Episode 059: Mark Fainaru-Wada – Investigative Reporter, Steroids, Barry Bonds, and Concussions

This was an extremely thought provoking conversation with Mark Fainaru-Wada. This is the first time I’ve ever had an investigative reporter on as a guest of The Learning Leader Show. The magnitude of the work that Mark has done is immense. We touched on a number of topics during this conversation from Chris Borland retiring to Cris Carter’s “Fall Guy” comments made at the NFL Rookie Symposium. It was a very enlightening an entertaining conversation.

Mark Fainaru-Wada is an investigative reporter for ESPN. With his colleague Lance Williams, he co-authored the New York Times best-seller “Game of Shadows — Barry Bonds, BALCO and the Steroids Scandal That Rocked Professional Sports.” He’s also written (along with his brother Steve Fainaru) “League Of Denial,” which reveals how the NFL, over a period of nearly two decades, sought to cover up and deny mounting evidence of the connection between football and brain damage.

Episode 059: Mark Fainaru-Wada – Investigative Reporter, Steroids, Barry Bonds, and Concussions

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The Learning Leader Show

“The scientist is not the person who gives the right answers; he’s the one who asks the right questions.” – Claude Levi-Strauss

Some Questions I Ask:

• What are common characteristics of people who lie and cheat that you have encountered?
• Why do people who are obviously guilty continually lie?
• What was your process for writing “Game Of Shadows?”
• You were told to “give up your sources or go to jail.” What affect did that statement have on your life?
• Why write the book “League of Denial” about the NFL?
• Would you allow your own children to play football?
• What is the future for the NFL?
• What could the NFL have been thinking by putting the Cris Carter “fall guy” statements on their website for years?

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• The amount of ego and narcissism he’s found in certain athletes who have cheated and lied
• How “Game of Shadows” grew from his reporting at the San Francisco Chronicle
• What happened to him and his family when he was told he would go to jail for not giving up his sources
• The great conversations he’s had with Chris Borland about his decision to retire from the NFL at such a young age
• About the ethics in reporting and why he would have reported the Cris Carter “fall guy” comments if he was in that room
• The next big plans he has for his career

“Give up your sources or you will go to jail.”

Continue Learning

• Read the Boston University Head Trauma Research: http://www.bu.edu/cte/
• Read: League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions, and the Battle for Truth
• Read: Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports
• Follow Mark on Twitter: @markfwespn

You may also like these episodes:

Episode 019: Chris Borland – Why He Walked Away From Millions Of Dollars

Episode 003: The Incredibly Interesting Story Of Maurice Clarett And How He Built A 6 Figure Income After Spending 4 Years In Prison

Episode 004: How Todd Wagner (and Mark Cuban) Sold Broadcast.com To Yahoo! For $5.7 Billion

Episode 010: Shane Snow – How To Accelerate Success Using Smart Cuts

Did you enjoy the podcast?

I really enjoyed this great conversation with Mark… I learned a lot about his makeup and his specific process about how he does his great work. Who do you know that needs to hear this? Send them to The Learning Leader Show!

Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell

Bio from ESPN

Mark Fainaru-Wada is an investigative reporter for ESPN. With his colleague Lance Williams, he co-authored the New York Times best-seller “Game of Shadows — Barry Bonds, BALCO and the Steroids Scandal That Rocked Professional Sports.” He’s also written (along with his brother Steve Fainaru) “League Of Denial,” which reveals how the NFL, over a period of nearly two decades, sought to cover up and deny mounting evidence of the connection between football and brain damage.