Paniro named in ISU gambling probe

[mcpat]

I don’t wish loss of athletic eligibility on a 19 year old that put down a $50 bet on their women’s college basketball team in the excitement of them making the NCAA Final.

I get there are likely way worse violations that will come out. And if it’s way worse, then okay. But I worry about the stupid stuff getting punished harshly. Kids make mistakes. Let the punishment for the crime. Do 100 pushups or something.

 

[AndEEss]

I don’t wish loss of athletic eligibility on a 19 year old that put down a $50 bet on their women’s college basketball team in the excitement of them making the NCAA Final.

I get there are likely way worse violations that will come out. And if it’s way worse, then okay. But I worry about the stupid stuff getting punished harshly. Kids make mistakes. Let the punishment for the crime. Do 100 pushups or something.

Community service and gambling interdiction program.

Help the community, then themselves. Kicking them out of sports (and likely, school) doesn’t help them succeed in life.

 

[smalls103]

disagree. slaps on the wrist will only lead to more gambling and potentially point shaving, etc.

the kids go through a compliance session multiple times a year and are told not to gamble.

i don't want any of these kids to have their careers marred. but they knew what they were getting in to.

 

[El-Jefe]

disagree. slaps on the wrist will only lead to more gambling and potentially point shaving, etc.

the kids go through a compliance session multiple times a year and are told not to gamble.

i don't want any of these kids to have their careers marred. but they knew what they were getting in to.

Yes, plus: most or all used someone else (parent, girlfriend, brother, roommate, whatever) to place bets. That's a deliberate choice to flout the law.

Some consequence is needed, hopefully not enough to ruin careers, but enough to make others take notice.

 

[jack66]

This case has the attention of every college athlete.

What lessons will be learned if these kids get off with a slap on the wrist?

 

[AndEEss]

Yes, plus: most or all used someone else (parent, girlfriend, brother, roommate, whatever) to place bets. That's a deliberate choice to flout the law.

Some consequence is needed, hopefully not enough to ruin careers, but enough to make others take notice.

I don’t disagree; I’m simply saying that some sort of treatment for what may be an actual addiction + 3/6 month suspension might be better for the athlete, long term, than a year suspension or total loss of eligibility and no treatment.

 

[Folkstylefan]

Are we forgetting the student part of student athlete. Loss of eligibility for the sport isnt loss of eligibility to continue their education. They placed the bet knowing they could have had consequences. I know in today’s society we can have any type of real justice for a part of the population.

 

[LorenzoFan]

I don’t disagree; I’m simply saying that some sort of treatment for what may be an actual addiction + 3/6 month suspension might be better for the athlete, long term, than a year suspension or total loss of eligibility and no treatment.

I think in the case of gambling, the NCAA is using punishment to deter others.

 

[APSPSUwrestlingfan]

I don’t disagree; I’m simply saying that some sort of treatment for what may be an actual addiction + 3/6 month suspension might be better for the athlete, long term, than a year suspension or total loss of eligibility and no treatment.

Wrestling is the ultimate personal responsibility sport. Once you step on the mat there is no place to hide. What happens is up to you and what you do to face the adversity presented by circumstances and your opponent.

This country is facing a crisis because, as a nation, too many people face no personal responsibility for their bad acts. It has to stop and wrestling is the perfect place to stop it. No minor slaps on the wrist. Punishment should be swift, firm and evenhanded, for the wrestlers, the people who helped them hide their bets, the programs and the schools.

If there is a true addiction, not just some excuse to dodge responsibility, then treatment, in addition to punishment, is appropriate for a true student athlete.

 

[AndEEss]

Wrestling is the ultimate personal responsibility sport. Once you step on the mat there is no place to hide. What happens is up to you and what you do to face the adversity presented by circumstances and your opponent.

This country is facing a crisis because, as a nation, too many people face no personal responsibility for their bad acts. It has to stop and wrestling is the perfect place to stop it. No minor slaps on the wrist. Punishment should be swift, firm and evenhanded, for the wrestlers, the people who helped them hide their bets, the programs and the schools.

If there is a true addiction, not just some excuse to dodge responsibility, then treatment, in addition to punishment, is appropriate for a true student athlete.

What do you believe would be an appropriate punishment for a guy who makes a single bet on his university's women's basketball team?

 

[El-Jefe]

I don’t disagree; I’m simply saying that some sort of treatment for what may be an actual addiction + 3/6 month suspension might be better for the athlete, long term, than a year suspension or total loss of eligibility and no treatment.

Sure, if the athlete is diagnosed as such. Which we have no evidence of.

 

[GogglesPaizano]

What do you believe would be an appropriate punishment for a guy who makes a single bet on his university's women's basketball team?

