It all seemed like a fairy tale, until he was indicted for allegedly fixing college basketball games for the mob. But changing his behaviors did not happen overnight. That includes Rick Kuhn, the former minor league baseball player who started the scandal and who Sweeney says got him involved in it. I could have sneezed and they would have sent me to the principals office.. It was there, where a whole new world opened up to him. There were times when the work got really hard, when I wanted to give up, when I had to stay up all night reading or studying or writing papers, and shed be right there pushing me, telling me, You cant give up! You understand? Check out the detailed 1976-77 Boston College Eagles Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. us, College: Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Eventually, he became a part of my own family and spent a lot of time over at our house. We might have worn the hand-me-downs of the families that she worked for, but we always had clean clothes. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. With his pro career and NBA dream in limbo for over four years since news of Boston Colleges point-shaving scandal was first splashed across the front pages of newspapers and magazines, he simply desired to have his life back. He ate, drank and slept basketball. 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. I would walk long distances, for miles, out into the suburbs in Greenwich. Old Greenwich was a really rich neighborhood, and theyd have all these beautiful bikes just sitting out there on the lawn. But as it turned out, the trial was simply one chapter of many in his life, and not the defining one. The filmmakers ultimately dont take a side on who did what, instead presenting at times conflicting accounts and letting the audience decide. Bob Zuffelato, former BC coach, now at Marshall recruited Cobb. This has gone on for four years. He stopped in my office with his bike with the flat tire and borrowed $20 to get it fixed and to get home. Also involved were bookmakers across the . I didnt even know what goals were, said Cobb. The distinguished paper later retracted the story. In the early 1960s, as job prospects dwindled in the area, his father, James Cobb, the 2nd-oldest of 21 kids, decided to move his family up north, which was more industrialized, and hence had more job opportunities than the agriculture-dependent south. But by his sophomore year, when he was inserted into the starting lineup, it was apparent that the 5-foot-11 scorer brought a dimension to the Boston College squad that it sorely needed when he averaged 17.4 points per game. Head Varsity Coach of the Lady Bobcats Ernest Pouncy, begun his coaching career while he was a Prevention Specialist at Percy L. Julian school in the Roosevelt School District. A social worker at the facility, who took notice of Ernies work ethic and burgeoning athletic potential, contacted Herm Alswanger, the varsity basketball coach at Stamford High School, where the youngster would soon enroll upon his release from Meriden. A failed minor league baseball player from Pittsburgh turned college basketball player in Boston. The Nets coaches were telling me, Coach, hes gonna be a great pro., I had a great camp with the Nets and was poised to make the team, said Cobb. I was like, You gotta be kidding me! Jim Sweeney and Rick Kuhns names werent mentioned anywhere. Everything Id worked so hard for was coming to fruition.. Sometimes, B.C. Boston College Point Shaving. All rights reserved. Cobb insisted on having his day in court, of clearing his name. 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. I understand that they want to disassociate themselves from the scandal. First Name. He is a friend who has quietly built a considerable reputation within college basketball for honesty and tactical brilliance but who now is living the horror every coach dreads most -- a point . He was this little guy who could score like crazy! Studied Special education at Grand Canyon University. They were so many activities and all this food. He killed people. As a freshman, he played sparingly and averaged 4.5 points per game while the Eagles finished with a disappointing 9-17 overall record. And as black kids who loved ball in Boston, he represented something for us, giving the younger generation something to aspire toin terms of their basketball skillsbecause he was putting in some serious work.. His lifes dream of making it to the NBA, which was where he belonged, was taken away from him. But that had nothing to do with shaving points., At the time, I was nave, Cobb continued. The 1968 Topps Baseball Card series includes 598 cards and features multi-player rookie cards. We publish narratives intentionally and specifically to enlighten and transform the world. rick kuhn boston college now 19 3407 . I was practicing every day and so angry at the coach who cut me, said Cobb. It was the first time he saw the game as something that could improve his life, something that could take him places. How much he was indebted to it? Ernie Cobb, 24, 5'11", 180-pound star of the team, from Stamford, Conn. 