Censorship by Omission
I’m sure if you’ve made it to this website you have your own questions about the current state of what’s called "sports." You probably also have concerns about the mainstream media as well. What follows is my personal story of how these two entities can quiet a dissenting voice with very little effort. It’s not outright censorship. My work has not been banned. Heck, they even paid me to write for Sports On Earth
(which, shockingly, was co-owned by MLB Advanced Media) and Vice Sports. What I’m about to discuss is what I call "censorship by omission." The First Amendment protects freedom of speech and press from government
interference, not from corporate
interference. And that's a huge, albeit sometimes blurred, line.
In the realm of sports, to be publicized is to been seen, heard or read in places like ESPN, Sports Illustrated
and Deadspin. But if those outlets refuse to assist in promoting one’s work, what is one left with?
After over a decade of attempting to promote my books The Fix Is In, Larceny Games, A Season in the Abyss, and now The Fix is Still In, I am certain that the sports leagues and their media partners know about me and are consciously thwarting me.
This is a true documentation of what I’ve encountered. Some may see these snippets without the malice I attach to them. That’s fine. But I believe that the bulk of this points to something more at work that a constant "changing of the mind" from the producers and decision makers involved.
The troublesome aspect for me is not that I don’t get more radio airtime or sell more books. Far from it. The issue concerning me is that what I discuss is merely sports corruption which is something trivial within the bigger picture of life. Imagine what is happening to people out there with more important stories to tell. Who is preventing them from getting the deserved media attention? What vital information are we all missing because the mainstream media is suppressing these people? Consider that as you read through the rest of this piece.
In certain places, I will not name the names of those involved for my own reasons.
Prior to the publication of The Fix Is In
in 2010, ESPN sent writer Patrick Hruby to interview me for a written piece about sports conspiracies. He flew from the East Coast to my home in the Midwest, we chatted, ESPN bought me a meal, and he flew back home. In fact, he flew to several places and interviewed a multitude of people in relation to this subject—all on ESPN’s dime. Then ESPN did something Hruby never encountered before: they refused to publish the piece. Ultimately, he left ESPN and began writing for other sports outlets. After three years, the piece
was finally released, though not by ESPN. What spooked them? The corporate mindset.
Strangely, just after the publication of Larceny Games (Sept. 2013), I was interviewed by a writer from Sports Illustrated (more on them in a bit) for a supposed article about sports conspiracies. This writer and I chatter for over an hour, and he related how he was "under the gun" to get this piece wrapped up and to his editor for publication. The article was never released. Why? Unlike with Hruby, this writer would never respond to my inquiries, so I never learned a reason.
ESPN the Magazine would themselves release an entire issue devoted to sports conspiracy. Despite the fact that I’m pretty much the only one out there writing and discussing this subject matter, no one from the magazine ever contacted me regarding their issue. Apparently, I'm not a good source for such talk or information.
Strangely, just after the publication of Larceny Games (Sept. 2013), I was interviewed by a writer from Sports Illustrated (more on them in a bit) for a supposed article about sports conspiracies. This writer and I chatter for over an hour, and he related how he was "under the gun" to get this piece wrapped up and to his editor for publication. The article was never released. Why? Unlike with Hruby, this writer would never respond to my inquiries, so I never learned a reason.
ESPN the Magazine would themselves release an entire issue devoted to sports conspiracy. Despite the fact that I’m pretty much the only one out there writing and discussing this subject matter, no one from the magazine ever contacted me regarding their issue. Apparently, I'm not a good source for such talk or information.
In relation to both The Fix Is In
and Larceny Games, I have appeared on well over 200 radio programs and podcasts across the US and Canada. Some have been nationally syndicated programs like Coast to Coast AM, the Alex Jones Show, Chris Myers Interviews, JT The Brick and the Steve Czaban Show. Despite this pedigree, I have not been able to appear on any
national ESPN radio program, the Jim Rome Show, or on any ESPN radio programs on their local affiliates in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago or Dallas.
