Arash Markazi
Encyclopedia
Arash Markazi is an Iranian-American
sports journalist currently writing for ESPN
.
Markazi, who is of Iran
ian decent, was born in Oklahoma City
and raised in Los Angeles
, graduating from Notre Dame High School
. He attended Arizona State University
and later University of Southern California
. He wrote a regular column for the Daily Trojan
and also had work published in several magazines and newspapers outside of USC, including SLAM Magazine
, XXL
, King magazine
, Vibe, Playboy
, the Los Angeles Times
, Los Angeles Daily News
and Associated Press
. He graduated with a degree in Print Journalism from the USC Annenberg School for Communication in 2004.
Markazi wrote for Sports Illustrated on Campus, appearing on the cover of the March 31, 2005 issue, and began writing a weekly column for Sports Illustrated’s website SI.com called "The Hot Read." Markazi's intimate and quirky portraits of Wayne Gretzky, Ronaldo, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush caused the Los Angeles Times to name him one of the Faces to Watch in 2006
He is a two-time cancer
survivor and a cancer advocate. While Markazi underwent cancer treatment in 2005, comedian Jay Mohr filled in for him at SI.com.
Markazi has been involved in several stories which went viral
. In 2005, he tracked down Jenn Sterger
, a Florida State student who had gained notoriety after she was briefly shown on television during the Florida State-Miami football game and helped her write a first-person story about her experience for SI.com She would later become a regular contributor to the site until she left in 2008 to become a "Gameday Host" for the New York Jets.
While Andrew Bynum
was rehabbing his right knee, Markazi wrote a story about Bynum partying at the Playboy Mansion on March 29, 2009 while the Los Angeles Lakers played the Atlanta Hawks in a game they would lose 86-76. The story was accompanied by a photo of Bynum carrying a Playboy Playmate on his shoulders at the mansion which was picked up nationally.
Markazi gained notoriety on July 28, 2010 when he wrote an article for ESPN.com Los Angeles detailing decadent partying by LeBron James
in Las Vegas, which was pulled after only a brief period on-line. The article was also slated to be discussed on-air, but was also mysteriously pulled before airing. According to ESPN.com, the article was pulled as "The story should have never been published. The draft was inadvertently put on the server before going through the usual editorial process. We are in the midst of looking into the matter." This caused several other reputable news organizations to question ESPN's journalistic integrity. Markazi was never suspended or disciplined for the incident.
When Markazi took Sports Illustrated swimsuit models Damaris Lewis
and Kate Upton
to the Los Angeles Clippers-Oklahoma City Thunder game on April 2, 2011, he helped catapult Upton’s popularity when he recorded her doing The Dougie and posted it on his Twitter. The video quickly went viral, garnering over 1 million views.
Iranian-American
Iranian-Americans are Americans of Iranian ancestry or people possessing Iranian and American dual citizenship.Iranian-Americans are amongst the most highly educated groups in the United States...
sports journalist currently writing for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.
Markazi, who is of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian decent, was born in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
and raised in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, graduating from Notre Dame High School
Notre Dame High School (Sherman Oaks)
Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California, is a co-ed Catholic college preparatory high school founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1947. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Notre Dame is known for an outstanding college-prep academic program,...
. He attended Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
and later University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. He wrote a regular column for the Daily Trojan
Daily Trojan
The Daily Trojan, or "DT," is the student newspaper of the University of Southern California. The newspaper is a forum for student expression and is written, edited, and managed by university students. The paper is intended to inform USC students, faculty, and staff on the latest news and provide...
and also had work published in several magazines and newspapers outside of USC, including SLAM Magazine
SLAM Magazine
SLAM Magazine is an American basketball magazine in circulation since 1994, published by Source Interlink. SLAM publishes nine issues a year to its circulation of over 500,000 readers worldwide.-History:...
, XXL
XXL (magazine)
XXL is a Hip-Hop magazine, published by Harris Publications.In 1997, XXL was founded by former Source staffers as well as other Harris Publication employees, who wanted to create their own magazine about the hip-hop music and culture using the model developed by the founders of The Source...
, King magazine
King (magazine)
King is a monthly men's magazine geared toward African American and urban audiences. It features articles about hip-Hop and R&B, as well as articles covering sports and fashion. The magazine is published by Harris Publications, and was a spinoff from XXL. It ceased publication on March 31, 2009,...
, Vibe, Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
, the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, Los Angeles Daily News
Los Angeles Daily News
The Los Angeles Daily News is the second-largest circulating daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a branch of Colorado-based MediaNews Group....
and Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
. He graduated with a degree in Print Journalism from the USC Annenberg School for Communication in 2004.
Markazi wrote for Sports Illustrated on Campus, appearing on the cover of the March 31, 2005 issue, and began writing a weekly column for Sports Illustrated’s website SI.com called "The Hot Read." Markazi's intimate and quirky portraits of Wayne Gretzky, Ronaldo, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush caused the Los Angeles Times to name him one of the Faces to Watch in 2006
He is a two-time cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
survivor and a cancer advocate. While Markazi underwent cancer treatment in 2005, comedian Jay Mohr filled in for him at SI.com.
Markazi has been involved in several stories which went viral
Viral phenomenon
Viral phenomena are objects or patterns able to replicate themselves or convert other objects into copies of themselves when these objects are exposed to them....
. In 2005, he tracked down Jenn Sterger
Jenn Sterger
Jennifer "Jenn" Lynette Sterger is a model and television personality, and former online columnist for Sports Illustrated...
, a Florida State student who had gained notoriety after she was briefly shown on television during the Florida State-Miami football game and helped her write a first-person story about her experience for SI.com She would later become a regular contributor to the site until she left in 2008 to become a "Gameday Host" for the New York Jets.
While Andrew Bynum
Andrew Bynum
Andrew Bynum is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was drafted 10th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005. Bynum became the youngest player ever to play an NBA game later that year, breaking Jermaine...
was rehabbing his right knee, Markazi wrote a story about Bynum partying at the Playboy Mansion on March 29, 2009 while the Los Angeles Lakers played the Atlanta Hawks in a game they would lose 86-76. The story was accompanied by a photo of Bynum carrying a Playboy Playmate on his shoulders at the mansion which was picked up nationally.
Markazi gained notoriety on July 28, 2010 when he wrote an article for ESPN.com Los Angeles detailing decadent partying by LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
in Las Vegas, which was pulled after only a brief period on-line. The article was also slated to be discussed on-air, but was also mysteriously pulled before airing. According to ESPN.com, the article was pulled as "The story should have never been published. The draft was inadvertently put on the server before going through the usual editorial process. We are in the midst of looking into the matter." This caused several other reputable news organizations to question ESPN's journalistic integrity. Markazi was never suspended or disciplined for the incident.
When Markazi took Sports Illustrated swimsuit models Damaris Lewis
Damaris Lewis
Damaris Lewis is an American model who appeared in the 2009, 2010, and 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues. She was born in Brooklyn, New York. She has also previously appeared in ad campaigns for Yves Sant Laurent and Victoria's Secret's PINK line. She studied dance at Fiorello H. LaGuardia...
and Kate Upton
Kate Upton
Kate Upton is an American model known for her appearance in the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, for which she was named Rookie of the Year.-Early life:...
to the Los Angeles Clippers-Oklahoma City Thunder game on April 2, 2011, he helped catapult Upton’s popularity when he recorded her doing The Dougie and posted it on his Twitter. The video quickly went viral, garnering over 1 million views.