I was forthright and honest with them. The day I got to Stamford High School, Coach Alswanger was there waiting for me. Weve had serious problems with all of the other kids but we never had a problem with Ernie. Choose at least two teams from the menus below to start your trade. 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. I was lightning quick, could run up and down, go left or right and could score from anywhere on the floor., He was breaking every record you could think of and by his junior year, people were saying, Whoa! I was bored with my schoolwork and became the class clown. Contribute to The Shadow League today and help us share our narratives. 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. Draft: Utah Jazz, 6th round (1st pick, 109th overall), 1979 NBA Draft. His girlfriend, whom hed met during his first week on campus, was an upperclassman that knew how to navigate the schools academic landscape. I was so thankful, and was willing to work as hard as I possibly could, both in my studies, and in basketball, to be able to get the most I could out of the experience.. When he returned to the United States, he moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he became a Special Education teacher and high school basketball coach. His only response was an indication that the investigation was being continued. 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. My dad was still in my life, but something changed inside of me, said Cobb. Part 2 can be found here. They said they were trying like hell but they couldnt get the job done because Cobb was the key man on the team., After Boston College beat Holy Cross 89-87 in the first game between the two schools that season, Hill said in SI, Well, B.C. Boston College Accused of Point Shaving, was the big headline on the UPI wire. Ernie Cobb, the star of the Boston College basketball team in the 1978-79 season, was found not guilty yesterday of charges that he joined a game- rigging conspiracy to benefit gamblers that season. Tell me what you did and what you didnt do. Hed lost his older brother to drugs. He was a murderer and a horrible human being. 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. Despite never having played organized basketball before, Cobb was moved up to the varsity squad as a freshman. Hill won six games, but didn't begin to win wagers until Boston College's star Ernie Cobb joined the scheme for the last five games. 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 . . Good morning!ESPN's "Playing for the Mob" has rekindled embarrassing memories for not only Boston College but also The Boston Globe, 35 . We never starved. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Ernie Cobb, and Hill said in an article in Sports Illustrated -- for which he was paid $10,000 -- that he made payments to . I was having a lot of success, we were turning around the fortunes of the program and I was getting a lot of press in the Boston Globe and area newspapers. Masters Degree in Education. But I never agreed to fix any games or shave any points. I admitted to receiving that money, and spending it. A talkative informant. Kuhn was later convicted and served ten years in prison for the crime. It all seemed like a fairy tale, until he was indicted for allegedly fixing college basketball games for the mob. Professor Emeritus Richard Cobb-Stevens, a widely praised phenomenology scholar who chaired the Philosophy Department for nine years and played a leadership role in the revision of Boston College's core curriculum during the early 1990s, died on July 6. We publish narratives intentionally and specifically to enlighten and transform the world. Cobb didn't get those years back, but neither did he seek redemption for his past. Lavine said Kuhn was very open but declined to go on camera, so his side of the story is told instead mostly through court testimony. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Last Name. I was nervous because I didnt know what was going to happen. Ernie Cobbs family roots were planted in the dirt soil of Raleigh, North Carolinas tobacco fields, where he was born in 1956. ''I hadn't seen Ernie for several years,'' says Jack Hennessey, a Boston College psychologist who was an informal academic adviser to varsity . Height: 5'11" (180 cm) Weight: 0 lbs (- kg) Position: PG. But as it turned out, the trial was simply one chapter of many in his life, and not the defining one. 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. 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.. who were in it from the beginning, and Ernie Cobb . Jim Sweeney was not charged. Sometimes, B.C. Height: 6-3. age of adaline comet. We publish narratives intentionally and specifically to enlighten and transform the world. Henry Hill told prosecutors BC forward Rick Kuhn, shooting guard Ernie Cobb and point guard Jim Sweeney accepted money to purposely keep games closer than they may have otherwise been. At the close of the two-week trial, Alswanger was the last character witness who took the stand in Cobbs behalf. 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. 