
State panel rejected injury claim by NFL's Dorsett
3. Dan Kane, The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.), (1), 43 points
Former UNC African studies chairman had close ties to athletic counselors
UNC faculty leader pushed rewrite of key report to keep NCAA away
NCAA unlikely to punish UNC for academic fraud, new documents show
Former UNC-CH African studies chairman indicted by grand jury
6 reviews and investigations have looked into UNC African studies department
No makeup offered for many suspected 'no-show' classes at UNC-CH
4. Rand Getlin and Charles Robinson, Yahoo! Sports, 42 points
Documents, text messages reveal impermissible benefits to five SEC players
5. Craig Wolff, The Star-Ledger (Newark, N.J.), 41 points
Rutgers' new athletic director faces fresh questions about her past
Rutgers president Robert Barchi stands behind hiring of Julie Hermann
Chris Christie on Julie Hermann situation: 'Let Rutgers handle it'
Response to Julie Hermann allegations infuriates ex-Tennessee players
Embattled Julie Hermann says she's up to the task of being Rutgers A.D.
6. Scott M. Reid, The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.), 38 points
Documents detail allegations of swim-coach impropriety
O.C. swim coach banned for life; other coach resigns
Documents reveal brevity of investigation into swim coach
Golden West president recharacterizes view of swim investigation
Catholic group aims lobbying effort at sex-abuse case window
Jewell given 3-year ban by USA Swimming
USA Swimming hires lobbying firm to fight bill
USA Swimming works to contain sex-abuse scandals
7. Steve Eder, Richard Sandomir and James Andrew Miller, The New York Times, 37 points
College Football’s Most Dominant Player? It’s ESPN
At Louisville, Athletic Boom Is Rooted in ESPN Partnership
To Protect Its Empire, ESPN Stays on Offense
8. Bob Hohler, The Boston Globe, 36 points
The concussion doctor’s tangled interests
The concussion doctor’s connections
9. Philip Hersh and Jared Hopkins, Chicago Tribune, 22 points
6 skaters demand USS Speedskating reorganization
Speedskating director Greenwald stepping down
US Speedskating revamps bylaws
10. Brent Schrotenboer, USA TODAY Sports, 18 points
USA TODAY Sports investigation: Holes in stadium security
(Mike Sherman, APSE first vice president and contest chair, is sports editor of The Oklahoman. Email him at msherman@opubco.com, follow him at @MikeSherman or call 405-475-3164.)
