Beer and Circus (45 page)
Authors: Murray Sperber
17: Rally Round the TeamâAs Long As It Wins and Covers the Spread
Matthew Decapua wrote his article in the UConn
Daily Campus
, 3/10/99; the Ohio State senior filled out a questionnaire and did an interview on campus, 11/17/98; the Ball State University junior filled out a web survey form, 11/12/99; I visited that university on 2/25/00, and
discussions with faculty and students confirmed the validity of the BSU junior's opinion. The research of Dr. Robert Cialdini was quoted by Bob Andelman in
Why Men Watch Football,
Lafayette, La., 1993, pp. 39â40. The unhappy University of lowa junior male filled out a web survey form, 12/13/99.
Daily Campus
, 3/10/99; the Ohio State senior filled out a questionnaire and did an interview on campus, 11/17/98; the Ball State University junior filled out a web survey form, 11/12/99; I visited that university on 2/25/00, and
discussions with faculty and students confirmed the validity of the BSU junior's opinion. The research of Dr. Robert Cialdini was quoted by Bob Andelman in
Why Men Watch Football,
Lafayette, La., 1993, pp. 39â40. The unhappy University of lowa junior male filled out a web survey form, 12/13/99.
ESPN The Magazine
ran the “Loser University” comment, 4/19/99, p. 26 (no author given); Nick Bakay did the mock gambling chart,
9/7/98,
p. 34; the painted FSU students appeared, 12/14/98, pp. 14â15 (no author given). George David of Indiana University wrote an unpublished paper, “Indiana University SportsâThen and Now,” 12/4/94; Erik Brady of USA
Today
wrote about “Fans behaving badly,” 11/19/99. Tim Witosky of the
Des Moines Register,
a reporter who has covered college sports exceptionally well for many years, quoted Ted Harris, a former college athlete, on the campus betting problem; reprinted in
USA Today,
1/13/98.
ran the “Loser University” comment, 4/19/99, p. 26 (no author given); Nick Bakay did the mock gambling chart,
9/7/98,
p. 34; the painted FSU students appeared, 12/14/98, pp. 14â15 (no author given). George David of Indiana University wrote an unpublished paper, “Indiana University SportsâThen and Now,” 12/4/94; Erik Brady of USA
Today
wrote about “Fans behaving badly,” 11/19/99. Tim Witosky of the
Des Moines Register,
a reporter who has covered college sports exceptionally well for many years, quoted Ted Harris, a former college athlete, on the campus betting problem; reprinted in
USA Today,
1/13/98.
Tim Layden of
Sports Illustrated
wrote the campus gambling series, 4/3â4/10â4/17, 1995; the quote on the Juice Generation, the discussion of “23 percent of students gambled,” and the betting of the Cameron Crazies came 4/3/95, pp. 70-74; former bookie William (B. J.) Jahoda commented to
SI
, 4/10/95, p. 74. The Michigan State student wrote his P.S. on the web survey form, 1/10/00; Chad Millman, a former student of mine and a contributor to the
SI
series (op. cit.), told me about the “serious betting scene” at IU in a phone conversation, 10/8/98. The University of Maryland undergraduate talked about the scene at home games after he filled out a questionnaire, 2/17/99; the ACC athletic department official spoke totally off the record, explaining, “Everyone I work with dislikes your books on college sports, and I don't want to catch flack from them for talking to you. I happen to like
College Sports Inc.
and so I'll talk to you now like I did for that book,”
2/24/99.
(It was easier to interview people
before
I had published a book critical of college sports, but I thank the ACC official for his time and comments.)
