Year of Playing Dangerously
Sports During COVID-19
November 5, 2020 at 7 p.m.
About the Event
Moderated by Bob Ley ’76, renowned television broadcast journalist, and hosted by College of Communication and the Arts Professional-In-Residence B.J. Schecter.
Professional and college sports have returned during the COVID-19 pandemic, but many challenges and questions remain. This event plans to assemble an esteemed expert panel of sports media figures from every area of the professional sports industry to tackle the moral, ethical, health and financial questions that playing sports in the pandemic presents.
Zoom Meeting Details
When: November 5, 2020 7 p.m. Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Click here to register in advance for this meeting.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
About the Hosts
Former ESPN Host
Having recently retired from ESPN after a distinguished career that spanned nearly 40 years, Ley was best known as the host of Outside the Lines, which focuses on issues beyond the playing field. The show has been honored with multiple awards over the years including 11 Sports Emmys, a DuPont Award, and a Peabody Award. Ley was recognized with the Sports Emmy for outstanding studio host in May 2018. In 2019, Ley was inducted to the National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame. A champion for the College of Communication and the Arts, Ley visits campus frequently to lecture, teach master classes, and works directly with students on various projects.
Professional-In-Residence, Editor & Publisher Baseball America
Schecter has extensive experience at the highest levels of media, having spent 20 years as a reporter, writer, and editor at Sports Illustrated before leaving the brand in September 2016. He was also the creator and editor of the college football website Campus Rush, which launched in the summer of 2015 and included a student correspondent program at more than 75 universities across the country. Prior to Sports Illustrated, Schecter spent five years at The Boston Globe, where he was the lead high school writer and also covered colleges. Before that he spent three years at Middlesex News (now the MetroWest Daily News). In addition to his career as a journalist, Schecter has served as a guest lecturer and adjunct professor at Northeastern University, Fordham University, Southern Virginia University, CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, and several high schools. He is involved with several charitable organizations focusing on creating opportunities for and mentoring young people. Schecter is currently in the process of building an interdisciplinary Sports Media program for the College of Communication and the Arts.
Featured Speakers
On-Air Reporter, NFL Network
A Pittsburgh based reporter for NFL Media which she joined in 2012 after two years at the Wall Street Journal, where she was a New York Giants beat writer and NFL writer (and famously went zip-lining over Indianapolis with Roger Goodell). Prior to that, she covered Rutgers football and men's and women's basketball for The Record in New Jersey. She started her career at the San Antonio Express-News and also wrote a column for SportsIllustrated.com.
Senior Writer, The Athletic
A senior writer for The Athletic, Dana has worked for more than 25 years as a sportswriter, covering the Final Four, the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals and NHL playoffs. She has worked previously at ESPN and the Philadelphia Daily News and has been honored with multiple writing awards. Her book, “Long Shots: Jay Wright, Villanova, and College Basketball’s Most Unlikely Champion”, chronicling Villanova’s journey to a national championship, was published in 2017.
Reporter, FOX Sports & The Athletic
Two-time Sports Emmy Award-winner Ken Rosenthal is a reporter and insider for FOX Sports’ Major League Baseball coverage. He has served as the network’s reporter for the MLB Post-Season since 2006. A sportswriter for over 30 years, Rosenthal contributes to FOX Sports’ game coverage as a reporter and insider. On-air since 2005, he delivers weekly pregame reports and serves as a roving reporter during featured matchups on FOX and FS1. Rosenthal has been a major part of MLB Network’s programming since 2009, contributing to a wide array of baseball programs throughout the year. In Aug. 2017, he joined The Athletic as a senior baseball writer, covering the latest stories from around the league. Rosenthal won back-to-back Emmy Awards in 2015 and 2016 in the category of Outstanding Sports Personality – Sports Reporter.
On-Air NBA Reporter, ESPN
Ramona Shelburne is an NBA Insider and senior writer for ESPN. She contributes to the network’s NBA coverage on ESPN.com, ESPN the Magazine, ESPN Radio and SportsCenter. She is a member of ESPN’s premiere long-form and investigative unit across multiple platforms. She is the second half of a national radio show called Beadle & Shelburne, where she co-hosts with SportsNation’s host Michelle Beadle. Additionally, she is a regular contributor on shows across ESPN networks like The Jump, Around the Horn, Pardon the Interruption, Outside the Lines, SportsNation, NBA Tonight, and NBA Coast to Coast. Shelburne has been recognized with multiple Pro Basketball Writers Association awards for column writing and breaking news. Her work has also appeared in Sports Illustrated, Stanford Magazine and Sports Illustrated for Women.
About the Sports Media Speaker Series
The College of Communication and the Arts proudly welcomes professionals from the sports broadcasting and journalism industries to participate in discussions on a variety of topics related to sports and media. Students from all disciplines benefit from the insight, analysis, and advice of the leading voices in the sports media industry. Click here to see highlights from past events.