Notre Dame coaches, administrators pledge support to anti-gambling bill

J.R. Ross

Thursday, Feb. 24, 2000 | 3:36 a.m.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Notre Dame coaches and administrators Thursday pledged their support for a bill banning wagering on high school, college and Olympic events, saying it's needed to protect the integrity of the game.

"I think we all realize there are issues out there that cause us great concern because they make us put our athletes in a vulnerable situation," football coach Bob Davie said. "As coaches, there's no situation that causes us greater concern than gambling. I think this legislation not only protects the integrity of the game, but more importantly, protects our athletes."

Davie and Irish basketball coaches Matt Doherty and Muffet McGraw flanked Rep. Tim Roemer, D-Ind., as he announced a push for the bill despite opposition from House leaders, who have said the legislation stands no chance of passing.

Roemer, whose district includes South Bend and the campus, said the legislation would give fans assurances that events such as Notre Dame's 78-74 comeback win over Rutgers on Saturday in women's basketball happened without the influence of gamblers.

"I introduced this bill back in Washington, D.C., to protect the integrity of college, high school and Olympic athletics to the magic of the sport, to make sure that the beauty and the uncertainty of competition stays in our athletic venues," said Roemer, who is co-sponsoring the bill in the House with Rep. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

The legislation - which has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, and Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan. - would amend a 1992 federal law that bans gaming on athletics except in four grandfathered states.

Nevada is the only one of the four that allows widespread sports betting. The state's gambling industry took in $2.3 billion in sports wagers in fiscal 1999, earning nearly $99 million, according to the state Gaming Control Board. An estimated 30 percent to 40 percent of that was bet on college sports.

The National Gambling Impact Study Commission last year recommended banning wagering on college and amateur athletic events.

"What gambling can do is erode the confidence that what's taking place is a real event," said university president the Rev. Edward A. Malloy. "It can make people question whether it's like professional wrestling, which may be entertainment in some sense of the term, but is all scripted ahead of time."

Notre Dame has made a push to warns its athletes of the dangers associated with gambling since former Irish place-kicker Kevin Pendergast was sentenced to two months in prison in 1998. Pendergast admitted to orchestrating a point-shaving scheme involving players from the Northwestern basketball team.

"You see that good people get caught making mistakes," Davie said of Pendergast, who has spoken to Irish athletes about his gambling troubles.