Point Shaving :: essays research papers

I think that it’s a tragedy to see that many collegiate athletes are involved in gambling situations. It’s hard on the athletes too, because they’re not getting paid to play the game so it’s hard to resist thousands of dollars to only win by a few, in cases on point shaving. When I was watching that movie â€Å"Blue Chips†, which is all about illegal college betting and buying athletes to come to their school, there was a scene involving the coach and the point guard regarding a point shaving incident three years ago. After the student was harassed by the coach he finally confessed saying, â€Å"We won the game, we just didn’t beat the spread. That’s only for those gamblers anyway†. He has a point with what he said but that’s not the point. A lot of young athletes do see point shaving as partaking in an illegal and unlawful event or don’t believe that much in it, morally. So people say that if the college players were getting paid none of this would happen. I don’t know if giving the players a stipend is going end this because unless you’re paying the athletes thousands of dollars a week or a game, the stipend won’t be more than what they’re being offered. I do think that it might help but I’m not sure if that help is going to make a big enough difference. On the same note, if you eliminate spreads, can they be sure that it will make a difference when it comes to gambling. Don’t get me wrong, eliminating the spreads would decrease the amounts of point shaving incidents, but it won’t necessarily stop them. Bookies can make up their own spreads and ask players to shave points regardless of the fact that the spread is not publicized. The bookie has an idea by about how much one team may beat another. I understand that they will probably never â€Å"eliminate collegiate gambling† but they’re t rying to limit and reduce it and I’m all for it too. Unfortunately there is the big issue of the politicians and their campaigning for funds and it’s going to be hard to control that too. I can understand why Congress isn’t closing the Nevada loophole or at least delaying it, but I still don’t agree with it.