A spokesman for Janet Jones Gretzky, Wayne Gretzky's wife, said Thursday that Jones Gretzky has assumed she would be subpoenaed to testify in front of a New Jersey grand jury ever since word of a high-stakes gambling ring first broke in early February.Reminds me of this interview I heard on
The Jim Rome Show a few weeks ago featuring Michael Franzese, former mobster who went straight and now lectures on the downsides of gambling.
He was talking about how 20-25% of athletes gamble (the figure being generous). With shit like poker on TV, the internet, it's easy to get hooked nowadays. He once had a 56 year old grandma with a gambling problem. Women esp. adept to being hooked on video poker.
When the NFL made those bad calls during the Super Bowl, you'd have to think gambling was involved - dude said. When asked if there was ever a time when an athlete pro or college was forced to fix a game due to debts: YES. There are many incidents where an athlete purposely compromises a game. The most gambling comes from hockey and golf athletes and football too.
The fact that people don't make money on gambling on a consistent basis is the only way the mob gets them by the balls. Nowadays, kids are so desensitized to murder and shit - they ain't afraid to play with fire when getting hooked up with a bookie. A 100 dollar debt can easily build up to a couple grand. Franzese ended with the statement that you owe the money, you have to pay, there is no forgiveness.
Great lessons indeed. Which is why I never fucked with this shit. My homie got hooked on poker and ended up selling his car. Lucky him.
Makes me interested in reading "Blood Covenant" ...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0883688670/Check out his official site at:
http://www.michaelfranzese.comExpect a new book soon lol. more focused on sports gambling. KA-CHING