Sports Illustrated
wrote the campus gambling series, 4/3â4/10â4/17, 1995; the quote on the Juice Generation, the discussion of “23 percent of students gambled,” and the betting of the Cameron Crazies came 4/3/95, pp. 70-74; former bookie William (B. J.) Jahoda commented to
SI
, 4/10/95, p. 74. The Michigan State student wrote his P.S. on the web survey form, 1/10/00; Chad Millman, a former student of mine and a contributor to the
SI
series (op. cit.), told me about the “serious betting scene” at IU in a phone conversation, 10/8/98. The University of Maryland undergraduate talked about the scene at home games after he filled out a questionnaire, 2/17/99; the ACC athletic department official spoke totally off the record, explaining, “Everyone I work with dislikes your books on college sports, and I don't want to catch flack from them for talking to you. I happen to like
College Sports Inc.
and so I'll talk to you now like I did for that book,”
2/24/99.
(It was easier to interview people
before
I had published a book critical of college sports, but I thank the ACC official for his time and comments.)
For a detailed history of the late-1940s and early 1950s fixes in college basketball, see
Onward to Victory
(op. cit.), part 5, “Scandal Years,” pp. 285â410. I met the University of Florida student who discussed campus gambling on the University of Florida campus on 5/17/98; he filled out a questionnaire and, in the interview, he talked about betting on campus.
Onward to Victory
(op. cit.), part 5, “Scandal Years,” pp. 285â410. I met the University of Florida student who discussed campus gambling on the University of Florida campus on 5/17/98; he filled out a questionnaire and, in the interview, he talked about betting on campus.
Robert Dorr of the
Omaha World-Herald
asked Peter Ruchman, a Las Vegas bookmaker, about the action on various college sports events, 11/15/98; this article has some of the national statistics.
USA Today
reported on the University of Michigan study, 1/12/99 (no reporter given); Tim Lowry of that paper wrote an excellent feature about on-line betting on “March Madness,” 3/12/99.
Indianapolis News
sportswriter Phil Richards translated the athlete betting statistics into game situations, 5/6/99; the Big Ten athlete who predicted future college fixes admitted that he bet on his teamâ“But only to win when we have a sure lock”âand requested that I not print his name, school, or the date of the interview.
Omaha World-Herald
asked Peter Ruchman, a Las Vegas bookmaker, about the action on various college sports events, 11/15/98; this article has some of the national statistics.
USA Today
reported on the University of Michigan study, 1/12/99 (no reporter given); Tim Lowry of that paper wrote an excellent feature about on-line betting on “March Madness,” 3/12/99.
Indianapolis News
sportswriter Phil Richards translated the athlete betting statistics into game situations, 5/6/99; the Big Ten athlete who predicted future college fixes admitted that he bet on his teamâ“But only to win when we have a sure lock”âand requested that I not print his name, school, or the date of the interview.
Rick Morrisey wrote about Bill Saumâthe single NCAA monitor of gambling activityâand quoted him on the decline of morality in America in the
Chicago Tribune
, 3/11/99. Matt O'Connor of that paper discussed the Northwestern basketball players' motives for fixing in a front-page article, 3/28/98. Robert Lipsyte of the
New York Times
commented about Northwestern University's “bet,” 3/14/99; Rick Telander of the
Chicago Sun-Times
wrote many columns about the scandals, most memorably, 12/4/98 and 12/13/98; Andy Bagnato of
Chicago Tribune
wrote fewer columns on it, but his best was 3/29/98. Joanne C. Gertsner of U
SA Today
visited NU in the aftermath of the scandal and wrote about its effect on the school, 12/14/98.
Chicago Tribune
, 3/11/99. Matt O'Connor of that paper discussed the Northwestern basketball players' motives for fixing in a front-page article, 3/28/98. Robert Lipsyte of the
New York Times
commented about Northwestern University's “bet,” 3/14/99; Rick Telander of the
Chicago Sun-Times
wrote many columns about the scandals, most memorably, 12/4/98 and 12/13/98; Andy Bagnato of
Chicago Tribune
wrote fewer columns on it, but his best was 3/29/98. Joanne C. Gertsner of U
SA Today
visited NU in the aftermath of the scandal and wrote about its effect on the school, 12/14/98.
