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Michael Fletcher @Fletchpost

Senior writer, ESPN's enterprise team. Husband, father, grandfather and sports fan. Conventional wisdom skeptic.

Joined October 2009
  • Tweets 843
  • Following 831
  • Followers 2,177
32 Photos and videos
What did @Jesse Jackson want? ‘To take common sense to high places.’ And he did. My latest for ⁦@andscape⁩ andscape.com/features/what-d…

What did Jesse Jackson want? 'To take common sense to high places.' - Andscape

Jackson had many incarnations over a long career in which he poked the powerful to take action.

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RT @AndreBaltBanner: The Banner is committed to telling stories about the people and issues others overlook. Consider joining us! DM me for…
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Michael Fletcher retweeted
David Payne Purdum
@DavidPurdum
27 Oct 2025
"People who want to fix games would make it their business to cultivate relationships so these kids would be beholden to them. They make sure they are friendly with these kids, and the next thing you know they are in their world." By @Fletchpost espn.com/nba/story/_/id/4673…

Sports' mafia ties run deeper than NBA gambling scandal

Prosecutors say two former NBA players played in rigged poker games run by mob members. Organized crime has long exploited athletes' vulnerabilities.

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How do mobsters get their hooks into athletes who have made millions? It’s not by chance. My latest for ⁦@espn⁩. espn.com/nba/story/_/id/4673…

Sports' mafia ties run deeper than NBA gambling scandal

Prosecutors say two former NBA players played in rigged poker games run by mob members. Organized crime has long exploited athletes' vulnerabilities.

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Privileged to be in conversation with esteemed author Mark Whitaker about his fascinating new book. Monday evening at Baltimore’s Central library.
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Federal regulation seems to be making a difference in horse safety at the track, even as death remains a grisly byproduct of racing. Are the reforms too little, too late for a struggling sport? My latest for ⁦@espn⁩. espn.com/horse-racing/story/…

'That horse is our responsibility': How one organization plans to win new race fans

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has a plan to keep the industry healthy with increased regulations. Will it work?

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Michael Fletcher retweeted
Vanderbilt Sports & Society@SportsSocietyVU
7 Apr 2025
ESPN Senior Writer @Fletchpost on sports sociologist Dr. Harry Edwards, who at 82 is battling cancer. "There are no final victories," Edwards says. "There's just struggle. The only 2 things that survive are the struggle & the people & they are perpetual." youtu.be/eP33wtLrV7I?si=Dwu4…
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⁦⁦@Ravens⁩ kicker Justin Tucker uncharacteristically struggled most of the season. Can he recapture his mojo? My latest for ESPN. espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/4334…

'We need him to make those kicks': For Justin Tucker, failure is not an option

Baltimore's star kicker has been inconsistent this year, but make no mistake, he's still vital for a SB run.

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Andy Hall@AndyHallESPN
14 Aug 2024
Smile for the camera: Game officials test body cams to reduce abuses - via @Fletchpost espn.com/high-school/story/_…

Testing body cameras as a potential solution to abuse of game officials.

With attacks and threats running rampant, game officials fight back with video documentation of abuse.

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New rules and new stars mean more steals in Major League Baseball. Fans say it is just what the game needed. My latest for ⁦@espn⁩. espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/4079…

'Trying to get to the next 90 feet': What's behind MLB's surging stolen base stats

New rules and new players are rejuvenating baseball's baserunning roots

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Maryland wants to put the ‘sexy’ back into Pimlico, home of the Preakness. Can that uplift a struggling sport, as well as a struggling Baltimore neighborhood? My latest for@ESPN. espn.com/horse-racing/story/…

Can the Preakness' venue save a downtrodden Baltimore neighborhood?

Despite horse racing's waning popularity, Maryland is betting $400 million to help save a neighborhood

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Michael Fletcher retweeted
Andy Hall@AndyHallESPN
15 May 2024
A struggling neighborhood's big bet on Pimlico's future - via @ESPN @Fletchpost espn.com/horse-racing/story/…

Can the Preakness' venue save a downtrodden Baltimore neighborhood?

Despite horse racing's waning popularity, Maryland is betting $400 million to help save a neighborhood

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So you thought Jordan Poole was a clown? Think again. Yes, he’s struggling on the court. But he is also thoughtful and self-aware and trying to get better. ⁦⁦@10zJohnson⁩ breaks it all down for ⁦@andscape⁩ andscape.com/features/washin…

Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole knows what you think of him - Andscape

“I don’t know who told you I like candles.” Jordan Poole tells me this with a wide smile after I tell him an unnamed source told me the Washington Wizards guard likes to make candles in his free...

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⁦@CoachShakaSmart⁩ does it. So does ⁦@coachbrucepearl⁩. And don’t forget ⁦@KimMulkey⁩. They—like many of their rivals—regularly cross the coaching box line. Why? And does it matter? ⁦@espn⁩ espn.com/college-sports/stor…

Why the coaching box remains the most disrespected part of the basketball court

Coaches routinely disregard their sideline boundary. Should referees and the NCAA issue stricter enforcement?

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The idea that the Super Bowl and a growing roster of pro teams would be in Vegas was once unthinkable—as was the thought that Oakland would have zero teams. What changed? My latest: espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/3946…

In Oakland, a sense of loss over Las Vegas' rise as a sports town

Super Bowl LVIII heralds Las Vegas's arrival as a sports capital, but Oakland fans feel a profound sense of loss for their beloved Raiders and A's.

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Jerry Bembry@Jerrybembry
25 Sep 2023
Winning a title with the @LVaces allowed @_ajawilson22 to fully realize her superpowers. That recognition could fuel a repeat as WNBA MVP and WNBA champion. andscape.com/features/the-ev…

The evolution of Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson - Andscape

LAS VEGAS — Over the course of her highly decorated career, Alysha Clark has been surrounded by greatness: former teammates Breanna Stewart and Elena Delle Donne have, between them, three WNBA titles...

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⁦@DwayneBrayESPN⁩ This was taken before things went awry.
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Privileged to be in conversation with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist ⁦@ScottShaneNYT⁩ at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Tuesday at 7 PM. His valuable new book, FLEE NORTH, offers new insight about the Underground Railroad and the domestic slave trade.
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Antonio Brown was a great wide receiver. His brief ownership of an arena football team was another matter entirely. @espn espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/3811…

How Antonio Brown's Albany Empire went from champions to defunct

Antonio Brown bought into the Albany Empire, an arena football team, in March. Three months later, the team was kicked out of the league.

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FAQ: Sorting out the biggest claims in 'Blind Side' controversy - via @ESPN App espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/3820…

FAQ: Sorting out 'Blind Side' claims

The legal truth is yet to be hashed out in a court, but both sides have laid out evidence about what happened between Oher and the Tuohys, not just in court petitions and news releases this week but...

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