I cant read., When he told me that, we immediately got him a tutor, said Alswanger. And those people had no patience for me. Couldnt they see how grateful he was, that hed never cheat the thing that gave his life such meaning and purpose? He says basketball was Ernie's "vocation and avocation. The teachers lived in our same community and they had relationships with our parents outside of the school. ''I hadn't seen Ernie for several years,'' says Jack Hennessey, a Boston College psychologist who was an informal academic adviser to varsity . He would teach me about these attributes and I began to internalize them. He eats it up. It was like this whole new world opened up to him and his desire to succeed was unreal. I just thank God there is justice.. standards like the rest of the students, most who came from wealthy and very strong academic backgrounds. He had all of this ability, and he worked so hard, said Alswanger. Cmon, you can do it. She was a remarkable individual that helped me so much, in terms of establishing the study and work habits that allowed me to be successful in the classroom.. The Shadow League is a narrative company. I had everything I could have possibly asked for. He was like a big brother to my own son. I went to an all-black school where everyone knew each other, said Cobb. He was naive at the time, believing that his exoneration would pave the way for apologies and acknowledgments of his innocence: from the NBA, the federal government and Boston College. After more than a decade spent trying to make Playing with the Mob happen, Lavine is ready to move on to a new project. Who was involved in the Boston College basketball scandal? Select the first team from the drop down menu. Convinced that Cobb was innocent after his mentee walked him through everything that had transpired, and certain that he was being used by the federal government to send more organized crime figures to prison, Alswanger began working the phones. I would walk long distances, for miles, out into the suburbs in Greenwich. She did the best she could. 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. I really wanted to get to the bottom of it from a personal curiosity [standpoint], and then also knowing that this had to be a great story.. 21, right in first row) were part of the . When the story first broke, it said that Michael Bowie and I were the ones implicated, said Cobb. So for me to have a chance to go to college, that was so exciting to me.. Of course, of course I was upset, but what could I do? The vast expanses of grass fields allowed him to run free and clear his mind. Select the fourth team from the drop down menu. Profile. I dont know what went down because I wasnt involved. They said they were trying like hell but they couldnt get the job done because Cobb was the key man on the team., After Boston College beat Holy Cross 89-87 in the first game between the two schools that season, Hill said in SI, Well, B.C. The guy called Herm and said, Ernies a good kid and hes going to be coming to your school, said Cobb. He really set the tone in terms of being a strong, dynamic, willful player that wondrous talents like John Bagley, Michael Adams and Dana Barros, all of whom went on to play ball in the NBA after their careers at B.C., followed. Cobb had been a prolific shooting guard at Boston College in the late 1970s, a team captain whod etched his name into the schools record books as its third-leading career scorer. 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. The Ernie Cobb-as-point-fixer story is ancient, but I'm still that guy who supposedly got away with something." Players profiled in the book include Rick Kuhn, who pulled his teammates into the plot and paid for it with a 10-year prison sentence; Jim Sweeney, a prep school graduate and honor student who found himself trapped between gamblers and a conscience that wouldn't let him cheat his teammates; and leading . His lifes dream of making it to the NBA, which was where he belonged, was taken away from him. Alswanger talked with Ernie, who was entering the 9th grade, about his expectations. 1975 TOPPS BASEBALL SET #197 ERNIE BANKS-FOX CHICAGO CUBS EX Sold by wlbjr | Ends on 2023-03-06 23:50:31 By my junior year, it was show-time, said Cobb. 1956 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. I called my buddy Frank Melzer, who was an attorney, said Alswanger. But I wasnt sure if I was really up to B.C. Obviously, I couldve done things differently, Sweeney said. Stamford took front and center in the story when it was revealed that Boston College's top scorer, Stamford High School star Ernie Cobb, was among those being investigated. The distinguished paper later retracted the story. I got to meet Calvin Murphy after the game because Mr. Alswanger knew him, said Cobb. If the diagnosis was available back then, Im sure they would have found that I had ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It's also available for football, hockey and baseball. and I were the victims of the same circumstances that were beyond our control. It had to cost around $200,000 at the time to defend me.. . Hill claimed he made between $75,000 . He was this little guy who could score like crazy! He quickly thrived and was recognized as one of the leagues best players. Hes a good person. 