Toledo RB charged in point-shaving scandal

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  • bigboydan
    SBR Aristocracy
    • 08-10-05
    • 55420

    #1
    Toledo RB charged in point-shaving scandal
    Now you guys know why I didn't bet on MAC football.

    By DAVID ASHENFELTER and GEORGE SIPPLE

    FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS

    A running back for the University of Toledo Rockets has been charged with recruiting fellow athletes to shave points and fix games on behalf of a Macomb County gambler.

    A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit said the player, Harvey “Scooter” McDougle Jr., 22, a senior, recruited football and basketball players to participate in the scheme spearheaded by a Sterling Heights man identified only as “Gary.”


    Gary’s recruitment of players allegedly included inviting the athletes to gamble and dine at Greektown Casino in Detroit.

    The complaint said one player was offered $10,000 to sit out a football game. Other players received cash, groceries, merchandise and other gifts, the complaint said.

    McDougle told the FBI that he received a car, telephone and other things of value from Gary, but insisted that he never changed the way he played to affect the outcome of games.

    McDougle, of East Cleveland, Ohio, was expected to make a brief appearance today in U.S. District Court in Detroit. He could not be reached for comment. There was no immediate comment from school officials.

    No other players were identified in the complaint, so it is unclear how many players or teams at Toledo were involved in the scheme, or whether teams at other schools are being investigated.

    There was no indication in the complaint that players threw any games because of the scheme.

    In November 2005, the Detroit FBI began intercepting phone calls to and from Gary’s residence to find out about his illegal gambling and sports bribery operation and who it involved. The wiretaps stopped in December 2006. Gary was identified only as an Iraqi male.

    The complaint said Gary, McDougle and others bribed Toledo athletes to influence the final score of specific games, so Gary and the others could bet on the games with illegal sports bookmakers.

    Gary met the players through a Toledo cellular phone store where university athletes shopped. He eventually was introduced to a Rockets football player at the store, who introduced Gary to other school athletes.

    In the months that followed, Gary invited the players to Detroit, where he wined and dined them at restaurants and invited them to gamble at casinos.

    Once he evaluated the players, he would ask them to participate in a point shaving scheme in exchange for cash and gifts.

    On Dec. 2, 2005, the complaint said, FBI agents saw McDougle and other Toledo players meet with Gary at a Detroit restaurant before heading to the VIP area of the Greektown Casino.

    The complaint said Gary would ask trusted players to recruit other players for the scheme.

    Players who agreed to participate were told about the betting line, the point spread for a particular game. If the team were a three-point favorite, anyone who bet on the Rockets would win if the Rockets won by four points or more.

    Anyone who bet on the opponent could still win if the opponent lost by three points and less, the complaint said.

    “Once Gary and the players knew the line, they would decide if they could beat the spread,” the complaint said. “If they were picked as an underdog by 10 points, they would decide if they could beat the 10 point spread. If they were picked as a favorite by a certain number of points, the players would decide if they would most likely win by that much.”
    Feds charge player in University of Toledo point-shaving scheme
  • Korchnoi
    SBR Sharp
    • 10-20-06
    • 406

    #2
    What charges is this guy facing? How about the players?
    Comment
    • zootiehead
      SBR MVP
      • 12-09-06
      • 1715

      #3
      I remember hearing lots of rumors that something was going on in Toledo games back then.
      Comment
      • zootiehead
        SBR MVP
        • 12-09-06
        • 1715

        #4
        double post
        Comment
        • Doc JS
          SBR Hall of Famer
          • 09-15-06
          • 6885

          #5
          Toledo RB charged in point-shaving scandal

          From Fox Sports
          Get NCAA College Football news, scores, stats, poll rankings & more for your favorite college teams and players -- plus watch highlights and live games! All on FoxSports.com.


          Federal authorities charged a University of Toledo football player Friday in connection with a point-shaving scheme.

          Harvey "Scooter" McDougle Jr. recruited Toledo football and basketball players to participate in the scheme orchestrated by a Sterling Heights man identified only as "Gary," according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court.
          McDougle was arraigned Friday on charges of participating in a bribery scheme to influence sporting contests, The Detroit News reported on its Web site. He was released on a $10,000 bond and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for April 20.

