The value and brilliance of Reggie Wayne
Chad Millman
ESPN INSIDER
The news continues to break, the speculation continues to swirl. The investigation continues to move forward.
Thursday, the District Attorney in Queens, N.Y., revealed that he had indicted 25 people following a sweeping, 18-month investigation that spanned five states. There were a lot of charges, all complicated and official sounding, which seemed to be pulled from a John Gotti movie. But they all mean the same thing: These guys got pinched for illegal sports betting.
The DA's tally of skins includes:
• The owners of Pinnacle, one of the sharpest offshore sports books in the world.
• The sports book director for Cantor gaming, one of the newest, most influential betting companies in Nevada.
• Stopping an operation that had made $50M in the past 18 months.
• Collecting, for now, property as well as $7.6 million in cash and gambling chips.
Those are big numbers. Intimidating numbers. And there has been big talk from the authorities. Said NYC Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, "The defendants in this case gambled and lost that their illegal activities would fly under the radar."
The details laid out by investigators painted a pretty dirty picture of wire rooms and bouncing servers being utilized by guys with names like Spanky and Fats. "Law enforcement crackdowns on traditional mob-run wire rooms have led to the use by illegal gambling rings of offshore gambling websites where action is available around the clock."
The only thing less surprising than the cliché of it all was the fact this is happening. It's estimated there is as much as $500 billion a year wagered illegally on sports nationwide. One bust of one Internet site isn't going to stop that. As the news continues to break, speculation continues to swirl and the investigation continues to move forward, the bets will continue to be made. Illegally.
<offer><!-- begin inline 1 -->[h=4]The Millman Rankings[/h]PSVAR=Point Spread Value Above Replacement
<thead>
</thead><tbody>
</tbody>Bold=Was on list 10/5/12 and moved up
Green=New Players to list for 10/12/12
Red=Was on list 10/5/12 and moved down
<!-- end inline 1 -->There are all kinds of estimates of what kind of money could be made by the government, at every level, if sports betting were legal. But let's put it in tangible terms with a comparison from an actual study. When the last official research was done, in the late 1990s, it was estimated legalized sports betting would bring in $7 billion in tax revenue. Now consider how the appetite for and acceptance of gambling has changed during the past decade and a half. A few years ago, when new bills were introduced to legalize Internet wagering, except for sports, the estimates in tax revenue were as high as $42 billion.
"Enough to pay for health care," Colorado Congressman Jared Polis told me when we discussed the bill back then.
Health care, education reform, paying down the deficit one parlay at a time. It could be anything. But for now, it's nothing.
[h=3]The Millman Rankings[/h]This week's Millman Rankings spotlight features a cagey veteran who has become a safety blanket for a rookie QB. The kind of guy who looks as though he has been playing with stickum all season. We call him Reggie Wayne. Andrew Luck calls him a miracle.
Seriously, name a weapon Luck has. Donald Brown? Vick Ballard? Donnie Avery? Coby Fleener, his old Stanford running buddy, is a nice player. But he's not Dallas Clark. Wayne is all Luck has that threatens a defense, and yet Wayne is midway through one of the best years he's ever had. And that is why he has moved into the Millman Rankings, with a PSVAR (point spread value above replacement) of 1.5. Here is a write-up from Evan Abrams that explains the reasoning:
• Wayne has been targeted a total of 81 times (13.5 times per game) and has put the pressure on his shoulders with a very questionable offensive line and a lackluster running game.
• He has been able to help the Colts the most in his 12-year NFL career on the road, where he averages 14.92 yards/reception, 1.51 yards/reception more than his receiving numbers at home.
• Wayne's depth at his position for Indianapolis is definitely one of the reasons he ends up on this list: Avery, T.Y. Hilton and LaVon Brazill are the other receiving options.
[h=3]Week 8 line moves[/h]
No man can live on gambling scandals alone. Which is why I called Jay Rood of The Mirage to help me go over five line moves for this weekend's games. Please enjoy his knowledge.
