Scoreboard, Baby: A Story of College Football, Crime, and Complicity

Scoreboard, Baby follows the 2000 University of Washington football team during a season that brought both athletic triumph and off-field controversy. The narrative tracks key players, coaches, university officials, and local law enforcement as events unfold throughout the year. Two investigative journalists piece together the interconnected stories of criminal behavior, academic misconduct, and institutional decision-making surrounding the football program. Their reporting draws from court documents, police records, internal university communications, and hundreds of interviews with people connected to the events. The book examines how a major college football program operated within its community and institution during a pivotal season. Specific incidents and individual stories combine to reveal the broader dynamics at work. The authors present a case study in how athletic achievement, institutional priorities, and community dynamics can create complex moral challenges with lasting consequences. Their account raises questions about accountability and values in American college sports.

Readers describe this as a meticulously researched exposé of the 2000-2001 University of Washington football program, documenting how the pursuit of athletic success enabled criminal behavior. Liked: - Detailed investigative journalism backed by court documents and interviews - Clear timeline showing patterns of institutional failure - Balanced reporting that avoids sensationalism - Strong narrative structure that keeps readers engaged Disliked: - Some found the pacing slow in middle sections - A few readers wanted more focus on potential solutions - Washington state locals felt it painted their community unfairly Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (674 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (89 ratings) Notable reader comments: "Reads like a true crime book but with deeper institutional implications" -Goodreads reviewer "Should be required reading for college administrators" -Amazon reviewer "The research is impeccable but the story is heartbreaking" -LibraryThing review

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🏈 The book won the 2011 Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime from the Mystery Writers of America, putting it in the company of acclaimed works like "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote. 📚 Authors Armstrong and Perry spent more than two years investigating and writing about the 2000 University of Washington football team, reviewing thousands of pages of public records and conducting over 200 interviews. 🏆 The story follows the Huskies' Rose Bowl championship season of 2000, but reveals how at least two dozen players on that team were arrested while attending UW, with charges ranging from assault to armed robbery. 🎓 One of the book's central figures, tight end Jerramy Stevens, was investigated for sexual assault during his time at UW but remained on the team and was later selected in the first round of the NFL draft. 🗞️ Both authors were reporters for The Seattle Times when they wrote the original series of articles that led to the book, and their reporting won several national awards including the George Polk Award and the Michael Kelly Award.