The unsigned editorial in the Rutgers University
Daily Targum
appeared, 3/22/99; the bookie in the Big Ten college town spoke off the record, adding, “The police know all about my operations but they sure don't want me to advertise in your book.” Fredreka Schouten of USA Today quoted gaming industry head lobbyist Frank Fahrenkopf, 1/13/00; Gene Wojciechowski described the March Madness scene at Caesars Sports Book in
ESPN The Magazine,
7/27/98, p. 83; and Andrew Zimbalist explained the CBS approach to the Internet in
Sports Business journal,
12/27/99.
Daily Targum
appeared, 3/22/99; the bookie in the Big Ten college town spoke off the record, adding, “The police know all about my operations but they sure don't want me to advertise in your book.” Fredreka Schouten of USA Today quoted gaming industry head lobbyist Frank Fahrenkopf, 1/13/00; Gene Wojciechowski described the March Madness scene at Caesars Sports Book in
ESPN The Magazine,
7/27/98, p. 83; and Andrew Zimbalist explained the CBS approach to the Internet in
Sports Business journal,
12/27/99.
Finally, if the NCAA actually managed to have gambling on college sports in Nevada made illegal and the courts upheld this legislationâtwo highly doubtful outcomesâthe law of unintended consequences could result: illegal betting on college sports would flourish, and campus gambling would increase considerably. Dan Boykin of the State of Minnesota Tobacco, Alcohol,
and Gambling Control Commission made this point in a discussion with the author on Minnesota Public Radio, 3/17/00.
and Gambling Control Commission made this point in a discussion with the author on Minnesota Public Radio, 3/17/00.
18: College Sports MegaInc.
Tony Kornheiser discussed the “Six billion dollars” in
ESPN The Magazine,
12/13/99, p. 48; Michael Hiestand wrote the
USA Today
article on the new NCAA/CBS-TV March Madness deal, 11/19/99; and Andrew Zimbalist quoted NCAA lobbyist Doris Dixon in
Unpaid Professionals
(op. cit.), p. 198.
USA Today
quoted North Carolina State athletic director Les Robinson on the ACC as a “corporate group,” 1/7/00 (no reporter given); Steve Weiberg of that newspaper quoted Mike Kryzewski on the poor “marketing of our product,” 2/5/99; Rudy Martzke of that paper included Jim Wheeler's comments on the BCS in a column, 12/8/99; Martzke also explained the 2000 bowl problems and he quoted TV analyst Terry Bowden on Roy Kramer's love for money, 12/31/99; and, that day, Steve Weiberg also wrote about the BCS's success.
USA Today
covers college sports more thoroughly than any other daily paper in America, and it discussed the average annual revenue of the BCS and other conferences, 12/20/99, and Michigan AD Tom Goss's admission of money lost, 11/30/99 (no reporters given on these stories); Steve Weiberg and Jack Carey did an article on the ISL's offer of a post-bowl game playoff, 1/25/00.
ESPN The Magazine,
12/13/99, p. 48; Michael Hiestand wrote the
USA Today
article on the new NCAA/CBS-TV March Madness deal, 11/19/99; and Andrew Zimbalist quoted NCAA lobbyist Doris Dixon in
Unpaid Professionals
(op. cit.), p. 198.
USA Today
quoted North Carolina State athletic director Les Robinson on the ACC as a “corporate group,” 1/7/00 (no reporter given); Steve Weiberg of that newspaper quoted Mike Kryzewski on the poor “marketing of our product,” 2/5/99; Rudy Martzke of that paper included Jim Wheeler's comments on the BCS in a column, 12/8/99; Martzke also explained the 2000 bowl problems and he quoted TV analyst Terry Bowden on Roy Kramer's love for money, 12/31/99; and, that day, Steve Weiberg also wrote about the BCS's success.
