Joon Lee
@joon.bsky.social
Independent Sports Journalist • Formerly: ESPN, B/R, WaPo • Born in Seoul 🇰🇷 Bred in Boston • workwith@joon.me
📍New York City
📍New York City
A player in massive trade rumors owning part of a prediction market where people can bet on whether he gets traded is a MASSIVE conflict of interest.
This is so far beyond players doing sportsbook ads.
This is so far beyond players doing sportsbook ads.
February 6, 2026 at 10:22 PM
A player in massive trade rumors owning part of a prediction market where people can bet on whether he gets traded is a MASSIVE conflict of interest.
This is so far beyond players doing sportsbook ads.
This is so far beyond players doing sportsbook ads.
Bill Belichick is the greatest coach ever … and didn’t go first ballot Hall of Fame.
It's not just Jordon Hudson drama, but what happened when he stopped controlling the story.
With the Patriots in the Super Bowl, time to revisit what his legacy means
www.youtube.com/watch?v=21nX...
It's not just Jordon Hudson drama, but what happened when he stopped controlling the story.
With the Patriots in the Super Bowl, time to revisit what his legacy means
www.youtube.com/watch?v=21nX...
February 4, 2026 at 7:58 PM
Bill Belichick is the greatest coach ever … and didn’t go first ballot Hall of Fame.
It's not just Jordon Hudson drama, but what happened when he stopped controlling the story.
With the Patriots in the Super Bowl, time to revisit what his legacy means
www.youtube.com/watch?v=21nX...
It's not just Jordon Hudson drama, but what happened when he stopped controlling the story.
With the Patriots in the Super Bowl, time to revisit what his legacy means
www.youtube.com/watch?v=21nX...
NEW VIDEO: Youth sports doesn't look like Little League anymore.
It looks like Wall Street and private equity.
Youth sports has quietly turned into a $40 billion pay-to-play arms race, and nobody is in charge
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjwv...
It looks like Wall Street and private equity.
Youth sports has quietly turned into a $40 billion pay-to-play arms race, and nobody is in charge
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjwv...
January 28, 2026 at 5:32 PM
NEW VIDEO: Youth sports doesn't look like Little League anymore.
It looks like Wall Street and private equity.
Youth sports has quietly turned into a $40 billion pay-to-play arms race, and nobody is in charge
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjwv...
It looks like Wall Street and private equity.
Youth sports has quietly turned into a $40 billion pay-to-play arms race, and nobody is in charge
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjwv...
Victor Wembanyama on Minneapolis:
"Every day I wake up and see the news and I'm horrified. I think it is crazy that some people make it sound like it's acceptable, like the murder of civilians is acceptable."
"Every day I wake up and see the news and I'm horrified. I think it is crazy that some people make it sound like it's acceptable, like the murder of civilians is acceptable."
January 27, 2026 at 8:56 PM
Victor Wembanyama on Minneapolis:
"Every day I wake up and see the news and I'm horrified. I think it is crazy that some people make it sound like it's acceptable, like the murder of civilians is acceptable."
"Every day I wake up and see the news and I'm horrified. I think it is crazy that some people make it sound like it's acceptable, like the murder of civilians is acceptable."
Victor Wembanyama says that being a foreigner in the United States makes him hesitant to speak up about Minneapolis.
“I know I’m a foreigner. I live in this country. I am concerned.”
Q: “Is part of your hesitance being a foreigner?”
“For sure.”
“I know I’m a foreigner. I live in this country. I am concerned.”
Q: “Is part of your hesitance being a foreigner?”
“For sure.”
January 27, 2026 at 8:54 PM
Victor Wembanyama says that being a foreigner in the United States makes him hesitant to speak up about Minneapolis.
“I know I’m a foreigner. I live in this country. I am concerned.”
Q: “Is part of your hesitance being a foreigner?”
“For sure.”
“I know I’m a foreigner. I live in this country. I am concerned.”
Q: “Is part of your hesitance being a foreigner?”
“For sure.”
Because the Dodgers went bankrupt, MLB agreed to tax their TV money as if they were still a broke.
That lets the Dodgers keep about $66 million more every year than they otherwise would.
This exception runs through 2039, according to a league source. youtu.be/7xPt9AuxEAM
That lets the Dodgers keep about $66 million more every year than they otherwise would.