[h=3]Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions[/h]Line move: Opened Lions minus-3, currently Lions minus-2
Rood says: "We actually opened at 2 and are sitting there. I think people dug into the box score the other night and saw the Lions were victims of pretty poor ball control, so I think that is why it is still there. Our customers will show up tomorrow and I think they are going to play the Lions. I am the only 2 on The Strip and I expect to get more Detroit money. But it still may not get to 3."
[h=3]Miami Dolphins at New York Jets[/h]Line move: Opened Jets minus-3, currently Jets minus-2
Rood says: "We got a little bit of play when we hung 2.5 and they took it. We are sitting on 2 right now. It is split action: The straight money is on the Dolphins, but parlays and teasers on Jets. Most of the Strip is at 2.5 and I am at 2. Doesn't look like that game is going to flit around too much, if anything it will creep up a little bit."
[h=3]Washington Redskins at Pittsburgh Steelers[/h]Line move: Opened Steelers minus-5.5, currently Steelers minus-4.5
Rood says: "We opened 5.5 on that game. They took that and we dropped to 4.5 and that is where we are sitting right now. It looks like most of public will be on the Redskins and we took an early hit because we are a little bit high. I thought public would be on the Steelers because they got back on track. Early indication is that parlays are on the Skins. I think the Steelers money will show up because it always does. They are at home under a touchdown and playing a team on the road in the second week."
[h=3]Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans[/h]Line move: Opened Titans minus-3, currently Titans minus-3.5
Rood says: "They laid the 3.5 and they are taking the money line on the Colts so they are betting it like the Super Bowl. If it falls 3, good for me. But most of the parlay money is showing up on Colts. The game could go to 3. I think the public is going to take the 3.5."
[h=3]New England Patriots vs. St. Louis Rams[/h]Line move: Opened at Pats minus-7, still there
Rood says: "In the international game sharps often take the points early in the week, and that is the case this week, too. But then we took quite a bit of money back on the Pats on teasers. The Rams have been getting regular sharp support in the last few weeks. So it's not a huge surprise they took the touchdown and it will probably stay right about there. I anticipate the public on the Pats so I will not get off that 7."
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Chad Millman
ESPN INSIDER
The news continues to break, the speculation continues to swirl. The investigation continues to move forward.
Thursday, the District Attorney in Queens, N.Y., revealed that he had indicted 25 people following a sweeping, 18-month investigation that spanned five states. There were a lot of charges, all complicated and official sounding, which seemed to be pulled from a John Gotti movie. But they all mean the same thing: These guys got pinched for illegal sports betting.
The DA's tally of skins includes:
• The owners of Pinnacle, one of the sharpest offshore sports books in the world.
• The sports book director for Cantor gaming, one of the newest, most influential betting companies in Nevada.
• Stopping an operation that had made $50M in the past 18 months.
• Collecting, for now, property as well as $7.6 million in cash and gambling chips.
Those are big numbers. Intimidating numbers. And there has been big talk from the authorities. Said NYC Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, "The defendants in this case gambled and lost that their illegal activities would fly under the radar."
The details laid out by investigators painted a pretty dirty picture of wire rooms and bouncing servers being utilized by guys with names like Spanky and Fats. "Law enforcement crackdowns on traditional mob-run wire rooms have led to the use by illegal gambling rings of offshore gambling websites where action is available around the clock."
The only thing less surprising than the cliché of it all was the fact this is happening. It's estimated there is as much as $500 billion a year wagered illegally on sports nationwide. One bust of one Internet site isn't going to stop that. As the news continues to break, speculation continues to swirl and the investigation continues to move forward, the bets will continue to be made. Illegally.
<offer><!-- begin inline 1 -->[h=4]The Millman Rankings[/h]PSVAR=Point Spread Value Above Replacement
<thead>
</thead><tbody>
</tbody>
Green=New Players to list for 10/12/12
Red=Was on list 10/5/12 and moved down
<!-- end inline 1 -->There are all kinds of estimates of what kind of money could be made by the government, at every level, if sports betting were legal. But let's put it in tangible terms with a comparison from an actual study. When the last official research was done, in the late 1990s, it was estimated legalized sports betting would bring in $7 billion in tax revenue. Now consider how the appetite for and acceptance of gambling has changed during the past decade and a half. A few years ago, when new bills were introduced to legalize Internet wagering, except for sports, the estimates in tax revenue were as high as $42 billion.
