So is there footage of the famous 1990's Challenge of Champions dumping scandal?

Jaden said:
Was when congress decided to unconstitutionally make tobacco advertising illegal in an attempt to protect people from themselves, there by killing the camel pro billiards tour right as it was getting started.

Jaden
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You know, as much a I love pool, I love my lungs more. So ya.

Lou Figueroa
 
iusedtoberich said:
Its frankly a boring game for the masses to watch.
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Like any sport it is alot more entertaining for alot of people to watch when they have something riding on the outcome. The NFL, NBA, HNL, and many other sports get a huge percentage of their fan interest from sports betting. Pool NEEDED to have the ability for people to bet on the matches in order to increase interest in the sport from the spectators point of view and in 1991 a group of pros screwed over the fans, fellow pros, promoters, sponsors, the host casino, everyone, for a greedy short sighted one time score.
 
SUPERSTAR said:
Don't see the challenge of champions on that list.
Just the 1991 International 9-Ball Classic.
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Translation...

"I'v got some ice cream, you don't got no ice cream"
 

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Celtic said:
Translation...

"I'v got some ice cream, you don't got no ice cream"
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Actually no.
It was to stop people from possibly erroneously spending money on something that is NOT the match in question.

If people are going to go purchase the Lebron match that is listed there, they should be doing it because they want to get an idea of how Mike played.
Not because they think it's the Challenge of Champions match.
 
If you are not "In on it" don't bet.

When I first became interested in pool I subscribed to Billiards Digest and really enjoyed some of the biographical stories on top players. After reading one such story I almost idolized this player X. A few years later a pool friend related to me how he had seen player X and another player dumping the rail in a one pocket match. They had agents booking bets and then signaling the players as to who should win the next game. He told me when it comes to player X, if you are not in on it don't bet. Many years later I was living in a small northern CA college town. Player X came to town and was living with his sister. The owner of the local pool hall was thrilled to have a name player in town and it was not long till he committed to backing player X. Wouldn't you know it within a week another known player came into town and player X lost to him on the owners money. I was out of town at the time but upon my return the local pool fanatics could not wait to relate the whole story to me. They evidently got a great show. After relating the story one of the kids asked me "what do you think?" I just chuckled and said "Well I have been told that when it comes to player X, if you are not in on it, don't bet." Right at that time the owner walked up to our table. The kid turned to him and said, "Greg says you got dumped!"
 
So I've wasted another 20 minutes of my life that I will never get back. Same old crap I've read about this for years. The guy asked if someone could post it up. Only one guy "claims" to have it. Soooo...is this video out there to be bought or viewed online?
 
wayne said:
Hi Jay: You weren't really wrong about Earl if what a person with the handle "Professor" from a site called Southern Billiards says is accurate:

"There were eight players that were to play in the match; supposedly eight of the best players there were at that time. The casino(s), I believe out of Vegas but, I dont recall exactly which one(s), were sponsoring it. It was a $50,000 winner take all tournament. I dont remember the eight players, but two of them were Buddy Hall and Mike LeBron. I truly wish I could name the other six players.

Anyway, one player that was obviously absent from the list was Earl Strickland, player of the year and current world champion. The reason given that Earl could not be there was that he was scheduled to be out of the country and would not be able to play. Now, you need to realize that the conversation I am about to recount to you happened BEFORE the tournament. And, whatever you may think of Earl for whatever reason, the following shot my stock in him through the roof.

I mentioned to Strickland that I hated hearing that he would not be able to compete in the $50,000 Challenge of Champions due to being out of the country. He kind of chuckled in the way that he does and said something to the effect that yea, he would be out of the country but, they had scheduled it that way because they didnt want him to play in it. At that point, I was thinking Earl may have a little too high an opinion of him self. Then what he told me I found totally incredulous. He told me that they planned to split the money ($50,000) up equally among them! Furthermore, the long shot in the tournament (even odds would be 7 to one against) was LeBron, and that the house odds on him were 20 to 1. The idea was that the players could then bet the money back on LeBron. Earl said he would have nothing to do with fixing the match! He said he told them he would play, but that if he did he would be playing to win, and would not agree to any split agreements.

Now, I think you would admit, that was really an unbelievable story. I left that conversation with my first doubts about things Earl says. Well to this day I owe him an apology for having doubted what he said.

The Challenge took place. Now, this was a big thing. I mean in my mind that event was one of the best things that had ever happened to pool. Not only did we have a sponsor behind the event for 50 large, which was great, but, they were also making lines on the event! Now, people may approve or disapprove of gambling, I will not judge others individual beliefs; personally for some people I think it is wrong for them to gamble, and for others I dont. However, I do believe that one of the best things that can happen to a sport, it terms of making it popular, is the ability of the public to wager on it. Bingo! With this event we had two of the best things that could ever happen to pool taking place; a sponsor putting money behind the game and lines were being made legally! Damn, people it dont get any better!

