Monday, June 19, 2006
4:26 PM
Football season is just a summer away. The Canadian league is just starting up if you really need a fix. I ran across the following story about broadcaster Brent Musberger talking about point spreads.
By Mike Lucas
Source: Capital Times (Madison, WI)
...(cut out)...Musburger, for one, won't give you odds. But he can recite them. Unlike most television sportscasters, he's not afraid to mention point spreads on the air. "I've always found it kind of strange," Musburger said of those fraternity brothers who are unwilling to acknowledge spreads, "because some of them talk about it when they're off microphone. But they don't do it (on air). I think they're just afraid people will jump them because of it."
Musburger used to share the "NFL Today" stage with the late Jimmy (The Greek) Snyder. And he noted that he has never been told to refrain from talking about point spreads. "It's a frame of reference," he said. "For example, I was doing an Iowa game against one of the better teams in the Big Ten and they were favored at home. I don't think people appreciate how tough the home courts are, so it gives them a little bit of information. I know that people in the industry are always paying attention - to see who's favored and by how much."
As a former newspaper journalist, Musburger didn't want to use the word hypocritical to describe papers that refuse to publish point spreads. He just thinks it's rather naive. "I find some of the most knowledgeable people that I know are Las Vegas Nevada bookmakers, who are friends and I readily talk to," he said. "I'm not naive about gambling. And I don't push for it, or against it. I just think it's very much a part of the sports culture and I don't think it's going away whether I mention it or not, to tell you the truth."
From an informational standpoint, Musburger offered another example. "I know a very, very big-time college football coach," he said, "who on Tuesday will come in and one of the first things he will look at in the staff meeting is USA Today and Danny Sheridan's point spread. And if he thinks it's off regarding his team, he will say, 'What do they know that I don't?' I would say 95 percent of the coaches I deal with, they don't talk about it to me, and I don't talk about it to them, but they know (the spread). They need to know. 'Is this team perceived to be a lot better than I am?' Or 'what's going on here?' "
Wednesday night, the Badgers, losers of three straight and five of the last six, were favored by five points over Indiana. They won by 18. "It was one of the first things I looked at on this game," Musburger said, "because I was kind of curious about Wisconsin and because I happen to believe that those people (the oddsmakers) really pay attention to what's going on. They have to - it's their business...and I don't hide from the fact that I will talk about it."
By Mike Lucas
Source: Capital Times (Madison, WI)
...(cut out)...Musburger, for one, won't give you odds. But he can recite them. Unlike most television sportscasters, he's not afraid to mention point spreads on the air. "I've always found it kind of strange," Musburger said of those fraternity brothers who are unwilling to acknowledge spreads, "because some of them talk about it when they're off microphone. But they don't do it (on air). I think they're just afraid people will jump them because of it."
Musburger used to share the "NFL Today" stage with the late Jimmy (The Greek) Snyder. And he noted that he has never been told to refrain from talking about point spreads. "It's a frame of reference," he said. "For example, I was doing an Iowa game against one of the better teams in the Big Ten and they were favored at home. I don't think people appreciate how tough the home courts are, so it gives them a little bit of information. I know that people in the industry are always paying attention - to see who's favored and by how much."
As a former newspaper journalist, Musburger didn't want to use the word hypocritical to describe papers that refuse to publish point spreads. He just thinks it's rather naive. "I find some of the most knowledgeable people that I know are Las Vegas Nevada bookmakers, who are friends and I readily talk to," he said. "I'm not naive about gambling. And I don't push for it, or against it. I just think it's very much a part of the sports culture and I don't think it's going away whether I mention it or not, to tell you the truth."
From an informational standpoint, Musburger offered another example. "I know a very, very big-time college football coach," he said, "who on Tuesday will come in and one of the first things he will look at in the staff meeting is USA Today and Danny Sheridan's point spread. And if he thinks it's off regarding his team, he will say, 'What do they know that I don't?' I would say 95 percent of the coaches I deal with, they don't talk about it to me, and I don't talk about it to them, but they know (the spread). They need to know. 'Is this team perceived to be a lot better than I am?' Or 'what's going on here?' "
Wednesday night, the Badgers, losers of three straight and five of the last six, were favored by five points over Indiana. They won by 18. "It was one of the first things I looked at on this game," Musburger said, "because I was kind of curious about Wisconsin and because I happen to believe that those people (the oddsmakers) really pay attention to what's going on. They have to - it's their business...and I don't hide from the fact that I will talk about it."
