the scandal

BLOWS ME AWAY

That is the new basketball scandal.

After high school I graduated in 1959 a friend of mine went to NC State on scholarship since he was a standout player.

In 1962 I believe the collage basketball scandal was exposed and he was one of the players taking $1000.00 per game. His career ended. There were many more.

Before this scandal in the 1950’s there was one involving the CCNY team that had won both the NIT and NCAA. Back then the NIT was a more prestigious tournament. They were a great team, and I think some served time.

Both scandals were the work of Jack Molinas.  Jack was a standout player from the Bronx who went to Columbia and was drafted by the Fort Wayne Pistons, now the Detroit Pistons.as a rookie he was elected to the all-star team. But prior to the game he was found to be betting and ejected from the NBA. I will say some more about him because if you look him up on the internet you will be able to learn about him, what he did and how his life ended.

All of this current story caused me to have total recall of the prior scandals.

Back then the players did not get paid in college and were under paid in the pros. Today college players I am to make $100,000.00 a year or more. When they get into the pros I think even the bench warms make a million. Established players are at 5 to 10 million or more, so what is the motivation to fix or dump games.

Is it possible that al of us basketball game watches are becoming dubious of why some guys shoot their eyes out one night and can’t hit the side of a barn the next.

Of all the major sports basketball is the easiest to fix. I still will continue to watch it always hoping they start playing the game the way it was played during the Bird/Majic years when the emphasis was on getting to the basket versus the 3 point shot.