USA Today
covers college sports more thoroughly than any other daily paper in America, and it discussed the average annual revenue of the BCS and other conferences, 12/20/99, and Michigan AD Tom Goss's admission of money lost, 11/30/99 (no reporters given on these stories); Steve Weiberg and Jack Carey did an article on the ISL's offer of a post-bowl game playoff, 1/25/00.
College Sports Inc.
(op. cit.) discussed athletic department money losses in detail; see the first section, “Ol' Siwash in Red Ink,” pp. 15â145, for an analysis of general and specific revenues and expenses; this book was published ten years ago and I advise current readers to multiply the numbers by ten for a sense of the contemporary scene. The exorbitant costs of women's sports programs is pure myth: even a quick glance at athletic department books reveals that spending on women's teams is far less than on men's programs; for example, frequently the women travel in university vans at minimal cost to the athletic department, whereas the men often board jets, sometimes private charters, and rack up enormous travel expenses. But the sports media rarely examines athletic department books, instead accepting the male athletic director's lame line about the “phenomenal costs of women's sports.” One media exception is columnist Christine Brennan of
USA Today
; she took a shot at the myth, particularly the huge, unwarranted expenses from football, 3/9/00.
(op. cit.) discussed athletic department money losses in detail; see the first section, “Ol' Siwash in Red Ink,” pp. 15â145, for an analysis of general and specific revenues and expenses; this book was published ten years ago and I advise current readers to multiply the numbers by ten for a sense of the contemporary scene. The exorbitant costs of women's sports programs is pure myth: even a quick glance at athletic department books reveals that spending on women's teams is far less than on men's programs; for example, frequently the women travel in university vans at minimal cost to the athletic department, whereas the men often board jets, sometimes private charters, and rack up enormous travel expenses. But the sports media rarely examines athletic department books, instead accepting the male athletic director's lame line about the “phenomenal costs of women's sports.” One media exception is columnist Christine Brennan of
USA Today
; she took a shot at the myth, particularly the huge, unwarranted expenses from football, 3/9/00.
Joshua Rolnick of the
Chronicle of Higher Education
analyzed the NCAA's most recent financial report,
Revenues and Expenses of Intercollegiate Athletics Programs
(op. cit.), 10/23/98. Andrew Zimbalist (op. cit.) stated his conclusion on athletic department deficits, p. 171â72. I interviewed Howard Schein at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, 11/11/98. Wisconsin newspapers are not typical of the media coverage of college sports, and they have long listened to state auditor's concerns about waste in the UW athletic department. They never manage to end that waste but they did report on the UW Rose Bowl trip. Anthony Jewell (a former student of mine) broke the story for the AP, 10/21/99, and supplied the basic facts; the next day, he provided a breakdown of the expenses for all of the members of the traveling party; Jeff Potrykus of the
Milwaukee journal Sentinel
got reactions from state officials on 10/ 22/99; and Beth A. Williams of the UW student paper,
Badger Herald,
discussed the $1.1 million deficit for 1998-99, and the projected deficit for 1999â2000. The interview with the travel manager took place in San Francisco, Calif., 12/19/99. I thank him for his time and professional expertise, and I respect his desire to stay strictly off the record; he explained, “My company does business in all parts of the country, and who knows when we'll do business with the University of Wisconsin.”
Chronicle of Higher Education
analyzed the NCAA's most recent financial report,
Revenues and Expenses of Intercollegiate Athletics Programs
(op. cit.), 10/23/98. Andrew Zimbalist (op. cit.) stated his conclusion on athletic department deficits, p. 171â72. I interviewed Howard Schein at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, 11/11/98. Wisconsin newspapers are not typical of the media coverage of college sports, and they have long listened to state auditor's concerns about waste in the UW athletic department. They never manage to end that waste but they did report on the UW Rose Bowl trip. Anthony Jewell (a former student of mine) broke the story for the AP, 10/21/99, and supplied the basic facts; the next day, he provided a breakdown of the expenses for all of the members of the traveling party; Jeff Potrykus of the
Milwaukee journal Sentinel
got reactions from state officials on 10/ 22/99; and Beth A. Williams of the UW student paper,
Badger Herald,
discussed the $1.1 million deficit for 1998-99, and the projected deficit for 1999â2000. The interview with the travel manager took place in San Francisco, Calif., 12/19/99. I thank him for his time and professional expertise, and I respect his desire to stay strictly off the record; he explained, “My company does business in all parts of the country, and who knows when we'll do business with the University of Wisconsin.”
