June 22, 2007
Toledo point shaving investigation continues
As I mentioned previously, the Toledo point shaving scandal is not about to go away. The Feds questioned Toledo running back Harvey "Scooter" McDougle Jr. again yesterday.
McDougle Jr. was suspended from the football team in March after being arrested and charged with conspiracy related to his dealings with Gary Manni, a self-described gambler from Detroit. The government dropped the charges a month later but said it was continuing its investigation of McDougle Jr."He's cooperating totally, fully, 100%," McDougle Sr. says about his 22-year-old son, a senior who remains at Toledo on an athletic scholarship. "But he's getting shafted. They think he knows more than he knows. I think they're using him to scare other college athletes, to slow down gambling in college sports."
During the investigation, McDougle remains under scholarship, but on indefinite suspension from the football team.
Previously:
06/06/2007.....RB accused of point-shaving to be back in lineup?
04/10/2007.....Proof of Toledo points shaving?
04/01/2007.....Bigger fish coming in the Toledo sting?
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Zac said:
posted on June 22, 2007 4:02 PM — 209.36.193.14 — link — abuse?I don't honestly know what's going on here. I certainly don't know whether or not the kid is guilty, and I'm not about to condemn him. Like his dad, I have sons. Though they're both in their 20's, I still have a hard time not giving them a hand every time something goes wrong, which on the surface doesn't appear to be their fault. When it's your own, it's hard to differentiate being completely objective as opposed to being a father who loves his son. So, I don't know if this kid is getting the shaft or not.
I'll tell you what wouldn't surprise me. Suppose this kid just happened to run into this "gambler" one evening, while being out with some of his buds on the team. A conversation strikes up between them, and all the guy asks for is some insider information: Who's hurt; who's coming back; who's suspended; is the same QB starting? You name it. Sounds like a reporter looking for some facts for a story, right? Only, unlike our friend in question, enough people know the guy who really knows what he's about, and were able to finger this kid as having been seen in his company that time and a time or two after. That which is seemingly innocent enough to this kid, gets blown up in his face, especially if he took anything for his information, which is also a common tactic for reporters to do.
Some have asked, "Why Toledo? What difference does that make? Who cares anyway?" If point shaving is involved, it's not going to involve high profile games. Why, because they are high profile games and attract attention. Gamblers can make just as much money betting on those games nobody cares about. Nobody, but the Feds, that is. For the young man's sake, I hope he's innocent. Nuff said.