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Sports betting

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by tenacious_g, Jan 3, 2007.

Page 2 of 4
  1. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    I can think of former NBA beat writer who was in so deep, he borrowed money from a legend of the game to get out of the hole -- and didnt lose his job because of it...
     
    slappy4428, Jan 4, 2007
    #13
  2. hockeybeat

    hockeybeat Guest

     
    hockeybeat, Jan 4, 2007
    #14
  3. fleishman

    fleishman Active Member

    i'd never do it, it's bad enough to know people asking for inside info. i just tell him with what i think is a diplomatic response: "I know what you read in the papers"..
     
    fleishman, Jan 4, 2007
    #15
  4. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    Do not bet on teams you cover. Ever. If the team you cover is constantly costing you money, no WAY you can remain objective.

    As for horses *** when the track opened not far from us, our editor called a number of his buds to see what kind of policies they had. All said the same thing - it's legal so it is allowed. Some even had their turf writers write about the betting side.
    Seeing as how I love little more than betting on races, I would wager whenever I was sent out to cover. Did OK. Not enough to retire on but usually came home with money.
    One day, I sniff out a pretty good exacta and it hits. Big payday. A little more than 600 on a two dollar bet.
    The winner gets DQed and it was a shaky DQ.
    I laughed with one of the stewards and told him he owed me lunch but I also stopped betting when covering after that because I could see how it could become a problem with objectivity. The stewards "cost me" 600.

    Before I got religion, several of us went to talk to a trainer who had won the day's feature. He very politely asked if we could wait until after the next race. You got one in there, too, we asked? Yes, he said, the best horse at the track that day.
    We looked up. Horse was about 15-1 in the early betting. The best? Trust me, he said, THE best.
    We almost tripped over each other running to the windows. Horse went off at 13-1 and won. It was the best horse at the track that day.
    Shady as hell, I suspect, using that kind of info but dinner was pretty good. We asked HIM after that race if he minded waiting on us while we went and collected. He needed to do the same thing.

    Then I got religion.
     
    Moderator1, Jan 4, 2007
    #16
  5. SteveThePirate

    SteveThePirate Member

    Think Charlie Weis told the ND writers yesterday that the Irish were a "sure thing" at +9?
     
    SteveThePirate, Jan 4, 2007
    #17
  6. Ben_Hecht

    Ben_Hecht Active Member

    He knew better. But the fathers will gratefully take the loot -- and no splitting (heh, heh).
     
    Ben_Hecht, Jan 4, 2007
    #18
  7. EStreetJoe

    EStreetJoe Well-Known Member

    Only bet on a game/team I covered one time - and won. It was a high school girls basketball state quarterfinal (or semifinal) game. The writer from the main paper in the state thought the higher ranked team (with the state's All-Time leading scorer on it) would run away with it. I told him the team I was covering (which had an 1,500 or 2,000 point scorer on it.. can't remember, but she was the best girl I covered in 9-10 years on the high school girls hoops beat) would keep it close and might even pull off the upset. We agreed on a point spread (I think it was 8 or 10) and bet. My team lost by 6, so I won.

    Then there was the time I participated in the press row betting pool at the PA state wrestling finals to see who could pick the most champions correctly - in both-sized schools divisions. Lost that one. But that was the only year I covered wrestling and inherited the beat midway though the season. Inherited it because our Phillies beat writer moved on to another paper and our wrestling writer (who was our minor league baseball writer in the spring) got bumped up to cover the Phillies and had to leave for spring training.
     
    EStreetJoe, Jan 4, 2007
    #19
  8. Jim Tom Pinch

    Jim Tom Pinch Active Member

    I don't/wouldn't bet on a team I cover for a couple reasons:
    1. I'm bad at it and that alone keeps me betting on any games.
    2. It detracts from your focus on what you're doing. And anyone who knew I was betting and which way could read my story and believe my coverage was colored, whether or not it was.
     
    Jim Tom Pinch, Jan 4, 2007
    #20
  9. write then drink

    write then drink Guest

    gosh, sounds like fun[/sarcasm]
     
    write then drink, Jan 4, 2007
    #21
  10. shotglass

    shotglass Guest

    Our guy usually puts that together. I also believe he and another one of the top writers annually fill out the entire bracket at each weight and see who picks more victories.

    I couldn't do it ... but it's a good thing there are people that tuned in.
     
    shotglass, Jan 4, 2007
    #22
  11. Oz

    Oz Well-Known Member

    Given that I'm on desk now, and when I do go out it's preps only, I'm feeling fine about my first trip to Vegas next week. Can't wait to see gamblers living and dying on the NFL playoffs.
     
    Oz, Jan 5, 2007
    #23
  12. Tom Petty

    Tom Petty Guest

    isn't there a betting booth in the press box in saratoga?
     
    Tom Petty, Jan 5, 2007
    #24
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