          U.S. Magistrate Judge Virginia Morgan told McDougle he should not discuss the case with the media or anyone else.

          The charge carries a sentence of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine upon conviction.

          "Gary" allegedly invited the athletes to gamble and dine at Greektown Casino in Detroit. One player was offered $10,000 to sit out a football game, while others received cash, groceries, merchandise and other gifts, the complaint said.

          McDougle, a 22-year-old senior from East Cleveland, Ohio, told FBI investigators he received a car, telephone and other items of value from "Gary," but insisted he never changed the way he played to affect the outcome of games.

          Assistant U.S. Attorney David Morris, who is handling the case, wouldn't confirm Friday whether more people would be charged in the case.

          The complaint gave no indication that players threw any games as part of the scheme, the Detroit Free Press reported.

          A message seeking comment was left with a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office on Friday night.

          Ooops! Sorry...I didn't see that BBD had already posted below. My bad.

          Doc JS

          I can believe this...there were some shady, shady things that took place a couple of years ago with this team...they were killing Temple by about six touchdowns and somehow got backdoored (when Temple wasn't quite as bad, but they still sucked)...another time I had Ohio vs. them on a Friday night and they were laying like 6.5 and they're up 6 and it's fourth and goal from the three with 45 secs left...they don't kick the field goal (which I guess I can understand, but you'd think you'd want to go up two scores)...they do a running play right up the middle and get stuffed...I still can't believe I covered that game as Ohio was the inferior team by far...I believe that the coach covered up an injury in their bowl game vs. Connecticut with Gradkowski...

          I never could figure out why McDougal didn't as much playing time after he recovered from his "injury", why he didn't play more (they played Dawson and some of the other running backs more)...

          being that their coach goes for it every ****ing time on fourth down (I had them laying 13 at home to Ohio in '04 I believe, and the guy is going for it on fourth and goal from the 2 and runs a pitch pass?...they almost got backdoored, but covered...still was fishy), this is going to be very hard to prove, but I wouldn't be surprised if some or many of the players were in on this...

          this is just another reason to play dogs, as most of the time point shaving occurs with the team that's favored...
          Comment
          • bigboydan
            SBR Aristocracy
            • 08-10-05
            • 55420

            #6
            Originally posted by zootiehead
            I remember hearing lots of rumors that something was going on in Toledo games back then.
            Strange things have been happening all over the MAC.
            Comment
            • pags11
              SBR Posting Legend
              • 08-18-05
              • 12264

              #7
              I only bet one interconference MAC game all year (Miami OH +13.5 at home vs. NIU), and zero Sun Belt games...just too many shady things can go on with all of these games not being televised and the coaches not getting paid a whole lot...definitely good reasoning not to bet these conferences heavy Dan...
              Comment
              • imgv94
                SBR Posting Legend
                • 11-16-05
                • 17192

                #8
                Some people don't bet on anything..
                Comment
                • bigboydan
                  SBR Aristocracy
                  • 08-10-05
                  • 55420

                  #9
                  Originally posted by pags11
                  definitely good reasoning not to bet these conferences heavy Dan...
                  The first year the MAC was a board type conference I cleaned up on betting the totals on those game. It wasn't till 2 years ago that I started to really notice very suspicious play in those games. Since then I always stayed away from the MAC.
                  Comment
                  • imgv94
                    SBR Posting Legend
                    • 11-16-05
                    • 17192

                    #10
                    Some people like to brag about their winnings and never mention when they lose..

                    HMM Anyone on this board who goes around bragging about winning but never really has an opinion on games is a clown.

                    But no one here does that..
                    Comment
                    • tacomax
                      SBR Hall of Famer
                      • 08-10-05
                      • 9619

                      #11
                      Originally posted by imgv94
                      Some people like to brag about their winnings and never mention when they lose..
                      And some people like to post fake tickets:



                      But hey - this is a board where everyone is free to post whatever they want, within reason. If you want to be allowed to post what you want even though others don't agree with it or like it then why not give others the same privileges?
                      Originally posted by pags11
                      SBR would never get rid of me...ever...
                      Originally posted by BuddyBear
                      I'd probably most likely chose Pags to jack off too.
                      Originally posted by curious
                      taco is not a troll, he is a bubonic plague bacteria.
                      Comment
                      • imgv94
                        SBR Posting Legend
                        • 11-16-05
                        • 17192

                        #12
                        tacomax the famous gimmick account.. Only used to defend SBR and talk shjt to certain posters.. Here you killed two birds with one stone..