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: When he arrived on campus in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, Cobbs internal mantra was, I gotta stay eligible. With those persistent affirmations dancing through his mind, he took his academic responsibilities seriously from day one. So from then on I had a juvenile record. The Draft Review (with Matthew Maurer) brings you a wealth of NBA draft history through its free resource of extensive statistics, biographies, articles, interviews and this live forum. All rights reserved. So I guess the thought process was, Well, if there were criminal activities going on, it had to be the brothers! My name and picture, and Michael Bowies as well, was on the front page of every newspaper in the country.. Cobb eventually cleared his name and Sweeney was never . Between being bused to a school that I felt like didnt value me, and my dad leaving the house, my academics went downhill fast. But I didnt know if Id be able to handle the academics.. He was 87. 109 Ernie Cobb, Boston University 129 Paul Poe, Louisiana College 148 Keith McDonald, Utah State 167 Milt Huggins, Southern Illinois 185 Paul Dawkins, Northern Illinois . That includes Rick Kuhn, the former minor league baseball player who started the scandal and who Sweeney says got him involved in it. After a full recruiting cycle, which schools got it right - and wrong - four years ago ET on ESPN. She helped tutor me, and encouraged me through some rough spots. 1975 TOPPS BASEBALL SET #197 ERNIE BANKS-FOX CHICAGO CUBS EX Sold by wlbjr | Ends on 2023-03-06 23:50:31 My girlfriend and I bought a new stereo, television and some furniture. Also wondered what became of Ernie Cobb. Some of it happened almost by accident, and some of it happened after years of determined work. A failed minor league baseball player from Pittsburgh turned college basketball player in Boston. As for his role in what happened, Sweeney says hes never run from the truth. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. erath county rant and rave; springfield, mo jail inmates; essex county hospital center jobs; blanching vs non blanching erythema; star trek next generation cast salaries There was no getting around that. Data Provided By With having to work long hours, her children had a lot of free, unsupervised time on their hands, some of which was not utilized wisely. He hugged his tearful mother before walking out into the hallway for a few moments. Do you recognize him? And my answer every time was, No! I didnt recognize any of those mobsters because I had never met them. I was better than everybody on the team, but I talked back to him and he cut me because he said I had a bad attitude. Find Ernest Cobb's current house address. Cobb was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the 6th Round and cut during training camp. Coach Alswanger was always schooling me about a winner never quits, a quitter never wins, about integrity, honor and character. The other two kids made whatever choices they made, but look what was done to Ernie. Hed have to start setting goals. Boston College Guard and former Stamfod High School standout Ernie Cobb drives past St. John's Frank Alagia during a game in 1976. ESPN's latest 30 for 30 film tackles the Boston College basketball point-shaving scandal. Rocco comes up to me and says, Hey, sometimes I bet on games and I wanna know how you think you guys are gonna do against Stonehill and Bentley? said Cobb. But she had to work very hard, over some long hours, which meant she couldnt monitor my every move. After she began working with him, she came to talk to me and said, Oh my god! He made other African-American ballers feel like they could go there and really showcase what they could do on a national level. Profile. won the gangsters some serious money by falling short of the spread. I loved it in Israel, the fans loved me and the people were so beautiful. Learn more and register. At that point, I was looking forward to a trial, said Cobb. We werent locked in individual cells. He turned to me and said, Coach, Im glad youre sticking up for your kid. Rocco and Tony Perla were giving money to Rick Kuhn. 1978, and March 1, 1979. The very next day, the Nets cut me., When the F.B.I. Some 36 years later, there doesn't seem to be a lot of love lost between key characters Rick Kuhn, Ernie Cobb, and Jim Sweeney, the trio of Eagles allegedly paid to keep scores as close as they . 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 talks about how he wanted to be an NBA player. You understand? But for many, there is a fierce bitterness that still lingers to this day. Today, Cobbs relationship with Boston College remains strained. At 11:05 a.m., U.S. District Judge Leonard Wexler completed his instructions to the jury in the Federal Court Building in Brooklyn as Ernie Cobb awaited his judgment. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. I was so frustrated at one point that I got on my bike in Stamford, Connecticut and just started riding. She was a miracle worker. Coach Alswanger, I have a confession to make, Ernie told the man sitting across from him. Thats the story chronicled by the latest edition of ESPNs 30 for 30 documentary series, Playing for the Mob, which premieres Tuesday night at 9 p.m. It wasnt until I actually saw him play that I realized how special he was as an offensive talent. 