ShareThisNot to begin a serious column with a smart-alecky comment, but forget about point-shaving charges. Shouldn't two men who allegedly bet more than $400,000 on University of Toledo basketball games over roughly one year's time be indicted simply for being morons?
The six UT athletes who were named Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice as being caught up in the scheme certainly qualify if, indeed, guilty.
But seriously, folks, a Las Vegas sports book couldn't pay its light bill from what is normally wagered on a typical Mid-American Conference athletic event. So, if somebody comes along and dumps large dollars that affect the odds or the point spread on a UT game that millions of gamblers pay no attention to whatsoever, isn't that an invitation to be caught?
It worked nicely for two Michigan men who Justice and the FBI have had squarely in their sights for quite some time. Ever since, in fact, the Vegas bookies, who are firmly committed to running an honest game, tipped off the FBI that something uneven was taking place with the odds.
We've been waiting more than two years for the other shoe to drop on a gambling scheme involving Toledo athletes and, finally, it has landed with a size-14 thud. Their involvement allegedly occurred between December, 2004, and December, 2006.
Among those indicted were the third-leading scorer in Rockets' basketball history (Keith Triplett), one of the program's best-ever point guards (Kashif Payne), and a versatile, two-year starter (Anton Currie) who played in 117 games during his career. Three ex-football players -- four-year letterman Quinton Broussard as well as Scooter McDougle and Adam Cuomo -- were also named in the indictment, although it didn't say how often, or how much, money was bet on Toldeo football games.
The charges specify that Detroit-area residents Ghazi "Gary" Manni and Mitchell Edward Karam wagered more than $400,000 on Toledo basketball between November, 2005, and December, 2006.
Yours truly was the beat writer for Rockets basketball for The Blade during that stretch and while I'm sure I saw a number of blown layups and goofy passes and botched defenses I can't exactly say, "Aha! I told you so," because I didn't tell you so. I never noticed a thing.
The men's basketball team won 20 games during the 2005-06 season and owned the MAC's best regular-season record (14-2) in 2006-07. Toledo's football team went 9-3 in 2005, capped by a 45-13 win over Texas-El Paso in the GMAC Bowl, a game that reportedly came under FBI scrutiny. See the problem? When good teams are playing well, the last thing you think about is athletes taking bribes, because that in most people's minds means throwing games.
Point shaving is different. The fix doesn't necessarily mandate losing; it means manipulating the score to satisfy a point spread. Unless you know it's happening, well, there's no reason to even suspect that it's happening.
But the six UT athletes named in the indictment -- a seventh, basketball player Sammy Villegas, was reportedly involved in the investigation and has accepted a plea agreement for which he is scheduled to be sentenced next month -- allegedly took money and other items of value to participate in what the charges called a "conspiracy to commit sports bribery."
Those are among the dirtiest words -- ranking right up there with academic fraud -- that can be spoken in regards to a college athletic department. Interestingly enough, this isn't Toledo's maiden voyage through those choppy waters. Four Toledo players were involved to some degree in the big national scandals that shook college basketball in the early 1950s and it is a stain that has disappeared over time. This one will too.
But that doesn't lessen the indignity brought on Rockets' programs by the athletes alleged to have broken the law.
Instead of court dates, maybe they should be locked in a room with Stan Joplin and Tom Amstutz, the ex-Toledo coaches who must feel sucker-punched by how all of this played out.
Maybe they should have to go face to face with former basketballers Justin Ingram and Keonta Howell and Tino Valencia or football teammates like John Greco, Barry Church, or Mike Alston, young men who did it all the right way.
Maybe they should have to sit down and explain their actions to all the good men and women, also known as boosters, who have handed over millions and millions of dollars to ensure that Toledo athletes want for nothing.
Yeah, I'd like to sit in on that one.
(ContactDave Hackenberg at dhack@theblade.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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