                        What perfect timing for you to come out of nowhere and protect you're buddy

                        You aren't fooling anyone man.. It's so obvious.
                        Comment
                        • tacomax
                          SBR Hall of Famer
                          • 08-10-05
                          • 9619

                          #13
                          I have no idea which "buddy" I'm "protecting". I was merely saying that if you want the right to post fake tickets on the boards then you should allow the right for other people to say what they want. Is that so wrong?

                          And you think I'm still a secret worker for SBR?

                          Anyway, get back to topic - feel free to start another thread about me in the private forum.

                          Sean
                          Originally posted by pags11
                          SBR would never get rid of me...ever...
                          Originally posted by BuddyBear
                          I'd probably most likely chose Pags to jack off too.
                          Originally posted by curious
                          taco is not a troll, he is a bubonic plague bacteria.
                          Comment
                          • pags11
                            SBR Posting Legend
                            • 08-18-05
                            • 12264

                            #14
                            tacomax,

                            your routine is just so old... ...tired, tired ass material...
                            Comment
                            • jjgold
                              SBR Aristocracy
                              • 07-20-05
                              • 388179

                              #15
                              many games are now being manipulated, not fixed though
                              Comment
                              • JoshW
                                SBR MVP
                                • 08-10-05
                                • 3431

                                #16
                                "Gary was identified only as an Iraqi male."

                                Is the Iraqi opposition fighting the war on US soil, going after are most important institution . . . ?

                                Football
                                Comment
                                • ShamsWoof10
                                  SBR MVP
                                  • 11-15-06
                                  • 4827

                                  #17
                                  I live in Toledo and less then a mile from Campus actually... Scooter didn't see near enough action to influence a game himself... I know the article said he helped recruit guys that did... This is all very vague and I am skeptical about this but I will find out more and post.... So far is doesn't make sense... When I hung around some of them in the late 90's I didn't like our football players anyway for other reasons and they are always in trouble for somethng on campus...
                                  Comment
                                  • cwsulzba
                                    SBR Sharp
                                    • 03-21-07
                                    • 431

                                    #18
                                    I think the NBA is fixed. These guys are just too good. They can score at will if they want. Have you ever seen those players warm up before a game. They shout 98 percent. Dont give me any BS about having a guy convering them makes it different, cuz it does to a certain extent.

                                    Watching Phoenix the last two nights was a joke. They didnt even try against Golden State, then were diving for loose balls and taking charges against the Nuggets. Right at the end of the game they were still launching threes and cashing them to keep the spread above eight points. Whereas they could not make anything against the Warriors. The books call in the bets before the game and the players play accordingly. Bottom line.
                                    Comment
                                    • bigboydan
                                      SBR Aristocracy
                                      • 08-10-05
                                      • 55420

                                      #19
                                      This one kinda reminds me of the CCNY 1951 Basketball Scandal
                                      Comment
                                      • ShamsWoof10
                                        SBR MVP
                                        • 11-15-06
                                        • 4827

                                        #20
                                        I haven't really looked into it yet but a few odd things jump out at me... First..Scooter prior to this year didn't play much and although he got his yards Toledo uses a collection of backs as opposed to having a primary back making it harder I would assume to control the game... Second if this guy was buying players things like cars etc. I assume they are nice cars and this Gary would have to place HUUUUGE wagers on Toledo games to cover buying them shit and make it worth his time... Lastely if anyone is involved in point shaving it could very well be Stets (headcoach) who goes for it on 4th down more then anyone I know and hates to kick FG's... Part of that reason however is their kickers since T. Franz (01')have not been good at all... This could be a way of covering up illegal recruiting in the sense that if a school gets caught illegally recruiting then the whole program is in trouble but in this case if someone gets caught it saves the program and sacrafices the individuals... What I am saying is instead of illegally recruiting through the usual funding door of the alumni they could be using this point shaving thing as a cover.. It's illegal either way but this way it saves the program... Just a thought....
                                        Comment
                                        • pags11
                                          SBR Posting Legend
                                          • 08-18-05
                                          • 12264

