Adidas410s
10-24-2006, 10:09 AM
A&M's Byrne takes hard line on Vegas
AD condemns gambling on campus, says papers shouldn't print spreads
02:08 AM CDT on Saturday, October 21, 2006
Texas A&M is a 3 ½-point underdog to Oklahoma State today, which means:
A.) Vegas has come down from the emotional high of the Aggies' big win over Missouri.
B.) Dennis Franchione still has his doubters.
C.) Mike Gundy had better win by at least four.
If you answered "C," then you're Bill Byrne's worst nightmare come true.
The Aggies' athletic director covered the subject of gambling recently in "Bill Byrne's Wednesday Weekly," his online cheering section, newsletter and occasional scold.
"Given the climate we have in colleges across the United States with gambling ...," he wrote last week, "I feel that the brick is coming through the window one of these days."
Maybe it's not a brick he's talking about. Maybe it's just your morning newspaper.
Byrne is "dismayed" that papers like this one publish the betting lines on college games. He's not necessarily saying reporters from such papers be denied game credentials, a prospect mulled by some NCAA cranks, but he thinks we should consider the consequences.
Every decade but one over the last 50 years has been pockmarked by a point-shaving scandal: CCNY in the '50s; 22 schools in 1962; Boston College and Tulane in the '80s; and Arizona State and Northwestern in the '90s.
And what of this decade, with the global proliferation of online services burning up credit lines like gun powder trails?
"My concern," Byrne wrote, "is college student-athletes betting on games."
Hey, Bill: If you're worried that students are getting the line from the newspaper, relax. Haven't you heard? Kids don't read newspapers.
Or maybe it's just my kids that don't.
Anyway, this paper has considered dropping the line but has no plans to do so.
"We provide the daily line because we know sports fans are interested in that information," said Bob Yates, assistant managing editor for sports. "They want to know who's favored, who's the underdog.
"It's a reader service. It's as simple as that."
Translation: We don't recommend you take any of this stuff seriously. Take our NFL and college predictions, both made against the line. A reader once called to say he'd drafted me in his office pool. Big mistake, I told him.
Come to think of it, no one's called in years.
"The local paper has a dog doing it," Byrne sniffed, "and he's doing better than most."
Bottom line: Even without our help, such as it is, people are going to find out what the line is.
Bigger question: Are coaches finding out, if for no other reason than to satisfy big-time boosters?
"The coaches I work with," Byrne said carefully, "don't know what the point spread is."
At least a couple of online services couldn't be so sure about Fran's peers.
On Covers.com this week, the Web site leads with the conclusion of Ohio State's win over Cincinnati. Trailing 34-7 with 1:14 left, Cincinnati had at least beaten the spread, ranging from 28 ½ to 29 ½ points.
And then Jim Tressel trots out his backup kicker, who hits a 52-yard field goal.
Ohio State covers! Ohio State covers!
Coincidence? Maybe. The online service cited others. Bill Snyder was a legend at Kansas State and not just with Wildcats fans.
From 1997 to 2002, in nonconference home games in which Kansas State was favored by at least 30, the Web site reports that Snyder was 7-1 covering the spread.
"There are definitely some coaches that we consider spread-beaters," Pinnaclesports.com's Simon Noble told Covers.com. "These include coaches at big-time college programs that are usually ranked in the top 25 like Mack Brown of Texas, USC's Pete Carroll, Louisville's Bobby Petrino and Bob Stoops of Oklahoma.
"In games involving teams led by these coaches, the line generally reflects their preference to cover the spread."
Of course, they could be running up scores to impress voters, not satisfy bettors.
Could be utterly innocent in most cases. But you can be sure that coaches at some schools feel the weight of bets being laid.
Bad enough when boosters call and write and generally plague an athletic director because his coach isn't winning enough.
Even worse when he's not winning big enough.
"That's awful," Byrne wailed.
He'd be shocked, shocked if that sort of thing were going on in College Station.
He's probably right, too. Aggies are so starved, they'll take any kind of win over Oklahoma State today. One step at a time, fellas. Win now, cover later.
