This is cause for serious concern.
A Big Ten football officiating team that came under scrutiny for its performance in two conference games last month was led by a crew chief with a history of bankruptcy, casino gambling, child abuse and allegations of sexual harassment, a Yahoo! Sports investigation has revealed.
The revelations about the Big Ten referee, Stephen Pamon, come four months after an NBA referee pleaded guilty to felony charges stemming from allegations he bet on NBA games in which he officiated and provided inside information to high-stakes gamblers.
He and his wife filed for bankruptcy in 2002 after the couple amassed $429,407 in liabilities, and two of the creditors were casinos.
He allegedly has gambled at casinos as far back as the 1980s, and a sister-in-law said gambling losses incurred by Pamon and Pamon's wife led to the couple filing for bankruptcy.
In 1997, he was charged with repeatedly beating three of his girlfriend's four sons with an electrical cord. He told authorities he beat the boys three times.
He allegedly was fired by the Chicago Police Department in 1996 after two female officers accused him of sexual harassment, according to published reports that cited law-enforcement officials as sources.
One of Pamon's former wives accused him during a court hearing in 1994 of striking her and sexually assaulting her 19-year-old niece, according to court records.
Let's see, a long history of gambling and a bankruptcy from it to boot. Then the Big Ten puts him in a position where he could (and might have) altered the results of one of the most wagered sports in America. What could go wrong?
Apparently the NCAA doesn't care until the big money Bowl games come around. According to an NCAA spokesman:
"In general, individuals are precluded from officiating in a bowl game if they have a felony conviction or a conviction for sports bookmaking, sports bribery or sports wagering,'' Bob Williams, managing director of public and media relations, wrote in an e-mail. "The NCAA background checks in football are performed for those officials who seek to work in Division I bowl games only.''
If I had a gambling problem and serious financial problems, I would sure as hell like to get a gig officiating NCAA football! There is absolutely no doubt that subjective officiating can change a game or an entire season.
Here is a case in point. The University of South Florida lost three games by a grand total of 15 points. One touchdown taken from their in any one of these games would have resulted in a victory for USF. If this had happened in all three, USF would be undefeated and playing for a National Championship and a huge multi-million dollar payout. Not to mention the money that could have been made wagering that USF would even reach that game?
Many may ask, how can an official take away a touchdown without doing something so egregious that he would be exposed by instant replay? This is simple. There is "holding" on every play and every official knows it.
Brigham Young lost two games, both by less than a touchdown. If I am alone in my concern; imagine a National Championship between USF and BYU? Five bad calls from a corrupt official could have made this happen.
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