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Curren's SCC Report Week 1 |
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“Gambling is the finest thing a person can do, if he’s good at it.”
- Krusty the Clown’s attorney Unfortunately, I‘m not very good at gambling. There was a time when I thought I was, back in my impressionable youth. As a reasonably talented high school student who also happened to be an athlete and a sports nut, I figured I knew everything about football. C‘mon, did you see the Buccaneers last week? They were terrible, they have no shot against the Bears. Or, the Lions are only getting 6 points from the Bears. That’s ridiculous. Someone who disagrees chimes in, an argument ensues, which inevitably ends with, “You want to bet?” To which your ego has only one answer: “Sure, how much?” You find out that gambling is more about winning and losing - pride - than the money. I’m a competitive person, I want to win. I also found out that I - whether it was sports, at the casino, or in horse racing - was losing more than I was winning.
I looked at places like Foxwoods and figured out that they don’t make it look like it does because they’re losing money. I stopped attributing my lack of clairvoyance in football to luck and bad breaks. I figured out that, like my old friend Socrates, I really knew nothing. Sadly, though, there are plenty of people that never figure that out. Recent statistics from Gamblers Anonymous estimate that 4 to 6 percent of gamblers become “compulsive” gamblers, meaning they can’t stop, no matter how much they lose. It is a somewhat silent problem in our society for a few reasons, most notably, the lack of immediate consequences. You don’t see anyone in the news dying of a gambling overdose or drunk gambling. To be honest, drinking and doing drugs are probably worse than gambling, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a serious problem. And if you think that gambling doesn’t go on among high school students, just walk down the hallways and hear the latest football betting lines or random poker terminology being tossed about. Unless you’ve been hiding in your off-season football hibernation cave, you probably know where I’m going with this.
In April, legendary West Haven football coach Ed McCarthy - second in all-time career wins with 277 and a state champion six times - was arrested and charged with professional gambling and two other misdemeanors by the Statewide Organized Crime Taskforce, basically meaning he was allegedly taking bets on sporting events illegally. Like the Hand steroid “scandal” the year before, the story hit a nerve and went regional, if not national.
Local television stations, who are consistently nowhere near the pulse of the community, clamored around West Haven High to find out how such an awful thing could have happened. It was front page news in the New Haven Register and was prominent in almost every other daily paper in the state. And the city of West Haven, for the most part, yawned. A month later, McCarthy pleaded not guilty and the case is still pending. McCarthy will begin his 25th season as football coach Friday night when the Westies host Shelton. The president of West Haven’s teacher’s union called him “a good teacher” (McCarthy also teaches physical education) and “if he would ask him to represent him, we certainly would”. Superintendent JoAnn Hurd Andrees said last week that the case “is in a kind of limbo” and had previously said, “He (McCarthy) doesn’t appear to be an imminent danger to the children. When we get all the facts, we will act accordingly.” If you’re surprised by any of that, to paraphrase Eliot Ness in The Untouchables, then “you’ve never been to West Haven.” There have been no calls to axe McCarthy. There have been no protests outside West Haven practices. No flood of letters to the Board of Education offices. Heck, he wasn’t even arrested by the West Haven police, even though the state alleges that some of McCarthy’s bookmaking goes back as far as 1989.
As a West Haven High graduate and someone that’s been around Westie athletics for almost three decades now, I can’t say I disagree. At least completely. Let’s reassess what McCarthy allegedly did: took bets for his friends and bar patrons on sporting events. He wasn’t charged with running a multi-state operation, he wasn’t accused of anything actually involved with organized crime. ESPN reported last Sunday as the NFL regular season opened, that $60 billion - more than the entire league is worth - will be bet this season, 90 percent of it illegally. After the government banned Internet wagering, or at least Internet sites taking wagers from people in the United States, the backlash has propelled Congress to look at quickly repealing the law.
In other countries, like Great Britain, soccer teams are sponsored by betting sites and gambling on soccer matches is perfectly legal (although a recent tennis scandal has worried some European lawmakers). The bigger problem, as the NBA has found out the hard way and colleges are especially concerned about, with gambling is trying to keep the games on the level. I don’t think the people allegedly betting at McCarthy’s bar, The Dugout, have the pull to make someone throw a game. And, of course, those compulsive gamblers. But alcohol is legal and people abuse it. Gambling is legal in many circles, not to mention the state lottery which takes in billions for Connecticut. So I’m of the mind that if someone wants to be an idiot, it’s not my job to stop him. Don’t want to wear a seat belt or a helmet on your motorcycle? Hope your luck is good. Obviously underage gambling is a different matter, and I hope it is there where people like McCarthy need to take their responsibility as a role model a little more seriously. Hopefully, when all the legal matters are cleared up, he will do his best to make sure gambling is not glorified in his community. So while I certainly don’t come to praise McCarthy, I don’t come to bury him, either.
