Las Vegas Hilton NFL Picks Contest

[spain]

The Las Vegas Hilton has a contest each year for picking NFL games. I think you have to pick 6 games each week using their lines. The entry fee is pretty steep, as last year I think it was around $1500. But the winner gets a HUGH cash prize in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. I wanted to see if there was any interest in getting a team of about 5 Huddlers together to enter this thing. I know Sarge and Crispirons are big NFL bettors and hopefully will join. Anybody else have any interest in getting in this contest?

[rattsass]

The Las Vegas Hilton has a contest each year for picking NFL games. I think you have to pick 6 games each week using their lines. The entry fee is pretty steep, as last year I think it was around $1500. But the winner gets a HUGH cash prize in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. I wanted to see if there was any interest in getting a team of about 5 Huddlers together to enter this thing. I know Sarge and Crispirons are big NFL bettors and hopefully will join. Anybody else have any interest in getting in this contest?

 

You need to recruit Steeltown Dre.

[Steeltown Dre]

The guy who won last year was named Robert Burns, a.k.a "Jarhead"

 

He went an incredible 57-27-1 in the 17 weeks (5 picks / week). Here's his weekly record:

 

 

	 Week	W	  L	  P  1	  3	  2			  2	  5	  0			  3	  2	  3			  4	  4	  1			  5	  5	  0			Leader  6	  3	  2			  7	  2	  3			  8	  4	  1			Leader  9	  4	  1			Leader 10	  5	  0			Leader 11	  3	  1	  1	 Leader 12	  2	  3			Leader 13	  4	  1			Leader 14	  2	  3			Leader 15	  2	  3			Leader 16	  4	  1			Leader 17	  3	  2			Leader

 

 

He always won at least 2, had only 5 losing weeks, and went for 4+ wins in 8 weeks (almost half!) Where he really decided things was weeks 8-11, where he went 16-3-1 over those 4 weeks. From week 12 thru 17, he went 17-13. So he started out really well (weeks 1 thru 7 he went 24-11), then killed it (16-3-1), then put it on cruise with a very respectable 17-13.

 

Here's a great article on him - he had an incredible year, but would have made more if he actually gambled on the games:

 

Jarhead - Triple Crown

 

A lot of football handicappers dream of winning the Las Vegas Hilton SuperContest, which this year had 416 entries at $1,500 apiece and a first-place prize of $249,600. There were two more high-end contests this year, with the Glory of the Gridiron (70 entries at $2,000 apiece for a top prize of $70,000) at Harrah's Entertainment properties and The Challenge at the Station Casinos (208 entries at $1,000 apiece for a top prize of $104,000).

But if you think three people had their dream come true, you'd be wrong. Robert Burns, 66, a retired financial analyst from Greensboro, N.C., swept the triple crown of football handicapping.

 

In addition to the combined $423,600 in first-place prize money, Burns also collected a $10,000 bonus at the Hilton for exceeding 67 percent winners. He was 57-27-1 (67.9 percent) in the Hilton contest, 68-34 (66.7 percent) at Harrah's, and 55-28-2 (66.3 percent) at Station, just missing out on a one-year lease of a Mercedes, which Station would have awarded him had he exceeded 67 percent there. Also, he earned $5,000 for being in a three-way tie after the first six weeks of the season at Harrah's and another $15,000 for being in sole possession of the lead after 12 weeks at Harrah's. In all, he's collecting $453,600.

 

Not bad for a $4,500 investment, as he had only one entry in each contest. But as much as the Las Vegas football betting community is oohing and aahing over his sweep, Burns doesn't see it as that big of a deal.

 

"Those individual contests are mirrors of each other," he said. "If you have a great season in one, you should have a great season in them all if you're playing the same games, which I did."

 

Burns also used the same alias in all three contest - "Jarhead" - which he adopted from his days in the Marines from 1958-61. Besides being proud of his time in the service, he said there was no special reason for using the nickname. That was the first thing that came to mind when he needed to create an Internet name, and he just started using it in contests.

 

Burns said he's already looking ahead to next year.

 

"Winning it on one great year isn't impressive," he said. "Now, winning it in back-to-back years would really be an accomplishment."

 

A lot of people get lucky in winning one event and never come close again. But that can't be said for Burns.

 

Burns nearly pulled a sweep of the local football contests in 2003. He won the football contest at Stations for $65,000 and was third at the Hilton, a mere one game from first place, to collect another $41,520. In fact, during our phone conversation Monday, he quoted from a 2003 article in which I called him the "hottest handicapper in the contest and arguably in the whole city."

 

He admits to having subpar seasons in the Hilton contest the past two years - 44-39-2 in 2004 and

37-44-4 last year - when most underdog players struggled, but he's back on top now.

 

Burns said he has been a longtime sports fan and developed a system in 1999 to help him predict football games. Without giving away all his secrets, he said it's a math-based system that he adjusts during the off-season and then doesn't tinker with it much during the season.

"It's not team-specific, so I didn't focus on any," he said. "I will say it has a preference for home underdogs."

 

He said when he used to travel, he would stop in Vegas to bet some games, but he doesn't trust offshore sports books and doesn't bet his plays, even through his Las Vegas-based proxy, who is a former business partner. Of course, even if he was betting and averaging the staggering sum of $11,000 on each of his plays the past four years, he wouldn't have shown the more than a half-million dollars in profits that he has from his contest winnings.

 

Alas, if you're looking for picks for this weekend's games, Burns doesn't have any.

 

"The system is set up for picking winners in the regular season and trying to win these contests," he said. "I haven't even input anything since Week 16. Besides, the playoffs are much harder to handicap, because there's only good teams, and the oddsmakers have tougher lines."

Edited July 19, 2007 by Steeltown Dre

[spain]

Steelhead: Have you ever entered any of these contests before? Are you interested in getting a team together?

[Steeltown Dre]

Although from what I heard, he split the winnings w/ someone who staked half of his entrance fees, and then was taxed on the winnings, so ended up with just over $100K.

[Steeltown Dre]

Steelhead: Have you ever entered any of these contests before? Are you interested in getting a team together?

 

I don't know how you would do this. Would you take each man's top play to make the 5? And then cut him off if he loses 2 or more in a row? It seems tough to do. I know when you submit 1 play, it's hard to win that play everytime.

[spain]

I don't know how you would do this. Would you take each man's top play to make the 5? And then cut him off if he loses 2 or more in a row? It seems tough to do. I know when you submit 1 play, it's hard to win that play everytime.

I havent gotten that far. Thought maybe we could work out the details after we get a list of who is interested.

[godtomsatan]

I might be game.

[alexgaddis]

67%???

