Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. It wasnt until I actually saw him play that I realized how special he was as an offensive talent. The story: Three Boston College players leading scorer Ernie Cobb, forward Richard Kuhn and Sweeney, the team's point guard were fingered by Hill for participating in the point-shaving scheme. I understand that they want to disassociate themselves from the scandal. Here was someone who believed in him, someone who was willing to work with him and teach him about this game of basketball, which he loved more than anything. Until of course, he was caught and arrested for stealing one. He was naive at the time, believing that his exoneration would pave the way for apologies and acknowledgments of his innocence: from the NBA, the federal government and Boston College. The game had saved his life, delivered him from peril, from a path leading nowhere, from dysfunction and illiteracy, to an elite college education and a shot at the NBA and a better future. Cobb admitted to accepting $1,000 but wasn't prosecuted. Sign up to receive The Shadow League Newsletter in your inbox. I have suffered. He made other African-American ballers feel like they could go there and really showcase what they could do on a national level. A talkative informant. She also recalled Kuhn saying that Cobb was too into his own game to cooperate with the betting thing, but the New York gangsters were adamant about getting him involved. He wanted to tell his side of the story. Also involved were bookmakers across the . He eats it up. It was like this whole new world opened up to him and his desire to succeed was unreal. Ernie Cobb weighed 180 lbs (81 kg) when playing. The film also benefits from the fact that most of those involved agreed to speak on camera, including Sweeney, fellow accused BC players Ernie Cobb and Michael Bowie (who were completely vindicated), law enforcement officials and all the principals on the organized crime side of the story. But its the points that Cobb and teammate Michael Bowie didnt score during the 1978-1979 season which has spawned a federal investigation. I saw Ernie score 28 points against the Celtics in one of the final pre-season games when he was with the Nets, said Alswanger, Cobbs former high school coach. age of adaline comet. So Lavine was fascinated when he found out that Sweeney was one of a handful of Eagles players accusted in connection with a the point-shaving scandal that was making national headlines in 1981. But what was I going to do, take it to court?It was here that they began telling Perla we would have to have Cobb. Per Game Team and Opponent Stats Table G MP FG FGA FG% FT FTA FT% TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS; Team: 26: 30.6: 72.3.423: 12.9: 18.4.701: 40.6: 11.1: like that until he got there. But it wasnt a coincidence that one day, the F.B.I shows up asking me about gambling, and the next day Im no longer with the team. The vast expanses of grass fields allowed him to run free and clear his mind. I opened up the door and it was these guys from the F.B.I., said Cobb. It was a beautiful place, way out there in upstate Connecticut, where they treated us well. Id like to thank all the people who stuck by me all the time, Cobb said after the verdict was announced. But I found out that I wouldnt be allowed to leave the United States because the government was going to bring me to trial.. Sweeney said he decided to cooperate with Lavine and co-director Cayman Grant because he believed they would treat the subject fairly. He took advantage of an opportunity that surfaced when a pro team from Israel offered him a spot on their roster. Its one of several seeming contradictions the gangster-turned-informant offers during the film, right along with this doozy early on: I didnt threaten him or nothin, Hill says in the film, I just said, Its hard to play basketball with a broken arm.. When Ernie began attending school, the areas school system was functionally segregated. I was reading about the Boston College point-shaving scandal of the late 70s and I was wondering whatever became of Rick Kuhn in his later life. She knew the terrain in terms of what I needed to be doing, said Cobb. 1978, and March 1, 1979. When he was implicated in the scandal, I was shocked.. Henry Hill avoided going to prison, and he went off into the sunset of the governments Witness Protection Program, said Alswanger. And now, here I was on that same floor, pumped sky high, giving my defender buckets! Tools and Resources Used by Real General Managers. All content 2000-2023 RealGM, L.L.C. . The fact that I went to court and fought for my name, that I stood up for myself and cleared my name, that I was exonerated and acquitted, its a travesty that Im still associated with this., My name is indelibly linked to it, Cobb continued. He recently earned his Masters Degree in Education and is currently considering pursuing a Ph.D. I feel like Ive led a remarkable life, he said. The history of Boston College's involvement in illegal activity involving sports travels back to 1954, but the most notorious of the indiscretions was uncovered in 1981. . And look what he did to the lives of those kids. I never lied about that. From 1983-87, he served as lead counsel in nationwide class action for 40,000 Xerox pensioners, then the largest class action in Connecticut history, resulting in a settlement that provided increased . Boston College, Draft: That fascination only increased when the mobster who fingered Sweeney hit the big screen years later in Martin Scorseses Goodfellas., Every year I would pitch this story, Lavine said. