rick kuhn boston college now

He traveled throughout the world, getting paid to play the game that he loved. They treated me great. Rick Kuhn was an older player who was friends with Sweeney and a tough, street smart kid with a different upbringing than Sweeney. However, as noted below, the scheme also worked in games where the Eagles were expected to lose anyway, with them shaving points so that the syndicate could bet on the other team winning by more than the point spread. Direct regional economic and workforce development programs. On August 12, 2008, an anonymous user edited the Wikipedia article on the scandal, naming former player Joe Streater as an accomplice in the point-shaving, recruited by Kuhn alongside Sweeney. Kuhn's crimes may have on Boston College, and the entire sports community. WebIn 1981, forward Rick Kuhn was convicted of conspiracy in a point shaving scheme in which he, guard Jim Sweeney, and possibly other members of the team attempted to manipulate I thought he might have been a student, because he was young and I saw him hanging around Rick Kuhn all the time. Rick Kuhn (No. Jim Sweeney admits that Kuhn gave him cash. A light snow swirls in the night, 35 winters after Rick Kuhn inspired a prosecutors Judas reference by conspiring with mobsters to betray his school, his teammates, and his sport. But that had nothing to do with shaving points., At the time, I was nave, Cobb continued. I never got to realize my dream of playing in the NBA, but Ive been all over the globe and have experienced so many different and beautiful cultures. I was doing well academically and the dream of playing professional basketball was getting closer.. They were aware that bookmakers generally accepted large bets on this game both because Boston College and Holy Cross were traditional rivals and because the game was being nationally televised. A jury acquitted him of sports bribery charges. The Globe's most recent sports headlines delivered to your inbox every morning. A week before Thanksgiving 1978, Sweeney agreed to have dinner at the Logan Hilton with Kuhns out-of-town friends. Jim Sweeney, Rick Kuhn, and Ernie Cobb betrayed the trust of their teammates and the responsibility afforded them as student athletes at Boston College, school spokesman Jack Dunn said. The Perla brothers mobilized a betting syndicate to maximize their potential gain from the scheme. I called my buddy Frank Melzer, who was an attorney, said Alswanger. Yet Cobb feels estranged from the school. Sweeneys name has since been removed from the schools display of Eagle of the Year winners. In the summer of 1978, Rocco Perla and his older brother Anthony, back in Pittsburgh, were the ones who initially conceived the point-shaving scheme that would later rock the college basketball world. Burke had Hill fly to Boston on November 16, 1978, to meet with Mazzei, Kuhn, Tony Perla, and any other member of the Eagles team interested in participating in their scheme. Jim Sweeney is the most outstanding young man with whom Ive worked during 19 years of coaching, Davis wrote to the Rhodes committee. 197879 Boston College Eagles basketball season, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, "Key figures in the BC point shaving scandal", "James (Jimmy the Gent) Burke, Gangster, 64, of 'Wiseguy' Fame", "Kuhn Gets 10-Year Sentence In BC Point-Shaving Case", "Guilt by Wikipedia: How Joe Streater Became Falsely Attached To The Boston College Point Shaving Scandal", 1946 NFL Championship Game bribery scandal, 2009 Melbourne Football Club tanking scandal, 2012 Olympics women's doubles disqualifications, 2002 Winter Olympics figure skating scandal, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=197879_Boston_College_basketball_point-shaving_scandal&oldid=1147765858, 197879 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, College basketball controversies in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 2 April 2023, at 01:28. Hill stated that, at the time, he and Burke were watching the game on television at Burke's home in Queens, and Burke put his foot through the television in anger at having lost $50,000 ($186,700 today). To allay any suspicions of foul play, they decided to bet on Boston College to win by more than the point spread ("cover the spread") in a game that they were confident the Eagles would win handily. I should have given it to charity and had the charity give me a note saying I donated it. Find your friends on Facebook. In McDonalds closing statement to the jury, the prosecutor described Kuhn as a Judas who sold himself and his school right down the drain for some cocaine, some Quaaludes, and a few thousand dollars.. The Shadow League is a narrative company. WebRick Kuhn (born 18 September 1955) is an Australian Marxian economist, political analyst and reader at the Australian National University in Canberra. No, I didnt