                                          #21
                                          shams,

                                          c'mon bro, Toledo has been the shadiest NCAA team the past four years when it comes to the point spread...I'm not arguing with the dynamics of how it went down, just that it went down period is what I'm saying...
                                          Comment
                                          • ShamsWoof10
                                            SBR MVP
                                            • 11-15-06
                                            • 4827

                                            #22
                                            I don't know about that... I talked to my brother and he bets on TOLEDO ALLLL THE F*CKIN time I tell him man stop riding toledo so hard... Anyway he thinks the E. Mich. game last year was shady but Toledo didn't just cover..they outright lost... I know it went down but like I said think about it...if you are putting HUGE money down on a game (with his costs I am guessing 100K or more) you are not going to count on one or two guys... I say Stets could have more to do with it then anyone.... That f*cker goes for it in more odd situations then anyone in college football... Guess what he has been the coach for the last four years too or is it five..taking over for Gary Pinkel when he left... ALSO please someone chime in if you remember this FLORIDA game when sperier was there I think his last year.. They were up by something like 24 and the spread I believe was 29 WITH 7 SECONDS TO GO IN THE GAME.... I believe also they were playing KY... Florida had the ball at midfield and I thought I was beat because I had Florida but nope good ole Steve Sperier throws a bomb on the last play of the game for a TD and they cover the spread because of that play... I could not believe that game was never investigated.... If that game wasn't fixed then no game in no sport was fixed... That was even more obvious then the elections...
                                            Comment
                                            • pags11
                                              SBR Posting Legend
                                              • 08-18-05
                                              • 12264

                                              #23
                                              that fat coach always goes for it on fourth down too...
                                              Comment
                                              • JoshW
                                                SBR MVP
                                                • 08-10-05
                                                • 3431

                                                #24
                                                No one thinks it is strange this Gary is Iraqi. I am not trying to be biased, but how many Iraqi's are big football boosters, bettors, or fans?
                                                Comment
                                                • ShamsWoof10
                                                  SBR MVP
                                                  • 11-15-06
                                                  • 4827

                                                  #25
                                                  oh excuse me I must have left that out in my previous posts but I DEFINATELY think it's strange this guy is Iraqi... The latest is even more strange... Las Vegas supposedly broke the story because of the type of wagers put on a MAC game and the amount was 100K I think... My question is why wouldn't he go offshore where 100K isn't alarming especially if you do it splitting them up at many books... This doesn't make sense but I am going to try and confirm the Las Vegas and the amount part but this is what I was told by a friend...
                                                  Comment
                                                  • pags11
                                                    SBR Posting Legend
                                                    • 08-18-05
                                                    • 12264

                                                    #26
                                                    the line movements in a lot of these games was really fishy as well...
                                                    Comment
                                                    • bigboydan
                                                      SBR Aristocracy
                                                      • 08-10-05
                                                      • 55420

                                                      #27
                                                      Looks like this guy got extremely lucky getting off the hook. This still doesn't mean I'll be betting on any MAC football games any time soon though, because I still say that conference is way too shady for me to mess with in the 2007/08 season.

                                                      TOLEDO, Ohio -- Federal authorities dropped their points-shaving charge Wednesday against University of Toledo running back Harvey "Scooter" McDougle Jr., citing procedural reasons.

                                                      In a motion filed in U.S. District Court by assistant U.S. District Attorney David Morris, authorities said they need more time to continue their investigation.

                                                      "[We need to] investigate the full extent of the offense in question and identify all other individuals who should be held criminally responsible for the offenses," the motion said.

                                                      McDougle has declined comment on the case. James Burdick, McDougle's Detroit-area attorney, said he was pleased with the news but unsure what it means.

                                                      "I don't know if it's temporary or not," Burdick said Wednesday. "It's not enormously significant. It can mean a lot of different things. We'll have to wait and see. There's no way of knowing."

                                                      A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office told the Toledo Blade that McDougle likely would be indicted at a later date. Dismissing the case now gives the government more time to assemble its case.