 

Thats nothing! I hear radio commercials every week with guys that boast an 85%-95% winning percentage...in fact, I am going to call those guys and tell them about this contest so they can easily go in and win it....

[Steeltown Dre]

67%???

 

Thats nothing! I hear radio commercials every week with guys that boast an 85%-95% winning percentage...in fact, I am going to call those guys and tell them about this contest so they can easily go in and win it....

 

Yea, those guys are just dying to grab a losing or unintelligent bettor by the pocketbook and drag him along through the mud...

 

Dr. Bob, whose picks I posted here before just for reference, is known as one of the better touts lately in College FB. But in the pros he's been nothing. To finish the season, he went 5-9 in weeks 14 thru 17.

 

Here's an article on him I posted last year:

 

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB1167...NTkwNjUwWj.html

 

According to the article:

 

"Experts say there may be fewer than 100 people who can sustain these rates (53%-55% winning to make a profit) over time. Most of them belong to professional betting syndicates that hire teams of statisticians, wager millions every week and keep their operations secret."

 

I also posted some of Brandon Lang's picks and his weekly apologies to his clients after losing money week after week.

 

Here's some other "big shots" real records through they WC games last year. I'm sure most of them were claiming to be absolutely incredible, though their record shows otherwise:

 

Animal.........52-55...(1-0)...5*NE/Over,4*Giants/Over,3*Jets,Giants

AceMan.......25-22...(1-0)...4*Philly

ASA..............16-20...(0-1)...3*NE/Under

APlay............17-35...(0-1)...VIP-SMiss/Under

Alatex...........3-4..................

ATS..............35-43...(1-1)...6%NE,4%Giants

BermansPicks.24-43...(1-0)...NE,Philly

Blazer...........22-22...(2-0)...4*Jets

CarolinaSports.16-21.........

BobCash.....32-33...(2-0)...NFC-PlayoffGOY-Philly,5*SMiss+Under

DaveCokin..41-33...(1-0)...Hat-NE

Doc'sEnt......31-40...(0-2)...4*Philly,Jets/Over

DrBob...........22-26...(1-0)...3*Philly,OP-NE

Executive.....22-23..............

JimFeist.......37-40..............Personal-Giants/Over

GoldSheet....34-29...(0-1)...Top-Jets,Reg-SMiss

GSlamSports..36-35...(1-0)..TriplePlay-Jets,DoublePlay-Jets/Over

InsideInfo.....20-26...(1-0).....

JBSports.....31-22...............Top-SMiss,Reg-NE

JerseyGiant..29-22.............Giants..........(Eli's Coming out party)

LineMovers...38-28...(1-0)...

KelsoSturgeon..32-42...(0-2)...

MainGate......20-23.................

MikeNeri.......12-25...(2-1).......

NorthCoast..24-43...(0-1)...3*Philly,Jets/Under,OP-NE

OffshoreEdge..39-33...(0-2)...

PhillyFour.....44-42...+5000..(0-3)-19800...10$NE,6$NE/Over,6$Giants

Pointwise....39-43...(1-0)...3*Philly,NE

PowerPlays...34-22...(1-0)...20*Philly,10*NE

PrefPicks.....29-20...(1-0)...4*NE

PrivatePlayers..41-33...(1-1)...5*SMiss,3*NE,Philly

RandyRadke..23-34...(1-0)...NE

Raider..........26-23...(0-1)...5*NE,Giants

ReedHarris...41-30...(1-2)...10*Giants,10*Giants/Over

Rocky'sWinner..17-28...(1-1)...Pass

ScotSprietzer...35-38...(1-0)...KO-NE

Sycamore....27-28...(0-2)...Jets,SMiss

DtBobSchoner...30-26...(0-1)...

LenSteven...61-48...(2-0)...10*NE,Philly

Score.............30-25...(0-2)...

Underdog....5-9...(1-0)...

UnderTaker...35-25...(1-0)...Pass

SportsUnlimited..18-20...(1-0)...

WayneRoot...52-44...(2-0)...NoLimitGOY-NE,Chair-Philly,Million-OhioU

WildCat..........20-26...(0-1)...

BigAL.............27-24...(2-0)...3*NE,OhioU

 

As you can see, Dr. Bob was only 22-26.

 

It would be hard for Jarhead to repeat his outstanding season last year. I know from experience:

 

In 2006 I did an online contest through wagerline.com where you can pick ATS and/or O/U for the playoffs that year (the year Pittsburgh won the SB).

 

I went 16-2 (was actually 15-1 prior to the SB and in 1st place, but made my SB play on Pitt and the Over to ensure victory - I knew the 2nd place guy's picks and would win the tournament regardless the outcome so long as I took Pitt and the Over, and result was Pitt and the Under).

 

I'll never go 16-2 again in the playoffs, that's simply not repeatable. 89%. In fact, in the Wagerline Hall of Fame from 1999-2007, no one in any tournament for all sports has hit that high a %.

 

But I know myself I couldn't do it again. The key in my mind is to win money each and every season. If you win $500 or $20,000, either is good (one is great), so long as you enjoy doing it. Losing sucks, and putting a lot of time and effort into it and then losing is even worse. We all have those losing streaks, but hopefully they don't add up to many losing seasons.

Edited July 19, 2007 by Steeltown Dre

[alexgaddis]

So these guys are obviously lying about their records...how can they legally do this in a radio commercial???

[Steeltown Dre]

TWO FOR THE MONEY or "Two For the BullSega!"

 

Today I continue my discussion on a movie that has made our phone ring a hundred times and caused hundreds of hours on the phone talking about the incredible FICTION that the film spews.

 

This film is not as bad as many say, its a decent film about sports betting. I give the director credit for keeping it interesting as this film could have potentially been a bore. However there were some problems with the script, mainly the last act which was not logical or truthful. Hell, there are many issues about the script if you believe that this is a TRUE STORY! The acting and smart direction saved this project. Although it isn't a terribly convincing film (actually, it's all bullSega!), Pacino's performance allows it not to be a total disappointment. McConaughey was good as well, casted well in his role.

 

Now that I made nice-nice, lets get down to the fraud, misrepresentations and downright lies about the facts.

 

Wait just a minute, forget the nice-nice thing. Here is my real take on this work of fiction.