This exception runs through 2039, according to a league source. youtu.be/7xPt9AuxEAM
January 22, 2026 at 7:13 PM
Because the Dodgers went bankrupt, MLB agreed to tax their TV money as if they were still a broke.
That lets the Dodgers keep about $66 million more every year than they otherwise would.
This exception runs through 2039, according to a league source. youtu.be/7xPt9AuxEAM
That lets the Dodgers keep about $66 million more every year than they otherwise would.
This exception runs through 2039, according to a league source. youtu.be/7xPt9AuxEAM
One reason the Dodgers can spend like this:
MLB agreed in court to cap their TV revenue sharing payments after the team went bankrupt. According to league sources, that exception doesn't expire until 2039.
It's unprecedented in sports history
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xPt...
MLB agreed in court to cap their TV revenue sharing payments after the team went bankrupt. According to league sources, that exception doesn't expire until 2039.
It's unprecedented in sports history
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xPt...
January 22, 2026 at 7:01 PM
One reason the Dodgers can spend like this:
MLB agreed in court to cap their TV revenue sharing payments after the team went bankrupt. According to league sources, that exception doesn't expire until 2039.
It's unprecedented in sports history
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xPt...
MLB agreed in court to cap their TV revenue sharing payments after the team went bankrupt. According to league sources, that exception doesn't expire until 2039.
It's unprecedented in sports history
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xPt...
Fifteen years ago, the Dodgers were bankrupt and getting roasted at award shows.
Today, people are asking if they're breaking baseball.
New video on how the Dodgers went from broke to dynasty, and why it's about more than just spending money.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xPt...
Today, people are asking if they're breaking baseball.
New video on how the Dodgers went from broke to dynasty, and why it's about more than just spending money.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xPt...
How the Dodgers Went From Broke to Breaking Baseball
YouTube video by Joon Lee
www.youtube.com
January 22, 2026 at 6:58 PM
Fifteen years ago, the Dodgers were bankrupt and getting roasted at award shows.
Today, people are asking if they're breaking baseball.
New video on how the Dodgers went from broke to dynasty, and why it's about more than just spending money.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xPt...
Today, people are asking if they're breaking baseball.
New video on how the Dodgers went from broke to dynasty, and why it's about more than just spending money.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xPt...
Massachusetts becomes the first state to ban prediction markets from taking bets on sports bookies.com/news/massach...
Massachusetts Judge Allows Injunction Against Kalshi
A Massachusetts judge issued a first-in-the-nation order that allows the Commonwealth to prohibit Kalshi from offering sports-event contracts
bookies.com
January 20, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Massachusetts becomes the first state to ban prediction markets from taking bets on sports bookies.com/news/massach...
Sports gambling isn’t killing sports in one dramatic moment. It’s all of these small moments adding up, slowly changing how fans trust what they’re watching.
On @newsnation.bsky.social:
On @newsnation.bsky.social:
January 19, 2026 at 10:59 PM
Sports gambling isn’t killing sports in one dramatic moment. It’s all of these small moments adding up, slowly changing how fans trust what they’re watching.
On @newsnation.bsky.social:
On @newsnation.bsky.social:
Shohei Ohtani: 10 years, $700,000,000
Mookie Betts: 12 years, $365,000,000
Yoshinobu Yamamoto: 12 years, $325,000,000
Kyle Tucker: 4 years, $240,000,000
Blake Snell: 5 years, $182,000,000
Freddie Freeman: 6 years, $162,000,000
Will Smith: 10 years, $140,000,000
Tyler Glasnow: 5 years, $136,562,500
Mookie Betts: 12 years, $365,000,000
Yoshinobu Yamamoto: 12 years, $325,000,000
Kyle Tucker: 4 years, $240,000,000
Blake Snell: 5 years, $182,000,000
Freddie Freeman: 6 years, $162,000,000
Will Smith: 10 years, $140,000,000
Tyler Glasnow: 5 years, $136,562,500
January 16, 2026 at 4:27 AM
Shohei Ohtani: 10 years, $700,000,000
Mookie Betts: 12 years, $365,000,000
Yoshinobu Yamamoto: 12 years, $325,000,000
Kyle Tucker: 4 years, $240,000,000
Blake Snell: 5 years, $182,000,000
Freddie Freeman: 6 years, $162,000,000
Will Smith: 10 years, $140,000,000
Tyler Glasnow: 5 years, $136,562,500
Mookie Betts: 12 years, $365,000,000
Yoshinobu Yamamoto: 12 years, $325,000,000
Kyle Tucker: 4 years, $240,000,000
Blake Snell: 5 years, $182,000,000
Freddie Freeman: 6 years, $162,000,000
Will Smith: 10 years, $140,000,000
Tyler Glasnow: 5 years, $136,562,500
The rise of Curt Cignetti and Indiana football really embodies what makes sports special.
