Point shaving
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Point shaving, in organized sports, is a type of match fixing where the perpetrators try to prevent a team from covering a published point spread. Unlike other forms of match fixing, sports betting invariably motivates point shaving. A point shaving scheme generally involves a sports gambler and one or more players of the sports team favored to win the game. In exchange for a bribe, the player or players agree to ensure that their team will not "cover the point spread," or win by the required margin. The gambler then wagers against that team. [dubious — see talk page]
Point shaving occurs most frequently in amateur and collegiate sports, whose athletes are presumably more vulnerable to a gambler's bribery than professionals.[citation needed]Professional-level players earn significant sums of money each year, whereas collegiate players are prevented by strict regulations from earning compensation for their play.
Basketball is a particularly easy medium for shaving points because of the scoring tempo of the game and the ease by which one player can influence key events. By deliberately missing shots or committing well-timed turnovers or fouls, a corrupt player can covertly ensure that his team fails to cover the point spread, without causing them to lose the game (or to lose so badly that suspicions are aroused). Although the NCAA has adopted a zero tolerance policy with respect to gambling activity by its players, some critics believe it unwittingly encourages point shaving due to its strict rules regarding amateurism, combined with the large amount of money wagered on its games. The NCAA has produced posters warning of this, the most notable being an athlete sitting alone on a bench with his face buried in his hands (although this may also look like the athlete suffered a tremendous defeat) with the caption "DO NOT BET ON IT" with warnings as to what could happen if they are involved in such a plan (as well as an athlete being caught gambling oneself). Warnings included "suspension/expulsion from college or other adverse action" "loss of NCAA scholarships or revoking of ROTC scholarships" or "pressure from student bookies and/or organized crime to shave points and/or throw games".,[citation needed]
Conversely, there have been alleged cases where an underdog not only lost (which might be honest) but lost by some large amount, perhaps to ensure a point spread was covered for the benefit of gamblers although in some cases the motive may be to grant a non-gambling related favor to the victor. Perhaps the most famous example was Argentina vs. Peru in the 1978 FIFA World Cup. Argentina needed a four goal victory to advance over Brazil, an almost unheard-of margin at this level of soccer - especially since Argentina had a weak offense (6 goals in 5 games) and Peru a stout defence (allowing only 6 goals in 5 games). Yet somehow Argentina won 6-0. Much was made over the fact that the Peruvian goalkeeper was born in Argentina, and Peru was dependent on Argentinian grain shipments, but nothing was ever proven.
[edit] Point shaving perpetrators
- Alex Groza
- Henry Hill
- Benny Silman
- Stevin Smith
- Richie Perry
- Floyd Layne
- Harvey "Scooter" McDougle Jr.
[edit] References in popular culture
The 2002 movie Big Shot: Confessions of a Campus Bookie dramatized the fact-based story of Benny Silman and the 1994 Arizona State point shaving scandal.
The 1974 movie The Longest Yard features a main character, Paul Crewe, who is thrown out of the NFL for point shaving. There was also a remake of The Longest Yard in 2005 starring Adam Sandler.
The 1994 movie Blue Chips features a coach, played by Nick Nolte, who realizes that one of his star players shaved points in a game three years before.
In an episode of The Sopranos, "Rat Pack", a character mentions that he heard fictional New York mob boss Carmine Lupertazzi invented point shaving.
A 1989 issue of MAD Magazine had a poem / cartoon titled "Ten College Athletes" about how various problems result in the elimination of athletes from college. One such verse was "Six sophomore athletes, on the court with jive. One helped gamblers fix a game... Bet's off, we are down to five." The illustration shows a very tall basketball player with his hand open, and a typical Mafia type gangster handing him a large bankroll of cash.