 

This movie is like a bad, sports betting version of Scent of a Woman with a little bit of Boiler Room thrown in for additional suckage. Matthew McConaughey plays Douchebag Jones, a washed up former college QB who is trying to make it rich by predicting sports outcomes. He never bets though, because he's too much of a *****. Al Pacino recruits him to New York, where he starts hot before going 0-for-a million, leading to one of the most improbable movie scenes in history when some sports betting gazillionaire pees on his face for losing him $30 million in one weekend. Apparently dousing another man in your own urine is pretty satisfying, because we never see or hear of this character again (meaning he is still in the hole $30 mil, but he peed on some dude's face, so it's all good). Another dude named Amir loses his house, his business, his car, and his family, but he disappears shortly thereafter, so I'm guessing it all worked out for him, too.

 

This whole movie sucked, and throughout the whole thing Rene Russo is prancing around playing the beaten-down-but-noble wife to Al Pacino, which makes sense up until she pretends to sleep with Douchebag Jones to convince her husband of his own... what, exactly? It didn't make any sense to me either.

 

Anyway, this movie sucks, and the fake New York team wins the Super Bowl on a play exactly like the one that ends Douchebag Jones' career in the opening sequence. There. Now you have absolutely no reason to ever consider even watching commercials for this movie.

 

 

 

FIRST - THE REAL CHARACTERS

 

WALT ABRAMS. Real name is Stu Feiner, Played by Al Pacino

Just for yucks...Stu Feiner calls himself "The Source."

Source of what? Documented losers and being fined

by The New York Consumer Affairs Division for fraud?

(Doesn't it creep you out when someone self-applies a nickname?)

 

BRANDON LANG - Played by Matthew McConaughey

 

STU FEINER'S WIFE - Played by Rene Russo

 

 

Yes, for those of you who have been around a couple decades, the New York City company that Brandon Lang worked for was the disgraced company that was run by Stu Feiner.

 

No, this was not a movie that was paid/produced for by BIG HOLLYWOOD. The movie was made by an off-shore sports book.

 

Let's get to the "name thing". In the movie, they said his real name was Brandon Lang and when he went on to work for the boiler room Stu Feiner outfit, he was given a "power name" (John Anthony), just like

all the scam outfits have always done.

 

His real Name is Brandon Link. During the first draft of the movie, they were using Brandon Long before settling on Brandon Lang. The irony is, after the movie came out, Brandon Link parlayed the hype and went into the handicapping business and now calls himself Brandon Lang.

 

There is a hint in the credits, for Brandon has a very short cameo appearance near the beginning of the movie. At the end of the film, he is credited as: Man Greeting Brandon #1 --- BRANDON LINK!

 

The story is related by Brandon Lang/Long/Link (Matthew McConaughey) who begins life as a sports hero and just at the moment when he is ready to break in to the Pro Football domain, he fractures his leg in a winning touchdown.

 

Noooooooooooooo, Brandon Lang/Lane/Link/Long was NOT a star college football quarterback that brought

his team to a major Bowl game only to get injured in the final minutes. Think about it, did you ever hear his name? We all recognize the QB's that are in major bowl games. Hell, if you are a skeptic, just do a Google search!

 

He did hurt his knee though. You ask how? It was in a basketball pickup game that was being played at a local fitness center! The league was called THE SPORTING HOUSE LEAGUE. The name of the fitness center is The Sporting House. It's a few steps below a park district league.

 

There's a hilarious side story to Brandon's "injury story". Late last year, a college football writer telephoned Brandon Lang/Lane/Link/Long and told him that he's never heard of him and asked what college team he took to the bowl game. Brandon was caught off guard, but being the pathological liar he is, he came up with an amazing lie AGAIN! He copped to the fact that he never quarterbacked a bowl team and that indeed, he injured his knee in a fitness center league. He went on to claim that one day, UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian stopped by to watch a game (yeah, right) and that Coach Tarkanian told Brandon that he was good enough to be a walk-on for UNLV! By the way, that was during the hey days of the UNLV program and their National Championship run.

 

Want another lie? Sure you do! Was Brandon Lang/Lane/Link/Long a Las Vegas handicapper? Hell no! BLLLL was not a sports handicapper, or even a telemarketing salesman. He was a score phone announcer working for a major Las Vegas sports handicapping service. He was working for $6.00 an hour for a company that you know all about. (Hint: Initials of the owner are J__F____ ) This major Las Vegas handicapping service is still going strong and you can see their sports handicapping INFOMMERCIAL Saturday mornings on cable TV. I know that you can fill in the blanks!

 

So, since he was NOT a handicapper, and had no reputation at all in the industry, how did he hook up with scamdicapper Stu Feiner?

 

Brandon's manager (at J__ F____ Sports) had many conversations with this infamous New York sports handicapper (Stu Feiner) that Al Pacino plays. The supervisor's job was to try to sell Stu Feiner 900 # score phone advertising and Brandon “The Wonder Boy” score phone announcer would read “Mr. New York's” advertising copy, or sometimes Feiner would call into Las Vegas to do a live feed. So, that's how the two of them first got together. After liberal tipping and spiffing, Feiner eventually convinced “Wonder Boy” to come New York and work for him. He just needed a guy for voice talent work.

 

The real truth about what happened at Stu Feiner's service is that Brandon Lang/Lane/Link/Long was such a

failure at selling games (yep, he was one of those sports service salesmen that would tell you anything they could to get a buck from you), that he lost his job and became a caddie at a Los Angeles Country Club. Jim Feist would not rehire him. Due to his obvious narcissism, he liked talking so much about himself and stretching the truth to the men that he washed balls for that one hollywood-type believed him and searched for a way to get enough money to make the film.

 

Nobody bought it. Then, BoDog, an offshore sportsbook put up the money to pay for the film! Brandon

Lang/Lane/Link/Long and BoDog made a business deal and they were marketing the relationship big time until

they realized that the potential consumer to Brandon's picks (he was advising his members to use BoDog),

would figure it out. The deal with BoDog gave Brandon Lang/Lane/Link/Long a kickback of the money that his clients lost when betting at BoDog! Why would BoDog want Brandon's action if he was winning?

 

Are we having fun yet?

 

Let's explore documented facts and the odds of betting on the outcome of events.

 

In the film, Brandon Lang goes 12 for 12 in his first try at handicapping the weekend. Let's examine this. According to the Las Vegas Gaming Commission (whose job it is to keep an eye on such things), in the history of football parlay card betting, NOBODY has ever won 12 for 12 on a football parlay card! Imagine how many thousands has tried? The odds of going 12 for 12 is a staggering 4894-1 against the bettor. An interesting note that is also on the Gaming Commission's historical report is that nobody has ever hit 12 for 12 on a Keno card in the history of betting despite hundreds of millions trying. According to the LVGC, the real odds of hitting 15 for 15 on a Keno card is 0.0000000000023 to one against and it pays off $100,000 although the real odds are more than 51 billion to one against the bettor! So, are you ever going to grab a Keno card again?

