Did Tomase place a bet on the SB?

[PonyExpress]

If so, on which team? That seems like important information for the Herald to disclose. The reason I mention it is Felger in the past used to brag on his radio show about his football gambling, so this was likely an accepted practice in the Herald football department.

For the sake of transparency, the Herald and Tomase should disclose whether money was wagered on the game, on either team, from those closely connected to this story.

That would be good way to dispel notions of foul play.

 

[RayClay]

If so, on which team? That seems like important information for the Herald to disclose. The reason I mention it is Felger in the past used to brag on his radio show about his football gambling, so this was likely an accepted practice in the Herald football department.

For the sake of transparency, the Herald and Tomase should disclose whether money was wagered on the game, on either team, from those closely connected to this story.

That would be good way to dispel notions of foul play.

...................
+1

 

[upstater1]

There is a tape out there made by a former Boston Herald mailroom employee filming Tomase handing a slip over to his football bookie 4 days before the Super Bowl. The tape was made because the mailroom employee was trying to blackmail Tomase. Apparently, Tomase would not cop to stealing two dozen donuts from the mailroom coffee table on the morning of January 13, 2008. The mailroom employee took all the blame. I have this on good authority.

 

[cubicle_6]

It doesn't matter if he did or he didn't.
If a friend of a friend of an acquaintance says he did, then you gotta figure he did.

 

[PonyExpress]

Howie Carr wrote a column earlier this week about how the Pats' success vs the spread had severely damaged the local mob. The timing of Tomase's walkthru article seemed ideal for someone with money on the Giants.

I highly doubt there was any impropriety, but the Herald should make every effort to dispell lingering suspicion.

These questions re: gambling, or gambling connections should be asked to the editors as well, who thought this flimsy story was fit to print, and were so determined to print it they gave the Pats only an hour to answer the charges.

 

[PatriotsReign]

Howie Carr wrote a column earlier this week about how the Pats' success vs the spread had severely damaged the local mob. The timing of Tomase's walkthru article seemed ideal for someone with money on the Giants.

I highly doubt there was any impropriety, but the Herald should make every effort to dispell lingering suspicion.

These questions re: gambling, or gambling connections should be asked to the editors as well, who thought this flimsy story was fit to print, and were so determined to print it they gave the Pats only an hour to answer the charges.

I love seeing the mob damaged. If I lived in the North End, none of those guys would be there, I promise you.

bunch of wimps

 

[JoePats]

There is a tape out there made by a former Boston Herald mailroom employee filming Tomase handing a slip over to his football bookie 4 days before the Super Bowl. The tape was made because the mailroom employee was trying to blackmail Tomase. Apparently, Tomase would not cop to stealing two dozen donuts from the mailroom coffee table on the morning of January 13, 2008. The mailroom employee took all the blame. I have this on good authority.

Inadmissable...The tape was not made from an enclosed area. Cheater.

 

[Dr Pain]

The question of betting against the Patriots by any member of the herald now seems like a very legitimate question to me. How do you justify writing a story like this which any reasonable person would expect to detract from the Patriots preparation for a blockbuster story based on someone who said simply the heard it existed. The Herald must answer this and I think the IG should investigate. This could be a RICO case.

 

[FilPats]

Howie Carr wrote a column earlier this week about how the Pats' success vs the spread had severely damaged the local mob. The timing of Tomase's walkthru article seemed ideal for someone with money on the Giants.

I highly doubt there was any impropriety, but the Herald should make every effort to dispell lingering suspicion.

These questions re: gambling, or gambling connections should be asked to the editors as well, who thought this flimsy story was fit to print, and were so determined to print it they gave the Pats only an hour to answer the charges.

We should turn the tables on the Pats detractors. Let's call for independent investigation on this gambling connection, who used the Herald and Tomase as tools to accomplish their ends. Go Pats

 

[FarScapeR]

This morning, the CEO of the Herald said the gambling was "not a widespread practice."

