Gambling Scandal

[Don Wassall]

The bits and pieces of this thing that have leaked so far don't make sense yet. Wayne Gretzky's wife involved?? I really hope it's not as bad as it's being made to sound. Sportsillustrated.cnn.com -- which usually has no interest in hockey whatsoever -- has the "gambling ring" as it's lead story, and is already calling it a "major crisis for the NHL." In fact they have six stories about it linked to their homepage, about a year's worth of hockey coverage for them. Looks like the media can't wait to use this to create the most damage possible for the NHL.

 

[White Shogun]

I was thinking about the threads and rumors we have had here regarding the Super Bowl and fixed games, and the connection with gambling.

The thought came immediately to mind that the media found a story to support gambling in a white sport, linked to one of the most famous white icons in that sport, but cannot uncover nefarious links to illegal betting in football, a primarily black sport, nor any information that ANY black football players have ever gambled on professional sports?

GET REAL.

It all seems very fishy to me and the timing, of course, is impeccable.

This story gives credence to some of the things that bigunreal and others here have been saying about point shaving and 'fixed' games, in my opinion.

 

[White Shogun]

One more thing on this 'scandal.'

If the government wasn't so intent on controlling the morals of its populace, this 'scandal' wouldn't be newsworthy. Placing a bet shouldn't be illegal, and the government's sanctions against it ring hollow when you consider the amount of income made for the coffers from state approved lotteries.

 

[Bart]

One more thing on this 'scandal.'

Placing a bet shouldn't be illegal, and the government's sanctions against it ring hollow when you consider the amount of income made for the coffers from state approved lotteries.

How often have we seen -immoral- activity become sanctioned, even respectable - after the GOV gets a piece of the action.

 

[Southern Knight]

Bart writes: "How often have we seen -immoral- activity become sanctioned, even respectable - after the GOV gets a piece of the action."

So true. Do you think marijuana would be criminalized if you needed a pharmaceutical lab to produce it (instead of merely a tiny patch of moist dirt)? Of course not.

But I have to say that this thing looks bad for the Great One, at least at this point. Other than marrying a hockey icon, I wouldn't think that Janet Jones would have much of an interest in other sports, at least not to the point of laying down $40,000 on the Super Bowl, $5,000 of that on the coin toss alone. The early returns would suggest that "Janet's" bets were really "Wayne's" bets.

I hope I'm wrong but we'll have to wait and see.

And I disagree with some of the comments about how the media is ready to swarm all over Gretzky. (Caveat: By choice, I don't have cable so I don't know how ESPN is handling the story). All the comments I've heard thus far seem to be willing to give Gretzky the benefit of the doubt.

 

[sunshine]

Just thow in my two cents. What is up with the wiretapping--was that legal? Given the fact this government has us all under their watchful eye it kind of creeps me out. In fact this website is blocked on some computers. Freedom of expression yeh right.

 

[bigunreal]

I don't understand why it's considered any kind of crime for a pro athlete to bet on other sports. As I've stated before regarding Pete Rose's situation, I don't think he did anything wrong unless it can proven that he bet against his own team. The same would go for Gretzky, or anyone else. I don't even think it would be wrong for someone to bet on their own sport, or even their own games, as long as they are betting on themselves to win. How could a coach (or certainly a coach's wife) effect the integrity of the sport by betting on which teams will win other games?

This situation serves to illustrate, once again (remember poor Pete Ross), that in Don King's America, gambling is considered a greater crime than chronic drunk driving, possession of large amounts of drugs, sex with underaged girls and violence against women. I hope for Gretzky's sake that he doesn't become the laughingstock that Rose has become. Because he played the sport he did, the Great One has never received the respect he deserves. Imho, on any list of the greatest athletes of all time, only Babe Ruth would rank ahead of him. One thing is for certain; the lame, wannabe comedians on ESPN will treat him (and this story) a bit differently than they would if the central figures were say, Michael Jordan and his wife.

 

[White Shogun]

The betting wasn't illegal because he is an athlete, it was illegal because they used a bookie. If she had placed the bets in Vegas or Atlantic City, there wouldn't have been a problem, at least criminally, that is. It was an "illegal gambling operation," whatever that means, which I suspect means 'not sanctioned by the state or federal governments.'

I don't know about you, but it must be nice to afford to bet $5,000 on the toss of a coin!

 

[Don Wassall]

If true, it's hard to believe those involved didn't use Vegas sports books, or offshore on-line sites. Maybe it's the feeling of infallibility so many who have "made it" seem to have. As with so much else in decadent America, the system is full of hypocrisy on this issue. Gambling on games isn't legal where I live, yet the newspapers give the latest lines every day. Gee, I wonder why they perform that service.

