The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "professional athletes" ...
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Concussion Crisis
The stories examine the seriousness of concussions among athletes in youth and professional sports. Safety inadequacies in hundreds of thousands of football helmets have led to brain trauma and more.
Tags: football; football helmets; NFL; brain damage; Lou Gehrig's
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Dykstra's Business a Bed of 'Nails'
Lenny Dykstra appeared to be the picture of success. He set out to build a “financial empire” based off of professional athletes and his own reputation as a former Major League Baseball star. “But an ESPN.com investigation discovered that Dykstra was a financial train wreck with a long history of skipping out on bills. Also, ESPN.com discovered that at least 24 legal actions had been filed against Dykstra over the previous two years.”
Tags: Baseball; Financial; Players; Lawsuit; Entrepreneur; Major League Baseball; MLB
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"How (And Why) Athletes Go Broke"
In "How (And Why) Athletes Go Broke," Pablo S. Torre, investigates how professional athletes squander their high salaries on "lavish spending," failed business attempts and corrupt "money managers." He also reveals illegal activities by a "Texas investment firm" with prominent sports affiliations.
Tags: NFL; NBA; Triton Financial LLC; Raghib Ismail; Kurt Barton; baseball; PGA
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As Summer Ends, Heat is on in Toledo POint-Shaving Case
The University of Toledo's athletic department was the center of a point-shaving operation led by Ghazi Manni, a professional gambler and grocery store owner. Former Toledo football staf Harvey "Scooter" McDougle Jr. took part in the gambling ring will playing for the university.
Tags: phone tap; Mitchell Karam; Bruce Gradkowski; betting; recruiting;
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Tech CEOs Lobby for Immigration Break Enjoyed by Baseball Stars
"The story focused on how technology companies lobbied Congress to secure little-known visas for foreign-born employees. The tech industry was seeking immigration exemptions similar to those that professional sports teams receive for athletes."
Tags: technology companies; visas; immigration exemptions; immigration; Senate immigration fight
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Big Headache; Doctor Yes
This two part investigation examines the National Football League protocol for dealing with concussions. The articles discuss equipment that can dramatically lower chances of getting a concussion, but is not required by the NFL. It also discusses the NFL mentality that makes heroes out of players who play while injured.
Tags: sports; professional athletes; heatlh; head trauma; doctors; sports medicine; sports equipment
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Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids scandal that Rocked Professional Sports
San Francisco Chronicle reporters broke the story that some elite athletes used drugs to "run faster, hit harder, and cash in on the fame that comes only to those at the very top of their games." Fainaru-Wada and Williams used"Federal Grand Jury transcripts and federal investigative reports... court records and state health department records," among other documents. (332 pages)
Tags: steroids; drugs; BALCO; Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative; San Francisco Chronicle; Victor Conte; Major League Baseball; football; track and field; California Public Records Act; Federal Grand Jury; sports agents; trainers; sports doping; Olympics; Justice Department; IRS; U.S. Anti-Doping Agency; USADA
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Death and Destruction
A collection of statistics-based stories including: state and local coroners offices that disposed of unidentified cadavers without informing authorities, the early death of professional athletes due to dramatically increased weight, the natural disaster declarations by presidents seeking re-election, and the elimination of helmet-use among motorcyclists.
Tags: Statistics; helmet law; cadaver; John Doe; weight gain; professional athlete; natural disaster; re-election; motorcycle; coroner
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Who Knew?
This investigation traced the arc of the anabolic steroids age in Major League Baseball. The report describes the phenomenon by telling the story of critical characters in the national pastime's chemical history.
Tags: sports; drugs; illegal substances; BALCO; baseball; professional athletes
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Crashing the Borders
Araton's book examines the world inside the NBA, where selfish players want all the money and fame for themselves, foreign players are making a breakthrough and relationships between players and fans are far less than perfect. Araton not only focuses on the greed and selfishness that the NBA is now filled with, but also looks at racial issues that are damaging the sport as a whole.
Tags: National Basketball Association; basketball; professional athletes; professional sports