"Enough to pay for health care," Colorado Congressman Jared Polis told me when we discussed the bill back then.
Health care, education reform, paying down the deficit one parlay at a time. It could be anything. But for now, it's nothing.
[h=3]The Millman Rankings[/h]This week's Millman Rankings spotlight features a cagey veteran who has become a safety blanket for a rookie QB. The kind of guy who looks as though he has been playing with stickum all season. We call him Reggie Wayne. Andrew Luck calls him a miracle.
Seriously, name a weapon Luck has. Donald Brown? Vick Ballard? Donnie Avery? Coby Fleener, his old Stanford running buddy, is a nice player. But he's not Dallas Clark. Wayne is all Luck has that threatens a defense, and yet Wayne is midway through one of the best years he's ever had. And that is why he has moved into the Millman Rankings, with a PSVAR (point spread value above replacement) of 1.5. Here is a write-up from Evan Abrams that explains the reasoning:
• Wayne has been targeted a total of 81 times (13.5 times per game) and has put the pressure on his shoulders with a very questionable offensive line and a lackluster running game.
• He has been able to help the Colts the most in his 12-year NFL career on the road, where he averages 14.92 yards/reception, 1.51 yards/reception more than his receiving numbers at home.
• Wayne's depth at his position for Indianapolis is definitely one of the reasons he ends up on this list: Avery, T.Y. Hilton and LaVon Brazill are the other receiving options.
[h=3]Week 8 line moves[/h]
No man can live on gambling scandals alone. Which is why I called Jay Rood of The Mirage to help me go over five line moves for this weekend's games. Please enjoy his knowledge.
[h=3]Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions[/h]Line move: Opened Lions minus-3, currently Lions minus-2
Rood says: "We actually opened at 2 and are sitting there. I think people dug into the box score the other night and saw the Lions were victims of pretty poor ball control, so I think that is why it is still there. Our customers will show up tomorrow and I think they are going to play the Lions. I am the only 2 on The Strip and I expect to get more Detroit money. But it still may not get to 3."
[h=3]Miami Dolphins at New York Jets[/h]Line move: Opened Jets minus-3, currently Jets minus-2
Rood says: "We got a little bit of play when we hung 2.5 and they took it. We are sitting on 2 right now. It is split action: The straight money is on the Dolphins, but parlays and teasers on Jets. Most of the Strip is at 2.5 and I am at 2. Doesn't look like that game is going to flit around too much, if anything it will creep up a little bit."
[h=3]Washington Redskins at Pittsburgh Steelers[/h]Line move: Opened Steelers minus-5.5, currently Steelers minus-4.5
Rood says: "We opened 5.5 on that game. They took that and we dropped to 4.5 and that is where we are sitting right now. It looks like most of public will be on the Redskins and we took an early hit because we are a little bit high. I thought public would be on the Steelers because they got back on track. Early indication is that parlays are on the Skins. I think the Steelers money will show up because it always does. They are at home under a touchdown and playing a team on the road in the second week."
[h=3]Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans[/h]Line move: Opened Titans minus-3, currently Titans minus-3.5
Rood says: "They laid the 3.5 and they are taking the money line on the Colts so they are betting it like the Super Bowl. If it falls 3, good for me. But most of the parlay money is showing up on Colts. The game could go to 3. I think the public is going to take the 3.5."
[h=3]New England Patriots vs. St. Louis Rams[/h]Line move: Opened at Pats minus-7, still there
Rood says: "In the international game sharps often take the points early in the week, and that is the case this week, too. But then we took quite a bit of money back on the Pats on teasers. The Rams have been getting regular sharp support in the last few weeks. So it's not a huge surprise they took the touchdown and it will probably stay right about there. I anticipate the public on the Pats so I will not get off that 7."
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