A source who has spoken to Syracuse athletic department officials and multiple people with knowledge of the situation tells The Fizz the point-shaving story concerning the Orange basketball team is not true.
The source says with confidence the SU athletic department has internally investigated the allegation and found it to be false. On Tuesday, a poker and gambling website PocketFives.com published through innuendo that Scoop Jardine, Dion Waiters and James Southerland were involved.
Of course in modern sports culture, rumor turns into “reports” within seconds via Twitter and blogs. The rush to connect the dots has been specious at best. Purported “evidence” includes Waiters “mysterious” benching Saturday against Marquette. This would suggest Jim Boeheim was aware of the point-shaving. But as we all know, Boeheim banished him to the pine for the expletive tossed coach’s way during the loss to Seton Hall.
If The Per’fesser was punishing Scoop for the same transgression, he sure has a funny way of showing it. Jardine was in charge of handling the ball (and committed unsightly turnovers and decision gaffes) down the stretch Saturday. This allowance would suggest Boeheim did not know of the scandal.
Scoop and his ever-entertaining Twitter feed denounced the rumors Tuesday night.
“Yo I wish all you dum a** fans that’s not really Cuse fans stop with the lying ish! I love this game to much and my teammates to much!”
“I love the game itself to much would never jeopardize everything I work so hard for with something like that! I play this game for free!!”
“It’s not true so please stop with all the bs lies!! And let me and my teammates play the game we love with peace and stop trying to make something out of nothing!!!”
Waiters also responded via his Twitter page:
“These rumors are out of control when we was winning it wasn’t a problem now that we took a couple steps back. Wow nd yu called that fans Smh”
Is Syracuse skidding right now? Yes. Does Jim Boeheim face a serious challenge in righting the ship against UConn? Yes. Should we believe an uncredited and ridiculously broad accusation from a poker website that the Orange basketball team is involved in a monumental point-shaving scandal? No.
Posted: D.A.