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. A Trenton, New Jersey, native, Lavine grew up there about the same time as Jim Sweeney -- a schoolboy legend in Trenton who went on to star at BC. My parents have suffered. During his court hearing, the judge sentenced him to a six-month sentence in the Meriden Juvenile Detention Facility. A chance meeting in prison. 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. The 1968 Topps Baseball Card series includes 598 cards and features multi-player rookie cards. 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. After the four-week trial in 1981, Jimmy Burke was sentenced to 20 years in prison, while Paul Mazzei and Tony Perla were sentenced to ten. It devastated me as a youngster. He ate, drank, and slept basketball. inStamford,Connecticut Quiz clue: Category (S = Singles, D = Doubles, T = Triples, HR = Home runs) / Hits . Ernie, and anybody who truly knew him, who knew about his character and what type of young man he was, we were all heartbroken. But its the points that Cobb and teammate Michael Bowie didnt score during the 1978-1979 season which has spawned a federal investigation. Ernest Cobb Special Education Cross Catagorical High School at Phoenix Union High School District Laveen, Arizona, United States 1 connection 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. For all I know, he told them I was in, that it would cost an extra $2,500 per game and he was trying to hustle the gangsters while pocketing the extra money. This has gone on for four years. I wanted my name cleared and it took a long time.. He insisted on taking a polygraph test, against his attorneys advice, which he passed. 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 yearned to shake himself free from being associated with the gangsters that would later be immortalized in the movie Goodfellas: Henry Hill, Jimmy Burke, Paul Vario and the Lucchese crime family apparatus that supported the biggest college sports point-shaving scandal since the 1950s. But I found out that I wouldnt be allowed to leave the United States because the government was going to bring me to trial.. He recruited teammates Ernie Cobb and Jim Sweeney into the ring, after becoming connected with ex-convicts Paul Mazzei and Henry Hill. It was the streets.. From that point on, I wanted to become the best basketball player that I could possibly be.. I knew that I could play basketball with anybody. Jim Sweeney during Boston College men's basketball's 1978-1979 season. 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.. 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. The teachers lived in our same community and they had relationships with our parents outside of the school. 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. She knew the terrain in terms of what I needed to be doing, said Cobb. Studied Special education at Grand Canyon University. Browse our public records directory to see Ernest Cobb's contact info, age, cell phone number, email address, social media profiles, and more. The Ernie Cobb-as-point-fixer story is ancient, but I'm still that guy who supposedly got away with something." He yearned to shake himself free from being associated with the gangsters that would later be immortalized in the movie Goodfellas Henry Hill, Jimmy Burke, Paul Vario and the Lucchese Crime Family apparatus that supported the biggest college sports point-shaving scandal since the 1950s. The phone calls flooded in from his friends and family in Boston and Connecticut, with despaired voices on the other end asking, Did you do this? They were a massive disappointment, yes, but also so transcendent for brief moments. But the Justice . Experience for 11 years as a high school mathematics teacher. Boston College Point Shaving. NEW YORK -- Former Boston College basketball player Rick Kuhn, jailed for his 1981 conviction in a point-shaving scandal, has asked for a reduction of his 10-year prison sentence. I kept me a shiny, new bike.. The distinguished paper later retracted the story. My character grew, along with my basketball skills. One of his early passions was racing remote-controlled cars. 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 . . Ernie Cobb, G, 1975-79 - 1,760 12. Bob Zuffelato, former BC coach, now at Marshall recruited Cobb. Kuhn, a reserve forward on the 1978-79 Boston College team, and four other men were convicted last November of a plot to manipulate the . And now, here I was on that same floor, pumped sky high, giving my defender buckets! October 11th, 2021 , 09:01. 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. Thursday, March 22nd, 1984. He says basketball was Ernie's "vocation and avocation. Sweeney fessed up to taking $500 under duress and escaped prosecution. Id like to thank all the people who stuck by me all the time, Cobb said after the verdict was announced. Utah Jazz, 6th round (1st pick, 109th overall), 1979 NBA Draft, More Ernie Cobb pages at Sports Reference, More Ernie Cobb Basketball Reference pages. As a junior, he averaged 37.6 points per game and was named All-State. But there was one obstacle that hed have to confront head-on. If you missed Part I, you can read it here. When I think about my journey, it brings tears to my eyes. Cobbs older siblings began having brushes with the law. But by the next summer, in 1980, he sparkled while playing for the New Jersey Nets during the pre-season. Im stuck. So, in very basic terms, if B.C. 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