I too happen to believe lifetime and full year bans should be limited to egregious cases.

That said the question you pose a hypothetical intentionally framed a bit unfairly, unless you have a specific name.

What should be the penalty for just one bank robbery, someone's first heroin sale, a first drunk driving resulting in an accident, first time beating a wife,....?

It's highly, highly unlikely someone placed only one bet, so why intentional use that to water down the whole topic?

 

[82bordeaux]

What do you believe would be an appropriate punishment for a guy who makes a single bet on his university's women's basketball team?

-110

 

[El-Jefe]

Are we forgetting the student part of student athlete. Loss of eligibility for the sport isnt loss of eligibility to continue their education. They placed the bet knowing they could have had consequences. I know in today’s society we can have any type of real justice for a part of the population.

Loss of eligibility also means loss of any athletic scholarship, which could be a disruption for academics. Not in all cases, and maybe not in most, but we shouldn't pretend it's zero impact.

Upperclassmen would be hardest hit, as they can't take JR/SR level classes at the local community college.

 

[GogglesPaizano]

Loss of eligibility also means loss of any athletic scholarship, which could be a disruption for academics. Not in all cases, and maybe not in most, but we shouldn't pretend it's zero impact.

Upperclassmen would be hardest hit, as they can't take JR/SR level classes at the local community college.

No doubt. I totally agree, athletics aside, the loss of a scholy is not only the loss of up to 30-40k/year, but for some of these kids it probably means dropping out of college entirely never to return. This indeed is where proportionality comes into play. Short of betting on one's self, or one's own team events, or otherwise evidence of collusion with another athelete, I think a permanent ban is too severe.

 

[tullfan68]

I am sure all the kids are told the rules on arriving at school so no excuses!

 

[WexfordWarrior]

-110

 

[Phantom of the Palestra]

What do you believe would be an appropriate punishment for a guy who makes a single bet on his university's women's basketball team?

They should be assaulted by a roided out burn victim every couple of years for the next decade and a half.

 

[mjmirv]

In wrestling, any suspension that doesn’t cover NCAAs is pointless. A 3/6 month suspension that ends in February is a slap on the wrist. NCAAs is the only thing that matters. It would be like football suspending Harbaugh for four cupcake games at the start of the season.

I’m not for career suspensions for gambling unless there is a situation like betting on your own game. If the one-year penalty just happens to be your last year of eligibility, oh well. It’s been clear from everyone involved that these meetings about gambling and the potential penalties have been held many times. That’s clearly why these guys were using accounts from family members.

Going by the names we’ve heard, none of them were going to win a championship this year anyway.

 

[AndEEss]

What do you believe is the appropriate punishment for the starting quarterback to place a single bet on his team?

Should an athlete be able to bet on his teammates at the NCAA tournament?

Obviously each should be evaluated on a case by case basis. Betting on his team can mean multiple things. A kid betting on himself and his team to win, or a guy knowing that he's injured and betting on his team to lose because of that. Both are betting on his team and I'd argue that one is a hell of a lot worse than the other.

In the case of Paniro Johnson, I don't know everything about what or who he was betting on, and under what circumstances. As I said earlier on in this thread, the fact that he was attempting to hide his identity and participating in what appears to be a (criminal) conspiracy makes it a lot worse. That's pretty bad. If the NCAA throws the book at him, I get it.

Now, let's say that an Iowa wrestler places a bet on the Iowa vs LSU basketball game, betting on Iowa to win. He does it under his own name, and he's of legal age to do that in Iowa. Is it a violation of NCAA rules? Yes. But should it end a kid's ability to wrestle in college, forever? That seems overly harsh, to me.

If the NCAA takes away all of their eligibility, they lose their scholarship, and a lot of these kids aren't going to graduate from college, ever. Not to say that they can't succeed without a college degree, but wrestling + a college degree has helped a lot of people over the years. The GI Bill was one of the single most positive influences on America, ever, and I believe that collegiate scholarships for athletes can be a similar situation. There are plenty of kids who can afford to go to college without a half scholarship, and there are many who can't, either. I'd rather these kids be suspended, learn from their mistakes, grow, graduate and help others in similar circumstances.

 

[Lyons212]

I have no sympathy for anyone who is punished for gambling, including if they lose all of their eligibility. The NCAA is very clear of what a student athlete can do regarding gambling and what one cannot do. The possible penalties are also very clear.

To place a bet on a team from your own school and do it using a parent, sibling, friend, etc name indicates that you knew the bet was a problem and did it anyway.

Gambling comes with harsh penalities for athletes because it can lead to undermining the credibility and integrity of sports.

Since I visited the John Wayne museum in Ft Worth a week ago, "Life's tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid".

These athletes were stupid, guess they pay the price.

