Evening star., 1939-11-13
From the
Press Box
Footballs Intricocies
BoffIin9 to Bookies

Footballs IntricocIes
BoffIing to Bookies
BY JOHN LARDNER,
Special Correspondent Of The Star.
NEW YORK, Nov. 13 (N.AN.A).-
Though bookmakers and betting
commissioners have grown very ivy
conscious since football became big
business to them-some of the boys
wear varsity sweaters with a block
"B" for Broadway and Forty-sec-
ond street." or a ID" for Dugan's
Cigar Store on their chests-they
have not progressed far enough into
the sacred mysteries to do without
expert advice.
A pricemaker-a gentleman with
football experience-dictates the
odds which the bookies offer you
for Saturdays betting. Just as
horse-racing information is pooled
and circulated to various handbooks
by telephone or telegraph. so many
of the layers subscribe to a foot
ball service. In fact, there are sew
eral football services in different
parts Of the country.
The independent bookie-with a
background of hosses, hosses. hosses
lis sucker to rely on his own
knowledge of football form. 1 know
q few commissioners who feel they
have mastered the game. One of
them told me the other day that
Yale never would win until she got
hold of new manager, namely,
Pop Warner.
Much Credit Is Given
Fielding }. Rockne
This guy is out of work." said the
bookie confidentially, and just get
ting peanuts here and there, you
might say, for advising the regular
manager what to do. I happen to
know that this Warner is a smart
manager. He would be good catch
for any club. He invented what we
call the wingback. Do you know
the wingback?"
YES" admitted your correspond
ent.
The wingback is a great dodge"
said the bookmaker earnestly
They're all doing it now Well,
Warner is the gee that invented it,
though they give the credit to
Fielding j. Rockne or somebody
Now according to my information
Warner has been in this game since
how far does football go back?"
Quite way" ventured your cor
respondent.
Call it five years." said the COM
missioner. II never heard of no
football before then. Well, anyhow,
Warner has been around for all of
five years. making a study of the
racket. He knows every angle. If
you got any friends at Yale, tip 'em
OH to this operator. because my in
formation says he is sure-fire. They
won't win till they get manager
like Warner. He invented the wing
back and also this new dodge, what
we call the reverse"
Percentage Fovors
Books Heavily
Another odds-layer is planning to
send his sons to New Britain Col
lege in Connecticut.
Somebody told me it was teach
ers' college" he said. who are
they trying to kid? I can read,
can't I? They are undefeated, I'M
tied and unscored on. The joint has
class"
The danger of learning your foot
ball too fast and dispensing with
expert advice, is that now and then
you get mixed up and feed your
customers soft touch. This is the
highest crime of which a book
maker can be guilty. Yet it is bound
to happen with men who know
horses best and football just little.
Having mastered the fundamentals
and read the newspapers, the bookie
naturally will produce good, strong
line. Most of his odds will be cor
rect, with the percentage heavily
In his favor. But he'll make mis-
takes.
All Texas teams, for instance. look
alike to bookmaker east of the
Mississippi. Two weeks ago. book
maker of your correspondents ac-
quaintance issued line which was
ironclad, with the slight exception
that Rice was marked an 11-to-5
favorite over Texas.
Uninstructed Bookie
Tokes Long Chonce
Now, at the time, Texas was an
even better figure to beat Rice than
she would be now. The odds were
almost exactly reversed. The Gus
toners, therefore, ignored the sound
and juicy larcenies on the slate and
concentrated their money on Texas,
with disastrous results to the layer.
This sort of thing is bound to
happen once in while to the unin-
structed bookie. He also will make
few false favorites in the closer
games. such as Syracuse over Mich
igan State q 70 s., in game which
Michigan State figured to win, and
so forth.
Few independents try to save the
price Of the service any more. For
couple of dollars week, they can
have expert data At no further ex-
pense whatever, they can add per-
centage both ways-in some cases
refusing even to accept bets on the
favorite-and the book is as fool
proof as anything of the kind can be.
I know of one fellow who still acts
as head coach of his own book, con-
fident that he knows football up and
down. If you'll excuse me, will 60
and find him now and see what
this weeks loophole is.
inhar,,m Tn <roror