Do I think McCarthy, as an educator and as the primary role model to many athletes, is guilty of bad judgement by owning a bar and allegedly taking bets? Absolutely. Do I think ,with 25 years of spotless service to the district and a nearly impeccable record as a coach, that he deserves to go to jail, or even lose his job over it? No. McCarthy, who it should be reiterated has pleaded not guilty to the charges, will receive enough punishment when people try to Google his name and come up with sites like bustedbigtime.com and badjocks.com along with the winningest coaches in Connecticut history. Like the Hand “scandal” last year, hopefully this story will fade away and we can concentrate on some football for 2007. And hopefully there will be no replacement for it in 2008.
QUICK SCC PREVIEW: DIVISION I WEST (in predicted order of finish): The name Geoff Schultz of Shelton was somewhat unknown going into last season, but it won’t be this season. Although Schultz has sat out the preseason, he should be ready for Friday’s showdown with West Haven. All reports have the Gaels bigger, stronger, faster than the 2006 version, which qualified for the Class LL playoffs. If they can get past Week 1, there could be no stopping the Shelton machine. Xavier took a step backward last season, finishing a mediocre 6-4 after rolling to an undefeated season in 2005 and the Class LL title. The question is: which way will they go in a big season for their program? We say forward as the Falcons return some good athletes, including quarterback Ryan Caton.
Fairfield Prep seems to be the popular sleeper choice in the SCC, and Massengo Kabongo, headed to Maryland, is a great player. But we‘re skeptical about what is behind him, as the Jesuits had a lot of luck on their side last season in a very good 8-2 campaign and a berth in the Class LL playoffs. Amity was somewhat of a disappointment last season, finishing 4-6 and maddeningly inconsistent (they beat Xavier). Brandon Choinere returns at quarterback and there is some talent there, but the schedule is menacing to say the least. There‘s nowhere to go but up for Hamden, but how far is anyone‘s guess. Other than Kenny Keen, most of the names are hard to recognize, and riding the SCC‘s second-longest losing streak (9), there doesn’t appear to be too much reason for optimism among the Dragon faithful.
DIVISION I EAST: They‘ll have a new quarterback and a new tailback, and Sio Moore decided to go back to North Carolina, but the defense for West Haven could be better than last year, led by studs like O‘Brien Johnson. Staying away from mistakes like they had against Staples in the playoffs last year will be the key. We picked Cheshire last in this division in 2006, after all, they hadn‘t had a winning record in six years. No such mistake this time around. The Rams seemed to find themselves at the end of last year, and with everyone else seemingly going to the spread offense, Cheshire‘s old-school option continues to give people fits. Just ask West Haven, whom the Rams annihilated in Week 9 last year. And Cheshire doesn‘t have to deal with Shelton, either. Quigley Stadium lives - at least for one week - but otherwise the news is positive out of Notre Dame, where speedsters like Travis Hurd and transfer Stirling Taylor (whose brother plays for Louisville), could lead the Green Knights into playoff contention, particularly in Class MM. John Acquavita takes over for Dennis Wanzie at Wilbur Cross, and he inherits what might be the most talented squad the Governors have seen in a long time. Wilbur Cross will be dangerous, but playing in the state‘s toughest division won‘t be easy. Daniel Hand in last place? In this division, yes, we think. The Tigers struggled last year to keep up with the monsters above them, and will surely battle again this year. But without stud talent and most of their offseason dealing with the seemingly ludicrous firing of assistant coach Mike Ciotti, who was finally reinstated last week, it could be a tough year in Madison. But at least they can have more time in December to argue at school board meetings.