The fact that ESPN Radio Chicago refuses to have me on bothers me the most as I recognize it as my base of operations. After several failed attempts at contacting someone, anyone, in Chicago sports radio when I was promoting The Fix Is In, I finally landed an extremely positive response from a pair of hosts at ESPN Chicago. Their response read:
“We would love to have to some copies of your book, it seems very interesting. Please send some to our address: [which was included]. When we receive them and look into it, we can try to do many things for you such as publicize it over our show, have you on as a guest to talk about it and much more. Good luck with your sales and we are excited to have your book.”
I did as instructed, and followed up a week later. No response. I sent another friendly email making sure the books arrived. Nothing. They never responded to any inquiry about this.
In the wake of Larceny Games release, I was again contacted by a different host from ESPN Chicago. We scheduled at least three interviews, yet every time my interview time arrived "something came up" and it was canceled. To date, ESPN Chicago has not had me on any of their programs.
In September 2013, a producer from NBC Sports Radio eagerly contacted me upon the release of Larceny Games and scheduled an interview with me on one of their nationally syndicated shows. When I contacted this producer a day prior to the interview to re-confirm times, etc. suddenly the interview had to be cancelled with no reason given. I was then asked to appear on a different NBC Sports Radio program, but under completely different circumstances (this was a situation I could not accept, and it felt as if I were being set up). When I politely declined to appear on this other program, I requested an appearance on the show I was originally offered…and no response has ever come back from this producer despite several attempts to re-connect.
Out of the blue, this same NBC Sports Radio producer contacted me on Christmas Day to have me on the show the following day. I agreed and did the interview with the NFL Network's Brian Webber. Webber treated me like a joke and compared my research -- built on previously unseen FBI files obtained via the Freedom of Information Act -- to Bigfoot and Loch Ness Monster researchers. Clearly, this was (a) not a real attempt to interview me and/or hold an actual conversation on the subject and (b) meant to marginalize me and my work. If this is the extent of Webber's interviewing skills, he should be the embarrassed one.
I was also offered a TV appearance on Versus prior to it becoming the NBC Sports Network (same owners, new name). This was to be on the program The Daily Line to discuss The Fix Is In. One of the show’s producers emailed me the following: “What’s your schedule next week? We tape segments Monday-Thursday in the 4:30p-7p range. Let me know if there’s a day and time that works for you.”
Sounded like a done deal, right? The only problem was I had to pay my own way to New York City and couldn’t arrange for the trip in a week’s time. But the producer was still game, writing: “I didn’t realize you were out of town. We typically don’t fly in people for segments like this. Let me know if you’ll be in NY and we’ll set something up.”
The fact that ESPN Radio Chicago refuses to have me on bothers me the most as I recognize it as my base of operations. After several failed attempts at contacting someone, anyone, in Chicago sports radio when I was promoting The Fix Is In, I finally landed an extremely positive response from a pair of hosts at ESPN Chicago. Their response read:
“We would love to have to some copies of your book, it seems very interesting. Please send some to our address: [which was included]. When we receive them and look into it, we can try to do many things for you such as publicize it over our show, have you on as a guest to talk about it and much more. Good luck with your sales and we are excited to have your book.”
I did as instructed, and followed up a week later. No response. I sent another friendly email making sure the books arrived. Nothing. They never responded to any inquiry about this.
In the wake of Larceny Games release, I was again contacted by a different host from ESPN Chicago. We scheduled at least three interviews, yet every time my interview time arrived "something came up" and it was canceled. To date, ESPN Chicago has not had me on any of their programs.
In September 2013, a producer from NBC Sports Radio eagerly contacted me upon the release of Larceny Games and scheduled an interview with me on one of their nationally syndicated shows. When I contacted this producer a day prior to the interview to re-confirm times, etc. suddenly the interview had to be cancelled with no reason given. I was then asked to appear on a different NBC Sports Radio program, but under completely different circumstances (this was a situation I could not accept, and it felt as if I were being set up). When I politely declined to appear on this other program, I requested an appearance on the show I was originally offered…and no response has ever come back from this producer despite several attempts to re-connect.