                                                      The U.S. Attorney's Office had accused McDougle, a 22-year-old senior running back for Toledo, of taking bribes from a gambler in Sterling Heights, Mich., to alter the result of football games and recruiting teammates and members of Toledo's basketball team to do likewise.

                                                      McDougle was arraigned March 30 in federal court in Detroit and released on $10,000 bond. He was charged with conspiring to bribe to affect the outcome of a sporting event, and faced up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He had been scheduled to appear in court Friday.

                                                      McDougle was suspended from the team after the initial criminal complaint was filed. The move by federal investigators Wednesday did not alter the university's position.

                                                      "His status is unchanged until we have firm details of where things stand," Toledo spokesman Tobin Klinger said.

                                                      McDougle remains enrolled at Toledo and is attending classes, university officials said.

                                                      According to an FBI affidavit filed in support of its criminal complaint, Toledo athletes allegedly began conspiring with a gambler identified only as "Gary" sometime in fall 2003 and continued the activity through early 2006. "Gary" has since been identified as Ghazi Manni, a 50-year-old Detroit businessman.

                                                      According to the affidavit, the FBI stumbled onto the case while conducting electronic surveillance of Gary's phone, beginning in November 2005. Conversations revealed that Gary pegged McDougle to recruit Toledo football and basketball players to influence the final scores of games on which Gary and others placed wagers. In return, according to the affidavit, Gary offered McDougle and other players cash, merchandise and groceries. Additionally, Gary placed wagers with his money on behalf of players and gave them the winnings if they won.

                                                      Other than McDougle, no other Toledo athletes were named in the affidavit or charged in the complaint, nor did FBI investigators identify any football or basketball games they believe were altered by athletes connected to McDougle and Gary.

                                                      The federal government's criminal complaint against McDougle stunned the Toledo campus and prompted the unversity to shut down access to other football players and bar reporters from spring football practices, which ended Monday.

                                                      Burdick said he believes authorities could be using McDougle to implicate other players or gamblers.

                                                      "I think that probably that's their strategy," he said. "I know there are a lot bigger fish to fry even if what they say is partly true."
                                                      Investigators say they want more time to look into the extent of the alleged points-shaving scheme and identify other people possibly involved.
                                                      Comment
                                                      • pags11
                                                        SBR Posting Legend
                                                        • 08-18-05
                                                        • 12264

                                                        #28
                                                        thanks for this update dan...
                                                        Comment
                                                        • bigboydan
                                                          SBR Aristocracy
                                                          • 08-10-05
                                                          • 55420

                                                          #29
                                                          You plan on wagering on this conference this year or not pags?
                                                          Comment
                                                          • ShamsWoof10
                                                            SBR MVP
                                                            • 11-15-06
                                                            • 4827

                                                            #30
                                                            Does anyone remember that Florida/Kentucky game from S. Sperior's last year where they threw a 49 yard bomb on the last play to cover 28? I mentioned this before in this thread but no one seemed to recall it...
                                                            Comment
                                                            • pags11
                                                              SBR Posting Legend
                                                              • 08-18-05
                                                              • 12264

                                                              #31
                                                              dan, being that I wagered on only one interconference MAC game last year, I can't see myself betting this conference or the Sun Belt in this upcoming year...
                                                              Comment
                                                              • bigboydan
                                                                SBR Aristocracy
                                                                • 08-10-05
                                                                • 55420

                                                                #32
                                                                Looks like they suspected this was happening in 2005... Well duh! Thats when the whole conference changed for the worst.

                                                                TOLEDO, Ohio -- Reports of an alleged point-shaving scheme understandably shocked the University of Toledo campus when it first became public. The Rockets' mid-major football and basketball programs fly just under the bright lights of national scrutiny, and their games presumably would be a small play with gamblers. So when FBI agents walked into Lloyd Jacobs' third-floor office to deliver the news during a March 30 visit, the Toledo president wasn't prepared for the jolt.
                                                                "I had no hint of anything at all," he said. Only, there had been talk elsewhere, both at Toledo and at the NCAA as well as in Las Vegas gambling circles and the FBI, and it started considerably earlier than the end of March. An ESPN.com investigation of the Toledo case raises questions concerning who knew about the allegations, when they became aware f them and why they weren't addressed until this spring. Toledo University
                                                                Lloyd Jacobs, in his first year as president of the University of Toledo, faces questions about allegations of a point-shaving scheme in the school's football and basketball programs.