Then I saw the finals of the match! Time and time again I watched the last two innings between Buddy Hall and Mike LeBron, I could NOT believe what I was seeing. It has been a decade or more since I saw it, but I remember it well. They made it look good. The problem was they made it look too good."
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Unbelievable all right! Only you believed it. :wink:
True that Earl was otherwise occupied that first year and it also may be partially true that the other players were not so keen to have him included. He was the dominant player at that time. I remember asking what happened, why wasn't he included and being told that he was unavailable.

That said, NO ONE knew the line until we all got there. It was not posted in advance! I think many people were aware that the Mirage Sports Book was going to make a line, but NO ONE saw the line until a day or two before the event was to begin. I remember being there the day before and all the players were incredulous that Lebron was 20-1 and the next long shot was David Howard at something like 7-1. We all knew that in a small field like this and with all good players playing short matches, any one of them could win.

That's when the wheels started turning in their heads and a plan was hatched. Now, we all know the result of that. I was not aware of any shenanigans until the semis, when I began to smell a rat. I could tell something was funny just by the way the players were interacting. I knew all these guys real well. Plus word went around that the players were handing a friend or spouse money to bet Lebron. And then the finals came and what happened, happened. I saw a couple of funny shots and I KNEW for sure! None of the players will ever admit it and I'm not surprised. And no one has any proof except them, and the few people they confided in.

Any way, Earl didn't know a thing until after the fact. That part of your (the Professor's) story is a fabrication. Of course after the fact it's easy to tell anyone anything and some people will believe it. I just happen to not be one of them. :wink:
 
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Woof Biscuit said:
So I've wasted another 20 minutes of my life that I will never get back. Same old crap I've read about this for years. The guy asked if someone could post it up. Only one guy "claims" to have it. Soooo...is this video out there to be bought or viewed online?
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Learn how to read.
He never asked if someone could post it up.

CreeDo said:
Seeing this recent post made me wonder...

I'd originally thought the alleged match fixing happened in the 88 US Open, but apparently it was this other event.

Is there footage from this event? Accustats, youtube, whatever? I'd be curious to see if this is as blatant as it sounds.

It also seems worth mentioning... this guy was supposed to be a massive underdog, and supposedly could not have won without 'help' from the other top players in the event. But apparently he won TWO major events?

Maybe Spanish Mike is underrated.
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He asks if there is footage of the event.

I reply that it is out there.
 
pro9dg said:
The way that I heard it (from a player involved in the event ) was that Earl was one of the original eight invitees. The scam was set up by one of the other participating players - it probably wouldn't need an Enstein to work out who.
They were to divide the $50k between them which did mean that they needed to find someone to bridge that and use it to stake money.
Allen Hopkins was not in the original list.
When Earl refused to collude on the scam he withdrew from the event and he was replaced by Tony Ellin.
One of the players had to remortgage his house to get his stake money.
But he had enough equity to raise an extra $5000. He took it and bet that too.
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And this is an example of how rumors morph into outright fantasies! :cool:
 
you should post the last game of Hall Lebron ICOC match

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
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SUPERSTAR said:
Learn how to read.
He never asked if someone could post it up.



He asks if there is footage of the event.

I reply that it is out there.
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You were ask to post it.... You said no
You have the match so you say. So you evidently just want everyone know you've got it and they don't . Big deal
 
peteypooldude said:
You were ask to post it.... You said no
You have the match so you say. So you evidently just want everyone know you've got it and they don't . Big deal
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Yeah. OTHERS asked.

But the OP did not ask.

I was responding to the OP.

Who cares what everyone else wants.

But since it seems to bother everyone that I am not posting it.
Why not a picture of the table to get everyone really fired up!:D

What was it that you said?
Oh yeah. "claims" to have it...:rolleyes:
 

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gregcantrall said:
When I first became interested in pool I subscribed to Billiards Digest and really enjoyed some of the biographical stories on top players. After reading one such story I almost idolized this player X. A few years later a pool friend related to me how he had seen player X and another player dumping the rail in a one pocket match. They had agents booking bets and then signaling the players as to who should win the next game. He told me when it comes to player X, if you are not in on it don't bet. Many years later I was living in a small northern CA college town. Player X came to town and was living with his sister. The owner of the local pool hall was thrilled to have a name player in town and it was not long till he committed to backing player X. Wouldn't you know it within a week another known player came into town and player X lost to him on the owners money. I was out of town at the time but upon my return the local pool fanatics could not wait to relate the whole story to me. They evidently got a great show. After relating the story one of the kids asked me "what do you think?" I just chuckled and said "Well I have been told that when it comes to player X, if you are not in on it, don't bet." Right at that time the owner walked up to our table. The kid turned to him and said, "Greg says you got dumped!"
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Holy cow! I was there too. Team Players.
 
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