1988 Arizona State - Did this really happen?

BooksWorstEnemy · Aug 20, 2005

I remember years ago when I was in college hearing a story about how a bunch of Arizona State players were caught fixing a game in football. I seem to remember tales of huge line movement that was so huge it evidently caught the attention of Vegas book makers and ended up in the newspapers.

Well, I am trying to hone my handicapping skills for the upcoming season and one game that really has my attention is November 5th, 1988. Arizona State was coming off a 6-4 season in '87 and they were 5-3 SU headed into a home game with Oregon State. Oregon State was coming off a 2-9 season in '87 and they were a paltry 3-4-1 SU headed into the road game at Arizona State.

I would automatically assume that in this situation Arizona State would have been favored at home. But the line on this game was Oregon State -4.5 at Arizona State.

Does anyone remember the stories about Arizona State players getting caught fixing games? If so, when did it happen? Was this the game that caught the attention of Vegas?

Later,
Books Worst Enemy

Trendsetter+ · Aug 20, 2005

i believe that they are many teams and mangers of teams who fix games but never heard of thst one

hope one of the guys out theere who are reading the post who help u out

cutacrossshorty · Aug 20, 2005

It was not football, it was in basketball and it was in 1994. Leading scorer Stevin "hedake" Smith did time for his role as did campus bookie Benny Silman. TNT had made a movie of this last year (or 2).

dmmd98 · Aug 20, 2005

I know about the basketball team being caught up in it since I read a book about it. More info I took from answers.com

"In 1994, a comprehensive point shaving scheme organized by campus bookmaker Benny Silman and involving players from the Arizona State University mens basketball team was uncovered with the assistance of Las Vegas bookmakers, who grew suspicious over repeated large wagers being made against Arizona State."

I never heard of anything else regarding Arizona State

BooksWorstEnemy · Aug 20, 2005

I wonder if the 1988 football game was also the handiwork of this Benny Silman character?

There is no logical explanation as to why a Oregon State, with a 3-4-1 record coming off a 2-9 season would be a road favorite over a winning team. This was the only game that Oregon State was favored to win all year, which makes it all the more suspect.

Unless the Northcoast Database I am using is flawed, which is probably the case.

I dunno. Arizona State did win the game as a 4.5 point home dog by 6 points.

Later,
Books Worst Enemy

dmmd98 · Aug 20, 2005

Benny was in jail by that time I believe

BooksWorstEnemy · Aug 20, 2005

dmmd98,

No. This was 1988, six years before they caught him.

Later,
Books Worst Enemy

phdinsports · Aug 20, 2005

BWE the final score A state 30 O state 24 Zona was 4.5 favorite not dog! They were 11 point dog the week before at Oregon!

cutacrossshorty · Aug 20, 2005

Books Worst Enemy said:
dmmd98,

No. This was 1988, six years before they caught him.

Later,
Books Worst Enemy

He was student in 1994. In 1988 he would've been in 9th or 10th grade back in NYC.

1988 Arizona State - Did this really happen?

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