Your weekly Jameis Winston controversy/allegation update: point shaving?

Looks like it's for real now. TMZ reporting that UAB is investigating Chris Rabb for gambling:

http://www.tmz.com/2014/11/07/jameis-winston-friend-chris-rabb-uab-launches-probe-into-betting-allegations/

 

I can generally see why the typical college player might point shave, and I'd bet it happens far more than most realize.

But I can't imagine why a player in Jameis Winston's position would ever do it--you got the Heisman, the world scrutinizing your every move, and you're set to become a filthy rich millionaire in a year or two anyways if you just stay on your current track. Why would someone in that position ever risk it?

 

Stupidity?

 

I would argue that Winston's decision-making track record makes this par for the course.

 

This question gets asked every time he does something. And this one would be worse than everything but the rape allegation, but it has been pointed out previously and it still holds -- every adult in his life, including at least one educational institution (and I am presuming the high school did some too), has covered for him at every step of his life. Why would he think that's going to stop?

It's like a politician sending dick pics to a girl he met on the Internet. Everything else has been swept away, why wouldn't he think that would be too?

 

Humble. Humble pah.

 

I think it happens more in hoops than in football for obvious reasons.

I remember doing the pre-game show for one of the college hoops teams I covered and they were playing some cupcake in December, a team they would typically beat by 30+ and one of the students who interned there told me, "Oh, none of the starters are playing more than 5-10 minutes."

I said, "Who told you that?" and he said he ran into one of the players on campus and it came out innocently in the conversation.

Starters had played almost the whole time in the previous game against a similar cupcake, but about five minutes into the game, he pulled three starters and pulled the other two a couple minutes later. The line was in the high 20s and they won by 7.

It makes you wonder how often that happens.

 

The other reason: "Gonna be a millionaire next year" doesn't buy you shit today.

 

In other matters, Winston's lawyer requests a delay from the initial schedule of Nov. 17 for his hearing on sexual misconduct allegations for the school's inquiry. It's believed the request is to move the hearing to "when the playoff ends and he can get the fuck out of town and be done with your stupid-ass rules."

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11836777/jameis-winston-attorney-seeks-delay-hearing-florida-state

 

You know, it's hard to shave points in football, way harder than in basketball, because there are so many more moving parts. The quarterback is on the take and some honest defensive back grabs the pick-six that sends you fleeing from the leg-breakers.

 

I don't think it's that hard to shave points if you are the quarterback.

 

It's easiest for the QB, but still not easy. If the running back rips off an 80 yard TD to start the game, for instance, the QB will find his own number called less frequently. He makes bad passes on third downs, and the kicker goes six for six on field goals. There's defense and special teams, too. In college, I suppose it could be done in one of those 40-point spread games against a cupcake, but even then I think a kid would be better off betting on himself to excel. It's the percentage play. Besides, let's assume Winston was shaving. What's the guarantee there's a second half comeback against an OK team? A loss would draw 1000 times more scrutiny than the win. Too risky.