 

[APSPSUwrestlingfan]

What do you believe would be an appropriate punishment for a guy who makes a single bet on his university's women's basketball team?

You ask a ludicrous question. Still, I will answer. The bet broke the rules that are explained often. No wrestling until after NCAA and conference championships allowed. You can't fix or excuse stupid.

 

[AndEEss]

You ask a ludicrous question. Still, I will answer. The bet broke the rules that are explained often. No wrestling until after NCAA and conference championships allowed. You can't fix or excuse stupid.

I'd be fine with that.

 

[Chickenman Testa]

The bottom line for me is: better them than us.

Let someone else’s wagon train attract the volley of arrows

 

[El-Jefe]

What do you believe would be an appropriate punishment for a guy who makes a single bet on his university's women's basketball team?

 

[GogglesPaizano]

What do you believe would be an appropriate punishment for a guy who makes a single bet on his university's women's basketball team?

Followed by

 

[amattaro]

Rules are rules but gambling rules are stupid AF. Very important to maintain the integrity of sports, I reckon.

 

[seamus98]

30 years ago, at a Division 2 school, we as players were regularly reminded to not fill out betting sheets. There was no internet and no casinos except for Jersey and Vegas. We took it pretty seriously and knew the repercussions. This wasn’t and isn’t a vague rule by the NCAA.

 

[KCLion]

Not a player, but wasn’t Coach Neuheisel was fired at Washington over an NCAA Basketball pool?

 

[Chickenman Testa]

What do you believe would be an appropriate punishment for a guy who makes a single bet on his university's women's basketball team?

A booting!

 

[TheRealSmee]

No doubt. I totally agree, athletics aside, the loss of a scholy is not only the loss of up to 30-40k/year, but for some of these kids it probably means dropping out of college entirely never to return. This indeed is where proportionality comes into play. Short of betting on one's self, or one's own team events, or otherwise evidence of collusion with another athelete, I think a permanent ban is too severe.

As someone without a college degree who hasn't been a pox on society (as far as I can tell😉), has been happily married for over 35 years, and has two respectable kids, if there is a punishment meted out, it needs to include the scholly. A college degree isn't the end-all, be-all. Plus, in men's NCAA sports, outside of football and shooty-hoops, most of these kids are on partial schollys at best anyway. There is plenty of aid out there, and the gubmint has all kinds of ways to reduce their debt if they take out loans (teach, work for a non-profit, etc.). Hell, cawlidge might be free to all in the not-to-distant future. But, to the point at hand, if you're punishing, sorry, but any scholly should be involved in the punishment.

 

[CentexLion]

This case has the attention of every college athlete.

What lessons will be learned if these kids get off with a slap on the wrist?

GIA leading up the effort to allow Pete Rose into the HOF now. It’s an addiction and he didn’t know any better.

 

[GogglesPaizano]

if you're punishing, sorry, but any scholly should be involved in the punishment.

I don't think anyone is arguing that point. The point being a total ban is a much bigger deal than just the athletic component. Hence imposing that level of justice should align with egregious activity.

 

[Lyons212]

I don't think anyone is arguing that point. The point being a total ban is a much bigger deal than just the athletic component. Hence imposing that level of justice should align with egregious activity.

Some people might consider watching basketball egregious activity, let alone women's basketball, let alone betting on it.

How many wrestling matches on BTN have been delayed for basketball....wrestlers betting on it and losing eligibility as a result, how ironic.

 

[SheldonJoe2215]

I think this is why journalists typically don't report things from single sources. Because those single sources can be wrong.

Unless it comes to conference realignment reporting when they throw caution to the wind.

 

[Conewago]

Well, the United States incarcerates a larger share of its population than any other country for which data is available. So, gotta keep up the image!

All this country does is build jailhouses - Levon Helm

 

[Conewago]

I'd be pretty upset today if I were an ISU fan. ISU is likely losing their starting QB. Iowa, their (backup?) kicker.

(No Iowa wrestlers named in the article.)

Aaron Blom accused of underage sports wagering, including bet on Iowa football

University of Iowa football player Aaron Blom faces a charge of tampering with records as a result of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s sports gambling investigation.

www.thegazette.com

At least Iowa State was already gonna suck this year in football. Losing a QB, meh.

As for the Hawks, we'll see, but I don't think McNamara will save them from another year of Kirk Ferentz's idea of offense.

 

[backdrft76]

 

[JWil23]

Maybe we can see Arnold back up his talk against Starocci now?

 

[Chickenman Testa]

Maybe we can see Arnold back up his talk against Starocci now?

That would be noice! Given Arnold’s issues scoring offensive points against high schoolers, good luck getting to the legs of the Great Wall of Erie