ESPN announced today that the story of LeBron James acting the fool in Vegas last Saturday night by ESPN Reporter Arash Markazi will not be reposted.
The story, which ESPN claimed today was available only via web searches and never available for original viewing at ESPNLA.com and ESPN.com, was removed from a company web server a few hours after it was published Wednesday morning.
ESPN released statements today from Markazi and Rob King, Vice President & Editor-in-Chief, ESPN Digital Media.
King:
“ESPN.com will not be posting the story in any form. We looked into the situation thoroughly and found that Arash did not properly identify himself as a reporter or clearly state his intentions to write a story. As a result, we are not comfortable with the content, even in an edited version, because of the manner in which the story was reported.
We’ve been discussing the situation with Arash and he completely understands. To be clear, the decisions to pull the prematurely published story and then not to run it were made completely by ESPN editorial staff without influence from any outside party.”
Markazi:
“I have been in conversations with ESPN.com’s editors and, upon their complete review, understand their decision not to run the story. It is important to note that I stand by the accuracy of the story in its entirety, but should have been clearer in representing my intent to write about the events I observed.”
Hard to disagree with ESPN’s decision if Markazi did misrepresent himself to the James party. Or fail to represent what he intended to report on. From his statement, Markazi seems to indicate that the latter is what happened.
And in Markazi’s defense, the appearance by James was a pre-promoted, public event that James was paid to appear at. But if Markazi’s access to the James party wasn’t done in a media context - and nothing technically newsworthy took place - I can understand why ESPN did what it did.
Of course, if the story was a puff piece and didn’t cast James in a negative light, safe to assume the story would not have been pulled in the first place.
1:27 pm on July 29th, 2010
Markazi is a wannabee celebrity. He is always writing and tweeting how he is at all these Hollywood hotspots and parties and hanging out with beautiful women. Hmmm strange since I have never seen him actually DATE any of these women. He also has a very high-pitched voice. No wonder he is a writer. The guy comes from a wealthy family and bought his way into a writing gig. Some of the people ESPN employs boggles the mind. Brooks not to kiss your ass but your 1,000 times better than this Markazi wannabee.
1:31 pm on July 29th, 2010
Your last point is the correct one. If it had been fawning, which frankly the piece can be viewed that way too, it would still be up. But here’s the thing Brooks, why was he given all the access to join in on the fun if James’ camp didn’t know who he was. You use the word “misrepresent”. ESPN doesn’t. The writer would be fired already if he wasn’t honest about who he was. Read his statement: he should have been “clearer” about his intention to write what he saw.
1:49 pm on July 29th, 2010
oh dick schapp… how journalism misses you…
1:52 pm on July 29th, 2010
Dick Schapp.. Jim Murray.. Now those were writers! Not these fools like Markazi who are wannabee celebrities.
1:54 pm on July 29th, 2010
No defense for Markazi, but I do like the fact that this completely exposes what a complete douchebag Lebron is. I mean, this story easily puts him in Arod/Kiffin territory for “most hated man in sports”.
I personally hope the Miami Heat NEVER EVER win an NBA Title again.
2:30 pm on July 29th, 2010
To me it seems like Markazi is biting the big one here. To openly fight this would be silly considering ESPN’s history of bending over for Lebron and Mav Carter.
Don’t give the guy a hard time because he is well connected and was invited behind the scenes of a party thrown for the biggest NBA name since MJ.
ESPN continues to show that honest reporting isn’t important to them anymore.
@bearconsults
www.bearconsults.com
2:52 pm on July 29th, 2010
Problem is, this isn’t journalism unless this guy can disclose why he was there to us and disclose what he was there to do to LeBron and Co.
Of course there was excess and absence of meaning! LeBron was a paid piper for a campy night out at a Vegas nightclub. Of course he’d climb onto a couch and throw poses. He was paid to show up and play his bigger-than-life roll.
Markazi’s going to write a piece on the deeper meaning of an overblown club appearance that he may have pulled strings to be part of? That’s disingenuous.
3:52 pm on July 29th, 2010
Kobe is the biggest name. Just he isn’t a f-king retard like this guy.
