The Hidden World of Honolulu's Football Betting Scandal
In the late 1940s, Honolulu was a hotspot for football betting, even outshining big cities like New York and Chicago. The Honolulu Warriors, a professional football team, drew massive attention, not just for their games but also for the betting scene around them. The stadium, built by private financier John Ashman Beaven, was a big deal for local athletes, including Herman Wedemeyer, a pre-World War II football star known for his role in the TV show "Hawaii Five-O."
The betting scene outside the stadium was as lively as the games inside. Placing a bet was technically illegal, with penalties including a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. However, this didn't stop a major betting scandal from rocking the stadium, the city, and the Pacific Coast Football League in December 1947. The scandal even made headlines in the New York Times.
The Scandal
The scandal involved local star Melvin "Buddy" Abreu, who led a group of teammates in placing bets totaling $6,500, which is nearly $100,000 today. They bet on their own games, with Abreu manipulating the odds. The first bet paid off, but the second didn't, leading to a public expose by an angry player. The details of the scandal are covered in the September issue of "QuantCoach's Eye — The Capitalist's Sports Newsletter," published by Ohio judge Kevin Braig.
QuantCoach's Eye
Braig's newsletter is a monthly publication that delves into the history of sports gambling, featuring articles, forecasts, and cartoons. It's a labor of love that also includes recipes, tying them to the theme of each issue. Braig's interest in sports gambling stems from his background in law and his father's renowned career as a youth football coach.
The newsletter is a treasure trove of information, relying on extensive newspaper archives to flesh out its stories. Braig is meticulous about adhering to what is or isn't in the public domain. During the NFL season, he inserts exotic stats and categories, based on the work of Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Romer.
In essence, Braig's newsletter offers a unique blend of sports history, betting insights, and culinary delights, catering to subscribers interested in the true history of the betting business and fundamentally sound capitalism.