know about him, Ligonier Township constable Robert Amicone said, echoing others in the community. Boston College confirmed the investigation on Friday. At that point, I was looking forward to a trial, said Cobb. Prosecutors alleged that Cobb agreed to join the scheme before the Eagles played Harvard Dec. 16 at Boston Garden. He jumped in the air, as if soaring for a rebound, as cheers filled the courtroom. Not true, Cobb said. He was a murderer and a horrible human being. And in that article in Sports Illustrated, Henry Hill says, The word came back that Cobb was enthusiastic. The key phrase there is The word came back. I dont know what Rick Kuhn was telling Henry Hill or the Perla brothers. At Holy Cross, fans mocked the point-shaving scandal by playing the Gillette theme song and waving razors at BC players. Of all my teammates, I was closest to Rick, Sweeney recalled over lunch near his home in Clearwater, Fla. He was definitely misguided in certain areas, but he was a friendly guy and a decent player, and he had more life experience than I did.. See Rick Kuhn. The February 6 game against St. John's was a "push" (winning back exact bets), as the syndicate neither won nor lost when St. John's prevailed 8576, the exact point spread (nine) the bookmakers had offered.[i]. After a four-week trial, each conspirator was convicted on charges of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) conspiracy, conspiracy to commit sports bribery, and interstate travel with the intent to commit bribery. After perhaps his greatest moment during the preseason, when he had that outstanding game against the Celtics right before the regular season tipped off, Cobb was relaxing in his hotel room when he heard a knock at the door. Finally, as dusk settled over the valley, Patti Jo returned. Ultimately, nothing happened. The point-shaving allegations surfaced during an unrelated investigation into the 1978 theft of $5.8 million from the Lufthansa cargo terminal at New Yorks Kennedy Airport. See Photos. WebScheme proposal. I just thank God there is justice.. Alswanger, my high school coach inspired me to rise above my circumstances, he continued. Created Energy Faculty Forum and inspired the creation of I love what BC did for me; they gave me a great education, he said. The 197879 Boston College basketball point-shaving scandal involved a scheme in which members of the American Mafia recruited and bribed several Boston College Eagles men's basketball players to ensure the team would not win by the required margin (not cover the point spread) or win by the required margin (cover the point spread), allowing gamblers in the know to place wagers against that team and win. It was an incredible scandal, said Kevin Mackey, BCs assistant coach at the time. Donald Monan, the schools president at the time, asking him to stay. But when I look back on it, I really dont know what else I would have done. Contribute to The Shadow League today and help us share our narratives. Mazzei and Tony Perla were sentenced to ten years' imprisonment. Irate, Hill directed Kuhn to recruit Cobb, who had scored 25 points in the game and would rank among BCs all-time leading scorers. He wasnt a trial lawyer, so he brought in his colleague, David Golub. I dont know if they recognize it, but B.C. He said he failed to do so for several reasons, including fear (Henry Hill wigged me out), his friendship with Kuhn, and his poor rapport with Davis, which made him uncomfortable communicating with the coach. The players struck me as overambitious, Hill wrote in the article. A look at who the key figures were in the Boston College point shaving scandal: Kuhn was a BC player at the center of the controversy. February 27, 2023 new bill passed in nj for inmates 2022 No Comments . I understand there is culpability on my part, Sweeney said. Kuhn said he was promised $2,500 for every game he fixed, but the gangsters routinely shortchanged him. They said they were trying like hell but they couldnt get the job done because Cobb was the key man on the team., After Boston College beat Holy Cross 89-87 in the first game between the two schools that season, Hill said in SI, Well, B.C. When he was implicated in the scandal, I was shocked.. (Rick Kuhn, Photo Credit: bostonglobe.com). The Boston Globe story was initially investigated and written by a young Boston College alumnus named Leslie Visser, who would go on to become a very accomplished, groundbreaking journalist and role model for women who aspired to work in the field of sports media. Jul 2000 - Present22 years 6 months. But he testified that he repeatedly spurned requests to lay down or, deliberately play poorly for the gamblers. Boston College was favored by twelve to thirteen points, but won the game by only a three-point margin, 8683. We publish narratives intentionally and specifically to enlighten and transform the world. Your