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02/07/2007 -
BOSTON (AP) -Sure, Doc Rivers heard whispers about John Amaechi's sexuality when they were both in Orlando. But here's what the former Magic coach knew for sure: Amaechi was a good scorer, a decent rebounder, a little bit of a defensive liability and ``a fantastic kid.''
``He's better than a good kid; he's a fantastic kid,'' Rivers said Wednesday night after learning that Amaechi acknowledged he is gay. ``John Amaechi, when I was coaching him, was a great kid. He did as much charity work as anybody in our city, and he's still doing it. That's what I wish we focused on.
``Unfortunately, we're talking about his sexual orientation, which I couldn't care a flying flip about.''
Rivers was a rookie head coach when he took over the Magic in 1999-00, a team that finished .500 despite starting four undrafted players. Amaechi was one of them, and Rivers was chosen as the NBA's coach of the year.
``He was great for me, he was great for the team,'' Rivers said Wednesday night before Boston's game against the Miami Heat. ``That was one of the stronger locker rooms I ever had.''
Although teammates may have suspected Amaechi is gay, no one treated him any differently because of it, Rivers said. As for the coach: ``It was none of my business.''
``It was brought up to me and you look and say, 'So what? Can he rebound? Can he shoot? Can he defend?''' Rivers said before joking about Amaechi's defensive shortcomings. ``But with everything else, he was great.''
Amaechi is one of a handful of athletes from one of the major U.S. team sports to publicly acknowledge their homosexuality - all of them after their retirement. Rivers acknowledged that an active player would probably face harassment from teammates or fans, an assumption that probably keeps many from coming out.
``It was difficult for people to watch Jackie Robinson, and they got used to it. They started watching him and started cheering for him,'' Rivers said. ``It would be difficult for fans if the guy couldn't play. That's what's difficult to me, nothing else should matter.''
But it's inside the locker room that the gay athlete could face his toughest challenge. Although players are used to being jeered by fans, the prospect of being rejected by his teammates is at least as likely to be the reason that no active player in a men's professional team sport has come out.
Rivers said that teammates tease each other for all kinds of reasons, and it's likely sexual preference would soon become one of them.
``We're all insensitive at times,'' he said. ``There's no taboo subject in the locker room. I think if he would have come out, they would have got on him jokingly. They would have held no punches and they would have made fun of him just like they make fun of guys here.
``But that's the locker room, and that's not going to change. And I actually think that when guys do come out, when that day happens, it will make it easier. I can't wait until it's not an issue.''
Rivers said that if Amaechi had come to him, player to coach, ready to go public, he would have encouraged him to do so.
``I think when you're brave enough to make that statement, or any statement, and you're ready to come out about anything, then you should do it,'' Rivers said. ``You have to understand there will be a backlash. At least there's going to be a discussion, but I would tell them to do it. I would tell him to keep scoring, keep rebounding and do it.
``I don't know if we'll see that anytime soon. But it wouldn't bother me at all.''
Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
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Recently I had an email debate with an angry reader who said I did not understand "the science of oddsmaking", as he called it.
He said I was wrong for suggesting oddsmakers care about who wins or loses games.
"Oddsmakers only care about splitting the betting public 50/50 on both sides of the line and keeping the commission (a.k.a. juice)," he wrote.
He might have been right about not understanding "the science of oddsmaking". After all, I'm not an oddsmaker. That said, I stick to my assertion that oddsmakers (a.k.a. sportbooks) often do care about who wins games.
Granted, as a general rule, sportsbooks try to balance their action so that they're not exposed to big losses. However, there are times when this is difficult to pull off, regardless of how much a line has moved. There are also times when that general rule is ignored and a book pursues risk.
Generally speaking, it's safe to say the books in Vegas are risk-adverse. Unlike in the past when the wise guys ruled the town, Vegas is now corporate and the goal of most casinos is to make as much money as possible with as little risk as possible.
Thus, Vegas sportsbooks try everything in their power to balance the action. They're satisfied simply collecting the juice. But these profits are small, especially compared to the take from other casino games, namely slot machines.
Because the profits at Vegas sportsbooks are so small, you could argue that many casinos operate sportsbooks simply as a novelty to keep the tourists happy.
With a growing aversion to risk, it should come as no surprise that Vegas bookmakers have been panicking this NFL season.
Despite huge pointspreads, a disproportionate percentage of bettors are still laying their money on favorites like the Eagles, Colts, Pats and Vikings rather than the dogs (a common trend for the largely recreational bettors that visit Vegas).
And much to the dismay of the books, those favorites are finding ways to cover the thick chalk. In fact, prior to Week 7, the four teams listed above are a combined 16-2-2 (88 percent) against the spread. (The tables turned dramatically in Week 7, but more on that later.)
The result has been an early-season beating for the books, and a bonanza for bettors.
While Vegas increasingly hates risk, it's no longer a major player in the sports betting world. Most of the betting action now takes place offshore where sportsbooks are not as obsessed about balance. In fact, some books encourage exposure to risk because the rewards can be so much bigger.
Consider MySportsbook.com. On its website, the book has odds pages which actually display the amount of action it's getting on games. In other words, you can see how much action the book is taking on both sides of a pointspread, moneyline or over/under.
One look at these numbers and it's obvious MySportsbook.com does not balance every game. In fact, far from it.
Take last weekend's matchup between St. Louis and Miami. By game time on Sunday, 83 percent of the betting action at MySportsbook.com was on the Rams; only 17 percent was on Miami.
What's interesting is that MySportsbook.com opened the pointspread with Miami at +6 1/2. By game time, the spread had lowered to +5.
That goes contrary to the balancing theory. If MySportsbook.com had wanted to balance the action, it would have given Miami more points; instead, it took away 1 1/2. World Series odds are now up as well.
MySportsbook.com exposed itself to even more to risk, and rolled the dice on the underdog Dolphins. Why? I contacted a representative with the book to find out. His answer was simple.
"The line moved early based on 'smart money' from sharp players," said Jeff Gilroy, a spokesperson for the book. "We also knew from early in the week that we would need Miami, therefore (we dropped) the spread to encourage Rams money.
"At the end of the day, we liked the home team."
So the conclusion is this: MySportsbook.com respected the sharp action, and gambled that the sharp bettors had a better take on the game than the recreational bettors, who were hammering the visiting Rams.
In the end, the gamble paid off. Miami, desperate for a win in front of its home fans, pounded the overrated Rams, who are terrible on the road and even worse on grass. Final score: 31-14 Fish.
MySportsbook.com was also heavily exposed on numerous favorites in Week 7, including Philadelphia, Seattle and Denver. All three failed to cover.
The fact that sportsbooks are exposed to risk on certain games is really nothing new. The fact, that Sportsbook.com is willing to show the public where it's exposed is intriguing.
Armed with this type of information, bettors can make more educated wagers. They can get an idea where the sharp money is going and conversely where the public money is headed.
MySportsbook.com is opening up its cashbox, letting bettors look inside and challenging them to take their best shot at grabbing the cash.
To visit this online football betting got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting odds needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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