It’s the type of story that would feel way too corny for a movie. But the fact it’s actually unfolding in front of us somehow makes it even harder to believe.
It’s the type of story that would feel way too corny for a movie. But the fact it’s actually unfolding in front of us somehow makes it even harder to believe.
January 10, 2026 at 4:07 AM
The rise of Curt Cignetti and Indiana football really embodies what makes sports special.
It’s the type of story that would feel way too corny for a movie. But the fact it’s actually unfolding in front of us somehow makes it even harder to believe.
It’s the type of story that would feel way too corny for a movie. But the fact it’s actually unfolding in front of us somehow makes it even harder to believe.
Leicester City winning the Premier League still feels like the modern ceiling for sports improbability.
Curt Cignetti leading Indiana football from one of worst programs in CFB to absolute juggernaut might give them a run for their money.
Curt Cignetti leading Indiana football from one of worst programs in CFB to absolute juggernaut might give them a run for their money.
January 10, 2026 at 3:58 AM
Leicester City winning the Premier League still feels like the modern ceiling for sports improbability.
Curt Cignetti leading Indiana football from one of worst programs in CFB to absolute juggernaut might give them a run for their money.
Curt Cignetti leading Indiana football from one of worst programs in CFB to absolute juggernaut might give them a run for their money.
Covering politics like sports trains people to watch democracy like a game. And over time, that quietly eats away at trust.
January 7, 2026 at 3:55 PM
Covering politics like sports trains people to watch democracy like a game. And over time, that quietly eats away at trust.
Sports odds are entertainment.
But when media treats political odds like news, guesses start to feel like facts.
Those numbers don’t measure truth. They measure money and attention.
But when media treats political odds like news, guesses start to feel like facts.
Those numbers don’t measure truth. They measure money and attention.
CNN is covering the Kalshi prediction markets as though they are news
January 7, 2026 at 3:55 PM
Sports odds are entertainment.
But when media treats political odds like news, guesses start to feel like facts.
Those numbers don’t measure truth. They measure money and attention.
But when media treats political odds like news, guesses start to feel like facts.
Those numbers don’t measure truth. They measure money and attention.
If fans can't trust that games are clean and the media doesn't ask hard questions, what are we even watching?
If this happened in 2008, it would've led SportsCenter and every sports publication for months. Now, it barely makes a ticker.
If this happened in 2008, it would've led SportsCenter and every sports publication for months. Now, it barely makes a ticker.
January 6, 2026 at 7:41 PM
If fans can't trust that games are clean and the media doesn't ask hard questions, what are we even watching?
If this happened in 2008, it would've led SportsCenter and every sports publication for months. Now, it barely makes a ticker.
If this happened in 2008, it would've led SportsCenter and every sports publication for months. Now, it barely makes a ticker.
79 percent of sports fans say that recent scandals have shaken their trust in the NBA.
90 percent are worried about corruption across sports.
75 percent believe corruption is more widespread than the NBA.
90 percent are worried about corruption across sports.
75 percent believe corruption is more widespread than the NBA.
January 6, 2026 at 7:41 PM
79 percent of sports fans say that recent scandals have shaken their trust in the NBA.
90 percent are worried about corruption across sports.
75 percent believe corruption is more widespread than the NBA.
90 percent are worried about corruption across sports.
75 percent believe corruption is more widespread than the NBA.
Too many sports media outlets are compromised today. Sports gambling funds too much of the industry for media outlets to put too much heat and pressure on the leagues for gambling scandals. Betting odds are on TV broadcasts.
January 6, 2026 at 7:41 PM
Too many sports media outlets are compromised today. Sports gambling funds too much of the industry for media outlets to put too much heat and pressure on the leagues for gambling scandals. Betting odds are on TV broadcasts.