                                                                For the time being, at least, there are no charges pending, though a federal investigation remains ongoing. At the request of the U.S. Attorney's office, a federal judge in Detroit has dismissed a charge against Toledo football player Harvey "Scooter" McDougle Jr., of conspiring to bribe to affect the outcome of a sporting event. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney said the dismissal is a procedural matter. ESPN.com has learned that the government has asked McDougle, a running back who has struggled to return from a serious knee injury, to help in its investigation. McDougle's father, Harvey Sr., said his son met last Thursday with officials from the U.S. Attorney's office in Detroit and is expected to meet with them again. And a source familiar with the case told ESPN.com that the initial filing was an effort to "flush people out" to seek cooperation against the gamblers allegedly trying to affect the scores of games. In the federal criminal complaint that initially charged "Scooter" McDougle, investigators alleged the scheme involving football and basketball games dated back to 2003. ESPN.com's investigation shows that Las Vegas gaming officials had suspicions about action on Toledo football games during each of the past two seasons, and that the NCAA visited Toledo last fall in regards to a "large bet" that was placed on the Toledo-Kent State football game, an Oct. 14 contest won by Kent State.Three days before that game last fall, school officials said the NCAA's point person on gambling activities, Rachel Newman-Baker, discussed the situation during a nearly three-hour session with Toledo football coach Tom Amstutz, athletics director Mike O'Brien and athletics faculty representative James Kline. During a recent interview with ESPN.com, Jacobs, the university president, said he believed that meeting and subsequent conversations had resolved whatever issues might have existed in the athletic department.
                                                                "They came, took a look at our program, gave us a clean bill of health and went back," said Jacobs, referring to the NCAA. "I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to it." Jacobs described that "look at our program" as a collaborative effort. According to university spokesperson Lawrence Burns, the NCAA sent an e-mailed response, clearing the university late last year. Burns said the e-mail was sent to O'Brien, the Toledo athletic director, and could not be made available because it had been deleted. "He doesn't have it anymore,'' Burns said. The spokesman said he is uncertain if anyone other than O'Brien saw the response. On Thursday, university officials were still trying to retrieve a copy of the e-mail from a computer. The university did not make O'Brien available for an interview.Asked what was meant by the issuance of a "clean bill of health," Jacobs said, "I'm not a coach. I'm not an athletic director. So I don't know what the answer meant. But I can tell you that I have two impressions from that. It was unrelated to the current issue and, secondly, it didn't raise an issue on my personal radar saying that there was anything wrong.
                                                                "Clearly, if I had been smarter or had clairvoyance, I might have taken it as a hint. I might have gone further and learned things on my own. But as I say, as president of an institution, if I'm told things are up to snuff in the operating room, I think that's good enough for me. So this did not raise any issues on my radar screen."Once the university's board of trustees learned of the result, they, too, let it drop and assumed the issue had been satisfactorily resolved.
                                                                "The athletic program was doing well,'' board chairman Richard B. Stansley Jr. recalled. "There was no talk of point shaving or anything like that. We never even talked about the game [in question]. We never asked about the details.''
                                                                Apparently, word that athletic department officials had met with the NCAA about the suspicious bet on the Kent State game didn't reach the offices of the Mid-American Conference, of which Toledo is a member. MAC commissioner Rick Chryst told ESPN.com that he didn't know anything about gambling issues at Toledo until O'Brien, the athletic director, phoned him on March 30 of this year, the day the FBI visited campus.
                                                                "Certainly, if there is information out there you'd want to know … Yeah, certainly you'd like to know more rather than less,'' Chryst said.
                                                                Through a spokesperson, the NCAA repeatedly has declined ESPN.com requests for clarification on issues involving the Toledo situation, saying it is against policy to comment on "current, pending or potential investigations."

                                                                They came, took a look at our program, gave us a clean bill of health and went back. I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to it.