DIVISION II WEST: We’ll see how Jonathan Law does as favorites, and without a lot of the line that propelled it to a 6-4 record last year. But bruising J.J. Jachym will be a handful for Division II defenses to deal with, and the Lawmen were on fire at the end of the season in 2006, and should have plenty of momentum. The names will be mostly unfamiliar to start the season, but Hillhouse - now under new coach Tom Dyer - has some young players that will be out to continue the tradition and prove that last season‘s Class M title was no fluke. But the schedule will be a tough one. The last time Branford was rebuilding, they decided to win a state championship. We‘re saying that history won‘t repeat itself, but Gary Gravina and his staff have gotten the reputation as one of the best and brightest in the SCC. They’ll get a chance to prove it with Shelton in Week 2 and Xavier in Week 9 staring at them. After a solid start, Guilford stumbled in the middle of the season in 2006, including a tough-to-swallow 48-43 loss at home to Sheehan. But the Indians took it to Hand on Thanksgiving, and with new turf, they might be heard from in this division. Lyman Hall also appears to be headed backward, and by Division II standards, this is a very tough division. The Trojans will do their best to avoid their third straight losing season, but it will be tough to get out of the cellar.
DIVISION II EAST: After going winless in 2005, North Haven was one of the feel good stories of last season, going 7-3 despite having to play three crossover games (Amity on Thanksgiving is the third). Dan Fleming is one of the gutsiest players in the league, but their lack of speed will hurt them against some of the bigger schools. Just like Guilford, Sheehan has a brand new turf field to play on this season. Actually, it’s not completely new, it was ready at the end of last season. Unfortunately, they get to welcome West Haven there in Week 2, but there is a chance to make some strides in 2007 if they can be a little more consistent on defense. We picked Derby to win this division last season and they proceeded to go 1-9, and look pretty bad doing it. They‘ve added O‘Brien Tech as a coop partner this season, so the numbers will be a little better, but they‘re still looking for a another league to take them, although I don‘t know if the grass is much greener elsewhere. At least Jeff Bevino kept his sense of humor as Foran went 0-10 last season and gave up the most points in the state. Sophomore Jake White was a pleasant surprise, and if he can be given time to set in the pocket, he can be very good. But that’s a big if. East Haven took a step forward last season, even beating a listless Branford team on Thanksgiving to move to 4-5-1. However, graduation took a fairly heavy toll on the Easties, and even with some young talent, it could be a rebuilding season for the Yellowjackets.
EXTRA POINTS: .
GAME OF THE WEEK Shelton at West Haven, Friday, 7 p.m. -- So many storylines, so little time. There should obviously be no lack of motivation for Shelton, who seems to get behind the 8-ball every season by losing to West Haven early. The Blue Devils have plenty of question marks, but they also have plenty of talent to make things very interesting.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK INSIDE THE NUMBERS 5 Number of points teams will receive for wins of teams that they tied during the season, down from 10 in previous seasons. While the move from the CIAC was made to try to get conferences to add overtime (as well as common sense), the SCC decided not to implement overtime for this season, although they may in 2008.
POWER RANKINGS
1) Shelton (8-3, Last Year 1) -- Appear to have everything in place for Class L title run.
2) Cheshire (7-3, LY 3) -- Return to glory for once-mighty Rams? It might be their time.
3) West Haven (9-2, LY 2) -- First one might be the toughest one of them all for Westies.
4) Notre Dame (5-5, LY 8) -- If they can stay out of their own way, could be very dangerous.
5) Xavier (6-4, LY 6) -- Finished last year strong, and might like the role of the underdog.
6) Fairfield Prep (8-3, LY 5) -- Prove me wrong, Fairfield Prep. Prove me wrong.
7) Wilbur Cross (5-5, LY 7) -- Talent meter might have shifted in New Haven toward Cross.
8) Jonathan Law (6-4, LY 9) -- If they dream big enough, they might be in the playoff race.
9) Hillhouse (11-1, LY 4) -- Defending Class M champs will have a chip on their shoulder.
10) Hand (4-6, LY 13) -- Teams still fearing the Surf Club, but not quite as much these days.
11) Branford (6-4, LY 12) -- Might still be able to piece together success in Division II.
12) Guilford (5-5, LY 10) -- Big year for Benoit and program to see which way they‘re headed.
13) North Haven (7-3, LY 11) -- Will be tough to match last year, but might win division.
14) Amity (4-6, LY 14) -- Things may be tough for Spartans in a loaded Division I.
15) Sheehan (3-6-1, LY 16) -- One of many Division II teams that were all over the map in 2006.
16) Hamden (1-9, LY 18) -- Might be some time before they can snap 9-game losing streak.
17) Lyman Hall (2-8, LY 17) -- Riding a 1-game winning streak into 2007, though.
18) Derby (1-9, LY 19) -- Still think they should have been better than 1-9 last season.
19) Foran (0-10, LY 20) -- White will be worth the price of admission, even if he‘s running.
20) East Haven (4-5-1, LY 15) -- We‘ll see if they can build on best season in quite awhile.
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