Are College Games Fixed?
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Honolulu, HI
(Pro Power Picks) -
Most college football games are legitimate. However, just one game every now and then is thrown by a disenchanted player.
I was going to use names to back up my point. My friend sitting with me just told me hell no, that it will be easy to figure out who this guy is just by using the year. This will be offensive to those who know these guys personally. However, no one who knows Hawaii football will discredit what I write. In fact, I am pretty sure some other Hawaii fans on these boards who bet during this time will also tell how this ONE game was thrown.
BACKGROUND:
In 1992, Hawaii Football hit it's peak, beating Illinois led by freshmen Kevin Hardy and Simeon Rice. This team was made up of all of Dick Tomey's players (a year or two after he left to take Arizona football). After that, Hawaii started to deteriorate, posting a 6-6 record the following year and progressively worse until we hit 0-11 in 1998. This team was led by Tommy's former assistant: Bob Wagner.
In the third/fourth year of Wagner's reign, Hawaii football was something like 3-9. Two local kids fought for the starting QB job: QB H and QB F.
SOME NOTES:
Like all other campuses, University of Hawaii has a huge gambling culture within the student body. However, as a graduate of Hawaii, I often heard from mainland students how they couldn't believe the size of the "craps" games held in the dorms and apartments on campus. I went to them every week, and saw thousands of dollars on some of these "poor" college kids. It is a proven fact, that since Hawaii is 70% Asian, gambling is more pervasive here than on the mainland. In Asian cultures, gambling is much more socially accepted.
THE PATH LEADING TO A PLAYER THROWING A GAME
Hawaii was terrible in those years. QB F, won the starting job. A running QB, QB F for the first 3 games of the year led the nation in rushing td's, something like 8 of them. However, we were still 1-3. QB F was benched in favor of QB H.
QB F, was a stellar high school player here in Hawaii, leading his team to the Hawaii State Title (Prep Bowl). Not married, but supporting two little kids. A Senior QB, this season was his last. Being benched pretty much ended his football career.
We (all us college guys) knew QB F, he was good guy. Like all the rest of the football players, gambling and playing Nintendo Techmo Bowl was their life.
QB H, turned out to be just as shitty as the original QB F as the season went along. The call goes back to return QB F to the starting job. NOW comes in our buddy, QB F who has already resigned his football career, "**** this, I am a senior, I have been benched, and we are pretty much the shittiest team in the nation....."
In comes the team that perennially beats the shit out of us: San Diego State led by Marshall Faulk. Hawaii is a ridiculous HOME underdog, high 20's if I recall correctly. Everyone in Hawaii knows we are going to lose, even QB F. The question however is by how much????
I don't know if QB F owed money from craps games. However, I do know the bookies (my friends and ME) who took his bets AGAINST HAWAII. (of course we dumped this shit off to our Uncles, plus a lot more). We asked him, "WHY??".??". Quite simply he said something like, "We are going to lose anyway, my career is over, and I need the money for my kids."
Word had leaked to every frickin Joe and Jill on the Hawaii campus to bet against Hawaii. By Thursday, not a single campus bookie, or even the Pearl Harbor Kahunas would take a bet despite the traditional 20% juice. All books State wide got off the game. Everyone knew that the QB was going to throw the game.
Not sure of the exact final. Something like 56-14. The Hawaii QB had 3 fumbles.
This is my first hand account of how a real good guy can just be so saddened by football that he decides to make a little out of it. On one hand, you can point out that he was really a good guy, he just wanted a little money for his two babies. It was a long path for this guy to take down this road, and he probably had a lot more outside pressure than anyone knew.....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Honolulu, HI
(Pro Power Picks) -
Most college football games are legitimate. However, just one game every now and then is thrown by a disenchanted player.
I was going to use names to back up my point. My friend sitting with me just told me hell no, that it will be easy to figure out who this guy is just by using the year. This will be offensive to those who know these guys personally. However, no one who knows Hawaii football will discredit what I write. In fact, I am pretty sure some other Hawaii fans on these boards who bet during this time will also tell how this ONE game was thrown.
BACKGROUND:
In 1992, Hawaii Football hit it's peak, beating Illinois led by freshmen Kevin Hardy and Simeon Rice. This team was made up of all of Dick Tomey's players (a year or two after he left to take Arizona football). After that, Hawaii started to deteriorate, posting a 6-6 record the following year and progressively worse until we hit 0-11 in 1998. This team was led by Tommy's former assistant: Bob Wagner.
In the third/fourth year of Wagner's reign, Hawaii football was something like 3-9. Two local kids fought for the starting QB job: QB H and QB F.
SOME NOTES:
Like all other campuses, University of Hawaii has a huge gambling culture within the student body. However, as a graduate of Hawaii, I often heard from mainland students how they couldn't believe the size of the "craps" games held in the dorms and apartments on campus. I went to them every week, and saw thousands of dollars on some of these "poor" college kids. It is a proven fact, that since Hawaii is 70% Asian, gambling is more pervasive here than on the mainland. In Asian cultures, gambling is much more socially accepted.
THE PATH LEADING TO A PLAYER THROWING A GAME
Hawaii was terrible in those years. QB F, won the starting job. A running QB, QB F for the first 3 games of the year led the nation in rushing td's, something like 8 of them. However, we were still 1-3. QB F was benched in favor of QB H.
QB F, was a stellar high school player here in Hawaii, leading his team to the Hawaii State Title (Prep Bowl). Not married, but supporting two little kids. A Senior QB, this season was his last. Being benched pretty much ended his football career.
We (all us college guys) knew QB F, he was good guy. Like all the rest of the football players, gambling and playing Nintendo Techmo Bowl was their life.
QB H, turned out to be just as shitty as the original QB F as the season went along. The call goes back to return QB F to the starting job. NOW comes in our buddy, QB F who has already resigned his football career, "**** this, I am a senior, I have been benched, and we are pretty much the shittiest team in the nation....."
In comes the team that perennially beats the shit out of us: San Diego State led by Marshall Faulk. Hawaii is a ridiculous HOME underdog, high 20's if I recall correctly. Everyone in Hawaii knows we are going to lose, even QB F. The question however is by how much????
I don't know if QB F owed money from craps games. However, I do know the bookies (my friends and ME) who took his bets AGAINST HAWAII. (of course we dumped this shit off to our Uncles, plus a lot more). We asked him, "WHY??".??". Quite simply he said something like, "We are going to lose anyway, my career is over, and I need the money for my kids."
Word had leaked to every frickin Joe and Jill on the Hawaii campus to bet against Hawaii. By Thursday, not a single campus bookie, or even the Pearl Harbor Kahunas would take a bet despite the traditional 20% juice. All books State wide got off the game. Everyone knew that the QB was going to throw the game.
Not sure of the exact final. Something like 56-14. The Hawaii QB had 3 fumbles.
This is my first hand account of how a real good guy can just be so saddened by football that he decides to make a little out of it. On one hand, you can point out that he was really a good guy, he just wanted a little money for his two babies. It was a long path for this guy to take down this road, and he probably had a lot more outside pressure than anyone knew.....
