The last thing we want to do here at THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON is spread rumors and be a source of rampant speculation, but sometimes the steak is just too juicy. According to the eminently reliable website PocketFives.com (registration now required), the word out of Syracuse, New York is that three (count 'em THREE) current Syracuse men's basketball players are being accused of point shaving!
YAY! More Cuse friends might be joining me!
According to the site:
More than a handful of people I know were telling me earlier today that two Syracuse University basketball players, Scoop Jardine and Dion Waiters, as well as a possible third (James Southerland) are being accused of point shaving. This is really pretty shocking to me if it turns out to be true, and I can't imagine how Jim Boeheim is gonna react. The benching of Waiters and Southerland was extremely suspicious, especially given according to Boeheim they were not benched for disciplinary reasons.
More on 'Cuse scandal after The Jump:
According to our best blog friends at Troy Nunes is An Absolute Magician (thread now deleted), the rumor is that Scoop Jardine's uncle bet on the Orange's first game against Seton Hall this season, a game in which the Orange won by 5 points (Cuse was favored by 7.5). Syracuse has lost 4 in a row both straight up and against the spread, and earlier this season lost 5 in a row against the spread. Interestingly, Syracuse is 18-4 on the season but only 7-13 against the spread, numbers which may or not mean anything. A full round up of Syracuse's performance this season and the point spreads is HERE.
While it is certainly difficult to imagine this rumor being true, it is odd that there are so many details surrounding it. Indeed, as one Cuse fan points out:
This rumor can't be true. It just can't be.
Right?
UPDATE: Everyone is recanting the story, by either limiting access to websites or deleting posts/tweets all together. The rumors are false and this "story" is turning into a study on how desperate people have become to account for Syracuse's recent collapse.
I would love to doubt this as well.
It started out as a rumor at work and a few on my colleagues checked with some of their friends with ties to cuse basketball. This has apparently been all over Facebook as well as circulating within circles of cuse fans and supporters. Like I said it seems to be a rumor but it is very interesting that a rumor surrounding point shaving would pop up without some sort of details. Especially with how many people have heard this rumor up to this point today.
by Cusekid31 on Feb 1, 2011 1:56 PM EST up reply actions