NHL Gambling Scandal
 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2322234

I'm not sure how many of you are following this story; thoughts, feelings, etc.?

ETA: I guess the first thing that strikes me are the most recent allegations that Gretzky had his wife placing bets for him. I don't know why, that just strikes me as strange (although it would make sense if he didn't want to get involved himself).

Tocchet is guilty. When I heard Janet Jones was placing bets the first thing I thought was she was probably betting for Gretzky. Jeremy Roenicke was one of the players placing bets. He is a cronic gambler. In his last year with the Flyers he paid almost 100k to betting services for touts.

I don't think they any better than Pete Rose. I wonder what would come out if somebody really investigated athletes the way they went after Pete Rose. Micheal Jordan gambles millions. Jordan is golfing parners with one of the criminals that brought down Rose.

I know Tocchet hasn't been a Penguin in a long time, but talk about bad timing - there is a casino company who will pay for the Pens' new arena if they let them build a casino here also.

I don't really see what the big deal is, they were NOT betting on hockey. So who cares where they spend their money? Its their money.

Tocchet is probably pretty f-ed, too - it sounds like he was bankrolling the whole operation . . . apparently those placing bets don't get in any trouble, but he's probably sinking in shit creek.

Yeah, someone did a big story on how the same mentality that makes a lot of these guys great athletes also contributes to problem gambling - this makes the lack of sympathy for someone like Pete Rose astounding to me.

I hate to see the Gretzky name defaced.

This makes me think about Wayne's World again.

I'm wondering how hard they'll go after Gretzky if they find out he was involved.

Either way, you all are right - Tocchet's in it pretty deep.

I'm thinking (hoping?) there won't be enough evidence to do much of anything. But it'll still be a stain on the legend.

I think a lot may depend on how bold the investigators care to get; if you try to bring someone like Getzky down, you'd better have a whole lot of evidence because of his reputation.

Eh, I think we're way off on this one - according to the Jersey police handling the investigation, there's nothing illegal about placing the bets, it's just facilitating the gambling that is the issue. So Gretzky would never be 'brought down', it would just expose the bets he's made at the worst (and police officials have already indicated none of the bets were on hockey).

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/topstory/sport...0208_getty.jpg

You talkin to me? Hey! Whatchou lookin at?

My biggest concern? That this "ring" had ties to a mob family. BAD IDEA!

As for gambling, that is their right. They weren't betting on hockey games or themselves.....Free country, remember?

I really hope it doesn't get defaced. IMO, if he wasn't betting on hockey, it shouldn't matter. It's his money.

Most of the accounts I've read of this refer to Janet Jones-Gretzky as a "D List" actress. Ouch!