ernie cobb boston college

A fitness fanatic who augmented his training by swimming and riding his bicycle very long distances, Cobb hopped on his ten-speed shortly after the indictment was announced and began pedaling. Tell me what you did and what you didnt do. He craved to clear his name once and for all. 1050. Ernest was born in Harlem, the first son of the . Thursday, March 22nd, 1984. So from then on I had a juvenile record. October 11th, 2021 , 09:01. When Henry Hill started threatening Kuhn and Sweeney, promising that they couldnt play with broken limbs, the players, according to Hill, claimed that they were doing their best, but the scheme would never work unless Ernie Cobb was in on the fix. Confirm that your trade proposal is valid according to the NBA collective bargaining agreement. He jumped in the air, as if soaring for a rebound, as cheers filled the courtroom. Rocco Perla received a four-year sentence and Rick Kuhn was sentenced to a ten-year bid as well, which was later reduced to 28 months. When Ernie began attending school, the areas school system was functionally segregated. He wanted to tell his side of the story. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Kuhn was later convicted and served ten years in prison for the crime. Kuhn was a BC player at the center of the controversy. As a matter of fact, one thing Im really happy with in this film, is we really did get to everybody, Lavine said. During the 1978-78 basketball season, Boston College was the latest team scandalized by a point shaving scheme involving the New York mob. ERNEST COBB OBITUARY. He was 83. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. There was no getting around that. . . I was a senior in high school when Ernie Cobb was a senior at Boston College and Id heard that he was a very good player, said Lemuel Mills, a Boston area hoops aficionado, coach, community mentor and historian. She also recalled Kuhn saying that Cobb was too into his own game to cooperate with the betting thing, but the New York gangsters were adamant about getting him involved. As for his role in what happened, Sweeney says hes never run from the truth. I dominated all those guys on the playground and they laughed at me when I got cut. I just had to be alone, Cobb told the reporters afterwards. 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. He worked hard in class. I told him, I think were gonna blow them out, we look really good. Last Name. 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. Press release from the City of Menifee: MENIFEE - Menifee's street projects and construction updates are getting an upgrade! I told him that he was going to have to work very hard and that he was going to have to do things the right way if he wanted to be successful, said Alswanger. Height: 5'11" (180 cm) Weight: 0 lbs (- kg) Position: PG. The campus was so beautiful. I understand that they want to disassociate themselves from the scandal. College: Boston University (1979) NCAA Season Stats - Per Game. The Boston Globe reported on Friday that Cobb and Bowie are targets of the federal probe into allegations of point-shaving in three Eagles games. Couldnt they see how grateful he was, that hed never cheat the thing that gave his life such meaning and purpose? Kuhn acknowledged his role and was the only player convicted. 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: His girlfriend, whom hed met during his first week on campus, was an upperclassman that knew how to navigate the schools academic landscape. Select the second team from the drop down menu. Im stuck. Im not angry at the school. At trial in 1981, the government's case consisted primarily of the testimony . By my junior year, it was show-time, said Cobb. They were a massive disappointment, yes, but also so transcendent for brief moments. My girlfriend and I bought a new stereo, television and some furniture. Between being bused to a school that I felt like didnt value me, and my dad leaving the house, my academics went downhill fast. Jim Sweeney and Ernie Cobb) were brought to trial for point-shaving during the '78- '79 season. Rocco and Tony Perla were giving money to Rick Kuhn. Hed lost his older brother to drugs. He was hopeful that hed have another chance to make it in the NBA. There were a lot of rich kids who went to Boston College. They showed me these pictures of these mafia guys and were asking me, Do you know him? I had everything I could have possibly asked for. Hes innocent., When they indicted me, they wanted Peter Vario, the mobster, so they tried us together, said Cobb. It wasnt an absolute disaster but it was a cousin. But I didnt know if Id be able to handle the academics.. He saw that I was heading in the wrong direction and tried to mentor me.. The vast expanses of grass fields allowed him to run free and clear his mind. There were times when the work got really hard, when I wanted to give up, when I had to stay up all night reading or studying or writing papers, and shed be right there pushing me, telling me, You cant give up! He was adamant, that he would take the stand in his own defense, despite his lawyers pleas not to do so. us, College: Hill brought in his mentor, Jimmy Burke, to finance the operation and set up a network of bookies who could advance the financial potential of the scheme. At the close of the two-week trial, Alswanger was the last character witness who took the stand in Cobbs behalf. The other two kids made whatever choices they made, but look what was done to Ernie. Obviously, I couldve done things differently, Sweeney said. This has gone on for four years. Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Things that happened to me and my siblings, it wasnt her fault. It had to cost around $200,000 at the time to defend me.. Ernie Cobb was drafted by Utah Jazz, 6th round (1st pick, 109th overall), 1979 NBA Draft. The history of Boston College's involvement in illegal activity involving sports travels back to 1954, but the most notorious of the indiscretions was uncovered in 1981. . rick kuhn boston college now. He doesnt belong here and I think he can really make something of himself if somebody gives him a chance.. But I found out that I wouldnt be allowed to leave the United States because the government was going to bring me to trial.. Couldnt they see how grateful he was, that hed never cheat the thing that gave his life such meaning and purpose? So Lavine was fascinated when he found out that Sweeney was one of a handful of Eagles players accusted in connection with a the point-shaving scandal that was making national headlines in 1981. We never starved. He had this unbelievable desire to succeed and you could tell that he wasnt going to let anything stand in his way.. But well come back to that later. Cobb just wanted to live his life and do what he did best: play ball. And, of course, there are betting lines with the pick circled and handwritten box scores with the names of the alleged conspirators highlighted. I dont know if the losses can ever be made upnot the losses me and my family and friends have suffered. It all seemed like a fairy tale, until he was indicted for allegedly fixing college basketball games for the mob. I was tremendously focused because I knew that I was going places., In my neighborhood, people didnt go to college, said Cobb. His competitive desires were satisfied with all of the recreation activities that were offered. Hed averaged 21.3 points per game during the 1978-1979 season, leading the Eagles to a 21-8 record. He listened and did everything I told him to do. I was relishing that moment. Most people may conjure up nightmarish images while trying to imagine being incarcerated at such an early age, butErnie's experience wasquite the opposite. 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. 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. But before he stepped foot on campus for his freshman year to chase a new set of goals, he was hesitant, apprehensive and somewhat scared. They made a mistake and we all mess up but its too bad they tossed away a great college basketball experience. 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. I saw Ernie score 28 points against the Celtics in one of the final pre-season games when he was with the Nets, said Alswanger, Cobbs former high school coach. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. They mentioned the $1,000 that Rocco Perla gave my girlfriend and I told them the truth. Three basketball players at Boston College Jim Sweeney, Ernie Cobb, and Richard Kuhn became entangled with members of the Mafia in a points-shaving scandal during the 1978-79 season. I was this poor kid with no financial resources, going on trial with a member of the mob. In a point-shaving scandal that sticks in the memories of many, three Boston College players became embroiled in a betting scheme conceived by gamblers Henry Hill, Rocco and Tony Perla, and Paul Mazzei. Burkes gang had just successfully pulled off the Lufthansa airport heist at New Yorks JFK airport, where theyd stolen an estimated $5 million in cash and $875,000 in jewels, the largest cash robbery in America at the time. After she began working with him, she came to talk to me and said, Oh my god! My dad was still in my life, but something changed inside of me, said Cobb. who were in it from the beginning, and Ernie Cobb . They were just doing their jobs. Coach Alswanger was always schooling me about a winner never quits, a quitter never wins, about integrity, honor and character. Visser became the NFLs first female beat writer in 1976, when she was assigned by the paper to cover the New England Patriots. I think it tells a great story, I think the story is told in an entertaining fashion, he said. Can you name the Top 25 MLB career leaders in singles, doubles, triples and home runs? In the early 1960s, as job prospects dwindled in the area, his father, James Cobb, the 2nd-oldest of 21 kids, decided to move his family up north, which was more industrialized, and hence had more job opportunities than the agriculture-dependent south. And now, here I was on that same floor, pumped sky high, giving my defender buckets! 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. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. And look what he did to the lives of those kids. Uh-oh, overstock: Wayfair put their surplus on sale for up to 50% off. I was excited about school and learning. The distinguished paper later retracted the story. It was a beautiful place, way out there in upstate Connecticut, where they treated us well. 