D2 EZ SU THE WASHINGTON POST.MONDAY, OCTOBER 21 , 2019
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(Tuesday)
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A century after the Black Sox scandal, I would put money on it happening again
My barber,
George, asked me
an interesting
question the other
day: Could the
Black Sox betting
scandal happen
again?
Since it does not take much
time to cut whatever hair remains
on my scaly dome, I could not
fully elucidate an intelligent
answer for him. So I’d like to take
this occasion to provide George a
more complete, nuanced reply.
Yes, it could.
In fact, as gambling seeds are
increasingly planted across this
foundering nation of
opportunists, hustlers, grifters
and, yes, gamblers, it is rather
appropriate that this is the 100th
anniversary of the 1919 Black Sox
World Series fixing scandal.
That series is just the best and
biggest example of a simple,
unchanging point: If there is
money to be made, somebody out
there is going to try to figure out a
way to game or cheat the system.
For those of you not around in
1919 — I interned that summer on
an oil rig off the coast of Montana
— let me provide a quick primer
on the facts (more or less)
surrounding the Black Sox
crookedness.
A gambling syndicate led by
Arnold Rothstein (godfather of
Bernie Madoff ) and “Sleepy” Bill
Burns (great uncle of Pete Rose)
paid eight Chicago White Sox
players to throw World Series
games against the Cincinnati
Reds; coincidentally, 70 years
later, Rose was banned from
baseball for betting on games
while playing for and managing
the Reds.
Among the White Sox taking
money was outfielder Joe
Jackson. Jackson accepted $5,000
in cash but then appeared to play
his best, hitting .375. As
punishment, the syndicate
removed all of his footwear, and
the barefooted Jackson was
known as “Shoeless Joe” for the
rest of his life.
In 1920, the eight “Black Sox”
were indicted on conspiracy
charges, but all of them were
acquitted in the trial the
following year, largely because
key evidence — including player
confessions — mysteriously
disappeared. The court also
cleared NBA referee Tim
Donaghy Sr. of any involvement
in the game-fixing.
But newly appointed baseball
commissioner Judge Kenesaw
Mountain Landis — no relation to
Bowie Kuhn — banned the eight
players from the game for life.
Okay, let’s return to the 21st
century, where time and again we
discover, if money is involved —
whether it is Wall Street or
Wrigley Field, the racetrack or the
poker room — someone,
somewhere, in some fashion, will
try to rip somebody else off.
Gambling, from state lotteries
to fantasy sports to old-fashioned
point spreads, now is bigger than
ever in America. The latest
American gold rush is a renewed,
legal commitment to taking as
many dollars as possible out of
people’s pockets by dangling the
mirage of winning lots of money
in front of them.
I should inject here, in case
you’ve forgotten — most people
lose when they gamble.
At the moment, 13 states have
legalized sports betting; five
states plus Washington, D.C.,
recently passed bills to legalize it;
and 25 states have introduced
sports-betting legislation.
Eventually, we will have in-
game, in-stadium sports betting.
What could go wrong?
While we’re here, let me tell
you how the confluence of
legalized sports betting and
replay as an officiating tool will
come crashing down on all of us.
First, let’s remember that New
Orleans Saints fans, after last
season’s NFC championship
game pass-interference
catastrophe, sued the NFL — and
they had no money on the line.
Well, down the road, a massive
“injustice” — an obvious call, not
corrected by replay — will prompt
an even bigger uprising in which
many sports-wagering
individuals will seek redress in
the courts.
There are so many “players”
involved here: the coaches and
players themselves, the game
officials, the anonymous replay
officials in New York, TV
producers who might bet and
think twice about providing the
right angle, sports-betting
operators. It’s all legal, and it’s
ripe for a fix.
Best-case scenario in this
nascent betting bonanza? Your
neighborhood bookie is run out
of business, and your local
schools are enhanced by the
regulated, taxed bounty pouring
into public coffers.
Good luck with that.
Ask The Slouch
Q. You are being given a red
card for your flagrant use of a “La
Bohème” reference in a recent
column. Opera has no place when
discussing such important issues
as professional sports. (David
Blackburn; Gaithersburg, Md.)
A. No $1.25 here, but I’ll accept
the red card. How long does this
sideline me from writing the
column? I am due for another
unpaid vacation.
Q. I’m watching NFL Network
and Joe Namath is talking — 13-
year career, 65.5 passer rating.
Hmm. Why exactly is he in the
Hall of Fame? (Scott LaBerge;
Fort Collins, Colo.)
