Albert Samaha

New On the Bleachers! @zanopticon.bsky.social & I on:
- The Super Bowl champ Seahawks for sale
- MLBPA drama
- Lindsey Vonn 😭
- Quad God brutally skatemogged
- Alysa Liu wins her way
- @samaha.bsky.social on college hoops betting scandal, FBI investigates Jim Irsay’s death, & rip WaPo sports

Jeff Bezos Could’ve Saved The Post But He Didn’t I thought my time in local newspapers and digital media had desensitized me to layoffs. But it always hurts to lose something you love.

Jeff Bezos Could’ve Saved The Post But He Didn’t open.substack.com/pub/samaha/p...

‘Cashing all day’: The Instagram star accused of corrupting NCAA hoops His social media is a flood of diamonds, celebrities and winning betting slips. His edge, prosecutors allege, was paying players to underperform.

And most recently, on the gambling influencer accused of orchestrating one of the biggest match-fixing schemes in US history:
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2026/...

The million-dollar kick that one football fan will never forget He loved the Irish and dreamed of going to Notre Dame. Then he won the chance to kick for life-changing money on its campus.

On a student attempting a $1 million kick on ESPN’s College GameDay:
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2026/...

How the private equity firm buying Everton built its business Before 777 Partners bought soccer clubs around the globe, it faced allegations that it profited from predatory financial practices.

On the finance firm attempting to buy Everton with funds that traced to exploitative loans targeting people who’d received disability settlements: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/...

From table tennis to darts, small sports draw big bets — and corruption As sportsbooks offer more bets on more niche sports, officials and athletes fear corruption.

On suspicious bets in the US sparking match-fixing investigations in international table tennis:
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

The rise of ‘Uncle Dennis,’ the adviser at the center of an NBA scandal Kawhi Leonard’s uncle and adviser helped him build his business — and courted controversy in the process.

On Dennis Robertson’s business practices, revealing Steve Ballmer’s sealed testimony about the Kawhi Leonard negotiations:
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

WNBA fandom is shifting to a more tribal, toxic atmosphere An explosion in popularity has meant more divisive voices crashing into a community that long-time fans have centered on inclusion.

On longtime WNBA fans concerned about the toxic culture that’s come with new fans:
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

On unhoused migrants in Paris displaced by police sweeps of encampments before the 2024 Olympics:
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olymp...

On UFC fans reckoning with the sport’s growing reputation as a haven for Trump supporters:
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

The hidden NIL economy of college sports College athletes are finally getting paid. But how? And how much? A Post analysis of $125 million in payments reveals the patterns and disparities of a murky NIL market.

On gender inequalities in NIL earnings, based on our unprecedented data analysis built through public records requests:

www.washingtonpost.com/sports/inter...

www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/...

www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/...

A violent clash of football haves and have-nots One storied California football program is struggling to survive. The other is thriving. What happens when two disparate teams collide on homecoming night?

On the brutal mismatches that have arisen in high school football because of a widening participation gap between strong & struggling programs:
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/...

NFL owner secretly relapsed, got ketamine from private doctor before death As a recovery doctor provided ketamine and opioids, Colts owner Jim Irsay spent his final years suffering through a relapse that he and executives hid from the public.

On the doctor who prescribed ketamine & opiods to Colts owner Jim Irsay before his death:
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

& the subsequent FBI investigation that our reporting sparked:
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2026/...

I’ll miss working with all the brilliant folks at @postsports.bsky.social: we published bangers, reached millions of readers, made a real impact. Jeff Bezos killed the world’s best sports section. Here are some stories I’m proud of:

‘Cashing all day’: The Instagram star accused of corrupting NCAA hoops His social media is a flood of diamonds, celebrities and winning betting slips. His edge, prosecutors allege, was paying players to underperform.

Here’s our story on the gambler accused of orchestrating one of the biggest matchfixing schemes in US history. 

@postsports.bsky.social has long delivered some of the best sports reporting out there. I’m grateful to contribute to that legacy. #SaveThePost

wapo.st/4tv5Co7

Just wanted to take a minute, for no particular reason whatsoever, and celebrate some of the brilliant work that my
@postsports.bsky.social colleagues have done in recent weeks.

These stories take time and resources. They're also what make The Post so great. All gift links/free to read...

FBI is investigating the death of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay Irsay, who struggled with addiction, was receiving opioids and ketamine from a California recovery doctor, The Post reported over the summer.

Breaking: FBI is investigating Colts owner Jim Irsay’s death & the doctor who oversaw his addition recovery treatment.