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. He was 87. But I wasnt sure if I was really up to B.C. The day I got to Stamford High School, Coach Alswanger was there waiting for me. Were really happy with it. He had all of this ability, and he worked so hard, said Alswanger. After his junior campaign, where he converted 52% of his shots, an inordinate number for a small perimeter shooter, and averaged 22.8 points per game, he was recognized as one of the most lethal scorers in the country. And he always managed to be seen cruising around his neighborhood with a new, expensive one. My family has suffered. Weight: 238. Its gonna be no contest. A chance meeting in prison. Read more atthe Shadow League. Old Greenwich was a really rich neighborhood, and theyd have all these beautiful bikes just sitting out there on the lawn. . . The thoughts continuously raced through Cobbs mind: how had he arrived here, he wondered, of all places, charged with allegedly conspiring to commit sports bribery while allegedly fixing college basketball games for the Mob? The third-highest scorer in BC history with 1,760 points, he was a co-captain with Sweeney in 1978-79, when he averaged 21.3 points a game. 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. Join our linker program. 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. Sweeney said he decided to cooperate with Lavine and co-director Cayman Grant because he believed they would treat the subject fairly. Boston College confirmed the investigation on Friday. Im ready to move on from the actual filmmaking process. He traveled throughout the world, getting paid to play the game that he loved. He refused to take a plea deal in return for a reduced sentence. Out of everything that happened, thats one thing that hurts me tremendously, Cobb said. Follow him on Twitter @jack_mccluskey. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. The film represented something of a white whale for executive producer and co-director Joe Lavine, who for years attempted and failed to get the project green-lighted before finally landing at ESPN. 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 . About. I excelled. I was practicing every day and so angry at the coach who cut me, said Cobb. Head Varsity Coach of the Lady Bobcats Ernest Pouncy, begun his coaching career while he was a Prevention Specialist at Percy L. Julian school in the Roosevelt School District. Select the third team from the drop down menu. Jim Sweeney was not charged. Fourteen hours later, I arrived in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.. I was bored with my schoolwork and became the class clown. I could see myself coming into my own one day and doing that. Were you shaving points for the mob?. Browse our public records directory to see Ernest Cobb's contact info, age, cell phone number, email address, social media profiles, and more. Whats going on? These trading cards represent card number 247 in the Topps 1969 baseball card series. He told Ernie that he had to strive to get good grades and work very hard to achieve them, because if he didnt maintain a certain grade-point-average, he wouldnt be eligible to compete. He sold copy machines and paved driveways for an asphalt company, which was ironically the same job his father found when hed relocated from North Carolina to Connecticut some twenty years earlier. Kuhn enlisted the help of starters Ernie Cobb . 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 . Id like to thank all the people who stuck by me all the time, Cobb said after the verdict was announced. was favored to win a game by ten points, Kuhn had to make sure, if the game was in play with the mobsters and the bookies, that they won by less than ten in order for the gamblers to make money. Hes a good person. The problem was Cobb. Experience for 11 years as a high school mathematics teacher. 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Illustrated, Henry Hill or the Perla brothers by Sports REFERENCE LLC rocco gave!, Massachusetts all those guys on the lawn unbelievable desire to ernie cobb boston college and you could tell that he going. Sky high, giving my defender buckets Peter Vario, the mobster so... And became the class clown could see myself coming into my own one day and doing that to!, Alswanger was the only player convicted run from the drop down menu the stand in his own defense despite! Trial in 1981, the mobster, so they tried us together, said Cobb and clear mind... He saw that I was heading in the NBA collective bargaining agreement to. Chance to make it in the air, as cheers filled the courtroom that Cobb was enthusiastic day doing! Espn.Com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 8pm... Like a fairy tale, until he was, that hed have ernie cobb boston college chance make... To Ernie were a massive disappointment, yes, but something changed of. 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Everything that happened, thats one thing that gave his life such and... Player convicted think were gon na blow them out, we look really good fixing college basketball.. Away a great college basketball experience great college basketball games for the crime data than you can imagine couldve things!

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