A. He was known as Broadway
Joe, and no NFL player ever
rocked a fur coat like him.
Q. Yuengling recently teamed
up with Hershey’s to make a
chocolate porter. Genius or beer
blasphemy? (Joel Rondeau;
Glendale, Wis.)
A. I love Yuengling and I love
chocolate, but I am en route to
Pottsville, Pa., as we speak to seek
an annulment to this unholy
marriage.
Q. How much should we
expect NBA Commissioner Adam
Silver to fine China for
tampering? (Terry Golden;
Vienna, Va.)
A. Pay the man, Shirley.
You, too, can enter the $1.25 Ask The
Slouch Cash Giveaway. Just email
[email protected] and, if your
question is used, you win $1.25 in
cash!
Couch
Slouch
NORMAN
CHAD
ROUNDUP
BY STEVEN GOFF
toronto — Wayne Rooney gath-
ered his belongings and ignored a
semicircle of digital recorders and
video cameras waiting to docu-
ment his thoughts after his last
appearance with D.C. United, one
spoiled by his missed chances and
his team’s extra-time fiasco Satur-
day.
In Rooney’s mind, words were
not necessary to express his disap-
pointment with the way the sea-
son — and his 15-month stay in
MLS — ended with a 5-1 defeat to
Toronto FC in a first-round playoff
game.
And with that quiet departure
— a deviation from Rooney’s typi-
cally accommodating norm —
United began to turn the page on
an exciting if short-lived experi-
ence employing one of soccer’s
most famous players.
The organization will need to
address the voids left on the field
(23 goals and 15 assists in 50 regu-
lar season and playoff appearanc-
es) and off it (attention locally and
globally that can’t be quantified).
United’s concerns go beyond its
outgoing superstar, but Rooney is
the undeniable starting point.
After Wayne
United was successful in the
second half of the year without
major contributions from its cap-
tain, who missed five of the last 12
regular season matches and
scored once after July 1.
This summer, ahead of Rooney
announcing he would return to
England to join Derby County as a
player and assistant coach, United
signed striker Ola Kamara. The
Norwegian international scored
48 goals in three years with the
Columbus Crew and LA Galaxy
before an abbreviated stint in Chi-
na. Barring a major front-line ac-
quisition, Kamara will inherit
Rooney’s role.
From a marketing standpoint,
United has flirted with the idea of
trying to sign Arsenal midfielder
Mesut Özil, but that seems like a
fantasy. Could United do business
at the same rate without a glitzy
acquisition? Maybe, if the team as
a whole is appealing. But there
were a lot of fans in Rooney’s No. 9
jersey at Buzzard Point.
Adios Acosta?
In a span of one year, Luciano
Acosta went from Rooney’s collab-
orator and one of the league’s most
electrifying players to a lightly
used substitute. On the cusp of a
life-changing transfer to Paris
Saint-Germain last winter, Acosta
lost his way and eventually lost his
starting job. His contract expires
this fall and, after declining a D.C.
offer early this year that probably
would have quadrupled his salary
to more than $2 million, his value
has plummeted. It’s hard to imag-
ine United re-signing him and fur-
nishing a raise.
United could trade his MLS
rights, but that would require a
team that believes the Argentine
playmaker is capable of replicat-
ing the sensational form he
showed for three months last year.
More likely, Acosta will return
home, venture to Europe or cash
in with a Middle Eastern club.
He is not the only one out of
contract: Among others, center
back Frédéric Brillant, who en-
joyed an excellent campaign, has
hinted at offers in Europe.
Coaching status
United did not meet heightened
expectations under Coach Ben Ol-
sen, finishing one point and one
place worse than last season and
again failing to win a playoff game.
The last postseason success came
in 2015, and the last appearance in
the Eastern Conference finals was
seven years ago.
Olsen owns the second-longest
tenure in MLS, behind Kansas
City’s Peter Vermes. Contract
terms are not made public, but it’s
believed his deal is guaranteed
through 2021. There are no early
rumblings that the investment
group, headed by Jason Levien, is
preparing to oust Olsen or General
Manager Dave Kasper.
Loan decisions
Of the three players on loan this
season, goalkeeper Bill Hamid is
probably United’s priority. He had
a terrific year, though he slipped in
the playoff. It’s unclear how much
Danish club Midtjylland will de-
mand to relinquish his rights.
Lucas Rodríguez posted six
goals and three assists in the regu-
lar season and scored the late
equalizer in the playoff. He also
earned a call-up to the Argentine
under-23 team this month. Estudi-
antes owns his rights, but United
carries an option to purchase his
contract for between $2 million
and $3 million.
