The reporter who broke the story, Selena Roberts, check out her BIO:

http://www.nytimes.com/ref/sports/bio-roberts.html

Selena Roberts became a columnist for The New York Times sports department in October of 2002. She previously served as the Olympic writer for The Times, tennis reporter, general assignment baseball writer and beat reporter for the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets. She joined The Times in 1996 to report on the Nets.

Selena Roberts.

Prior to joining The Times, Ms. Roberts had served as the Minnesota Vikings beat writer at The Minneapolis Star Tribune since August 1994. There, she wrote daily on the team and also worked on special sports projects during the off-season.

Previously, she was the Orlando Magic beat writer at the Orlando Sentinel from July 1993 to August 1994; N.F.L./Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat writer from July 1992 to July 1993, including coverage of the N.F.L. playoffs and Super Bowl; and motorsports/Volusia County beat writer from August 1991 to July 1992, covering NASCAR and IMSA events, including the Daytona 500 and 24 hours of Sebring. She also covered Bethune-Cookman College, area preps and wrote the metro TV/Radio column.