1. Reporter Backgrounder
Reporter, Title: Ken Belson, Writer/Journalist.
Outlet, Beat: New York Times, NFL.
Topic: Ken Belson is interested in speaking to Tony Romo, former
quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, on leaving the NFL to become a
beekeeper in rural Virginia.
Reporter Background: In 2001, Ken Belson was appointed to be a
journalist for the New York Times bureau in Tokyo. Belson stayed in
Tokyo to write for three years after, he was appointed to become the
new sports journalist for the New York Times in February of 2009.
During the five year gap, Ken Belson co-wrote the multi-billion dollar book, Hello Kitty: The
Remarkable Story of Sanrio and the Billion Dollar Feline Phenomenon (2004). Belson also
covered telecommunications for the Bizday. He covered transportation, energy and many topics
for the metro beat. Belson then went on to work for Business Week, Reuters and Bloomberg
before heading back to the New York Times to write all about his passion.
Belson has been known to have a love for all things sports and has found a way to report about
sports in every job of his. The New York Times had put their NFL sports reporting faith in Belson
seven years ago, and he has now become a household name for all sports journalists.
Recent Articles:
N.F.L. Fines Two Broncos for Head Hits to Panthers’ Cam Newton, 9/15/16
This week, the league fined Broncos safety Darian Stewart $18,231 for his hit on Newton late in
the game. A penalty on Stewart was called, but it was offset by a penalty called on the Panthers.
Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall was fined $24,309 for hitting Newton in the head in the
third quarter, though no penalty was called on that play.
N.F.L. to Spend $100 Million to Address Head Trauma, 9/14/16
Under continued pressure from fans, parents and lawmakers to address the growing problem of
head trauma in football, the N.F.L. will spend another $100 million on the development of new
technology and more research on the effects of head injuries.
An Awkward Alignment of the Flag and Football, 9/11/16
Already, a vigorous national debate had arisen over players, led by quarterback Colin
Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers, who chose not to stand for the national anthem, to make
a point about issues of race and justice. A Kansas City Chiefs player raised his fist during the
anthem Sunday, four members of the Miami Dolphins knelt and other actions during
N.F.L. Says Officials MissedHeadHit on Panthers’ Cam Newton, 9/9/16

2. The N.F.L. has determined that a penalty should have been called against a Denver Broncos
linebacker after his helmet-to-helmet hit against Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton in
the third quarter of Thursday night’s game, which opened the football season.
Roger Goodell’s Power Play, 9/8/16
In one corner sat linebacker James Harrison, whom Goodell had threatened to suspend
indefinitely if he did not speak to investigators about allegations that he had used steroids. No
stranger to controversy, Harrison called Goodell a “crook.”
Recent Mentions of Tony Romo:
With N.H.L. Expansion, Las Vegas Hits the Jackpot: A Pro Team, 7/22/16
Last summer, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and other players were prevented from
attending a fantasy football convention that was to be held at a casino in Las Vegas. Some
observers believe Las Vegas will have a hard time supporting a pro team because so many
residents are from elsewhere and root for the teams they grew up with.
An Ad Blitz for Fantasy Sports Games, but Some See Plain Old Gambling, 9/16/15
Officially, executives at the N.F.L. have a long-held position against sports gambling and have
kept a distance from the daily fantasy sites, even preventing Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony
Romo and other current players from participating in a fantasy sports convention this summer
because it was held at a casino in Las Vegas.
N.F.L.’s Unsteady Stance on a Tricky Gambling Landscape, 7/13/15
As the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, Tony Romo is a lightning rod for many things,
starting with his team’s inability to make it to the Super Bowl, and the pop stars he has dated.
The N.F.L. thrust him deeper into the spotlight this month when it reiterated its rules that
prohibit players from taking part in events that are held at or are sponsored by casinos.
As Rules Protect Quarterbacks, N.F.L. Defenses Are on the Defensive, 1/17/15
As Tony Romo, the Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback, dropped back to pass last Sunday in an
N.F.L. playoff game. Sensing pressure, Romo stepped to his right. He threw an incomplete pass
as Matthews closed in, then braced himself for a hit that never came. Instead of leveling him,
Matthews, one of the league’s most fearsome linebackers, pulled up. The only contact was a
chest bump, and Matthews raised his hands to signal that he had done nothing wrong.
Catch Is Ruled a Bobble as Dallas’s Good Fortune Turns to Agony, 1/11/15
With 4 minutes 42 seconds left in the fourth quarter in their divisional playoff game Sunday
against the Packers, the Cowboys were facing a fourth-and-2 at the Green Bay 32, with the
Packers clinging to a 26-21 lead. Dallas quarterback Tony Romo threw deep to receiver Dez
Bryant, who leapt and seemed to corral the ball, tuck it, spin and land near the goal line.