 

[Willie Andrews23]

Pony,
Although I am enjoying the humorous responses to your thread, I think you most certainly have an interesting point. A point I've been thinking about since this happened. More than anything, it's the timing of the story that raises my suspicions. People and players can say that the article did not effect the outcome of the game, but as Jim Nantz put it "every game has an X-Factor". And this crap coming up again just could have been that factor that threw the Pats just a little bit "off" in that game.

I believe this should be looked further into. Sports Book is as illegal as "taping" opponets signals in the NFL.

 

[Dr Pain]

This morning, the CEO of the Herald said the gambling was "not a widespread practice."

Oh my god. Is this true that he said this? This is very damning if so. Not a widespread practice. So it did take place? That’s what I read it to say. They have the ability to influence the game, there is a big spread and some folks there bet?

 

[PonyExpress]

Oh my god. Is this true that he said this? This is very damning if so. Not a widespread practice. So it did take place? That’s what I read it to say. They have the ability to influence the game, there is a big spread and some folks there bet?

I think Farscape may have been joking when he made that comment, but I can't be sure. In any event, I think this is a serious issue that needs to be looked into considering the importance of Sb gambling to local bookies affiliated to the mob.

It definitely requires more than a statement from the CEO of the Herald, if such a statement exists, because frankly, statements from the Herald are no longer worth the paper they're written on.

The authorities should get involved, if only to vindicate the Herald, and restore public confidence in the integrity of the media.

 

[Dr Pain]

I think Farscape may have been joking when he made that comment, but I can't be sure. In any event, I think this is a serious issue that needs to be looked into considering the importance of Sb gambling to local bookies affiliated to the mob.

It definitely requires more than a statement from the CEO of the Herald, if such a statement exists, because frankly, statements from the Herald are no longer worth the paper they're written on.

The authorities should get involved, if only to vindicate the Herald, and restore public confidence in the integrity of the media.

Did Felger really talk about his betting on his radio show? I have never listened to him as I can’t stand him.

I wonder if the line changed when this story broke.

 

[PonyExpress]

Pony,
Although I am enjoying the humorous responses to your thread, I think you most certainly have an interesting point. A point I've been thinking about since this happened. More than anything, it's the timing of the story that raises my suspicions. People and players can say that the article did not effect the outcome of the game, but as Jim Nantz put it "every game has an X-Factor". And this crap coming up again just could have been that factor that threw the Pats just a little bit "off" in that game.

I believe this should be looked further into. Sports Book is as illegal as "taping" opponets signals in the NFL.

Maybe it didn't affect the outcome of the game (I disagree, I think it did). But the question is :
Was it INTENDED to affect the outcome of the game?
Was it INTENDED to affect the outcome of the spread, for bettors?

The spread was around 14, and my guess is the overwhelming local gambling was on the Pats to cover.

The story may have been intended to influence the Pats' preparations just enough to affect their margin of victory.

I was drawn to this speculation by 4 items.

1) Felger's boasting of his online gambling habits
2) Howie Carr's recent article that the pats' success against the spread had damaged the local mob
3) The timing and lack of substantiation of the Tomase article, which seemed designed for maximum negative effect, giving the Pats no time to prove their innocence before the game.
4) Masseroti's recent slop-fest, in which he gleefully points out that the Pats lost the SB despite being favored by "2 TDs". I found this an odd reference, strange and telling for a sports writer. The loss was the only issue that mattered. Who cares about the spread, unless Masserotti is fixated on it, or he works in a culture where others are fixated on it?

This leads me to entertain the possibility that there may have been a gambling connection to this story, maybe not with Tomase, but with others connected to the story inside the Herald. Who knows? We'd all like to know there wasn't.

 

[Dr Pain]

This leads me to entertain the possibility that there may have been a gambling connection to this story, maybe not with Tomase, but with others connected to the story inside the Herald. Who knows? We'd all like to know there wasn't.

I agree. I can see 1 person making a mistake and wanting to write something based on sources who did not tape it nor had ever seen it tapes but I can not fathom how this would be allowed to be published by editors and the fact checkers once they heard none of the sources knew if it happened or not. The effect of the story was easily estimated prior to publication and if in fact he heard about this in 2006, printing it less than 2 days before the SB was done for effect, the effect on the spread and the Patriots and not the circulation perhaps?