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. Things that happened to me and my siblings, it wasnt her fault. His girlfriend, whom hed met during his first week on campus, was an upperclassman that knew how to navigate the schools academic landscape. Class of 1979. On Friday morning, March 23rd, the jury came back with a unanimous innocent verdict for Ernie Cobb, exonerating him of all charges. His competitive desires were satisfied with all of the recreation activities that were offered. hoops that blazed a trail, Mills continued. He insisted on taking a polygraph test, against his attorneys advice, which he passed. Out of everything that happened, thats one thing that hurts me tremendously, Cobb said. We publish narratives intentionally and specifically to enlighten and transform the world. They were a massive disappointment, yes, but also so transcendent for brief moments. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Im going off on the basketball court, scoring like crazy, the gamblers are losing their shirts, and they start talking about, We have to have Cobb. Anybody thats ever seen me play knows that I was only stuck in one gear, and that was super-charged-turbo! I was doing well academically and the dream of playing professional basketball was getting closer.. Not long after that, I was playing Pop Warner football and needed a mouthpiece. But she had to work very hard, over some long hours, which meant she couldnt monitor my every move. Couldnt people see how much he loved the game? Id also developed a reputation in school as a troublemaker. We lived in dormitories. He was nave at the time, believing that his exoneration would pave the way for apologies and acknowledgements of his innocence: from the NBA, the federal government and Boston College. don't know about ernie but i know rick. Sep 28, 1980 - Ernie Cobb, . Hed averaged 21.3 points per game during the 1978-1979 season, leading the Eagles to a 21-8 record. Old Greenwich was a really rich neighborhood, and theyd have all these beautiful bikes just sitting out there on the lawn. He recently earned his Masters Degree in Education and is currently considering pursuing a Ph.D. I feel like Ive led a remarkable life, he said. Its one of several seeming contradictions the gangster-turned-informant offers during the film, right along with this doozy early on: I didnt threaten him or nothin, Hill says in the film, I just said, Its hard to play basketball with a broken arm.. Most people may conjure up nightmarish images while trying to imagine being incarcerated at such an early age, butErnie's experience wasquite the opposite. But for Bowie, it was too little, too late. October 11th, 2021 , 09:01. And yeah, I took that money. Jim Sweeney and Ernie Cobb) were brought to trial for point-shaving during the '78- '79 season. After Cobb was not charged, he thought he was finally past the sordid affair. It was a beautiful place, way out there in upstate Connecticut, where they treated us well. A chance meeting in prison. Jack McCluskey is an editor for ESPN.com and a frequent contributor to ESPNBoston.com. Some of it happened almost by accident, and some of it happened after years of determined work. I didnt like dealing with a third party I didnt know and had never metBut the word came back that Cobb was enthusiastic and, dont worry Henry, nothing can screw up now., In the 30-for-30 documentary that ESPN just aired, Henry Hill admits that he never talked to me, said Cobb. On the stand during the trial, Rick Kuhns girlfriend, Barbara Reed, with whom he shared an apartment during his senior year at Boston College, testified that she overheard Kuhn and Sweeney discussing the Fordham game, saying that they had to keep the ball away from Cobb because he shot the ball all the time. But for many, there is a fierce bitterness that still lingers to this day. Perla and Kuhn had gone to high school together and were good friends. 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. The City of M. I opened up the door and it was these guys from the F.B.I., said Cobb. Thats the real strength of his story, that you pick yourself up and make something of yourself.. Years later, I wound up using that police officers Cadillac to go to my high school prom, said Cobb. Cobb just wanted to live his life and do what he did best: play ball. Cobb just wanted to live his life and do what he did best: play ball. Part 2 can be found here. Height: 5'11" (180 cm) Weight: 0 lbs (- kg) Position: PG. rick kuhn boston college now. When Ernie began attending school, the areas school system was functionally segregated. Last Name. But Im so proud of him because he picked his life back up and made the best of it. Cobb internalized the subtle looks from his new teachers and administrators, the ones his young mind translated to mean, We dont want you here. 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