                                                                Toledo president Lloyd Jacobs, referring to the NCAA

                                                                What wasn't an issue on Jacobs' radar screen earlier is now a serious one for the man who became the Toledo president last July following a merger with the Medical University of Ohio. Immediately after he was apprised by the FBI on March 30, Jacobs got approval from the Ohio Attorney General's office to retain Mike Glazier, a well-known attorney with an Overland Park, Kan., law firm that specializes in assisting universities in NCAA-related matters. Jacobs acknowledged the university potentially could be accused of lacking institutional control of its football and basketball programs, perhaps the most serious of NCAA violations, if the claim is made that the school knew of the situation or should have known and failed to take appropriate action. Jacobs said he was contacted after the story broke by NCAA president Myles Brand. Jacobs said Brand told him to "do the right thing and you're on the right track."Said Jacobs: "He didn't have any great advice."
                                                                "To my mind, it's an issue revolving around our institutional ethics; and even though it's only an allegation at this point, I want to be darn sure we're doing everything right," Jacobs said. "The other big issue, as I understand it, is the degree to which the eligibility of some of our [football] players might be affected by fall. Suffice it to say, we're going to handle that the same way and look at it very carefully. We'll consult with the appropriate people -- not play them if they're not eligible, or if there is any hint of ineligibility. That's probably the next big issue for us internally.""Scooter" McDougle was suspended from spring football practice and is awaiting a decision by the school regarding his reinstatement.
                                                                The president said he has no idea whether other UT players eventually might be linked to roles in the alleged point-shaving. According to the original criminal complaint, McDougle was recruited into the scheme by a Detroit area gambler known as "Gary" -- since identified as Ghazi Manni, a 50-year-old Chaldean Iraqi whose family owns an independent grocery store in inner-city Detroit, some 60 miles from Toledo. The Detroit area is home to almost 120,000 Chaldeans, a Christian sect that is a tiny minority in Iraq. In a series of interviews with ESPN.com, Manni confirmed he is a focus of the FBI's investigation, but denied that he was involved in any wrongdoing. "Believe me, they blew it out of proportion; that is all," Manni said. "There is nothing going on. I'll be honest with you: The kid [McDougle] didn't even play for two years, three years. He has been injured … We haven't done nothing wrong." The criminal complaint states that the FBI intercepted calls to and from Manni's phone from November 2005 to December 2006. In one of the early calls, the FBI said, Manni was overheard telling a then-Toledo basketball player, unidentified in the complaint, that McDougle "had taken care of" certain players on the football team who would be helping Manni influence that day's game. In December 2005, the FBI intercepted a call, the complaint said, during which McDougle told Manni he would contact other football players to see whether he and Manni might make some money on the GMAC Bowl game against Texas-El Paso.

                                                                Brett Hansbauer/US Presswire
                                                                "Scooter" McDougle Jr. is tackled in a game against Miami in December 2004. McDougle had a strong finish to his 2004 season, running for 167 yards in UT's 35-27 win against Miami (Ohio) in the MAC championship.