Out of the blue, this same NBC Sports Radio producer contacted me on Christmas Day to have me on the show the following day. I agreed and did the interview with the NFL Network's Brian Webber. Webber treated me like a joke and compared my research -- built on previously unseen FBI files obtained via the Freedom of Information Act -- to Bigfoot and Loch Ness Monster researchers. Clearly, this was (a) not a real attempt to interview me and/or hold an actual conversation on the subject and (b) meant to marginalize me and my work. If this is the extent of Webber's interviewing skills, he should be the embarrassed one.
I was also offered a TV appearance on Versus prior to it becoming the NBC Sports Network (same owners, new name). This was to be on the program The Daily Line to discuss The Fix Is In. One of the show’s producers emailed me the following: “What’s your schedule next week? We tape segments Monday-Thursday in the 4:30p-7p range. Let me know if there’s a day and time that works for you.”
Sounded like a done deal, right? The only problem was I had to pay my own way to New York City and couldn’t arrange for the trip in a week’s time. But the producer was still game, writing: “I didn’t realize you were out of town. We typically don’t fly in people for segments like this. Let me know if you’ll be in NY and we’ll set something up.”
At that I said, “Give me two weeks and I’ll get myself to NYC.” He agreed to wait. In the meantime his gung-ho spirit changed as I was suddenly handed off to a second producer who wanted to read the book prior to finalizing my appearance. After two weeks of no responses, the second producer finally got back to me with this: “Unfortunately, we're not going to be able to be able to do a segment on your book. We are moving in a direction of interviewing more athletes and less interviews with people who cover the athletes and games.”
Notice it wasn’t “no interviews with people who cover the athletes and games,” just “less.” And in this case, my interview on The Daily Line went suddenly from “come on in” to “no thanks.”
I found that odd because Versus touted the now defunct program as “conversations of controversial and out-of-bounds topics.” I believe The Fix Is In
more than fit that description. Yet they wouldn’t allow me to appear once the true nature of the book was uncovered.
To a certain extent, I can understand the want not to promote a so-called "conspiracy theory" as the one presented in The Fix Is In. However, with the release Larceny Games—which is undeniable fact based on both interviews with industry insiders and authentic FBI files—this perplexing attitude within the sports media remained.
To a certain extent, I can understand the want not to promote a so-called "conspiracy theory" as the one presented in The Fix Is In. However, with the release Larceny Games—which is undeniable fact based on both interviews with industry insiders and authentic FBI files—this perplexing attitude within the sports media remained.
To promote Larceny Games, my publisher successfully contacted many of the major sports media outlets, all of which asked for copies to review. This list included ESPN, HBO, Sports Illustrated
and Yahoo Sports among others. I had conversations with a producer from 60 Minutes. Not one of these outlets has ever done anything in relation to my work.
An editor at Sports Illustrated
agreed with my publisher to run an excerpt from Larceny Games
in the magazine. Then, he stopped answering emails and cut off all communication. As luck would have it, a friend of mine happened to be friends with this particular editor. He emailed him on my behalf, asking about when the excerpt was going to run. When he received a response, the editor completely ignored his inquiry about the excerpt. The response and subsequent behavior of the editor made my friend question the entire affair.
Luckily, Gary Buiso at the NY Post wasn’t so skittish. He wrote an article about Larceny Games focusing on the FBI file I uncovered relating to members of the New York Knicks shaving points for their cocaine dealer back in 1981-82. Amazingly, this story went viral. Within 20 minutes of it's release by the Post, it was on Sports Illustrated's website (ha!). CNN called my house. But also amazingly, one sports media outlet didn't pick up the story. That outlet? ESPN. Could that be because ESPN is the NBA’s number one broadcast partner and financial contributor, or because the story was not that interesting?
