Explosive Jim Irsay Washington Post story shows value of investigative sports journalism

Almost all of us have had a relative, friend, or acquaintance impacted by addiction. It leads to physical and emotional harm, and sometimes even death. The majority of us would prefer that the specifics of that struggle remain private and not be available for public scrutiny. Most of us, however, are not Jim Irsay.

The Washington Post released an exclusive report on the troubling circumstances surrounding the life and death of the Colts owner, who passed away unexpectedly in May.

The story, written by sports investigative reporters Will Hobson and Albert Samaha, and enterprise reporter Sam Fortier, is an exhaustive behind-the-scenes look at the late Indianapolis Colts owner. According to the Post, Irsay “spent the last two years of his life in the throes of a relapse that he and Colts executives repeatedly hid from the public.”

The Post interviewed five people with direct knowledge of Irsay’s relapse. The story said: “All five said they witnessed Irsay consuming opioid pills. Four said they witnessed Jim Irsay receiving ketamine injections.” The article includes other alarming details, including that Irsay suffered three overdoses in the last five years of his life, that there were concerns about his treatment, and that questions remain about what exactly caused his death.

According to the Post, Irsay’s death certificate stated the cause was cardiac arrest, but no autopsy or toxicology testing was performed.

This is a bombshell. While many NFL owners prefer to work in the shadows, Irsay was famously outspoken. He frequently talked openly about confronting his battle with substance abuse. He started Kicking the Stigma, a charity committed to mental health research and awareness. So why is this a story? The Post’s reporting “is at odds with public explanations that Irsay and the Colts gave for his rapidly declining health, and raises questions about how authorities investigated his death.”

Not surprisingly, and quite understandably, the members of the Irsay family responded to the Post story with statements that mostly did not directly address the newspaper’s findings. Instead, they asked for privacy.

Many of us would likely have responded in the same way if we had just lost a loved one. The difference here is that Jim Irsay was a public figure who explicitly spoke about addiction. The details here matter. It’s not enough to provide generalities. The Post’s story demonstrates the value of investigative sports journalism because it shows what addiction looks like. Relapse happens, and some addicts and their enablers will do anything to hide it.

This story also shines a light on the people who provide access to drugs and/or medication. The wealthy can find some medical professionals or pseudo-medical professionals to get them what they want. It’s doctor shopping. We saw it most notably in the death of Michael Jackson.

The rich and powerful have ways of keeping things quiet. They can influence law enforcement, the justice system, and the media. Kudos to Hobson, Samaha, and Fortier for uncovering this information. Investigative reporting is hard. It takes vast amounts of time, effort, and money. With traditional media cutting back on resources, good investigative reporting has become even more difficult and less frequent. Plus, trust in mass media is at an all-time low.

Some people may find the Post’s reporting in poor taste. They may equate it to speaking ill of the dead, especially as the NFL franchise he owned and loved will begin its first season in Indianapolis without him on Sept. 7. Jim Irsay was popular in his adopted hometown. He was also a public figure in life and will remain one in death.

Lingering questions about Irsay might never be fully answered. But we know more now than we did yesterday—both about the man, the power of addiction, and the influence of the rich.