                                                                McDougle's father said government officials allowed his son to listen to at least some of the taped phone calls during his meeting with the U.S. Attorney's representatives last week. "He's cooperating,'' Harvey McDougle Sr. said of his son. "He helped them as much as he could, but he doesn't know anything. He never bet. He never gambled with the guy or anything. He can only give them so much and that is not much, really.'' "Scooter" McDougle's parents claim Manni was known to players around the Toledo program before their son met him. "Scooter" McDougle told ESPN.com that he was introduced to Manni by a former Toledo player, whom he refused to identify. And while federal investigators believe the "conspiracy" dates to at least the fall of 2003, it wasn't until the 2005 football season that gaming officials in Las Vegas and offshore bookmakers became alarmed by unusual betting activity on Toledo football games. Officials with MGM Mirage, which owns 10 racing and sports books in casinos along the Vegas Strip, first contacted the Nevada Gaming Control Board in October 2005 to report unusual activity on Toledo football games. During the last seven weeks of the 2005 season, the MGM Mirage sports books took Toledo games off the board. At the start of the 2006 football season, the sports books capped bets on Toledo games at $1,000, and took action only on game day. Later in 2005, Kenny White of Las Vegas Sports Consultants, which makes the betting line used by the Vegas sports books and some offshore gaming sites, also alerted the state gaming board. White told ESPN.com earlier this spring that he contacted the NCAA last summer to alert officials to the chatter about Toledo games. Larry Moore Jr., the investigator who led the initial Nevada Gaming Control Board probe, said the state board notified the NCAA soon after. Moore, now retired, said he couldn't recall how succinctly the situation was described to the NCAA, or if point-shaving was mentioned to the college governing body at the time. MGM Mirage officials, however, said they didn't notify the NCAA in 2005 because of what they described as a contentious relationship with Bill Saum, who monitored gambling activity for the NCAA until he was reassigned early that year."In '05, unfortunately the relationship wasn't very good," said Alan Feldman, MGM Mirage senior vice president of public affairs. "The director of enforcement [for gambling] … made some rather remarkable claims in the press about what goes on in Las Vegas and about sports betting in general. In '05, there was not a good relationship with the NCAA. It was really unfortunate."
                                                                The NCAA, asked by ESPN.com to comment on Feldman's description of the relationship, issued this formal response: "The NCAA disputes this characterization. The NCAA has an established, ongoing relationship with gaming officials in Las Vegas as a part of its overall efforts to limit sports wagering activities. This relationship was re-emphasized in 2004 when the NCAA Sports Wagering Task Force recommended expanded communication with gaming officials. Both sides have a common goal to protect the integrity of the game, and we feel the relationship is mutually beneficial. As such, we appreciate the cooperation we have received from officials in Las Vegas."
                                                                In any event, the lines of communication between the NCAA and Las Vegas gaming officials were open last fall, and concerns about Toledo games were voiced to the NCAA.
                                                                One of those concerns dealt with a large bet placed on a Toledo game during the 2005 season. "I have a vague idea that it was in the $20,000 range, but I don't have an exact number,'' Feldman said. Talk like that only fuels point-shaving suspicion around the Toledo football and basketball programs, and it's certainly no solace for the first-year Toledo president. Jacobs thought he was finished with the gambling rumors late last year. Then, a couple of days before Friday, March 30, someone from the Detroit office of the FBI called to set up the visit that finally would make the charges about his university's athletic department public. "They basically said that they had allegations that our players were involved in a point-shaving scandal and wanted to let us know," Jacobs said of the meeting. "I said, 'We will cooperate in every way.' That pretty much is a summary of the conversation. I actually left the meeting early and left them in a discussion with our general counsel." Asked if the FBI had shared any enlightening information on the case, Jacobs said: "Frankly, I didn't think the FBI was very open. They could have told me a little bit more, but that's their modus operandi … I feel like I was sort of sneaked up on." Mike Fish is an investigative reporter for ESPN.com.
                                                                Comment
                                                                • ShamsWoof10
                                                                  SBR MVP
                                                                  • 11-15-06
                                                                  • 4827

                                                                  #33
                                                                  I still think this is a cover for something else... Maybe a player or outsider taking the blame for Stets (headcoach) because as I repeatedly mention it is he that should be looked at with all those odds times he goes for it on 4th down... Furthermore I was trainning my brother about 5 years ago to walk on as a field goal kicker but word got back to the athlete office that my brother posts on message boards that deal with sports wagering... This didn't take very long at all for them to catch it and address it so after reading some of the write up I think there is something fishy going on... A close friend of mine knows this IRAQI so called "GARY" and he told me he didn't use offshore because he didn't trust it... WTF he should have went offshore...
                                                                  Comment
                                                                  • jpowderly
                                                                    SBR Wise Guy
                                                                    • 06-30-06
                                                                    • 872

                                                                    #34
                                                                    Originally posted by ShamsWoof10
                                                                    Does anyone remember that Florida/Kentucky game from S. Sperior's last year where they threw a 49 yard bomb on the last play to cover 28? I mentioned this before in this thread but no one seemed to recall it...
                                                                    I remember this game , I was having a real good day and went out to eat . I was watching the game and counting my winnings ( i had Kentucky) I could not belive they scored to cover!!
                                                                    Comment
                                                                    • ShamsWoof10
                                                                      SBR MVP
                                                                      • 11-15-06
                                                                      • 4827

                                                                      #35
                                                                      NO SH*T someone actually remembers that game... Good now everyone assume that you do too and if not maybe you can look it up... Now why wasn't that investigated..? If that should not be then NO GAME should be...
                                                                      Comment
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