 

So, what exactly was going on at Stu Feiner's company, the firm that employed BLLLL?

 

According to a comprehensive Sports Illustrated Story titled, "1-900-RIPOFFS", Abusing customers is SOP among sports advisers. "Gamblers are desperate people," says Arnie Wexler, executive director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey.

 

SI took a two-month test drive through the world of sports advisory services and found misleading ads, bait-and-switches, repeated claims of fixes coming down, misrepresentation of records, unforgivably high-pressured sales techniques, phone harassment, phone threats, phony guarantees, mail fraud, wire fraud and some perfectly dreadful manners. Even the pictures lied.

 

In investigating Feiner's tactics, an inspector for the Consumer Affairs Department called one of Feiner's 800 numbers to take him up on an offer of a free line on a game during the 1989 football season. The investigator spoke with a man known as Sonny Greco, also known as Phil Bonvino, a salesman for Stu Mitchell's Locker Room Report, still another service owned by Feiner. After a breathless, oath-laden pause-free speech, Greco went for the close. His pace was furious. The detective, posing as a customer named Stan, balked. Greco screamed louder.

 

Here is the audio taped conversation:

 

Stan: I'm being bombarded here. Lemme think on it. I got a lot of guarantees here.

 

Sonny: I'm not interested in anybody else you're call., Stan! The difference here is this, OK? We own this game tonight on over/under! We own this information. Now go get your credit card, and let's start making money! You don't need to deal with anybody but me!

 

Stan: Wait�

 

Sonny: I own this game in over/under! I have the winner! Tonight! No what's your credit card number?

 

Stan: OK, lemme get back to you.

 

Sonny: Stan, you're not going to call me back! You know it as well as I do, and if you think I'm going to let you off the phone with that ___, you're crazy! OK? I've got the winner tonight! I own this game in over-under, and I'm going to own your bookmaker's ass! So get your credit card out and let's get going!

 

Stan: Lemme tell you what we're gonna do. I'm gonna think about it. Sonny (louder still): Stan, there's nothing to think about! Click.

 

Greco is ruthless, loud and scary. No wonder Feiner has given him his own sports service-Phil Bonvino's Locker Room Report. Says a former phone tout for a large Long Island service, "There were plenty of times when we'd tell a guy, 'Look, if you don't come across, I'm gonna tell your wife you're gambling again.' Or we'd tell high school kids that we were going to tell their parents." Says the ex-salesman for Kevin Duffy, "We'd call up anybody, even guys we knew were going to Gamblers Anonymous. We'd stay on them." Question: How do sports advisers get away with it? Better question: Who are customers supposed to complain to? Gamblers don't want to turn anybody in because most of them are breaking the law themselves. As a result, the touts go unpoliced.

 

Soon clients got a clue and stopped paying. That's when the people from the Seasons Edge group "got heavy-handed," says Robert Schroeder of the office of the US Attorney in Atlanta. "They'd threaten to kill members of the family, burn down their homes." One victim was told if he didn't send more money, he'd be "chopped up into little tiny pieces with a chain saw." Gamblers were bilked out of $413,000 before a victim's parents finally called the FBI when their son, a college student, lost his tuition money and resorted to using his father's credit card to try to obtain his "refund." Schroeder nailed conspiracy, wire fraud and extortion convictions on 12 people. They got the full package sentences ranging up to 87 months in jail.

 

 

It is also a business in which profits can be enormous, some services are believed by at least one close observer of the industry to make as much as $1 million annually. Last year the people at the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs looked into the advertising practices of the sports adviser business and came away with their hair on end. "These have been among the most egregious, outrageous claims we've ever encountered," says a department attorney, Fred Cantor.

 

 

Get this story!

 

 

 

"I remember once a guy needed a bailout game real bad," says a former salesman for a major tout operating out of New York City. "He was buried, so he wanted to put two or three dimes [$2000 or $3000] down on something good. I said I had a lock for him. I put him on hold, and I went into my boss's office and I said, 'Who do you want to pick, the Jets or Minnesota?' And he said, 'Take Minnesota. My mom likes purple.' So I gave this poor sucker Minnesota based on some lady's favorite color. He lost."

 

Ripoffs Rule the Roost.: "The Source", a sports adviser service in Farmingdale, NY, owned by Stu Feiner, who also owns a few 900 call-in lines. Another exhibit is Feiner's brother-in-law, the aforementioned Kevin Duffy, perhaps the nation's most successful scamdicapper, who became famous for running ads that said, "I will go 7-0 for you today, absolutely free." Too bad "absolutely free" meant you first had to sign up for a month's service at $350. Then, if Duffy didn't go 7-0 in the first week, you got the next month free. Duffy, who operates out of Massapequa, Long Island, also claimed to be no worse than 75% right, ever. Yet when his picks were audited by the Sports Monitor of Oklahoma City, one of the rare legitimate monitors (among the dozens of such outfits that purport to keep tabs on the performance of tout services), he never fared better than 58.8% in any regular football season between 1985 and 1988, and he sank as low as 39.7% for his college picks in 1987. Eventually the Sports Monitor refused to monitor Duffy because of his "deceptive ad practices."

 

Stu Feiner agreed to be monitored by SI for four weeks in September. To his credit, he unfailingly gave us his choices. To his discredit, Feiner went 19-32, a 37% win rate, and lost us an imaginary $6,210 based on $100 per unit. During that same period, we were anonymously calling Feiner's 800 number, where, curiously, he claimed to be cleaning up. On Sept. 23, for instance, after Feiner had gone 3-11 for the week on his picks for SI, bringing his record for us to 11-25, one of his shills, Kenny Leeds, said in response to our anonymous call, "This week I [meaning the company] went 3-0, the week before, I was 3-1." On Oct. 3, after Feiner had gone 7-7 for the weekend, we again called anonymously and got another Feiner salesman, Larry Marco. "This past weekend, we swept the board," Marco said. Then Leeds called back. "This kid Feiner is making betting history," he said.

 

Yeah, so did Art Schlichter!

 

For you youngsters, Art Schlichter was a first round draft choice (DUDE HAD MAJOR SKILLS) as a quarterback coming out of Ohio State in 1982; what's more, he enjoyed an image so wholesome his biography was titled Straight Arrow. But Schlichter gambled away his $350,000 signing bonus during his rookie season with the Baltimore Colts. He was suspended and reinstated the next year, after declaring he had the disease of compulsive gambling for which he had gotten help. In 1985, he was cut by the Colts and never played football again. If success started Schlichter's addiction, failure really fueled it. In 1988 he declared bankruptcy, referring frequently to his disease. Schlichter's ex-wife, Mitzi Schlichter, helped found the Custer Gambling Treatment Center in Indianapolis after she left her husband in 1994. Schlichter, meanwhile, has spent four of the six years since then in prison. In 1997, he was pulled out of a court-ordered gambling treatment program and hauled back to jail when he was caught betting. Schlichter is currently awaiting trial on money laundering charges and stealing credit cards, all revolving around taking money, often from family members, in order to gamble. Schlichter takes no responsibility for his misbehavior — and, despite harping on his disease and although his wife created her own gambling treatment center, Schlichter has never shown any inclination to fly straight.