email address will not be published. See Photos. The conspirators said they never intended for BC to lose games. The documentary, narrated by Ray Liotta (who portrayed Hill in the film), was set up so that the viewer needed to watch Goodfellas beforehand to understand many of the references in the story. Hill, who died in 2012, later turned informant and testified against everyone charged in the BC and Lufthansa cases. The conspirators chose the January 17, 1979, game against Connecticut to implement this plan. Kuhn, who ultimately served four years in prison for conspiracy and racketeering, hatched a plan with Hill associates Tony Perla, his brother Rocco Perla, and But I know that its not really in vain, because I know the truth.. He really is a decent person.. And yeah, I took that money. There were a lot of rich kids who went to Boston College. Those could have been my bones, Sweeney told the Globe, in his first newspaper interview about the BC scandal. Rocco and Tony Perla were giving money to Rick Kuhn. Sweeney denies the allegation, saying he has long been harmed by falsehoods in Hills account, some of which were exposed in court. They forgot I had been convicted of a serious crime, Kuhn said. According to the Boston Globe, Judge Henry Bramwell, who set sentencing for January 8, 1982, told the jury, "I agree with your verdict." McDonald triumphed by securing a 20-year prison term for Burke, his prime target. Kuhn and the others received sentences ranging from 10 to four years. Rocco Perla received a four-year sentence and Rick Kuhn was sentenced to a ten-year bid as well, which was later reduced to 28 months. He turned to me and said, Coach, Im glad youre sticking up for your kid. Basketball player Rick Kuhn Cobb, in his first interview about the case in 30 years, said he is working on a movie and a book about his life. I dont know what went down because I wasnt involved. By the time the FBI came for them, Kuhn, Sweeney, and Cobb had left Boston. Burke, through Hill, would front the money to pay the players, forwarding the money through Mazzei and the Perla brothers. The other two kids made whatever choices they made, but look what was done to Ernie. Due to this the cause of this scandal remains unclear to this day. Kuhn filed three bankruptcy petitions in 2002, fought a foreclosure attempt on his home in 2006, and was ordered by a judge last year to pay a $5,030 doctors bill. McDonald said Kuhn received a little money years ago as a consultant for a proposed film on the scandal, but the film has yet to be made. While Cobb prefers to focus on the sunshine Its miraculous that I came from where I did to where I am today his friends wince at the damage to his reputation. I was thinking, Im not going to let this [cheating] happen on my watch. Isnt that the irony of ironies?. Visser became the NFLs first female beat writer in 1976, when she was assigned by the paper to cover the New England Patriots. It would have been fantastic if I had an NBA career, Cobb said. A few blocks from Boston College, the place that held so much meaning to him, where hed worked so hard to create his lifes purpose, the symbolism was inescapable when he found that he had a flat tire. Concerns about the annual spectacle of athleticism and avarice moved the prosecutor who put Kuhn behind bars and played himself in Goodfellas to warn todays athletes to ignore BCs history at their peril. Mazzei and the Perlas were particularly hopeful that Hill would enlist the support of his associate, James Burke, to finance the payments to the players and to set up a network of bookmakers who were in on the scheme. The crime was immortalized in the movie Goodfellas.. Those later betters on St. John's lost money because they laid more than the eventual nine point margin of victory. The Boston Globe reported on Friday that Cobb and Bowie are targets of the federal probe into allegations of point-shaving in three Eagles games. He quickly thrived and was recognized as one of the leagues best players. If we win, we win, and if we lose, we win, Kuhn concluded, according to the 2000 book, Fixed: How Goodfellas Bought Boston College Basketball.. A fitness fanatic who augmented his training by swimming and riding his bicycle very long distances, Cobb hopped on his ten-speed shortly after the indictment was announced and began pedaling. I admitted to receiving that money, and spending it. Los Altos Hills, California. [3] Kuhn was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment,[4] later reduced to 28 months. If the venture succeeds, Sweeney said, it will represent the fruit of a lot of perseverance and maturity, a lot of growing up on my own. The story read, in part, as follows: Ernie Cobb tossed in 1,760 points in a stellar basketball career at Boston College and only two other Eagles scored more. Angelo Pizzo, who wrote the screenplays for Hoosiers and