The saddest bowl-game stories and the greatest losses involve schools playing in lower-tier events, far from the BCS bowls. Yet universities never refuse or complain when invited to the
Obscure.com
Bowl. Not only are the payouts for these games much smaller than those for the top-tier bowls, but often participating schools have to buy blocks of tickets from the bowl committees, and if they do not sell the seats, they have to swallow them, often in six-figure gulps. Of course, these schools have large traveling parties and expenses; therefore, the poor manage to become even poorer as a result of bowl-game appearances.
Obscure.com
Bowl. Not only are the payouts for these games much smaller than those for the top-tier bowls, but often participating schools have to buy blocks of tickets from the bowl committees, and if they do not sell the seats, they have to swallow them, often in six-figure gulps. Of course, these schools have large traveling parties and expenses; therefore, the poor manage to become even poorer as a result of bowl-game appearances.
One small sliver of financial good news from bowl games appeared in the 1990sâbut only
for schools in BCS conferences. If, like Indiana University, they had mediocre football teams and rarely went to bowl games, they won the bowl game sweepstakes
by staying home.
In 1999, with Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl, and four other Big Ten teams bowling, Indiana and its losing record remained in Bloomington. But because of its conference share of the payouts from these five bowls, IU received almost $2 million, clear and free. In 2000, again staying in Bloomington, Indiana did even better, receiving almost $3 million as its share of Big Ten payouts. The bottom line is obvious: in the corrupt world of bowl-game trips, the best way to win is to spend New Year's at home.
for schools in BCS conferences. If, like Indiana University, they had mediocre football teams and rarely went to bowl games, they won the bowl game sweepstakes
by staying home.
In 1999, with Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl, and four other Big Ten teams bowling, Indiana and its losing record remained in Bloomington. But because of its conference share of the payouts from these five bowls, IU received almost $2 million, clear and free. In 2000, again staying in Bloomington, Indiana did even better, receiving almost $3 million as its share of Big Ten payouts. The bottom line is obvious: in the corrupt world of bowl-game trips, the best way to win is to spend New Year's at home.
As to the people on the gravy plane, faculty often call them, particularly professors on the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee, “jock sniffers,” men and women so enchanted by the glamour of intercollegiate athletics and its coaches and athletes that they are willing to compromise their integrity, as well as the fiscal integrity of their institutions, to support big-time college sports. I wrote about this species in “Flagrant Foul,”
Lingua Franca,
November-December 1993, cover article.
Academe,
the journal of the American Association of University Professors, also mocked them in an article by Richard Robinson, “Reversal of Fortune,” September-October 1996, pp. 45-49. In the
Academe
piece, a “jock sniffer” brags, “As Chairman of the [Faculty] Athletic Committee, I get a parking space next to the stadium as well as free tickets for the games,” and lots of other perks.
Lingua Franca,
November-December 1993, cover article.
Academe,
the journal of the American Association of University Professors, also mocked them in an article by Richard Robinson, “Reversal of Fortune,” September-October 1996, pp. 45-49. In the
Academe
piece, a “jock sniffer” brags, “As Chairman of the [Faculty] Athletic Committee, I get a parking space next to the stadium as well as free tickets for the games,” and lots of other perks.