In August, we reported that people close to Irsay were concerned about how much opioids & ketamine Dr. Harry Haroutunian was prescribing.

wapo.st/4bIXfyv

An injured NFL team, a power substation and a theory that won’t fade A viral online theory for the San Francisco 49ers’ injuries is disputed by scientists but has some players’ attention.

NFL players are lighting up their agents about the viral electromagnetic field theory for all the San Francisco 49ers injury woes.

@samaha.bsky.social and I decided to investigate:
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2026/...

The million-dollar kick that one football fan will never forget He loved the Irish and dreamed of going to Notre Dame. Then he won the chance kick for life-changing money on its campus.

Chris Dailey had one goal: Make it through the 12-hour bus ride from South Bend, Indiana, to his parents’ house in New Jersey without crying.

Our @samaha.bsky.social on the million-dollar kick that one football fan will never forget:

The million-dollar kick that one football fan will never forget He loved the Irish and dreamed of going to Notre Dame. Then he won the chance to kick for life-changing money on its campus.

A 19-year-old college football fan had a chance to kick a field goal to win $1 million on national television. Here’s a story about what happened next:

wapo.st/49PHKT8

Bettors and players fixed dozens of NCAA basketball games, prosecutors say In the latest gambling scandal to rock sports, a federal indictment accuses bettors and athletes of “point-shaving” in NCAA and Chinese Basketball Association games.

Here's @samaha.bsky.social with what's going on w/ gambling and college basketball today: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2026/...

An injured NFL team, an electronic substation and a theory that won’t fade A viral online theory for the San Francisco 49ers’ injuries is disputed by scientists but has some players’ attention.

“An injured NFL team, an electronic substation and a theory that won’t fade”

@sam4tr.bsky.social & I dug into the science & the fears surrounding the 49ers now-infamous training facility:

wapo.st/49r1FZq

Bettors and players fixed dozens of NCAA basketball games, prosecutors say In the latest gambling scandal to rock sports, a federal indictment accuses bettors and athletes of “point-shaving” in NCAA and Chinese Basketball Association games.

"a point-shaving scheme involving more than 39 players on more than 17 different NCAA Division I men's basketball teams who then fixed and attempted to fix more than 29 NCAA Division I men's basketball games"

Our story on a big new indictment: wapo.st/3NLmq9D

Azzi Fudd was a can’t-miss basketball star. Then she had to prove it again. Injuries and self-doubt nearly derailed a prodigy. Now in her final college season, she has rediscovered just how good she can be.

I profiled Azzi Fudd.

After all the injuries and doubt, and dealing with that as her life became more and more public, here's a story of getting back to once was — mentally, physically — then becoming even better: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

The rise of ‘Uncle Dennis,’ the adviser at the center of an NBA scandal Kawhi Leonard’s uncle and adviser helped him build his business -- and courted controversy in the process.

New: How Kawhi’s "Uncle Dennis" helped spark the sports scandal of the year.

▶️ Steve Ballmer, Jerry West depositions
▶️ Private texts, Magic voicemails
▶️ An equity fight involving a Knicks star
▶️ Kawhi's private airport

Investigation w/ @samaha.bsky.social:
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

Court docs we obtained show Ballmer testified that Robertson asked for a house & sponsorships during Leonard’s 2019 free agency, & that Ballmer told him NBA rules only allowed him to “make introductions.”

That & much more in our story: wapo.st/4oNuTXM

The rise of ‘Uncle Dennis,’ the adviser at the center of an NBA scandal Kawhi Leonard’s uncle and adviser helped him build his business -- and courted controversy in the process.

Kawhi Leonard’s uncle Dennis Robertson has left a trail of conflict through the NBA. 

@sam4tr.bsky.social & I spoke w dozens of ppl & got biz filings, property records, texts, voicemails & court docs, including a Steve Ballmer deposition.

Our story in @postsports.bsky.social: wapo.st/4oNuTXM

Thank God I Was Bad At Sports Betting When it's lucky to be unlucky.

Thank God I Was Bad At Sports Betting: open.substack.com/pub/samaha/p...

From table tennis to darts, small sports draw big bets — and corruption As sportsbooks offer more bets on more niche sports, officials and athletes fear corruption.

Betting on table tennis has boomed in recent years. That brought a wave of match-fixing scandals & suspicions as the sport tries to root out corruption. Our story on how that crackdown has impacted one player under investigation:

wapo.st/440pHat

From table tennis to darts, small sports draw big bets — and corruption As sportsbooks offer more bets on more niche sports, officials and athletes fear corruption.

Was this table tennis match rigged?

Gamblers in New Jersey bet against a favored player. Authorities opened an investigation.

Our story dives into the complicated process of distinguishing corruption from coincidence, self-sabotage from honest mistakes: wapo.st/47RtnwA