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SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – ESPN's Outside the Lines was honored at the 4th Annual ETHOS Award Banquet on Tuesday evening as hosted by the University of the Pacific Athletics, home of the Institute of Sports Law & Ethics (ISLE). The event took place at Pacific's Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, located at 155 5th Street in San Francisco.
The ETHOS Award is given to honor a specific decision, for an exemplary action, or for an initiative or program that has contributed to the ethics of sport and its positive role in American society.
San Francisco 49ers play-by-play announcer Ted Robinson hosted the event which featured speakers from across the sports community, including Pacific Director of Athletics and Board of Directors member Dr. Ted Leland.
"Over the years, Outside The Lines has shown all sides of sports, but always with an eye for the truth and how it can better serve our society," said Dr. Leland.
Outside the Lines (OTL) has consistently showed us both the good and bad in sport, the way that sport can bring us together for a common good and the way that sport can divide, alienate and discriminate. In showing both sides of the coin, OTL has cemented a viewpoint that fights for safety, fairness and equity, exposing wrongdoing and corruption while showcasing how sport can serve as a moral and foundational background for those of all ages.
According to Donald Polden, former Dean and Professor of Law at Santa Clara University and Chair of ISLE's Board of Directors, "the ETHOS Award is a premier award recognizing the importance of ethical behavior and leadership in sport and competition and this year's recognition of ESPN's Outside the Lines continues ISLE's tradition of honoring people and organizations that advance the highest and best ideals in sport."
Receiving the award on behalf of Outside The Lines, was reporter Mark Fainaru-Wada.
Mark Fainaru-Wada has been an investigative reporter for ESPN's Enterprise Unit since 2007, which is charged with developing long-form, investigative features to be presented across multiple platforms. League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions, and the Battle for Truth, his New York Times Best Seller with his brother and ESPN colleague, Steve Fainaru about the NFL and brain damage came out in 2013. Mark's notable work for ESPN has included breaking the story, along with colleague T.J. Quinn, that Ryan Braun had tested positive for steroids; an investigation into the Dallas Cowboys use of factories that employ workers in sweatshop conditions to make team apparel; an examination of the relationship between the demise of physical education in the public schools and the nation's child obesity crisis; and a story on former 49er Chris Borland and his early retirement due to potential brain damage. Previously, at the San Francisco Chronicle, the work of Fainaru-Wada and colleague Lance Williams on the BALCO steroids case earned them a string of national honors, including the George Polk, Edgar A. Poe, Dick Schaap Excellence in Journalism and Associated Press Sports Editors awards. In March 2006 Fainaru-Wada and Williams published "Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal That Rocked Professional Sports," which became an immediate New York Times best-seller and prompted Major League Baseball to launch an investigation into steroid use in its sport.
About the Institute of Sports Law and Ethics: The Institute of Sports Law and Ethics was founded at Santa Clara University, but beginning in 2017, ISLE has relocated its home to the University of the Pacific and its Athletics Department. Its 25-member board includes distinguished athletes and sports executives. The institute's signature event is an annual Symposium on Sports Law and Ethics in September, covering subjects such as concussions, steroids, amateurism, and the commercial use of athletes' images. In 2012 ISLE added a community outreach component, established the ETHOS Award, and created a task force to study amateurism. For more information see http://www.pacificathleticsisle.com/