 

Feiner was fined $13,000 in February 1990 by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs for false and misleading advertising, yet he sent out a promotional brochure last month that reported a "1991 documented record college and pro: 9-3." Knowing Feiner's record as we did, we asked him how he could say this. "That's what I had the first week." he said, before you started documenting me." Fine. That would've been the weekend of Aug. 31-Sept. 2. The booklet, however, was dated Sept. 19-Oct. 7, 1991. During one of our anonymous calls, Leeds told us he had "strong information" on a game he wanted us to buy, so strong it was a dead mortal lock, so strong that he was putting $2000 of his own money on the game. We were dubious.

 

Here's the audio taped conversation:

 

Leeds: You don't believe me? I'll fly you out here [from Colorado].

 

SI: Fly me out there?

 

Leeds: I'll fly you to __ Long Island, and I'll have you take a ride with me!

 

SI: Why?

 

Leeds" To see how I pick it [his winnings] up and where I pick it up from.

 

SI: Can you fly me out this week?

 

Leeds: What I'm saying is�I'm using that's a little bit of a mild exaggeration. Don't get me wrong, but I've met a lot of my clients. I've met Dan Marino.

 

SI: You know Dan Marino? Leeds: Well, I stood next to him at the Super Bowl, and my friend took my picture with him.

 

Feiner says that if somebody calls his 800 number and doesn't sign up, "We'll call him every day for a couple months, because eventually they'll change their minds.

 

 

"Mike Warren (real name Mike Laskey - a degenerate horse bettor who was run out of business by the United States Attorney and fined heavily) is a former pathetic handicapper and a tremendous con artist," says Feiner. Says Warren, "Stu Feiner? He's got a big mouth, always talking big. He knows this hoodlum and that hoodlum-gonna break my legs. You know what? He can't break an egg. I gave him my address. He's so short, the only thing he can reach is my legs." Mike Warren was ordered by The United States District Attorney to run major advertisements in which he had to admit his frudulent claims of success.

 

 

If you think guys like Feiner and Warren will make you wish you have never installed your phone, Atlanta's John L. Edens, alias Johnny DeMarco, the Babe Ruth of 900 sales pitchers, will make you wish Alexander Graham Bell had never been born. According to published ads and SPORTS ILLUSTRATED taped phone calls, Edens:

 

 

Got on his 800 line and told listeners to call his 900 line for $25, "and if the game loses, there'll be no charge." That, of course, is a lie. Once a call is made on a 900 line, the charge is automatic.

 

 

* Told customers of one of his phone services that his special guest selector that day was "a former six-time NBA basketball All-Star who wishes to remain anonymous due to security matters." The anonymous "All-Star" then got on the line and offered his inside information on "three big plays, tonight."

 

 

* Told his customers on another occasion, "Sporting Illustrated magazine calls the Handicapping Hotline the Number One value in sports." Remarkably, there is no Sporting Illustrated.

 

 

* Wrote in a print ad, which appeared in the schedule of games he sent out to customers in early 1991, that his service was rated "the very best available by the Interstate Sports Commission, the nation's only legitimate monitoring service." The ad failed to mention that the ISC is owned by a company with which, DeMarco acknowledges, he is "affiliated."

 

 

* Got on his 800 line in March 1989 and said he had spoken with then N.C. State coach Jim Valvano and had "key" information on the Final Four. Valvano says he has never spoken to DeMarco.

 

 

Scripts at the a New York based sports service? Yep, The New York Consumer Affairs Commission got their hands on one! It will frighten you.

 

 

Here it is:

 

 

It read: "I'm glad I got ahold of you in time! We are releasing our biggest information game of the ____ (month/season) going off ___ (day of week). Now, ___ (name), listen carefully. Our inside sources have tipped us off to this game. We know exactly what's going to happen. We know the winner. (Lower voice) It's the kind of game I can't even talk about over the phone-you follow me, right? (Response) OK Good�All you gotta do is cover me with $___ How do you do it, Visa or MasterCard?"

 

 

The fix scam is essential to a tout's repertoire. "You'd lower your voice way down," says one employee who worked for this company for four years, "and you'd say, 'Is this line clean? No taps on it, right? OK Listen, we've got information on this game. you know what I'm saying? The winner of this game was already decided in a hotel room."

 

 

"You'd be talking with grown men who were crying on the phone," says one former tout Stu Feiner salesman "Guys who were losing everything but still betting. And I'd lie awake in the middle of the night hoping the guy would win. So I'd call the sports phone and get a late West Coast game at 4 a.m. and go, 'Damn, he lost again."

 

"It was like feeding drugs to an addict," says the ex-salesman. "We'd try to take whoever we got and make them bet more. We'd take college kids who were betting $25 and say, 'Hey, you got to bet $500 on this game. If you don't bet a nickel I'm not gonna give it to you.' If they won, they got a taste for big money. If they lost, they were desperate to get out [of the hole], and so they start chasing. How can anyone who works for Kevin and Stu have a conscience? Basically, I was just hurting people." And that, unfortunately, is the only absolute lock SPORTS ILLUSTRATED found.

 

Here's a recent publication about BLLLL:

 

We figured we'd check in with handicapping schizo Brandon Lang/Lane/Link/Long to see how he’s been doing since Two For The Money tanked at the box office, completely shattering any hopes for him elevating his career past that of an internet free pick hustler. Well, from the looks of it, the movie bombing may have rattled the golden boy's cage a bit as he stated in his open letter to his “clients” this month about his recent 1-12 (That’s ONE WIN AND TWELVE losses!

 

 

He wrote on his own site: “You see the records above. I can't be any more honest, any more truthful. I've never been a guy who hid his losers, because like I say, if I can brag about the winners, I've got to own up to the losers. I've owned college football in October. I absolutely sucked in the NFL. Can't be more direct than that. As you know, and as you've heard me say on hundreds of radio interviews and on national TV, I don’t win everyday. Cant and won’t. Simple as that.

Some days you have to give back to your man some of the money you won off of him. It happens. Always has, always will.

