Albert Samaha

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

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.

These days gambling apps offer bets on more sports than ever, from table tennis to darts. But what happens when big-money bettors converge on small-money sports? Match fixers offering more cash than what players can earn in salary or prizes.

Our @postsports.bsky.social story: wapo.st/43l7vIp

Statement from Post Guild Leadership: The Washington Post Guild condemns the unjust firing of columnist Karen Attiah

In his final months, Irsay got ketamine injections as often as 10-14x per day.

Experts consider that a very high number.

The actor Matthew Perry was at the time of his death receiving 6-8x per day.

More context on Irsay’s doctor:
www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

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.

In the months before Colts owner Jim Irsay died, his doctor prescribed him amounts of opioids and ketamine that worried people around him, a @postsports.bsky.social investigation found: wapo.st/4lP5xq6

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.

“A growing number of men have directed their attention to women’s basketball, contributing to a popularity boom that has driven up WNBA revenue, television ratings and cultural relevance. Some have brought old traditions with them.” www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

60,000 Gazans have been killed. 18,500 were children. These are their names. Palestinian children have been killed at a rate of more than one per hour since the war began.

Israel’s war in Gaza has killed 18,500 children. These are their names:

www.washingtonpost.com/world/intera...

New York gunman appeared to target NFL, had mental health history The suspected Manhattan high-rise shooter, a former high school football player, left a note referencing the brain disease CTE and appeared to have targeted the NFL’s offices, authorities said.

“Tamura was issued an older model of helmet, which the players jokingly called ‘concussion buckets’ because they didn’t absorb contact as well.”

Our @postsports.bsky.social story on the NYC shooter, a former HS football player who said he believed he had CTE: wapo.st/40FdWVt

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.

Men newly tuning into the WNBA have brought a toxic, tribal vibe. And longtime fans who built a culture of inclusion are getting priced out. Our story on the cost of progress in the W: wapo.st/4nzxYub

A firm targeted MLB stars’ pay. Next up: College athletes. Big League Advantage made waves paying baseball prospects for a cut of their future pay. Now it’s stirring controversy in the murky NIL market.

Fernando Tatis Jr. was the poster boy client for Big League Advantage, a firm that offers cash advances to athletes in exchange for a % of salary. Now, he’s suing them for allegedly “locking him into an unlawful and exploitative arrangement.”

Here’s our story on BLA from last year: wapo.st/4niJn1o

I spoke with them. They said they’re not here for deportation operations but for counterterrorism and “radiation screening” that they say is standard to major sporting events.

DHS agents at the Rose Bowl shuttle bus stop before the PSG-Botafogo Club World Cup game

Two nights in Vegas with the fan-bros of UFC In Las Vegas for UFC 313, a weekend of violence and ‘escape.’

“They had spent their money for an immersive experience with close friends, camaraderie forged through nerve-racking stakes in a space where men feel comfortable expressing their feelings.”

Two nights in Vegas with the fan-bros of UFC: wapo.st/3EYn1B5

Two nights in Vegas with the fan-bros of UFC In Las Vegas for UFC 313, a weekend of violence and ‘escape.’

Two nights in Vegas with the fan-bros of UFC, via @samaha.bsky.social:

‘VIP’ bettors say sportsbooks keep them playing, no matter the cost With online betting booming, some U.S. gamblers and lawmakers are pushing back against sportsbooks’ aggressive ‘loyalty’ programs.

Sports betting companies reward their highest spending customers with lavish perks and a personal host. A growing number of those customers say those “VIP” hosts helped enable their gambling addiction. Our latest @postsports.bsky.social investigation: wapo.st/42q01Tk

Trump administration says it mistakenly deported Salvadoran migrant The government blamed “an administrative error” for the accidental deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran immigrant married to a U.S. citizen. Officials claim they’re unable to return him t...

“The government blamed ‘an administrative error’ for the accidental deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran immigrant married to a U.S. citizen. Officials claim they’re unable to return him to his family in Maryland.” www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...