AD condemns gambling on campus, says papers shouldn't print spreads
02:08 AM CDT on Saturday, October 21, 2006
Texas A&M is a 3 ½-point underdog to Oklahoma State today, which means:
A.) Vegas has come down from the emotional high of the Aggies' big win over Missouri.
B.) Dennis Franchione still has his doubters.
C.) Mike Gundy had better win by at least four.
If you answered "C," then you're Bill Byrne's worst nightmare come true.
The Aggies' athletic director covered the subject of gambling recently in "Bill Byrne's Wednesday Weekly," his online cheering section, newsletter and occasional scold.
"Given the climate we have in colleges across the United States with gambling ...," he wrote last week, "I feel that the brick is coming through the window one of these days."
Maybe it's not a brick he's talking about. Maybe it's just your morning newspaper.
Byrne is "dismayed" that papers like this one publish the betting lines on college games. He's not necessarily saying reporters from such papers be denied game credentials, a prospect mulled by some NCAA cranks, but he thinks we should consider the consequences.
Every decade but one over the last 50 years has been pockmarked by a point-shaving scandal: CCNY in the '50s; 22 schools in 1962; Boston College and Tulane in the '80s; and Arizona State and Northwestern in the '90s.
And what of this decade, with the global proliferation of online services burning up credit lines like gun powder trails?
"My concern," Byrne wrote, "is college student-athletes betting on games."
Hey, Bill: If you're worried that students are getting the line from the newspaper, relax. Haven't you heard? Kids don't read newspapers.
Or maybe it's just my kids that don't.
Anyway, this paper has considered dropping the line but has no plans to do so.
"We provide the daily line because we know sports fans are interested in that information," said Bob Yates, assistant managing editor for sports. "They want to know who's favored, who's the underdog.
"It's a reader service. It's as simple as that."
Translation: We don't recommend you take any of this stuff seriously. Take our NFL and college predictions, both made against the line. A reader once called to say he'd drafted me in his office pool. Big mistake, I told him.
Come to think of it, no one's called in years.
"The local paper has a dog doing it," Byrne sniffed, "and he's doing better than most."
Bottom line: Even without our help, such as it is, people are going to find out what the line is.
Bigger question: Are coaches finding out, if for no other reason than to satisfy big-time boosters?
"The coaches I work with," Byrne said carefully, "don't know what the point spread is."
At least a couple of online services couldn't be so sure about Fran's peers.
On Covers.com this week, the Web site leads with the conclusion of Ohio State's win over Cincinnati. Trailing 34-7 with 1:14 left, Cincinnati had at least beaten the spread, ranging from 28 ½ to 29 ½ points.
And then Jim Tressel trots out his backup kicker, who hits a 52-yard field goal.
Ohio State covers! Ohio State covers!
Coincidence? Maybe. The online service cited others. Bill Snyder was a legend at Kansas State and not just with Wildcats fans.
From 1997 to 2002, in nonconference home games in which Kansas State was favored by at least 30, the Web site reports that Snyder was 7-1 covering the spread.
"There are definitely some coaches that we consider spread-beaters," Pinnaclesports.com's Simon Noble told Covers.com. "These include coaches at big-time college programs that are usually ranked in the top 25 like Mack Brown of Texas, USC's Pete Carroll, Louisville's Bobby Petrino and Bob Stoops of Oklahoma.
"In games involving teams led by these coaches, the line generally reflects their preference to cover the spread."
Of course, they could be running up scores to impress voters, not satisfy bettors.
Could be utterly innocent in most cases. But you can be sure that coaches at some schools feel the weight of bets being laid.
Bad enough when boosters call and write and generally plague an athletic director because his coach isn't winning enough.
Even worse when he's not winning big enough.
"That's awful," Byrne wailed.
He'd be shocked, shocked if that sort of thing were going on in College Station.
He's probably right, too. Aggies are so starved, they'll take any kind of win over Oklahoma State today. One step at a time, fellas. Win now, cover later.