Friday, August 17, 2007
Sports News
Recent and Not So Much So
PETE ROSE/TIM DONAGHY
Pete Rose, one of the greatest players in baseball history is not in the Hall of Fame because he bet on baseball. When the story broke, I was shocked. As details came out, I became more and more accepting.
It came out that Rose only bet on the Reds, the team he was managing at the time. I tried not to let that cloud my judgement. He never bet against his team, so he wasn't conspiring to fix games. I was fine with this, but as manager, he had inside information. He would have a good idea of when his team would win or not.
It recently came out that Rose bet on the Reds for every game they played. Some argued that it was just good, extra motivation, that Rose bet on his own team to win every time they played. While I don't completely go along with that, I can see and understand that point of view.
Tim Donaghy, NBA official has been accused of betting on games he officiated, games he was able to influence the outcome of, or, at the very least, the final score of.
If this is true, Donaghy should be in jail. But why did this happen? From what I've read, Donaghy was greedy, that was probably his main motivation. Moreover, Donagy was a gambler, a gamber who was indebted to some mob types who probably put pressure on him to effect games he officiated.
First off, I am not anti-gambling. I love gambling, in a few weeks I will kick off my fake gambling feature for NFL games in which I pick NFL games against spreads I find on the internet. I have bet on NFL and NBA games legitimately in Las Vegas and illegally in several locations.
I do not have a gambling problem, never have. I never bet money I didn't have or couldn't afford. I realize that some people do. Some people will have a problem with anything, become addicted to any pursuit you can name. Some people can't stop, bet money they don't have, lose, then find themselves indebted to very bad people.
I don't know everything about the Tim Donaghy situation. From everything I've read, he was forced, one way or another, to fix basketball games he was officiating because of money he owed.
Back to Pete Rose. Pretty much the only things I know about the Rose situation are things Rose has decided to make public. Rose denied ever gambling on baseball to be able be considered for the Hall of Fame, then admitted to it when it became quite obvious that he was lying.
My point is that we don't know much about the Rose situation other than what Rose wants us to know. Under the best of situations, Rose exposed himself to people, bet with people who could have coerced him to throw games. At worst he did. The Reds teams he bet on daily were not very good. It was a losing proposition for Rose, his playing career made him financially comfortable, his managing gig kept him at that level.
But Rose was/is a compulsive personality. It made him a great player, it made him a pretty good manager. It exposed him, though. Something could have happened. Rose could have thrown games. As far as I know, there is no evidence that he did, but the threat was always there if Rose bet stupidly or too much.
For that reason alone, the activity Rose engaged in was dangerous to the game he dedicated his life to. His activity should eliminate him from consideration for baseball's Hall of Fame.
MICHAEL VICK
What do I think? I think Michael Vick is guilty. I base that on the evidence I've seen, nothing else. At best, Michael Vick allowed idiot friends and family members to take advantage of him and his money. At worst, Vick knew exactly what he and his associates were into. The truth of the matter probably lies somewhere between those two extremes.
You see it so often in sports, athletes with questionable backgrounds, from "the hood" make it big and continue to associate with "their boys." I understand loyalty. I understand the desire not to let money change you. I understand wanting your less fortunate friends to share in your prosperity. Don't let them drag you down.
And this is an important lesson today. Vick and 3 of his friends and relatives were charged in this dogfighting case. As of this moment, his three "friends" have pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with the prosecution against Vick. Some friends.
I don't know why the prosecution is going after Vick so hard. Maybe they have evidence that Vick was the ringleader. Maybe they're grandstanding, trying to convict the famous guy. I simply don't know why. I do know that Vick's friends, who Vick at the very least provided a home for their dogfighting operation, didn't stand by Vick. They turned on him. They turned on him faster than Ray Lewis turned on his friends in his manslaughter trial.
Look at this case, Adam Jones. Look at the people you associate with. You are in legal jeopardy, your career is in jeopardy, and you continue to associate with these people. Look at Michael Vick. Learn something from him.