 

The past two weeks I've been dreadful in the NFL. Not the first time, not the last.

 

It’s a long season. There will be ups and downs. And that's why you've got always stay within your limits and follow my money management advice.

 

Now, of course, for those of you that came aboard the past two Sundays or Mondays for the first time, what can I say other than I lost? I mean, I'm not going into your homes, ordering you to buy. And I have no control over when you buy for the first time. But, I certainly understand you're disappointed. And that's the nature of the business, and you know it as well as me.

 

We win together, we lose together. And whether winning or losing, you expect the truth, and that's what I'm giving you. The past two weeks in the NFL were awful, but as I always say, if you're with me for the long haul, you should make money.

 

"This is a marathon, not a sprint, to make money.”

Yes, those of you unfortunate enough to spend money on Brandon's services — $679 for 100 days — must be thrilled with that apology. Brandon Lang is the paid handicapping equivalent of Enron at this point. But those of us who are Brandon Lang fans can at least take solace in the fact that Two For The Money will most likely be seen on East Coast flights to Vegas in the next couple weeks.

 

ANOTHER DOCUMENTED STORY: "More of Brandon Lang’s Genius"

 

Finally, we've happened upon some information about our friend Brandon Lang/Lane/Link/Long and his curious background that we think should finally allow us to rest our weary heads about this. A classmate of Brandon's from high school e-mailed us to give us the whole rundown on what's real, what's not, and what's ridiculous about the mysterious Mr. Lane/Lang/Link:

 

Brandon Link: I went to high school with him; that's his real name. The Lane and Lang came later. He was a reserve player on his HS team, came off the bench, usually tried to do too much, fancy passes, etc. Could hit the outside shot, and was effective when he played under control, but he was no star. The claim in the article in his hometown paper that he was planning to walk on at UNLV after his stint in the Navy (before an injury sidelined him) led to a lot of chuckling. He couldn't start for a mediocre white boy HS team yet he was going to walk on at UNLV during the glory years? His pre-Internet gambling show was on PASS, a Detroit sports cable station. That's when he came up with the nickname “The King”. At his 10-year reunion he showed up in a car with the license “1-900-KING”. By the way, how's that for arrogance? At the reunion he drove up in that car, and one guy we know went up to him, pointed at the license, and said “1-900-KING? What is that, some *** phone line?” Brandon was too shocked to respond. When I saw the movie trailer last week and saw a shot of that license, I cracked up. He wasn't a bad guy, just a blowhard who overestimated his abilities. It’s clear from his current PR blitz that that tendency is still there.

 

ANOTHER PUBLISHED STORY: "Brandon Lang/Lane/Link Fluffs McConaughey"

 

Crazy-ass toutster Brandon Lang/Lane/Link, the sports handicapper whose life is retold in the box office clunker Two For The Money, took some time out from his busy schedule of promoting himself and making crappy picks to talk about Matthew McConaughey’s portrayal of him in the movie for, well, we guess his own website:

 

 

“Matthew is a big sports fan and has been known to try his luck in the Vegas sportsbooks. In speaking to Matthew prior to shooting the movie, the dialogue in the script told him all he needed to know.

The emotions that he had to draw to in order to play me were right there because he’s a sports bettor himself. I was thrilled to death with how Matthew played me in the movie and the roller coaster ride he takes viewers on properly portrays what I went through.

 

One of the greatest compliments I've ever received in my life came from Matthew, he said “Thank you for bringing me a character where I had to dig down and draw on the emotions that every actor dreams about. This was by far my most enjoyable role.”

 

 

Aw…who has warm fuzzies? We hope “Matthew” enjoyed the crap out of this role because we're pretty sure his leading man stock dropped around 30 points in the eyes of Hollywood after another stinker.

 

 

WANT ANOTHER PUBLISHED STORY?

 

 

Tout service guru and four-named evil genius Brandon Lane/Link/Lang/Long, whose story is being “retold” in Two For The Money has hooked up with omnipresent sportsbook Bodog for a special partnership and changed his name again in the span of 48 hours. In a press release Friday morning Bodog proudly gushes about their new partnership with Brandon LANG:

 

“Brandon Lang, the man who rocketed to fame as a sports handicapper, and Bodog.com, the company that revolutionized online entertainment, have teamed up. In an agreement signed earlier this week, Lang and Bodog will work in conjunction to build a dynamic Bodog presence on his website brandonlang.com. Lang is the subject of the Hollywood film Two for the Money, whose premiere was sponsored by Bodog.

 

“Teaming with Brandon Lang seemed like a natural for us,” says Bodog Founder and CEO Calvin Ayre. “We're very excited to be working with one of the most successful handicappers in the world.”

 

Obviously, Lang's not-so-impressive record suggests he probably should not be the subject of a sports handicapping film.

 

Apparently, superstud football picking phenom BLLLL has yet to recapture the magic touch of his youth which prompted the release of his life story on the big screen in the upcoming Two For the Money. So far this year, Lane's free picks have been rather ordinary to say the least. Brandon's free pick tally so far this year? 5-8-1. His pre-season picks? 0-3.

 

 

Could his poor record have anything to do with the time he's spending on a second career? A la Hollywood movie star?

 

Having Matthew McConaughey play you in a film will most certainly go to anybody's head we are sure.

..................................

 

Apparently our buddy Brandon is also an aspiring actor. Or he may have thought the small, uncredited cameo role he played in Two For the Money deserved an IMDB mention. And be sure to check out the photo page, which appears to show a picture of Lang/Lane/Link/Long dressed in some sort of pajama outfit standing in a family room with a deranged look on his face. We hope that's his family room and not some random family whose home he invaded.

 

And whose head hasn’t exploded yet? They ask. Jesus Christ. If this does not make blood squirt out of your eyes, what will?

 

First there was the unreserved excitement of Brandon “Lane” and his web page at Big Green Machine, which openly complains about the fact that the name was changed to “Lang” in the movie: “Funny thing - they changed by name to Brandon “Lang” for “artistic” purposes. Damn if I know what that means, but it’s still me no matter how they spell my last name!”

 

Then in the Lansing State Journal there is nice fluff piece about Midland, Michigan native Brandon “Link” and his experience about having a movie made about his life.

 

Then there was the IMDB (Internet Movie Database) page he made for himself under Brandon “Link” because of his stirring uncredited role in Two For The Money.

 

And now we have Bodog partnering with Brandon Lang, replete with a spanking new website for Brandon Lang with no acknowledgment anywhere of the fact that this man is out of his ****ing skull.