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. Studied Social Studies at Boston College. He was nave at the time, believing that his exoneration would pave the way for apologies and acknowledgements of his innocence: from the NBA, the federal government and Boston College. It's also available for football, hockey and baseball. hoops that blazed a trail, Mills continued. Man, I would watch Jo Jo White, Dave Cowens and John Havlicek playing on television, on that same famous floor where Bill Russell and Bob Cousy and all of those great Celtics teams won all those championships, said Cobb. Boston College DL Izaiah Henderson enters Transfer Portal; Most Read Boston College Secures 9th ACC Win Over Wake . How much his positive life trajectory was propelled by it? And he always managed to be seen cruising around his neighborhood with a new, expensive one. Ernest was born in Harlem, the first son of the . Rocco Perla received a four-year sentence and Rick Kuhn was sentenced to a ten-year bid as well, which was later reduced to 28 months. Select the players you wish to trade from the rosters below. 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.. City State. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, shoots, school and more on Basketball-Reference.com . How much his positive life trajectory was propelled by it? Ernie Cobb is also introduced, a senior, team captain, and Boston College's top scorer. I dont know if the losses can ever be made upnot the losses me and my family and friends have suffered. Last Name. The Boston Globe's Bob Hohler documented Kuhn's role in the scandal and his luring of Sweeney and fellow captain Ernie Cobb in a March 2014 profile: . I walk in the bathroom, and who was in there but Peter Vario, the big-time mobster that was on trial with Ernie, said Alswanger. He sat me down in his office and we talked., (Stamford High School, Photo Credit: thesteelrailsadvocate.com), The social worker told me that Ernie didnt belong up there in that juvenile detention facility, said Alswanger. I was nervous because I didnt know what was going to happen. It was one of the most tremendous feelings Id ever experienced.. In the summer of 1978, Rocco Perla and his older brother Anthony, back in Pittsburgh, were the ones who initially conceived the point-shaving scheme that would later rock the college basketball world. I was like, Yeah, whatever. Sure enough, a few weeks later, he hands my girlfriend an envelope. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. After Cobb was not charged, he thought he was finally past the sordid affair. She was a miracle worker. How much he was indebted to it? Hill brought in his mentor, Jimmy Burke, to finance the operation and set up a network of bookies who could advance the financial potential of the scheme. By his senior season, he was an All-American. The campus was so beautiful. The abbreviated version of events reads like this:the Perlas brought in a Pittsburgh hood named Paul Mazzei, who contacted his friend Henry Hill, an associate of New Yorks Lucchese crime family that had befriended him during a stretch in federal prison. But she had to work very hard, over some long hours, which meant she couldnt monitor my every move. Using extensive background research as well as interviews with the principal characters, Fixed provides the first in-depth reconstruction of the point-shaving scandal involving the 1978-1979 Boston College basketball team, from the genesis of the plot in the summer of 1978, through the uncovering of the scheme during an unrelated investigation in 1980, to the trial that captivated the sports . ET on ESPN. Boston College; Induction 2023; Position: Linebacker Years: 2009-11 Place of Birth: Cincinnati, OH Date of Birth: April 20, 1991 Jersey Number: 40 Height: 6-3 Weight: 238 High School: St. Xavier (Cincinnati, OH) Possessing a powerful combination of size, speed and football intellect, . I was shining at the camp. Michael Adams, G, 1981-85 - 1,650 . But I never agreed to fix any games or shave any points. It was a meaningful existence, a testament to persistence and the strength of believing in the beauty of ones dreams, which hed worked so diligently to reconstruct from the ashes of juvenile delinquency and poverty. You cant change things in life. "Fixed" follows the point-shaving scandal of the 1978-79 Boston College basketball team. I was so frustrated at one point that I got on my bike in Stamford, Connecticut and just started riding. All of those guys walkedin his footsteps., He was the African-American guard in the modern era of B.C. I feel like I did all that fighting after I lost my dream of playing in the NBA, and it was all in vain. 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. And in that article in Sports Illustrated, Henry Hill says, The word came back that Cobb was enthusiastic. The key phrase there is The word came back. I dont know what Rick Kuhn was telling Henry Hill or the Perla brothers. On June 23rd, 1983, more than four years after hed played his final game at Boston College, Ernie Cobb was indicted and charged with taking cash bribes to alter the outcomes of games against Harvard, Rhode Island and Fordham. I was this poor kid with no financial resources, going on trial with a member of the mob. . I excelled. But I was still worried. (Rick Kuhn, Photo Credit: bostonglobe.com). Were you shaving points for the mob?. In "Playing for the Mob'' which features commentary from Sweeney, Hill, Ernie Cobb, the leading scorer on that Boston College team, and others he tells what happened 36 years ago. After a full recruiting cycle, which schools got it right - and wrong - four years ago And, of course, there are betting lines with the pick circled and handwritten box scores with the names of the alleged conspirators highlighted. He was like a big brother to my own son. Convinced that Cobb was innocent after his mentee walked him through everything that had transpired, and certain that he was being used by the federal government to send more organized crime figures to prison, Alswanger began working the phones. 