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One of the most respected newspapers in the US, the Louisville Courier, has now picked up on the alleged point shaving scheme involving FSU star Jameis Winston.
It is, after all, a Florida State game against Louisville last week for which the alleged scheme transpired.
Many mainstream media outlets, including Fox Sports, published the story alleging Chris Rabb, a former High School teammate of Winston’s, shared a gambling account with the Florida State football player since the beginning of October. This information comes from his supposed bookie, who is said to have had no knowledge of Winston's connection with Chris Rabb approached him about setting up active wagering account.
The story was first featured on IBN Sports and includes alleged betting slips as the smoking gun. None of the accused parties had responded to the reports as of Friday morning.
“I don’t think it is plausible,” commented Gambling911.com Senior Reporter Thomas Somach. “If it’s true, the kid’s career is ruined.”
Somach points to the notorious 1978-1979 Boston College point shaving scandal that rocked the world of College Basketball and destroyed the careers of a number of likely NBA prospects including Rick Kuhn, who had been expected to play with the Philadelphia 76ers upon graduation.
“None of these guys involved in that scandal went on to play in the NBA,” Somach points out.
Tim Sullivan of the Courtier-Journal questions the origin of the story.
because it's Jameis Winston, nearly nothing should surprise us. The Heisman Trophy winner has a knack for knucklehead behavior, whether it's stealing crab legs, shouting profanity, damaging property with pellet guns, signing hundreds of authenticated, purportedly pro bono autographs or showing up in uniform for a game while under suspension.
Yet a self-published story bearing the pseudonymous byline of Incarcerated Bob, a credibility-challenged author whose reportage revolves around the allegations of an unnamed bookie, is a perilous platform from which to leap to conclusions. The story feels so flimsy that most of the mainstream media has so far ceded the it to TMZ.
The Courier-Journal interviewed a few of Vegas’ top sportsbook directors and handicappers, each of whom questioned the possibility of insider wagering where no irregularities occurred.
"There was nothing that would indicate there was something going on," said Jimmy Vaccaro of Las Vegas' South Point Sports Book. "There was no talk. There was no nothing. Is it possible? Yes. (But) There were no red flags here, no industry talk."
"There was no unusual betting pattern for us to pick it up in Las Vegas," said handicapper Dave Cokin. "In the past, when there's been some kind of a scandal, the guys on the other side of the counter are pretty good about spotting irregular betting patterns."
Cokin was quick to add that "It's one thing after another with this guy (Winston). I guess that's why I just can't dismiss it out of hand."
- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