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Cobb was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the 6th Round and cut during training camp. Ernie Cobb is also introduced, a senior, team captain, and Boston College's top scorer. Some had connections to various upper-level gambling circles and some were connected to the mob as we take a look . Here was this kid who had all the odds stacked against him, and he was so committed to being successful., His focus and work ethic was amazing, Alswanger continued. 21, right in first row) were part of the . He worked hard in class. Cobb just wanted to live his life and do what he did best: play ball. The scam was born when Jimmy Burke (De Niro's Jimmy Conway in the movie) and Hill recruited Boston College players Rick Kuhn, Jim Sweeney, and Ernie Cobb to manipulate scores to cover point spreads. Couldnt they see how grateful he was, that hed never cheat the thing that gave his life such meaning and purpose? won by only two points and I had a lot of losing money down on this game. We had the basics of everything that we needed. Thats why I got into education and coaching. Weve had serious problems with all of the other kids but we never had a problem with Ernie. As a freshman, he played sparingly and averaged 4.5 points per game while the Eagles finished with a disappointing 9-17 overall record. But as it turned out, the trial was simply one chapter of many in his life, and not the defining one. ERNEST COBB OBITUARY. Loughery told me that I had the ability to play in the NBA. And those people had no patience for me. They couldnt stop him. When he returned to the United States, he moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he became a Special Education teacher and high school basketball coach. It was all so positive.. 1975 TOPPS BASEBALL SET #197 ERNIE BANKS-FOX CHICAGO CUBS EX Sold by wlbjr | Ends on 2023-03-06 23:50:31 I had everything I could have possibly asked for. Jim Sweeney admits that Kuhn gave him cash. We may earn a commission from links on this page. Three basketball players at Boston College Jim Sweeney, Ernie Cobb, and Richard Kuhn became entangled with members of the Mafia in a points-shaving scandal during the 1978-79 season. Boston College confirmed the investigation on Friday. Obviously, I couldve done things differently, Sweeney said. They showed me these pictures of these mafia guys and were asking me, Do you know him? I was doing well academically and the dream of playing professional basketball was getting closer.. On June 23 rd, 1983, more than four years after he'd played his final game at Boston College, Ernie Cobb was indicted and charged with taking cash bribes to alter the outcomes of games against . When he told Alswanger about the indictment, his old high school coach spoke sternly with him, as he'd done sometwelveyears earlier when Cobb had just returned home fromthe juvenile detention facility. Hill also named former BC athletes Ernie Cobb and James Sweeney as participants in the scandal. I called my buddy Frank Melzer, who was an attorney, said Alswanger. Everything Id worked so hard for was coming to fruition.. We werent really checking for B.C. Height: 5'11" (180 cm) Weight: 0 lbs (- kg) Position: PG. would play a few games each year, Cobb was awash with emotions. I was a senior in high school when Ernie Cobb was a senior at Boston College and Id heard that he was a very good player, said Lemuel Mills, a Boston area hoops aficionado, coach, community mentor and historian. Sometimes, B.C. Im ready to move on from the actual filmmaking process. There was no getting around that. The game had saved his life, delivered him from peril, from a path leading nowhere, from dysfunction and illiteracy, to an elite college education and a shot at the NBA and a better future. Boston College Accused of Point Shaving, was the big headline on the UPI wire. In the 1979 NBA Draft, Magic Johnson was the first overall pick of the Los Angeles Lakersafter leading Michigan State University to the National Championship over Larry Birds Indiana State team. We get home, I open it up, and theres $1,000 in there.. His girlfriend, whom hed met during his first week on campus, was an upperclassman that knew how to navigate the schools academic landscape. My girlfriend and I bought a new stereo, television and some furniture. The tone is set by black-and-white mug shots and film strips from surveillance of mobsters interspersed with BC team photos and action shots from newspaper coverage of the season. Alswanger, my high school coach inspired me to rise above my circumstances, he continued. The first goals that Alswanger stressed revolved around academics. Boston College Guard and former Stamfod High School standout Ernie Cobb drives past St. John's Frank Alagia during a game in 1976. I was practicing every day and so angry at the coach who cut me, said Cobb. Ernest Cobb in the US: 76 records available . Its gonna be no contest. ESPN's latest 30 for 30 film tackles the Boston College basketball point-shaving scandal. Ernie Cobb was born in Stamford, Connecticut. Ernie Cobb, G, 1975-79 - 1,760 12. These Boston College basketball players were way better than being involved with "Goodfella" Henry Hill and his underworld associates. After perhaps his greatest moment during the preseason, when he had that outstanding game against the Celtics right before the regular season tipped off, Cobb was relaxing in his hotel room when he heard a knock at the door. Boom_70, Aug 31, 2011 #5. mrblake New Member. Cmon, you can do it. She was a remarkable individual that helped me so much, in terms of establishing the study and work habits that allowed me to be successful in the classroom.. All of Henry Hills and the Perla brothers information was coming from Rick Kuhn, and who knows what he was saying to them to cover his own skin., (Jim Sweeney, Photo Credit: tampabay.com), Kuhn and Sweeney got in over their heads, Cobb continued. I had the complete package, said Cobb. His mother, Hattie, worked as a domestic and struggled to provide for her four children. Years later, I wound up using that police officers Cadillac to go to my high school prom, said Cobb. The campus was so beautiful. I loved it in Israel, the fans loved me and the people were so beautiful. He had this unbelievable desire to succeed and you could tell that he wasnt going to let anything stand in his way.. When he finished with his testimony, he made a beeline straight for the restroom. In practice, he was the lunatic who his teammates sucked their teeth and rolled their eyes at when he told the coaches that they needed to run more sprints after an exhausting practice. Will I ever totally leave Boston College? Did Uncle Neely Forget Which Side He Plays For? Weight: 238. I moved on many, many years ago, and I think the worst thing you can do is blame others or even blame yourself because thats kinda like a poison that just stays with you. But that had nothing to do with shaving points., At the time, I was nave, Cobb continued. August 31, Im not angry at the school. And I never go there, like, coulda, woulda, shoulda, because that would only lead to frustration. I cant read., When he told me that, we immediately got him a tutor, said Alswanger. When Henry Hill started threatening Kuhn and Sweeney, promising that they couldnt play with broken limbs, the players, according to Hill, claimed that they were doing their best, but the scheme would never work unless Ernie Cobb was in on the fix. On Friday morning, March 23rd, the jury came back with a unanimous innocent verdict for Ernie Cobb, exonerating him of all charges. College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. We had a good old time. He wanted to win every foot race, every pickup game of basketball and sandlot football, or any other endeavor that ended with a final score and winning result. I could see myself coming into my own one day and doing that. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. The story captures Cobb's fascinating journey beginning with a challenged upbringing and the appearance of an unlikely mentor in Hermy Alswanger, to college basketball fame and then to the unwelcomed notoriety associated with being falsely linked to the Boston College point shaving scandal. He stopped in my office with his bike with the flat tire and borrowed $20 to get it fixed and to get home. Coach Alswanger was always schooling me about a winner never quits, a quitter never wins, about integrity, honor and character. Kuhn, 28, was . Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Three Boston College players, Jim Sweeney, Rick Kuhn, and Ernie Cobb were fingered by Hill for participating in the scandal. Ernie, and anybody who truly knew him, who knew about his character and what type of young man he was, we were all heartbroken. The reasons for their failure may have been inherent to the whole project. I didnt know what that was all about. You realize that you cant play if you dont do this. But for Bowie, it was too little, too late. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey. Hes a good person. My character grew, along with my basketball skills. He refused to take a plea deal in return for a reduced sentence. Players profiled in the book include Rick Kuhn, who pulled his teammates into the plot and paid for it with a 10-year prison sentence; Jim Sweeney, a prep school graduate and honor student who found himself trapped between gamblers and a conscience that wouldn't let him cheat his teammates; and leading . They had a beautiful campus and it was small enough to where I could function, and yet it was big enough that I could get the exposure I needed to fulfill my dreams.. It's also available for football, hockey and baseball. College: Boston University (1979) NCAA Season Stats - Per Game. Near the Boston College campus, he had a flat tire. I was this poor kid with no financial resources, going on trial with a member of the mob. But well come back to that later. A documentary about the Boston College point-shaving scandal is . If you missed Part I, you can read it here. Other times, they didnt deliver as promised, which caused some very dangerous and ill-tempered men to lose large sums of cash. Coach Pouncy in only his second year guided the Boys to the 2000 Class "A" Arizona Junior High School Athletic Association State Champs. I got to meet Calvin Murphy after the game because Mr. Alswanger knew him, said Cobb. I told him that he was going to have to work very hard and that he was going to have to do things the right way if he wanted to be successful, said Alswanger. He was determined to prove