3:54 pm on July 29th, 2010
I view this as particularly delightful brand of karmic retribution for Arash Markazi. He’s made a living, first at SI and now at ESPN, of masquerading like he has unfettered access to the LA nightlife scene through these pseudo behind-the-velvet-rope pieces that have become his niche. However, in all those stories, something never smelled right. Why would Lamar Odom, just for example, want to hang in the VIP room with a journalist and speak with him on record? I began to suspect that Arash was turning “I was at the bar in the club when Lamar Odom walked in and I got to holler a question at him about that night’s game as he fought his way to the VIP room and he muttered a response to me, probably thinking I was just some dickhead fan” into “I’m chillin in VIP of the hottest club in LA with my boy Lamar Odom. He tells me, over the Young Jeezy joint thumping from the speakers, that he feels “real good, dog” about the 25 points he hung on the Clippers earlier.” Because honestly, if these athletes really knew what Arash did for a living, he would no longer be the anonymous guy hanging around their table but would instead get chaperoned by a bodyguard to the other end of the bar.
Arash has been pulling this stunt for years, so I’m not surprised nor saddened to see him getting his.
4:13 pm on July 29th, 2010
“Problem is, this isn’t journalism unless this guy can disclose why he was there to us and disclose what he was there to do to LeBron and Co.”
Ever heard of investigative journalism?
If the story was false, that’s one thing, but the writer stands by the facts in the story. So if LeBron doesn’t want to be described in this way, then he shouldn’t be acting this way at a night club where anyone can see him.
LeBron — or any athlete or public figure, really — will act one way if they know a reporter is around and will only act like himself if there are no reporters around.
5:03 pm on July 29th, 2010
ESPN is no different than the other sycophantic fools in Vegas lavishing attention on Lebron.
5:31 pm on July 29th, 2010
How in the hell does telling someone you are a writer somehow make your story more legitimate? Oh that’s right, LeBron didn’t know he was supposed to be his fake media image that night. Are stories run ESPN more legitimate than what can be read on blogs because they are on TV, radio or print? Of course not. They are more likely less legitimate because of controlling special interests. Brooks you’re a dummy and ESPN is NOT a legitimate news organization. Regardless of who this writer may be, if this story isn’t legitimate none of ESPNs stories are.
5:57 pm on July 29th, 2010
JJP hit the nail on the head. If you don’t like stories that make you look like a jackass, the solution isn’t to have the story pulled but to not act like a jackass in the first place.
12:28 pm on July 30th, 2010
Arash is the Iranian Mike Silver. Total jock sniff. Wants to talk about how well he knows these guys. Self-worth wrapped up in “knowing” these guys.
4:21 pm on July 30th, 2010
Investigative journalism? At a freaking Las Vegas nightclub party? Where LeBron is PAID to throw poses and be the show?
Sure, I get not acting like a jackass, but if that’s your role for a six-figure appearance fee, what do you expect?
My problem is that Markazi is on a high-dive above a wading pool. Clearly, this whole scene goes no deeper than skin-deep. This exposes nothing. The whole piece is about his random observances in a NIGHTCLUB. There’s really nothing to see here, and he may not have been up front about who he is and why he was there.
Investigative journalism? Read “Friday Night Lights”. Everyone in Odessa knew Buzz Bissinger was there to write about them but still said what they said around the guy. Now, there are some folks who should have known better.
Markazi looking for meaning in a Vegas bar is like looking for brains at a beauty pageant. You know what it is when you go in. Trying to find something else is disingenuous.
6:24 pm on July 30th, 2010
this is not the first time Arash has done this. He did this to me years ago and I had to tear him a new asshole. Sorry to see he hasn’t learned his lesson.
10:43 pm on July 30th, 2010
Wow, who knew it was so easy to just join into the LeBron circle of sycophants. This guy hangs around all day and no one notices or bothers to say “hey, who is that guy at the end of the table?”
It was pulled because ESPN has been an entire network of LBJ asskissers. Objectivity and fair reporting has gone out the window with a bunch of hack reporters and analysts who want to sit at the cool kid table.
10:45 pm on July 30th, 2010
To be clear, Arash got the shaft and they made up a bullshit excuse to yank his story.
5:16 pm on August 1st, 2010
dislike Arash. dislike Lebron. definitely skipping this entire thing