SPORTS UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tuesday, April 11, 1995
3B
Bookie disputes magazine
Sports Illustrated article links gambler to Florida athletics
The Associated Press
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A University of Florida on-campus bookie profiled by Sports Illustrated is disputing some of the points in the article.
As part of a series on campus gambling, the magazine portrayed the 23-year-old economics major in its April 10 issue as the "most prolific of several student bookmakers who feast off a sports-hungry undergraduate population."
It said he was a former star high school athlete from South Florida and a member of a varsity team at Florida.
But the bookie, given the fictitious name J.P. Brown by the magazine, told The Gainesville Sun yesterday that he was not a varsity athlete. He also sought to distance himself from the athletic program.
"The last thing I wanted to do was cast a shadow on the integrity of the University of Florida sports programs," he told the newspaper. "I'm a big Florida Gator fan. I respect the integrity of the Florida program.
"Some of the information (in the article) was made up. It was certainly not my intent for any doubt to fall on Florida athletics, I want to apologize to the university." He did not know of any Cotton athletes
Those athletes I want to apologize to the university.
He also said he did not know of any Gators athletes
"Obviously, if the information you're telling me is accurate, it's a relief," said Jeremy Foley, Florida's athletic director.
who had placed bets with him, though the article didn't specifically mention that.
"It obviously disappoints me that a national publication would print incorrect information. It's something we might have to have a conversation about this week with those folks," he said.
According to the SI story, Browman said he earned about $42,000 between September 1991 and January 1995 taking bets. He said he paid his tuition, bought a car, a computer, a television, VCR and took vacations.
The student said the article unfairly portrayed both him and his clients.
"It makes me out to be a worse person than I really was," he said. "And it makes my clientele out to be sicker than they really were."
"It was simple gambling. I thought it would be anonymous enough." he said.
He would not discuss the amounts quoted in the article except to say that there were some misquotes.
He said he has had no trouble with the university and that he has been lucky that he hasn't had trouble with the law.
Foley said that campus gambling has been a national issue. Florida has a compliance program in place that the school's president, John Lombardi has said is a model for other schools.
Nobody beats this Cardinal wizard
The Associated Press
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — During the strike, Ozzie Smith opened a temporary employment agency, Ozzie's Alternative Staffing, in St. Louis.
But he's anything but a short-timer with the St. Louis Cardinals. The future Hall of Fame shortstop turned 40 in December with little fanfare and is eagerly anticipating his 18th season.
"I think I played shortstop last year as well as anytime I played it in my life," Smith said. "This is what I enjoy doing. The smell of freshly-cut grass is always a great time."
There's little that Smith hasn't accomplished during the years. From 1980 through 1992, he won 13
consecutive Gold Gloves. He holds nearly all of the major-league fielding marks at his position, and is closing in on the few he doesn't have, needing 116 total chances and 28 double plays to surpass Luis Aparicio.
Well, there is one goal left — 2,500 hits. Known as a defensive specialist early in his career, Smith enters this season needing 135. If he makes it, he'll be one of only nine players to accumulate 2,500 hits and 500 stolen bases.
Eight of the nine are in the Hall of Fame, including Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Joe Morgan and Lou Brock.
"It's quite an achievement for me," Smith said.
World Championship club with St. Louis.
Want more? He's also played on three pennant-winners and one
He's been metronome-consistent at the plate, joining Eddie Murray as the only active players with 17 consecutive 100-hit seasons. Last season he was the National League's top vote-getter for the All-Star Game, and made his 13th appearance.
He's outlasted most of his contemporaries, including former teammate George Hendrick, now a minor-league instructor with the Cardinals.
New third baseman Scott Cooper was a junior high school student in St. Louis when the Cardinals won the 1982 World Series.
"To play next to him, that's tough to describe," Cooper said.
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