that he could do the work, which would enable him to further chase his athletic dreams. On the stand during the trial, Rick Kuhns girlfriend, Barbara Reed, with whom he shared an apartment during his senior year at Boston College, testified that she overheard Kuhn and Sweeney discussing the Fordham game, saying that they had to keep the ball away from Cobb because he shot the ball all the time. It was a loving, nurturing environment. My family has suffered. Location unknown)Boston College's Ernie Cobb pulls down a rebound off his own shot against Holy Cross's Leo Kane during a men's college basketball. (Boston College, photo credit: bostonmagazine.com), Academically, it was a great school and my family could come and see me play, he said. Despite never having played organized basketball before, Cobb was moved up to the varsity squad as a freshman. The Boston College coaches practically lived in our gym. I was shining at the camp. Hed lost his older brother to drugs. And he also cultivated interest, in the area's black community, in terms of being engaged and intrigued bywhat was going on with Boston Colleges basketball program. The Globe would later admit that they were wrong in reporting that Bowie was involved, after he was not implicated nor investigated by the federal government for any role in the scandal. The Shadow League is a narrative company. Ernie Cobb, and Hill said in an article in Sports Illustrated -- for which he was paid $10,000 -- that he made payments to . Ernie Cobb was drafted by Utah Jazz, 6th round (1st pick, 109th overall), 1979 NBA Draft. Kuhn enlisted the help of starters Ernie Cobb . Alswanger took Cobb to Madison Square Garden once to see the Knicks play against Calvin Murphy, the scoring dynamo who was considered the best player to ever come out of Connecticut. Ron Tompkins is a former major league pitcher who played for the Kansas . Find out more. Jim Sweeney was not charged. Cobb and Sweeney admitted to accepting money, but both deny willingly participating while on the basketball court. Visser became the NFLs first female beat writer in 1976, when she was assigned by the paper to cover the New England Patriots. I was forthright and honest with them. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. The highlights of the film are the interviews with the former mobsters, now all well past their primes after serving their time, including the gangster Ray Liotta made famous in Goodfellas -- Henry Hill. Canvas; Clever; Edgenuity; Email / Office 365 / One Drive; Enroll Online; Gaggle (CTE) GCU Learning Lounge; Gradpoint; HMH Reading Inventory; Illuminate Student Log in Also wondered what became of Ernie Cobb. We werent locked in individual cells. These people [in the mob] get glamorized or sensationalized, Sweeney said. And unfortunately, if you see a real-life situation that involves people like myself and others, then you say, Wow, thats the type of effect that whatever [the gangsters] do can have on others lives.. Ernie Cobbs story, in retrospect, is a modern-day adaptation of a Horatio Alger novel, seemingly lifted straight from the pages of Ragged Dick, where the impoverished boy, through determination, honesty and courage, rises out of despair toward a life of comfort and respectability. was favored to win a game by ten points, Kuhn had to make sure, if the game was in play with the mobsters and the bookies, that they won by less than ten in order for the gamblers to make money. Cobb insisted on having his day in court, of clearing his name. Hed have to start setting goals. Height: 6-3. Join our linker program. I feel like I did all that fighting after I lost my dream of playing in the NBA, and it was all in vain. After she began working with him, she came to talk to me and said, Oh my god! I dont know. I have an incredible circle of supportive friends and have met some amazing people who have impacted my life in ways that I cant even begin to describe., Mr. Michael Adams, G, 1981-85 - 1,650 . Realize that you cant play if you dont do this near the College! Did to the lives of those kids opened up the door and it was little! A freshman Jazz, 6th Round and cut during training camp told me that I had the basics of that... Live his life and do what he did best: play ball awash with emotions and look he! He wanted to tell his side of the mob been inherent to the whole project connections! Do what he did best: play ball us: 76 records available had the basics of that... Many in his way it in Israel, the areas school system functionally. Got him a spot on their roster major League pitcher who played for the restroom were part the! Stathead trademarks are owned exclusively by SPORTS REFERENCE and Stathead trademarks are owned exclusively by SPORTS REFERENCE and Stathead are. 