Luckily, Gary Buiso at the NY Post wasn’t so skittish. He wrote an article about Larceny Games focusing on the FBI file I uncovered relating to members of the New York Knicks shaving points for their cocaine dealer back in 1981-82. Amazingly, this story went viral. Within 20 minutes of it's release by the Post, it was on Sports Illustrated's website (ha!). CNN called my house. But also amazingly, one sports media outlet didn't pick up the story. That outlet? ESPN. Could that be because ESPN is the NBA’s number one broadcast partner and financial contributor, or because the story was not that interesting?
Even when I wrote for Sports on Earth
and Vice Sports
I encountered issues, and I was on their team! Editors at both sites passed on articles I wrote for them (even though Sports on Earth
went so far as to create a logo for some of my articles because they happily dubbed me "The Conspiracy Theorist"). But the worst was when an editor from Fightland.com contacted me after hearing me on a podcast. He asked me to write an article based on my comparisions between the UFC and boxing in the 1950's (which was absolutely corrupt and controlled by organized crime).
I wrote the piece. He liked it, but wanted to "talk about it"...then never made himself available to talk. Ever. I never got paid for my work, and obviously it was never published. Did it hit a little too close to home for the website that covers boxing and the UFC? Regardless, I expanded on the article and turned it into a chapter in The Fix is Still In.
While The Fix Is In
was reviewed in the Wall Street Journal, Larceny Games
never received any similar review and/or coverage -- anywhere. After seeing one two-page excerpt from the book go viral, I would've thought others within the media world would take a chance and review it. I mean, I named Hall of Fame players -- NBA and NFL legends -- who were known by the FBI to have gambled on games in which they played. It seemed rather newsworthy. I was wrong.
What’s also interesting about this media silence was that no one was even daring enough to cover my work in a negative fashion. Reviews could be written to bash the book, my research, etc. Instead, it was greeted with silence. Why? Because, as they say, “There is no such thing as bad publicity.” Reviewing the book negatively or having me on a program to discredit me still gets the word out to the public. Not all will agree with the reviewer or host. Some will pick up one of these books and see what’s inside for themselves.
But that can’t happen. My books, my research is a threat. It’s much better and safer to simply ignore my work than attempt to discredit it. That’s why I won’t be sued for what I write. A lawsuit would be great publicity, add to sales, and spread the word. No, it’s better to let me be. To shout from a street corner rather than a nationally syndicated radio show. To write on a lightly-visited website than to be read in Sports Illustrated [though that slightly changed thanks to my work with the Center for Investigative Reporting]. To post on YouTube rather than be a talking head on Around the Horn.
I’m fine with that. Regardless of what they do (or don’t do) in relation to my work, I’ll keep doing it because I’m right. Games are being fixed by both organized crime and the leagues themselves (is there really a difference between the two?). And when that bubble finally bursts sometime in the near future, they won’t be able to silence it. Their censorship will ultimately fail.
What’s also interesting about this media silence was that no one was even daring enough to cover my work in a negative fashion. Reviews could be written to bash the book, my research, etc. Instead, it was greeted with silence. Why? Because, as they say, “There is no such thing as bad publicity.” Reviewing the book negatively or having me on a program to discredit me still gets the word out to the public. Not all will agree with the reviewer or host. Some will pick up one of these books and see what’s inside for themselves.
But that can’t happen. My books, my research is a threat. It’s much better and safer to simply ignore my work than attempt to discredit it. That’s why I won’t be sued for what I write. A lawsuit would be great publicity, add to sales, and spread the word. No, it’s better to let me be. To shout from a street corner rather than a nationally syndicated radio show. To write on a lightly-visited website than to be read in Sports Illustrated [though that slightly changed thanks to my work with the Center for Investigative Reporting]. To post on YouTube rather than be a talking head on Around the Horn.
I’m fine with that. Regardless of what they do (or don’t do) in relation to my work, I’ll keep doing it because I’m right. Games are being fixed by both organized crime and the leagues themselves (is there really a difference between the two?). And when that bubble finally bursts sometime in the near future, they won’t be able to silence it. Their censorship will ultimately fail.
