Arash Markazi Joins Los Angeles Times Sports Staff as Enterprise Reporter and Page 2 Columnist
Markazi will start at The Times on Jan. 28 and cover emerging trends in sports
The Los Angeles Times has named Arash Markazi Sports Enterprise Reporter and Page 2 Columnist, reporting to Assistant Managing Editor for Sports, Angel Rodriguez.
“Like everything else in our society, the digital revolution has had a profound influence on sports,” said Times Executive Editor Norman Pearlstine. “We’re excited to have Arash on board to help us launch coverage of widely popular and emerging trends in sports, ranging from multiplayer gaming competitions to the legalization of sports betting.”
Markazi will introduce readers to established pastimes and nascent industries that revolve around the central theme of sports, delving into these growing areas of interest. He’ll also write regular columns which will anchor an updated Page 2 in the Los Angeles Times Sports section.
“One of the most exciting aspects of local ownership under Patrick Soon-Shiong is the commitment to adding resources and expanding into areas the L.A. Times hasn’t previously covered,” Rodriguez said. “It’s also important that our staff understand the community we live in and that we continue to diversify our team.
“As we add e-sports and gambling to our coverage, there are few journalists that can match what Arash Markazi can do. Arash is an Angeleno with Persian roots, and he’s a great hire for the L.A. Times.”
Markazi spent the past nine years at ESPN covering the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, Wimbledon and Tour de France. Prior to that he was a writer at Sports Illustrated and was published in several other magazines. A graduate of University of Southern California, Markazi was the recipient of the Allan Malamud Scholarship and the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation Scholarship.
“When I was growing up, we got the Los Angeles Times every morning,” Markazi said. “As much as I loved watching the Lakers and Dodgers, I looked forward to reading what Jim Murray and Allan Malamud had written about the teams, just as much.
“Though I’d once dreamed of being a starting point guard, by the time I was 12 years old my dream was to be a sports columnist for The Times. Soon, I’ll get to open the paper in the morning, see my byline next to my picture, and know I’m not just dreaming.”
Markazi will be joining The Times award-winning Sports staff, including fellow enterprise reporters Mike DiGiovanna, Nathan Fenno and David Wharton, as well as columnists Helene Elliott, Dylan Hernandez, Bill Plaschke, Eric Sondheimer and recently-named Sports and Culture Columnist LZ Granderson.
The Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union-Tribune and their community publications in Southern California were purchased by Soon-Shiong on June 18, 2018. Since then, The Times has been rebuilding and expanding its newsroom. Markazi will join The Times on Jan. 28.