The last time the NBA faced a true gambling scandal with referee Tim Donaghy, the media hammered the NBA day after day. Sports media put regular pressure on the leagues for answers on how they would address concerns about the integrity of games.
January 6, 2026 at 7:41 PM
The last time the NBA faced a true gambling scandal with referee Tim Donaghy, the media hammered the NBA day after day. Sports media put regular pressure on the leagues for answers on how they would address concerns about the integrity of games.
Sports media is failing fans.
Two months ago, the NBA and MLB had players and coaches indicted by the federal government for placing bets on games. In previous eras, this would be a crisis.
Now? Crickets.
Two months ago, the NBA and MLB had players and coaches indicted by the federal government for placing bets on games. In previous eras, this would be a crisis.
Now? Crickets.
January 6, 2026 at 7:41 PM
Sports media is failing fans.
Two months ago, the NBA and MLB had players and coaches indicted by the federal government for placing bets on games. In previous eras, this would be a crisis.
Now? Crickets.
Two months ago, the NBA and MLB had players and coaches indicted by the federal government for placing bets on games. In previous eras, this would be a crisis.
Now? Crickets.
This is what happens when you normalize gambling on everything — from sports to elections to war. It’s a symptom of a culture where insider access = profit, and the rest of us lose faith & trust in everything.
Sports betting was just the gateway.
Sports betting was just the gateway.
January 3, 2026 at 4:06 PM
This is what happens when you normalize gambling on everything — from sports to elections to war. It’s a symptom of a culture where insider access = profit, and the rest of us lose faith & trust in everything.
Sports betting was just the gateway.
Sports betting was just the gateway.
Thank you to everyone who supported and followed my work this year.
I took a big leap going independent after a two-year hiatus and my layoff from ESPN, not knowing how it would go. It was a scary jump, and you made it easier.
Excited for what 2026 brings. Happy New Year!
I took a big leap going independent after a two-year hiatus and my layoff from ESPN, not knowing how it would go. It was a scary jump, and you made it easier.
Excited for what 2026 brings. Happy New Year!
January 1, 2026 at 3:03 AM
Thank you to everyone who supported and followed my work this year.
I took a big leap going independent after a two-year hiatus and my layoff from ESPN, not knowing how it would go. It was a scary jump, and you made it easier.
Excited for what 2026 brings. Happy New Year!
I took a big leap going independent after a two-year hiatus and my layoff from ESPN, not knowing how it would go. It was a scary jump, and you made it easier.
Excited for what 2026 brings. Happy New Year!
Reposted by Joon Lee
Imo, noteworthy that this Kalshi partnership comes in the wake of the City of Chicago looking to raise taxes on DK and FD, and their lobbying group threatening to block access to the apps within city limits. The Blackhawks could be hedging here. Regardless, bad for the sport and consumers.
The number of fans who believe sports are rigged will only keep rising because individual teams are now partnering with prediction markets that are less regulated than sports gambling companies.
December 23, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Imo, noteworthy that this Kalshi partnership comes in the wake of the City of Chicago looking to raise taxes on DK and FD, and their lobbying group threatening to block access to the apps within city limits. The Blackhawks could be hedging here. Regardless, bad for the sport and consumers.
The number of fans who believe sports are rigged will only keep rising because individual teams are now partnering with prediction markets that are less regulated than sports gambling companies.
December 23, 2025 at 3:53 PM
The number of fans who believe sports are rigged will only keep rising because individual teams are now partnering with prediction markets that are less regulated than sports gambling companies.
Thank you to Nieman Labs for allowing me to make a prediction about journalism in 2026.
My take: journalism will become the center of gravity for YouTube’s next era www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/jour...
My take: journalism will become the center of gravity for YouTube’s next era www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/jour...
Journalism will become the center of gravity for YouTube’s next era
"Creators are also running into the ceiling that legacy media once hit. When you scale to cultural force levels, you need to become more serious."
www.niemanlab.org
December 12, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Thank you to Nieman Labs for allowing me to make a prediction about journalism in 2026.
My take: journalism will become the center of gravity for YouTube’s next era www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/jour...
My take: journalism will become the center of gravity for YouTube’s next era www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/jour...