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. . 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. 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.. Boston College confirmed the investigation on Friday. Id made remarkable strides from being sent to a juvenile detention facility, from not being able to read as a high school freshman, said Cobb. | Jackson State Ices Thee Pregame Show, Detroit Mercys Antoine Davis Creeping Up On Pistol Pete Maravichs All-Time NCAA Scoring Mark, A Poor Mans Danny Ainge A Poor Mans Jeff Hornacek: Michael Cooper Torches JJ Redick. At one point Hill curses, apologizes sheepishly to the camera, and then falls right back into his expletive-laden speech. Ex-basketball star Ernie Cobb was acquitted Friday of taking part in a point-shaving scandal that rocked Boston College in 1978-1979, and tearfully asked for a fair shot to resurrect his chances . 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. 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. won the gangsters some serious money by falling short of the spread. Kuhn was the only player convicted -- receiving a record 10-year sentence -- and served 28 months in prison. Career Length: Rookie More bio, uniform, draft, salary info. The Globe, quoting an unnamed source in New York, said the three games in which point-shaving was alleged were a Feb.3 game against Fordham, a Feb. 6 game against St. Johns and a March 1 game in the ECAC Regional Playoffs against Connecticut. 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. Cobbs older siblings began having brushes with the law. Heading into his senior season in 1978-1979, as the team captain, Cobb was hoping that he could lead his team to the NCAA Tournament. Cobb was always a competitive kid. It was a tragedy that he never got another chance to play in the NBA., Kevin Loughery never gave me a firm reason why the Nets were letting me go, said Cobb. Ernest Constantine Cobb, passed away peacefully on Feb. 27th, after a long and full life. Fourteen hours later, I arrived in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.. Theyre no match for us. He told me, Well good, I plan on betting on those games and if you guys win and it turns out like that, Ill take care of you., Man, I was one of the most recognizable athletes on campus and people would come up and talk to me all the time, people I didnt know, Cobb continued. He says he believes his experience could serve as a test case for others, to help prevent anything like it from happening in the future. I just knew that not only was I going to make the team, but I was going to be a factor in the NBA. I told him, I think were gonna blow them out, we look really good. A wake will be held for Dr. Cobb-Stevens on Monday, July 16, from 4-7 p.m. at the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 475 Main . His girlfriend, whom hed met during his first week on campus, was an upperclassman that knew how to navigate the schools academic landscape. On Saturday Morning, March 24th, 1984, a tiny blurb in newspaper sports sections across the nation read Ex-basketball star Ernie Cobb was acquitted Friday of taking part in a point-shaving scandal that rocked Boston College in 1978-1979, and tearfully asked for a fair shot to resurrect his chances at a pro career. My mom raised me to be respectful, so I never talked back or exhibited any violent or aggressive behavior., But I had an overactive imagination and couldnt sit still, he continued. Will I ever totally leave Boston College? 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. He told Ernie that he had to strive to get good grades and work very hard to achieve them, because if he didnt maintain a certain grade-point-average, he wouldnt be eligible to compete. Experience for 11 years as a high school mathematics teacher. Ernie Cobb played professional basketball in Israel for 17 years, where he learned to speak fluent Hebrew. These Boston College basketball players were way better than being involved with "Goodfella" Henry Hill and his underworld associates. He says basketball was Ernie's "vocation and avocation. When the evidence came up at the first trial, it didnt match up, but they still came after me a few years later. I had the complete package, said Cobb. I think it tells a great story, I think the story is told in an entertaining fashion, he said. Stamford took front and center in the story when it was revealed that Boston College's top scorer, Stamford High School star Ernie Cobb, was among those being investigated. October 11th, 2021 , 09:01. After he interviewed him, he fell in love with him and told me, Hes innocent. Im ready to move on from the actual filmmaking process. Thoughts continuously raced through Cobbs mind: How had he arrived here, he wondered, of all places, charged with allegedly conspiring to commit sports bribery while allegedly fixing college basketball games for the mob? We had a good old time. 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. I could see myself coming into my own one day and doing that. We got really close and he looked out for me. . The day I got to Stamford High School, Coach Alswanger was there waiting for me. I feel it.. But for many, there is a fierce bitterness that still lingers to this day. Alswanger, my high school coach inspired me to rise above my circumstances, he continued. I said, If this dude has cash like that to burn and wants to give me $1,000 because I told him wed destroy Stonehill, sure, Ill take it. 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