I agree with Bigunreal that there's nothing wrong with athletes betting as long as they don't bet against their own team. The issue of gambling itself is different, but when it's all but legal in name it's ridiculous to expect well-paid athletes to refrain from doing what so many sports fans do.

 

[White Shogun]

Don, I imagine you have to be physically present in Vegas to make a bet, do you not? Isn't it illegal for me to phone in my bet from Texas or Florida or wherever?

Its quite hypocritical, however it is.

 

[nj816]

It is mind-boggling how much coverage this is getting from ESPN. They are donating more time to this then they ever have to any Stanley Cup Finals.

If this story involved any of their beloved black athletes it would probably merit a 30 second blip.But since it involves a great white athlete that epitomizes class and decency it is seized upon as opportunity to take him down.

If this involved betting on NHL games then it would be a story. Since it didn't, I really don't see the point in this even being that news worthy. If Gretzky's wife, or for that matter NHL players, want to place bets on other sports outside of hockey, I believe that is their prerogative.

The only one that may be in the wrong here for doing something illegal is Tocchet. But even at that, no NHL player can even come close to the transgressions of the NBA and NFL players that ESPN and the rest of the white hating media choses to glorify.

 

[Don Wassall]

Don, I imagine you have to be physically present in Vegas to make a bet, do you not? Isn't it illegal for me to phone in my bet from Texas or Florida or wherever?

They know a lot of people, it would be easy to use a friend or intermediary who lives in Nevada.

 

[sport historian]

Paul Hornung and Alex Karras have often said that many players besides themselves had bet on pro football, though NOT against their own team. I remember some years ago, Alan Page said that many players would bet.

There IS a problem with a coach or manager betting on his own team. Suppose Pete Rose, for example, bet on his Reds in a game played on Tuesday, but didn't have a bet on Wednesday's game. With money on Tuesday's game, it is certain that he would manage differently. He might use a pitcher he would not ordinarily use. Then, that pitcher would be unavailable the next day. What would the fans think when it became apparent that a manager was trying harder to win on some days than he was on others?

 

[Don Wassall]

Good point, SH. Players shouldn't be allowed to bet on the sport they play at all.

 

[sport historian]

Thanks Don. It's also true that a pro football player could have a large bet on a game against the Cowboys, but not on the next game against the Rams. It would be impossible to keep from concluding that he was more interested in winning on certain Sundays than he was on others.

 

[Bart]

To add insult to injury, Hockey's commissioner is named...Bett man.

 

[Realgeorge]

Yes, It Is Bett-man !

Hockey Fans, I told you so. The resurgent NHL, with its new season and fantastic fan rebound from the strike, is UNACCEPTABLE to the MSM and their Rothschildefeller handlers. We KNEW that Bettman was sent to destroy the NHL, and failed miserably.

Now the "betting scandal" strikes at Hockey's greatest icon. I had smelled this coming -- little ol' me -- that the weakness of character of Wayne Gretzky would one day be exploited by the Hate-all-Aryyans crowd.

Wayne was a great hockey player, but a weenie of an adult. His marrying of a petulant photostar is a common weakness among US athletes [we can name MANY poor sops in lots of sports who suffer from their ties to a goofy glamor girl -- from Joe Dimaggio to Sergei Federov].

The scandal hits at a perfect time. The NHL has been surging in popularity, the strike is over, the new rules have livened up the game, the CBA has restored solvency to the league. UNACCEPTABLE! This good fortune has got to be stopped.

And the perfect patsies are Wayne Gretzky and Rocket Tocchet. Poor boobs: They will suffer the most from the incident. The NHL won't sustain a whole lot of damage from the gambling incident. White Americans and Canadians are way too preoccupied and apathetic to give a krappe about gambling in high places. The Hockey Night in Canada crowd will not flinch even slightly. TV ratings for NHL games will continue to climb. Don Cherry will mouth platitudes about the scandal while concentrating on the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

This is actually good news. In a bunch of ways. The scandal will peter out and barely affect the NHL's bottom line. Wayne the Weenie will finally be forced to go to a beach somewhere to retire and caress his blonde bride. The stupidest franchise in pro sports, the PHOENIX COYOTES, will get some comeuppance [I wish they would fold, d%$#*it! Arizona should NOT have an NHL hockey team. Winnipeg or Portland should]

And ol' Pete Rose will have company as another popular American sports star to get dumped on by the phony Gambling Police. I suppose Gretzky's HOF slot will remain guaranteed. The MSM will milk that topic too.Edited by: Realgeorge