BOJ
Pete Rose, one of the greatest players in baseball history is not in the Hall of Fame because he bet on baseball. When the story broke, I was shocked. As details came out, I became more and more accepting.
It came out that Rose only bet on the Reds, the team he was managing at the time. I tried not to let that cloud my judgement. He never bet against his team, so he wasn't conspiring to fix games. I was fine with this, but as manager, he had inside information. He would have a good idea of when his team would win or not.
It recently came out that Rose bet on the Reds for every game they played. Some argued that it was just good, extra motivation, that Rose bet on his own team to win every time they played. While I don't completely go along with that, I can see and understand that point of view.
Tim Donaghy, NBA official has been accused of betting on games he officiated, games he was able to influence the outcome of, or, at the very least, the final score of.
If this is true, Donaghy should be in jail. But why did this happen? From what I've read, Donaghy was greedy, that was probably his main motivation. Moreover, Donagy was a gambler, a gamber who was indebted to some mob types who probably put pressure on him to effect games he officiated.
First off, I am not anti-gambling. I love gambling, in a few weeks I will kick off my fake gambling feature for NFL games in which I pick NFL games against spreads I find on the internet. I have bet on NFL and NBA games legitimately in Las Vegas and illegally in several locations.
I do not have a gambling problem, never have. I never bet money I didn't have or couldn't afford. I realize that some people do. Some people will have a problem with anything, become addicted to any pursuit you can name. Some people can't stop, bet money they don't have, lose, then find themselves indebted to very bad people.
I don't know everything about the Tim Donaghy situation. From everything I've read, he was forced, one way or another, to fix basketball games he was officiating because of money he owed.
Back to Pete Rose. Pretty much the only things I know about the Rose situation are things Rose has decided to make public. Rose denied ever gambling on baseball to be able be considered for the Hall of Fame, then admitted to it when it became quite obvious that he was lying.
My point is that we don't know much about the Rose situation other than what Rose wants us to know. Under the best of situations, Rose exposed himself to people, bet with people who could have coerced him to throw games. At worst he did. The Reds teams he bet on daily were not very good. It was a losing proposition for Rose, his playing career made him financially comfortable, his managing gig kept him at that level.
But Rose was/is a compulsive personality. It made him a great player, it made him a pretty good manager. It exposed him, though. Something could have happened. Rose could have thrown games. As far as I know, there is no evidence that he did, but the threat was always there if Rose bet stupidly or too much.
For that reason alone, the activity Rose engaged in was dangerous to the game he dedicated his life to. His activity should eliminate him from consideration for baseball's Hall of Fame.
MICHAEL VICK
What do I think? I think Michael Vick is guilty. I base that on the evidence I've seen, nothing else. At best, Michael Vick allowed idiot friends and family members to take advantage of him and his money. At worst, Vick knew exactly what he and his associates were into. The truth of the matter probably lies somewhere between those two extremes.
You see it so often in sports, athletes with questionable backgrounds, from "the hood" make it big and continue to associate with "their boys." I understand loyalty. I understand the desire not to let money change you. I understand wanting your less fortunate friends to share in your prosperity. Don't let them drag you down.
And this is an important lesson today. Vick and 3 of his friends and relatives were charged in this dogfighting case. As of this moment, his three "friends" have pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with the prosecution against Vick. Some friends.
I don't know why the prosecution is going after Vick so hard. Maybe they have evidence that Vick was the ringleader. Maybe they're grandstanding, trying to convict the famous guy. I simply don't know why. I do know that Vick's friends, who Vick at the very least provided a home for their dogfighting operation, didn't stand by Vick. They turned on him. They turned on him faster than Ray Lewis turned on his friends in his manslaughter trial.
Look at this case, Adam Jones. Look at the people you associate with. You are in legal jeopardy, your career is in jeopardy, and you continue to associate with these people. Look at Michael Vick. Learn something from him.
BOJ
# posted by Blind Orange Julius @ 12:46 PM 