 

 

ANOTHER DOCUMENTED PUBLICATION WROTE - "Brandon Lane: Enjoying 15 Minutes More Intensely Than Most"

 

 

Friday marks the nationwide opening of the Matthew McConaughey, Al Pacino gambling drama Two For the Money, loosely based on the life of former superstud handicapper Brandon Lane. Lane was a former college football player who turned his freakish ability to pick football games into a lucrative career for a tout service. Well, Brandon has himself a website and from the looks of it, he’s really proud of himself and this movie coming out. He also appears to have a little problem with containing his own excitement, even in two paragraphs:

 

People, just had the Vegas premiere last night and it was fantastic. The Palms gave me a great suite and the photo ops were fantastic. This is what I worked hard for and now its my time to turn it on. The Chargers on Sunday, Green Bay on Monday and now “75 Dime” winner #2 in a row goes tonight. I like this MAC game and will deliver a nice winner. October thru January have always been my months. I have won more in those months than any other month. Not by accident but by design. I watch, I see, I adjust and I win. Your job is to jump on board, ride me and win money. It is in this run that you will see why they decided to make a movie about me. Nobody else, but me. Over the long haul, I will make you money. Sometimes in the midst of your losing streak, you don’t think so but this business is not about a day, a week or a month. It is about the year. You roll with me and you are not only a customer today, I want you for life. I want you part of my family. You give me that chance to earn you money and together, we will own your man. Lets own him tonight.

Well, that's a little ****ing insane. Anybody else want to bump chests or break a chair over somebody's head? But if you were wondering Two For the Money opens Friday. It’s based on Brandon's life. Jump on him and ride him to the money or something. It'll be fantastic.

 

 

And so it goes...There's a sucker born every minute.

 

One last point..A quote from BLLLL's website that will tell you all that you need to know.

"Listen, they only make movies about winners - and that's me!"

 

How many movies have you seen about losers? Gosh, just last night, I was watching Nick Cage's "Leaving Las Vegas". Was he a winner? The list could go on all day!

 

ANY QUESTIONS? No thanks. Please cease calling our office to have one hour conversations about this DOCUMENTED FRAUD. Soon, the hype will be forgotton and BLLLL will be washing men's balls again.

 

Hell, I should be nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in the writing category for this one!

 

Until next week,

Greg Allen

[Steeltown Dre]

Also, if you want to look at some records from the Sports Monitor:

 

2004 http://www.thesportsmonitor.com/04nfl.html

2005 http://www.thesportsmonitor.com/05nfl.html

2006 http://www.thesportsmonitor.com/06nfl.html

 

Now, if you look at that list and analyze it, you'll find that for a season of picking, the only service that finished over 55% all 3 years was:

 

Dawg Pound Hotline (right around 29-22 every year = 57%)

 

That doesn't include the special sections, like the "Club Report".

 

And of course, they are only listing services who finished 52% or better. Even then some of them lost money. But if you look at their current list of clients, they have 226 services right now.

 

http://www.thesportsmonitor.com/handi.html

 

And on avg for the last 3 years, only 38 finished 52% or better.

 

That's 17% of the total services actually finished 52% or better, but even then some still lost money because of poor money management.

 

And of course, you have to pay to be monitored, so who knows how many guys are out there touting services who are losing and don't want to be monitored....

 

Bottom line, it's hard to make big money consistently betting on sports. Even the "pros" can't do it. They still make money by touting their services, but on average their picks are losing money.

[McNasty]

spain, I'd be interested in being part of a team. Lemme know.

 

Also, I'd like the option of having Paris Hilton flung into the ocean when we win, instead of the cash, but I'm willing to concede that.

[rattsass]

spain, I'd be interested in being part of a team. Lemme know.

 

Also, I'd like the option of having Paris Hilton flung into the ocean when we win, instead of the cash, but I'm willing to concede that.

 

That's hot.

[The Wolf]

That's hot.

 

Not as hot as the baby crying in court and calling out "Mommy!" over and over and over! That chick makes my stomach turn. Not to hijack the topic.

 

Good luck fellas, if you get a team together. It's too steep for me to pay (plus I have no idea what I am doing!) but would be interested in any updates you're willing to post.

 

I always root for the Huddlers to win - unless they are competing against me, of course!

[darinmac]

TWO FOR THE MONEY or "Two For the BullSega!"

 

Today I continue my discussion on a movie that has made our phone ring a hundred times and caused hundreds of hours on the phone talking about the incredible FICTION that the film spews.

 

This film is not as bad as many say, its a decent film about sports betting. I give the director credit for keeping it interesting as this film could have potentially been a bore. However there were some problems with the script, mainly the last act which was not logical or truthful. Hell, there are many issues about the script if you believe that this is a TRUE STORY! The acting and smart direction saved this project. Although it isn't a terribly convincing film (actually, it's all bullSega!), Pacino's performance allows it not to be a total disappointment. McConaughey was good as well, casted well in his role.

 

Now that I made nice-nice, lets get down to the fraud, misrepresentations and downright lies about the facts.

 

Wait just a minute, forget the nice-nice thing. Here is my real take on this work of fiction.

 

This movie is like a bad, sports betting version of Scent of a Woman with a little bit of Boiler Room thrown in for additional suckage. Matthew McConaughey plays Douchebag Jones, a washed up former college QB who is trying to make it rich by predicting sports outcomes. He never bets though, because he's too much of a *****. Al Pacino recruits him to New York, where he starts hot before going 0-for-a million, leading to one of the most improbable movie scenes in history when some sports betting gazillionaire pees on his face for losing him $30 million in one weekend. Apparently dousing another man in your own urine is pretty satisfying, because we never see or hear of this character again (meaning he is still in the hole $30 mil, but he peed on some dude's face, so it's all good). Another dude named Amir loses his house, his business, his car, and his family, but he disappears shortly thereafter, so I'm guessing it all worked out for him, too.

 

This whole movie sucked, and throughout the whole thing Rene Russo is prancing around playing the beaten-down-but-noble wife to Al Pacino, which makes sense up until she pretends to sleep with Douchebag Jones to convince her husband of his own... what, exactly? It didn't make any sense to me either.

 

Anyway, this movie sucks, and the fake New York team wins the Super Bowl on a play exactly like the one that ends Douchebag Jones' career in the opening sequence. There. Now you have absolutely no reason to ever consider even watching commercials for this movie.

FIRST - THE REAL CHARACTERS

 

WALT ABRAMS. Real name is Stu Feiner, Played by Al Pacino

Just for yucks...Stu Feiner calls himself "The Source."

Source of what? Documented losers and being fined

by The New York Consumer Affairs Division for fraud?

(Doesn't it creep you out when someone self-applies a nickname?)