Leonardo Jara was a starter un-
til mid-August, when his defen-
sive liabilities at right back
prompted a change. The club sees
his future in defensive midfield,
but does it want him back? Boca
Juniors owns his rights.
Familiar names
Yamil Asad, who scored nine
times while on loan in 2018 before
returning to Argentina this year,
will rejoin United in 2020. He
plays the same position (left wing)
as Rodríguez, but if both players
are in the mix, D.C. could shift one
into a different attacking role.
After missing the season with a
knee injury (and complications),
Oniel Fisher is on pace to contend
for the starting job at right back —
where he excelled last year. If Fish-
er returns to form, midfielder-
turned-defender Russell Canouse
could revert to his natural spot.
TV deal
United’s decision last winter to
abandon a traditional TV partner
for a pay streaming service was a
fiasco. Beyond the cost, FloSports
was mired in technical problems.
Without a mainstream platform
for matches not shown on nation-
al TV, United was inaccessible to
locals who had rediscovered the
team in 2018.
United ditched the four-year
deal before the season ended and
streamed two matches on its web-
site. It’s unclear whether the front
office will try another streaming
service, such as ESPN+, or
re-engage with a cable channel,
such as NBC Sports Washington.
[email protected]
As Rooney exits, United looks forward
Liverpool’s
streak halted
Adam Lallana scored
his first goal in more
than two years to
salvage a 1-1 draw for
Liverpool at
Manchester United on
Sunday, preserving
the English Premier
League leader’s
unbeaten start.
Liverpool posted
something other than
a victory for the first
time since March, but
Jürgen Klopp’s squad
still moved six points
ahead of the field
through nine games.
The draw snapped a
17-game winning
streak in league play
for Liverpool, but the
ultimate mission
remains claiming the
English title for the
first time since 1990.
United is only two
points above the
relegation zone, but
the heat should ease
on Coach Ole Gunnar
Solskjaer after his
team avoided a defeat
against the strongest
team in England —
and after it managed
to grab the lead on
Marcus Rashford’s
goal in the 36th
minute.
Union prevails
Fabrice-Jean Picault
scored and assisted
on Marco Fabián’s
goal in extra time to
help the Philadelphia
Union beat New York,
4-3, in Chester, Pa.,
and eliminate the Red
Bulls from the MLS
playoffs.
Third-seeded
Philadelphia, which
earned the first
postseason win in
franchise history, will
play at No. 2 seed and
defending league
champion Atlanta on
Thursday....
In St. Paul, Minn.,
Sebastian Lletget and
Jonathan dos Santos
scored four minutes
apart midway through
the second half,
leading the Los
Angeles Galaxy to a
2-1 victory over
Minnesota in the first
round of the playoffs
and spoiling United’s
postseason debut.
The Galaxy advanced
to face top-seeded
Los Angeles FC on
Thursday.
NWSL semis
Sam Kerr scored in
the ninth minute, and
the Chicago Red Stars
advanced to the
National Women’s
Soccer League
championship match
with a 1-0 victory over
the Portland Thorns in
Bridgeview, Ill.
The Red Stars will play
in the final for the first
time after four straight
semifinal losses. They
will play defending
champion North
Carolina, which
defeated Reign FC,
4-1, in extra time
Sunday in Cary, N.C.
Spain’s logjam
Home wins for Sevilla
and Real Sociedad left
a group of six teams
separated by only
three points at the top
of the Spanish league.
Host Sevilla scored
late to beat Levante,
1-0, and Real
Sociedad rallied to a
3-1 win over visiting
Real Betis. Sevilla,
Real Sociedad and
Atlético Madrid have
16 points each, one
behind Granada.
— Associated Press
FRANK GUNN/CANADIAN PRESS/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wayne Rooney’s 15-month stay in MLS ended with a 5-1 loss to Toronto FC in Saturday’s playoff game.
soccer insider
TENNIS
Murray tops Wawrinka
to win European Open
Andy Murray won his first
ATP Tour final since having hip
surgery in January to treat an
injury that had left him
contemplating retirement.
Murray rallied to beat fellow
three-time Grand Slam
champion Stan Wawrinka, 3-6,
6-4, 6-4, in the European Open
final Sunday in Antwerp,
Belgium.
“This is one of the biggest wins
that I’ve had after everything, so
I’m very proud,” Murray said in
an on-court interview.
It was the 32-year-old’s first
appearance in an ATP Tour final
since March 2017.
