By Stephen Nover
Thu, Mar 2, 2006
Copyright © http://www.covers.com/

It seemed like a wacky mixture of Las Vegas and offshore sportsbooks for a college basketball radio contest.

But when noted professional gambler Alan Boston was pitted against Brent Crow of sports service SportsMemo.com in a winner-take-all handicapping contest backed by offshore and Vegas sponsors, national barriers were broken for the first time.

Previous Las Vegas radio show handicapping contests such as the Stardust Invitational football contest and the defunct Sunset Station football and basketball contests never created much of an Internet buzz nor resulted in direct line movement like the recently concluded "Beat Boston" contest did.

Crow and Boston combined to go 47-37 (56 percent) on their seven selections each week, combining sharp analysis with Boston's witty and sometimes acerbic comments. The show aired on Friday nights for seven weeks on a local Las Vegas radio station and could also be picked up on the Internet.

Crow won $30,000 going 25-17 (59 percent) against the spread and never had a losing week. Boston finished 22-20. Crow's record actually could have been 28-14 (66 percent), but three of his underdog plays went down in overtime. Boston set the early tone, starting 12-6 and generating a buzz that drew heavy feedback in various sports gaming posting forums, while making the show must-listen radio.

"Alan Boston made the contest prestigious," Crow said. "He's respected and successful. His name was the whole key to it."

It was a coup for Leroy's sportsbooks, which sponsored the show, to talk Boston into committing. The format was important too. Unlike the Stardust Invitational, where contestants have advanced despite not winning a game, this format of seven games each week for almost two straight months essentially eliminated the luck factor.

"It wasn't a crapshoot deal where you go 3-4 and your opponent goes 2-5 and you advance," Crow said. "It was a true contest where your abilities come through."

Crow and Boston aren't some wannabe gamblers or recycled touts. They are serious professionals and it showed in their commentary. Boston has moved the line for years in Las Vegas and was one of the subjects of the book "The Odds." Crow has been documented as a 59 percent college basketball handicapper the past five years by the Sports Monitor in Oklahoma City.

Boston had nothing to sell except his strong personality. It's too bad the mainstream media doesn't embrace gambling more because Boston would be the most provocative college basketball analyst on TV.

Crow, to his credit, refrained from plugging his sports service. His commentary was much more low-key than Boston's, but his points were salient and his extensive knowledge came through.

The result was line movement, especially on Boston's games, at Internet books that post Saturday's basketball lines on Friday night. There also was line movement at the Riviera Hotel, site of the contest, and at the nearby Stardust Hotel. Sometimes the lines were adjusted as much as 2 1/2 to 3 points.

With a decent-sized purse, solid format, fusion of offshore and Vegas as well as excellent contestants, this was the first Las Vegas radio invitational contest bettors took seriously.

Gamblers will remember the "Beat Boston" contest. Will there be a "Beat Crow" contest next year?

Both Leroy's and SportsMemo.com would like it to happen. Crow is certainly up for it, even though he had to fly to Las Vegas all but one of the weeks of the show from his home in Alabama.

"I think we can get it going," said Jimmy Vaccaro, marketing director for Leroy's. "People are interested now."

SportsMemo.com CEO Tim Trushel said his company would pick up the show if for some reason Leroy's couldn't continue its sponsorship next year.

"Absolutely we want Brent to defend his title," Trushel said.

Both parties would like to see the contest get bigger, perhaps even taking it to television with a poker-type, winner-take-all pot of say $250,000. The key is getting sponsorship (perhaps some of the huge offshore books?) and making sure there are no legal issues involved.

With Vaccaro, a former sportsbook director at The Mirage, raising the profile of Vegas' sports betting and pushing for opportunities, it might be possible.