The administrator of the Sunbelt university spoke off the record; he was quoted in the introduction to this book in an interview done 7/12/97, and the comments in this chapter were in an interview, 6/18/99; I thank him again for his time and patience during these interviews. The NCAA tries to explain the association's ultra-complicated formula for distributing tournament revenue on its website; Andrew Zimbalist commented on the new CBS contract in his
Sports Business journal
article (op. cit.); and Steve Weiberg of
USA Today
predicted “a continued migration,” 11/19/99. All of the institutions that enter Division I pray for a “Cinderella” miracleâtheir small school going a few rounds in the tourney; the 2000 event showed the perils of this prayer: Midnight struck for almost all of the Cinderellas in the opening game when they lost and disappeared without any publicity except for a stack of athletic department bills back home as a result of joining the big-time poker game. In the text, I refer to “300-plus” schools in Division I because the number keeps moving up; as of early 2000, it is 318, but it will be higher when this book is published, and higher still in a few years.
Sports Business journal
article (op. cit.); and Steve Weiberg of
USA Today
predicted “a continued migration,” 11/19/99. All of the institutions that enter Division I pray for a “Cinderella” miracleâtheir small school going a few rounds in the tourney; the 2000 event showed the perils of this prayer: Midnight struck for almost all of the Cinderellas in the opening game when they lost and disappeared without any publicity except for a stack of athletic department bills back home as a result of joining the big-time poker game. In the text, I refer to “300-plus” schools in Division I because the number keeps moving up; as of early 2000, it is 318, but it will be higher when this book is published, and higher still in a few years.
College Sports Inc.
(op. cit.), part 4, “The NCAA: The Fox in the Henhouse,” pp. 309-44, explained the NCAA as a trade association for coaches and athletic directors. Ball State University is a good example of a school with problems meeting the NCAA's minimum football attendance rule: its team played so poorly in the late 1990s and drew such small crowds that the NCAA threatened to drop it from Division I-A; school officials scrambled to convince local businesses to buy blocks of seats to inflate attendance figures with “no shows”; the ludicrousness of an institution of higher education doing this is obvious. I learned the details of BSU's attendance problem during a campus visit, 2/25/00; Professor Jeff Fry was particularly helpful.
(op. cit.), part 4, “The NCAA: The Fox in the Henhouse,” pp. 309-44, explained the NCAA as a trade association for coaches and athletic directors. Ball State University is a good example of a school with problems meeting the NCAA's minimum football attendance rule: its team played so poorly in the late 1990s and drew such small crowds that the NCAA threatened to drop it from Division I-A; school officials scrambled to convince local businesses to buy blocks of seats to inflate attendance figures with “no shows”; the ludicrousness of an institution of higher education doing this is obvious. I learned the details of BSU's attendance problem during a campus visit, 2/25/00; Professor Jeff Fry was particularly helpful.
USA Today
quoted University of Minnesota football coach Glen Mason, 9/24/99 (no reporter given). Andrew Zimbalist in
Unpaid Professionals
(op. cit.) discussed the recent wave of new stadiums and upgrades, pp. 133-34. Gary Mihoces of
USA Today
quoted Virginia Tech AD Jim Weaver and an unnamed former associate athletic director at Nebraska, 1/3/00.
The Kansas City Star
discovered NCAA executive director Cedric Dempsey's annual salary of $650,000, plus multiple perks, and an unsigned editorial excoriated him for it, 5/25/98.
quoted University of Minnesota football coach Glen Mason, 9/24/99 (no reporter given). Andrew Zimbalist in
Unpaid Professionals
(op. cit.) discussed the recent wave of new stadiums and upgrades, pp. 133-34. Gary Mihoces of
USA Today
quoted Virginia Tech AD Jim Weaver and an unnamed former associate athletic director at Nebraska, 1/3/00.
The Kansas City Star
discovered NCAA executive director Cedric Dempsey's annual salary of $650,000, plus multiple perks, and an unsigned editorial excoriated him for it, 5/25/98.
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