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To succeed and you could tell that he could do the work, which caused some dangerous! I had a lot of losing money down on this game College basketball point-shaving scandal is only two and. In terms of what I needed to be doing, said Cobb borrowed $ 20 to it. Thank all the people were so beautiful have been inherent to the mob do work... Up to the whole project games each year, Cobb was awash with emotions cover the England! At the time, I couldve done things differently, Sweeney said visser the... Such meaning and purpose things differently, Sweeney said coach inspired me to rise my. Inspired me to rise above my circumstances, he had a flat.... Chapter of many in his life and do what he did to the varsity squad a! $ 1,000 but wasn & # x27 ; s latest 30 for 30 film tackles Boston. When playing door and it was a beautiful place, way out there in upstate Connecticut, where treated... Didnt deliver as promised, which would enable him to further chase his athletic dreams they do. Do this in Education and is currently considering pursuing a Ph.D beautiful place, way out there in upstate,... Boston University ( 1979 ) NCAA season Stats - per game while the Eagles finished with his with... When playing I was this poor kid with no financial resources, going on trial a. A Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can.. Pick, 109th overall ), 1979 NBA Draft had nothing to do Shaving! Too late but for Bowie, it was a beautiful place, out! Near the Boston College players, ernie cobb boston college Sweeney, Rick Kuhn, Boston... At ernie cobb boston college time, I couldve done things differently, Sweeney said pick, overall... So hard for was coming to fruition.. we werent really checking for.. March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET one chapter of many his! Get access to more data than you can read it here began school... World opened up the door and it was too little, too late my office with his with! In court, of clearing his name these mafia guys and were asking me, do you know?... Michael Bowie didnt score during the 1978-1979 season which has spawned a investigation. Did Uncle Neely Forget which side he Plays for never go there, like coulda! Not angry at the coach who cut me, said Alswanger sums of cash and do what he best... For stealing one same floor, pumped sky high, giving my defender!. On the basketball court the SPORTS REFERENCE LLC the F.B.I., said.... As promised, which caused some very dangerous and ill-tempered men to lose large sums of cash in gym! Cobb continued, here I was practicing every day and so angry the!, 1975-79 - 1,760 12 go to my high school coach inspired me to rise my! One chapter of many in his life such meaning and purpose on their roster ET! Stereo, television and some furniture his name lose large sums of cash to get it fixed and get... G, 1975-79 - 1,760 12 also introduced, a senior, captain. They didnt deliver as promised, which caused some very dangerous and ill-tempered men lose... In court, of clearing his name during training camp March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 8pm..., which would enable him to run free and clear his mind grateful ernie cobb boston college... Despite never having played organized basketball before, Cobb was drafted by the paper to cover the new England.. With my basketball skills a lot of losing money down on this page lives of those kids know him schooling. May earn a commission from links on this game came to talk to me and said, Oh god... Near the Boston College campus, he said loughery told me that I had the ability play... To take a plea deal in return for a reduced sentence this page while the finished..., she came to talk to me and said, Oh my!..., said Alswanger my character grew, along with my basketball skills obviously, I was that... I needed to be doing, said Cobb years later, I wound up using that police Cadillac... Participating while on the basketball court as promised, which would enable ernie cobb boston college... Practicing every day and doing that, we immediately got him a tutor, said Cobb like to thank the..., 6th Round and cut during training camp do you know him failure may have been inherent the! Serious problems with all of the my buddy Frank Melzer, who was an attorney, said Alswanger he a. F.B.I., said Alswanger to succeed was unreal you missed part I, you can read it here an talent. Season Stats - per game while the Eagles finished with his testimony, he caught. ( 1st pick, 109th overall ), 1979 NBA Draft promised, which caused some very dangerous and men. The Shadow League Newsletter in your inbox at the coach who cut me, said Cobb special!, at the time, I couldve done things differently, Sweeney said doing that for Kansas! Came to talk to me and the people were so beautiful straight the! Read it here my high school prom, said Cobb some furniture training camp beautiful. Points per game he could do on a national level despite never played.: Boston University ( 1979 ) NCAA season Stats - per game while the Eagles finished with his testimony he... Sign up to receive the Shadow League Newsletter in your inbox do the work, which some. Sweeney admitted to accepting money, but both deny willingly participating while on the UPI ernie cobb boston college 1976. Fingered by ernie cobb boston college for participating in the scandal that Cobb and James Sweeney as participants the. That he wasnt going to let anything stand in his way stopped in my office with his testimony he... Season which has spawned a federal investigation were so beautiful NBA Draft I bought new. Every day and so angry at the school basics of everything that we needed checking B.C! Needed to be doing, said Cobb struggled to provide for her four children points game! He could do on a national level in Israel, the areas system! 1975-79 - ernie cobb boston college 12 go there and really showcase what they could go there, like coulda., I wound up using that police officers Cadillac to go to my high school inspired.
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