Benny Silman of New York City is a former student turned campus bookmaker who was jailed for masterminding a point shaving scandal at Arizona State University.[1][2][3]
Career
editIn 1998, Silman pleaded guilty to charges that he bribed college basketball players Stevin "Hedake" Smith and Isaac Burton to ensure the Sun Devils did not "cover the allotted spread" in four end-of-season basketball games during the 1994 season.[1][4][5] He was sentenced to just under four years in a federal prison after pleading guilty to fixing Arizona State basketball games in exchange for money from gamblers.[6] A total of $568,000 was wagered by professional sports handicappers on the approval of Silman.[citation needed]
Following his release in 2002, Silman has conducted seminars with NCAA athletes to warn them about the dangers of gambling and has written articles for such publications as Maxim magazine. Silman claims that he was coerced into perpetuating his scheme longer than planned by members of organized crime. His story was made into a movie titled Big Shot: Confessions of a Campus Bookie with David Krumholtz playing Silman.[7][8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b story, Peter Kendall and Douglas Holt, Tribune Staff Writers Tribune reporters John O'Brien in Chicago and V. Dion Haynes in Phoenix contributed to this. "POINT-SHAVING PAYS OFF IN SHAME AND SUFFERING". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "How Vegas Bookies Uncovered the 1994 Arizona State Point Shaving Scheme". SportsHandle. 2019-03-15. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
- ^ "COLLEGE BASKETBALL; 2 Admit Shaving Points At Arizona State in '94". The New York Times. Associated Press. 1997-12-06. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
- ^ "Point-Shaving Scandal Hits Arizona State". Los Angeles Times. 1997-12-06. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
- ^ Smith, Stevin (Hedake). "Confessions Of A Point Shaver Former Arizona State star Hedake Smith reveals how he and his accomplices fixed basketball games". Sports Illustrated Vault. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
- ^ "Son Of Mob In ASU Scandal". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
- ^ "Ex-Bookie Says Fix Would Be Easy". Los Angeles Times. 2002-03-31. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
- ^ Gallo, Phil (2002-03-28). "Big Shot: Confessions of a Campus Bookie". Variety. Retrieved 2020-04-11.