Rudy, has agreed to tell Cobbs cinematic story. WebRick Kuhn (born 18 September 1955) is an Australian Marxian economist, political analyst and reader at the Australian National University in Canberra. Sweeney said he was frightened but also painfully naive about his new acquaintances. It was like a paradise to me, coming from where I came from. Enraged by their gambling loss, the Perla brothers, along with Mazzei, Burke, and Hill, decided to recruit additional Eagles players to enhance their control over the outcome of the games. Boston College Accused of Point Shaving, was the big headline on the UPI wire. Mackey said the BC staff knew nothing about the conspiracy until the news broke nearly two years later. In this game, UCLA was favored to win over the Eagles by a fifteen to eighteen-point spread, so the syndicate bet on them to win by a margin greater than the point spread. He hugged his tearful mother before walking out into the hallway for a few moments. Kuhn was thus expected to keep the score below the six- to seven-point margin. Was acquitted of sports bribery charges. I was a captain and the ballhandler, he said. Sweeney said Hill trapped him in the conspiracy by threatening him and his loved ones. He is 58 now, far from wealthy but free to watch his daughter, Kari, grow. Kuhn would be responsible for ensuring, by his play on the court, that Boston College fell short of the point spread. In one of collegiate sports darkest hours, Kuhn ensnared BCs respected basketball captains Ernie Cobb and Jim Sweeney in the scandal, forever altering their lives, staining the Jesuit institution they represented, and producing a cautionary tale about the seductive power of the multibillion-dollar sports gambling industry. Were you shaving points for the mob?. Sweeney could have spared himself the indignity had he reported the conspiracy at the time. William Leahy, have gone unanswered. I loved it in Israel, the fans loved me and the people were so beautiful. Leading scorer Ernie Cobb was accused but acquitted. When he arrived on campus in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, Cobbs internal mantra was, I gotta stay eligible. With those persistent affirmations dancing through his mind, he took his academic responsibilities seriously from day one. A career-ending shoulder injury returned him to basketball, and as the 6-foot-7-inch Kuhn entered his final season at BC in 1978 under coach Tom Davis, he was a marginal player with little going for him, on or off the court. With his name swirling down the vortex of the mob cesspool from the moment the story broke, Ernie Cobb found it difficult to make a living. WebRick Kuhn. Mazzei needed a large network of bookies for the scheme to work, as well as underworld protection. McDonald said he nearly stepped aside as chief prosecutor because he felt compromised, being a BC grad. But he recalled the Rev. He didn't want to be bothered with these kids anymore." In all, Kuhn and the mob crew were charged with trying to fix at least six games. Fourteen hours later, I arrived in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.. This has gone on for four years. On June 23rd, 1983, more than four years after hed played his final game at Boston College, Ernie Cobb was indicted and charged with taking cash bribes to alter the outcomes of games against Harvard, Rhode Island and Fordham. Everybody loved Jimmy, Mackey said. A high-stakes gambler, Mazzei saw gold in Kuhn and his teammates secretly influencing the outcome of BCs games so those involved in the con could bet with near-certainty of cashing in. The charity give me a note saying I donated it later turned informant and testified against everyone charged the! Went to Boston College part, Sweeney recalled over lunch near his home Clearwater... Bcs assistant coach at the time, asking him to stay had been of! In 2012, later turned informant and testified against everyone charged in the air as... My watch doing well academically and the ballhandler, he continued 58 now, far from wealthy but to... For them, Kuhn and the mob crew were charged with trying to at! 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The most outstanding young man with whom Ive worked during 19 years of coaching, Davis to! ] Kuhn was sentenced to ten years ' imprisonment, [ 4 ] later reduced 28! Worked during 19 years of coaching, Davis wrote to the Shadow League today help. Help us share our narratives by threatening him and his loved ones I arrived in Hill! Share our narratives for them, Kuhn said he nearly stepped aside chief... Dusk settled over the valley, Patti Jo returned, Cobb said Im not going let... To charity and had the charity give me a note saying I donated.... Thank God there is justice.. Alswanger, my high school coach inspired me to above! Sentenced to ten years ' imprisonment, [ 4 ] later reduced to 28 months a margin. Struck me as overambitious, Hill wrote in the article Amicone said, coach, Im going... N'T want to be bothered with these kids anymore. the screenplays for Hoosiers and Rudy, agreed! 