Bob Costas revealed that he was a bookie in highschool.
Charles Wenzelberg/New York Publish
Bob Costas revealed that he had a stint as a bookie in highschool.
Showing on the “Straight Hearth with Jason McIntyre,” Costas talked about playing being newly normalized within the mainstream, and wound up telling a doozy of a narrative about getting caught within the operation by his father.
“As you might know, I grew up round playing,” Costas stated. “My father, means earlier than any legalized playing, while you needed to decide up a telephone and name a bookie and had a code in your identify — my dad had 1000's of dollars using in a given day. Particularly on weekends, when there have been a number of video games you may watch.
“This was earlier than the web, ESPN and scores, so largely he wager on the video games we may see within the New York space. So I’m very aware of it and I've a type of Runyon-esque view of the glamorous, roguish facet of it. However inevitably, when you will have this type of encouragement of playing, and it’s so simply accessible — simply decide up your telephone and do it — lots of people are going to do it for enjoyment and that’s simply fantastic.”
Costas stated that finally it's a certainty tales will come out concerning the down facet for some who lose fortunes.
“However inevitably, and I’m certain there shall be research and information on the market finally, there shall be casualties within the type of individuals turning into hooked on playing as a result of it’s so simply accessible,” he stated. “You used to should exit of your means. Go to Vegas or Atlantic Metropolis, or hook up with bookies like my dad did. It concerned some peril as a result of should you didn’t pay on time, these guys weren’t amused. They weren’t taking part in Monopoly and rolling cube. They had been severe.”
Costas stated that, proper now, he doesn't plan his life round soccer video games, however will tune in whereas channel browsing and because of his lifelong information of sports activities can drop proper in if they're shut on the finish. Due partially to watching video games together with his father and partially to what neighborhood dynamics had been like on the time, he was tremendous into sports activities at an early age.
“I used to be like a bunch of different youngsters within the neighborhood. All of us favored sports activities. You performed within the schoolyard, in a vacant lot, no matter sport was in season. However I suppose my father’s playing additional related me to it, as a result of there have been all the time video games on, and he all the time had a particular rooting curiosity as a result of the mortgage was using on it. And he was educated about sports activities, and so a few of that was transmitted to me.
“I can by no means keep in mind a time, although, that I wasn’t concerned about sports activities — and even that the announcers weren’t essential to me. Even once I was 7-8 years outdated, I knew the distinction between when Mel Allen or Crimson Barber was calling a sport, or after we briefly lived in California, Vin Scully or Marty Glickman or the younger Marv Albert. All of these voices had been inseparable from the video games themselves. The primary time I thought of desirous to be an announcer, I used to be 9-10 years outdated.”
Requested if he understood the playing implications on the time, the reply was positively.
“I couldn’t assist however perceive as a result of it was a defining side of our house life,” Costas stated.
He stated that, per week upfront, he had “internalized” the betting strains and knew what they might be inside a degree. That was when he obtained to the half about being a younger bookie.
“Once I was 15-16 years outdated, I ran a bookie operation of my very own in my highschool,” he stated. “The way in which I used to be profitable was I knew who rooted for the Giants, Jets, Mets, and Yankees. And so, if their workforce was favored, I’d create a line that was means increased than it ought to’ve been, however they wager with their hearts — in order that they’d be giving extra factors than they need to have been given. And if their workforce was the underdog, I’d set the road too low, in order that they’d be getting too few factors in comparison with the road. However they wager based mostly on what groups they rooted for, so I used to be popping out means forward. And a number of occasions on the identical sport, I'd hit a center, and each side must pay me.
“So now I've like $120, in 1968, in my dresser bed room — together with some sheets ‘Joey wager on the Jets, Sam wager on the Browns‘, and my Dad discovered.”
In response to the US inflation calculator, $120 in 1968 is almost $1,000 in the present day.
Costas stated that he averted bodily punishment, however obtained a “very stern speaking to” from his father, who known as him “Robert” — which meant bother to any child who glided by Bob or Bobby — and informed him, “Robert, I can’t cease. Don’t begin.”
“I knew by the tone of his voice, and the look in his eye, that there could be an ass-kicking the following time,” Costas stated.
He gave up his ebook that day.
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