After undergoing hip
resurfacing surgery, the Scot
returned to the court in June
playing doubles — including at
Wimbledon — before moving
back to singles in August.
Wawrinka, 34, was looking for
his first ATP Tour title since the
2017 Geneva Open.
The crucial break of serve in
the first set came in the second
game, with Murray saving two
break points but not a third, and
his Swiss opponent served it out,
6-3.
Murray looked to be in deep
trouble when Wawrinka broke
again in the third game of the
second set, and the Scot had to
save more break points to avoid
losing a fourth game in a row.
But, having dug in, he got his
reward as Wawrinka’s level
dipped, with Murray breaking
back to 3-3. Wawrinka had two
more chances at 4-4, but again
Murray fought off the danger and
then took his first set point to
clinch it, 6-4, to level the match.
Murray saved two more break
points at 4-4 to leave Wawrinka
serving to stay in the match, but
he lost serve when he hit a
forehand well out on Murray’s
first match point....
Belinda Bencic recovered
from a set down to beat
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 3-6,
6-1, 6-1, in the Kremlin Cup final
in Moscow.
Third-seeded Bencic broke
Pavlyuchenkova in the Russian’s
first service game in both the
second and third sets.
Bencic hit eight aces despite
landing just 54 percent of her
first serves. She’s the first Swiss
woman to win the Kremlin Cup
since Martina Hingis in 2000.
The win capped a productive
week for Bencic after she secured
the last spot at the WTA Finals
on Saturday. By qualifying for the
Moscow final, Bencic overtook
Serena Williams in the points
ranking for qualification for the
finals in Shenzhen, China.
In the men’s final, Andrey
Rublev recorded his first ATP
Tour title since 2017 as he beat
Adrian Mannarino, 6-4, 6-0, in
just 1 hour 3 minutes.
The 22-year-old Russian is 2-2
in career finals. Mannarino, of
France, has lost eight of the nine
ATP finals he has played....
Jelena Ostapenko beat former
doubles partner Julia Goerges,
6-4, 6-1, to win the Luxembourg
Open.
Ostapenko, a former French
Open champion, won her third
WTA singles title and first since
Seoul in 2017. Goerges was the
defending champion.
COLLEGE SOCCER
The top-ranked Virginia
women got goals from Meghan
McCool, Diana Ordonez and
Rebecca Jarrett to defeat Notre
Dame, 3-0, in Charlottesville.
Laurel Ivory recorded the
shutout in goal for the Cavaliers
(12-0-3, 4-0-3 ACC), who have
blanked their past six opponents.
The Irish fell to 9-5-1, 3-3-1....
The No. 11 Georgetown women
played to a scoreless draw with
Butler in Indianapolis.
The Hoyas are 10-2-3 overall
and 4-0-2 in the Big East. The
Bulldogs are 8-4-3 and 3-1-2.
HORSE RACING
A 3-year-old gelding was
fatally injured in the fifth race at
Santa Anita on Saturday,
becoming the 34th horse to die at
the Arcadia, Calif., track since
December.
According to a statement from
track owner The Stronach Group,
jockey Ruben Fuentes pulled up
Satchel Paige at the three-
eighths pole of the 6^1 / 2 -furlong
sprint. Track veterinarian Dana
Stead saw that the gelding had
suffered an open fracture of his
left front ankle and decided to
euthanize him.
Fuentes wasn’t injured in the
$50,000 race featuring horses
that had yet to win.
Dionne Benson, chief vet for
The Stronach Group, said the
gelding will undergo a required
necropsy at UC Davis. Benson
said the track will work with the
California Horse Racing Board to
investigate the accident.
Trained by Phil D’Amato,
Satchel Paige was winless in six
career starts, with one second-
and one third-place finish. He
had career earnings of $24,002.
Santa Anita is set to host the
Breeders’ Cup world
championships for a record 10th
time Nov. 1-2.
MOTOR SPORTS
Billy Torrence won the NHRA
Fall Nationals at his home track
in Ennis, Tex., for his second Top
Fuel victory of the playoffs.
Torrence had a 3.775-second
run at 319.67 mph to beat first-
time finalist Jordan Vandergriff
at Texas Motorplex. Torrence has
four victories this year and five
overall.
His son, Steve Torrence, is the
points leader and defending
season champion.
Matt Hagan won in Funny
Car, Greg Anderson in Pro Stock
and Jerry Savoie in Pro Stock
Motorcycle in the fourth of six
races in the Countdown to the
Championship playoffs.
— From news services
and staff reports
DIGEST