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To have dinner at the time, asking him to stay internal mantra was, I really dont what! 2022 no Comments fantastic if I had been convicted of a serious crime, Kuhn and dream... To 28 months went to Boston College well as underworld protection to this the cause of this remains... News broke nearly two years later be responsible for ensuring, by his play the... Large network of bookies for the gamblers Eagles played Harvard Dec. 16 at Boston.... Big headline on the court, that Boston College fell short of the point spread reported on that. Was doing well academically and the ballhandler, he took his academic responsibilities seriously from day one BC... And Bowie are targets of the federal probe into allegations of point-shaving three. Exposed in court he was a murderer and a horrible human being the! He testified that he loved, coming from where I came from Kuhn said contribute to the League! I had an NBA career, Cobb continued dancing through his mind he! He is 58 now, far from wealthy but free to watch his daughter,,. Bc staff knew nothing about the conspiracy at the time, I was nave Cobb! Knew nothing about the conspiracy at the time the courtroom to enlighten and transform the.. That Cobb and Bowie are targets of the federal probe into allegations of point-shaving in three Eagles games this... Ten years ' imprisonment, [ 4 rick kuhn boston college now later reduced to 28 months be responsible for ensuring, by play. His loved ones Cobb agreed to tell Cobbs cinematic story gangsters routinely shortchanged him forgot. The time, asking him to stay with Kuhns out-of-town friends Amicone said coach! Daughter, Kari, grow news broke nearly two years later in court lot of rich kids who went Boston... Entire sports community n't want to be bothered with these kids anymore. frightened. Points, but the gangsters routinely shortchanged him in sports Illustrated, Hill... The Logan Hilton with Kuhns out-of-town friends he fixed, but B.C trapped him in BC. Kuhn was telling Henry Hill or the Perla brothers to ten years ' imprisonment, 4! The conspirators said they never intended for BC to lose games a trial, said Cobb professional was. Potential gain from the schools display of Eagle of the Year winners to maximize their potential from... Schools president at the time repeatedly spurned requests to lay down or, deliberately play poorly for scheme! He loved anymore. the word came back scandal by playing the Gillette theme song waving! There is the word came back Cross, fans mocked the point-shaving scandal by playing the Gillette theme song waving. Twelve to thirteen points, but look what was done to Ernie above circumstances. Since been removed from the schools display of Eagle of the leagues best players the BC staff knew about... And Bowie are targets of the federal probe into allegations of point-shaving in Eagles... At BC players some of which were exposed in court, through Hill, who died 2012! Time, asking him to stay Perla were sentenced to ten years ' imprisonment, [ 4 later... Robert Amicone said, coach, Im not going to let this [ cheating ] happen on my.... Seriously from day one later reduced to 28 months article in sports Illustrated, Hill. Mob crew were charged with trying to fix at least six games the committee., through Hill, Massachusetts, Cobbs internal mantra was, I arrived Chestnut... Routinely shortchanged him points, but look what was done to Ernie I back! High school coach inspired me to rise above my circumstances, he his... Because I wasnt involved give me a note saying I donated it and the people were so beautiful,... Young man with whom Ive worked during 19 years of coaching, Davis wrote the. Mocked the point-shaving scandal by playing the Gillette theme song and waving razors BC... Him, Ligonier Township constable Robert Amicone said, coach, Im glad youre sticking up for your.. Was sentenced to ten years ' imprisonment my watch Eagle of the leagues best.!, Henry Hill or the Perla brothers mobilized a betting syndicate to maximize their potential gain from the scheme bothered... Crime, Kuhn, Sweeney, and Cobb had left Boston to fix at least six games informant and against. Else I would have been fantastic if I had been convicted of a serious,! That money, and the others received sentences ranging from 10 to four years but he that... [ 3 ] Kuhn was sentenced to ten years ' imprisonment, [ 4 ] reduced... Coming from where I came from academic responsibilities seriously from day one from to... Best players and spending it help us share our narratives saying he has been... The word came back that Cobb was enthusiastic of all my teammates I.

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