 

BRANDON LANG - Played by Matthew McConaughey

 

STU FEINER'S WIFE - Played by Rene Russo

Yes, for those of you who have been around a couple decades, the New York City company that Brandon Lang worked for was the disgraced company that was run by Stu Feiner.

 

No, this was not a movie that was paid/produced for by BIG HOLLYWOOD. The movie was made by an off-shore sports book.

 

Let's get to the "name thing". In the movie, they said his real name was Brandon Lang and when he went on to work for the boiler room Stu Feiner outfit, he was given a "power name" (John Anthony), just like

all the scam outfits have always done.

 

His real Name is Brandon Link. During the first draft of the movie, they were using Brandon Long before settling on Brandon Lang. The irony is, after the movie came out, Brandon Link parlayed the hype and went into the handicapping business and now calls himself Brandon Lang.

 

There is a hint in the credits, for Brandon has a very short cameo appearance near the beginning of the movie. At the end of the film, he is credited as: Man Greeting Brandon #1 --- BRANDON LINK!

 

The story is related by Brandon Lang/Long/Link (Matthew McConaughey) who begins life as a sports hero and just at the moment when he is ready to break in to the Pro Football domain, he fractures his leg in a winning touchdown.

 

Noooooooooooooo, Brandon Lang/Lane/Link/Long was NOT a star college football quarterback that brought

his team to a major Bowl game only to get injured in the final minutes. Think about it, did you ever hear his name? We all recognize the QB's that are in major bowl games. Hell, if you are a skeptic, just do a Google search!

 

He did hurt his knee though. You ask how? It was in a basketball pickup game that was being played at a local fitness center! The league was called THE SPORTING HOUSE LEAGUE. The name of the fitness center is The Sporting House. It's a few steps below a park district league.

 

There's a hilarious side story to Brandon's "injury story". Late last year, a college football writer telephoned Brandon Lang/Lane/Link/Long and told him that he's never heard of him and asked what college team he took to the bowl game. Brandon was caught off guard, but being the pathological liar he is, he came up with an amazing lie AGAIN! He copped to the fact that he never quarterbacked a bowl team and that indeed, he injured his knee in a fitness center league. He went on to claim that one day, UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian stopped by to watch a game (yeah, right) and that Coach Tarkanian told Brandon that he was good enough to be a walk-on for UNLV! By the way, that was during the hey days of the UNLV program and their National Championship run.

 

Want another lie? Sure you do! Was Brandon Lang/Lane/Link/Long a Las Vegas handicapper? Hell no! BLLLL was not a sports handicapper, or even a telemarketing salesman. He was a score phone announcer working for a major Las Vegas sports handicapping service. He was working for $6.00 an hour for a company that you know all about. (Hint: Initials of the owner are J__F____ ) This major Las Vegas handicapping service is still going strong and you can see their sports handicapping INFOMMERCIAL Saturday mornings on cable TV. I know that you can fill in the blanks!

 

So, since he was NOT a handicapper, and had no reputation at all in the industry, how did he hook up with scamdicapper Stu Feiner?

 

Brandon's manager (at J__ F____ Sports) had many conversations with this infamous New York sports handicapper (Stu Feiner) that Al Pacino plays. The supervisor's job was to try to sell Stu Feiner 900 # score phone advertising and Brandon “The Wonder Boy” score phone announcer would read “Mr. New York's” advertising copy, or sometimes Feiner would call into Las Vegas to do a live feed. So, that's how the two of them first got together. After liberal tipping and spiffing, Feiner eventually convinced “Wonder Boy” to come New York and work for him. He just needed a guy for voice talent work.

 

The real truth about what happened at Stu Feiner's service is that Brandon Lang/Lane/Link/Long was such a

failure at selling games (yep, he was one of those sports service salesmen that would tell you anything they could to get a buck from you), that he lost his job and became a caddie at a Los Angeles Country Club. Jim Feist would not rehire him. Due to his obvious narcissism, he liked talking so much about himself and stretching the truth to the men that he washed balls for that one hollywood-type believed him and searched for a way to get enough money to make the film.

 

Nobody bought it. Then, BoDog, an offshore sportsbook put up the money to pay for the film! Brandon

Lang/Lane/Link/Long and BoDog made a business deal and they were marketing the relationship big time until

they realized that the potential consumer to Brandon's picks (he was advising his members to use BoDog),

would figure it out. The deal with BoDog gave Brandon Lang/Lane/Link/Long a kickback of the money that his clients lost when betting at BoDog! Why would BoDog want Brandon's action if he was winning?

 

Are we having fun yet?

 

Let's explore documented facts and the odds of betting on the outcome of events.

 

In the film, Brandon Lang goes 12 for 12 in his first try at handicapping the weekend. Let's examine this. According to the Las Vegas Gaming Commission (whose job it is to keep an eye on such things), in the history of football parlay card betting, NOBODY has ever won 12 for 12 on a football parlay card! Imagine how many thousands has tried? The odds of going 12 for 12 is a staggering 4894-1 against the bettor. An interesting note that is also on the Gaming Commission's historical report is that nobody has ever hit 12 for 12 on a Keno card in the history of betting despite hundreds of millions trying. According to the LVGC, the real odds of hitting 15 for 15 on a Keno card is 0.0000000000023 to one against and it pays off $100,000 although the real odds are more than 51 billion to one against the bettor! So, are you ever going to grab a Keno card again?

 

So, what exactly was going on at Stu Feiner's company, the firm that employed BLLLL?

 

According to a comprehensive Sports Illustrated Story titled, "1-900-RIPOFFS", Abusing customers is SOP among sports advisers. "Gamblers are desperate people," says Arnie Wexler, executive director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey.

 

SI took a two-month test drive through the world of sports advisory services and found misleading ads, bait-and-switches, repeated claims of fixes coming down, misrepresentation of records, unforgivably high-pressured sales techniques, phone harassment, phone threats, phony guarantees, mail fraud, wire fraud and some perfectly dreadful manners. Even the pictures lied.

 

In investigating Feiner's tactics, an inspector for the Consumer Affairs Department called one of Feiner's 800 numbers to take him up on an offer of a free line on a game during the 1989 football season. The investigator spoke with a man known as Sonny Greco, also known as Phil Bonvino, a salesman for Stu Mitchell's Locker Room Report, still another service owned by Feiner. After a breathless, oath-laden pause-free speech, Greco went for the close. His pace was furious. The detective, posing as a customer named Stan, balked. Greco screamed louder.

 

Here is the audio taped conversation:

 

Stan: I'm being bombarded here. Lemme think on it. I got a lot of guarantees here.

 

Sonny: I'm not interested in anybody else you're call., Stan! The difference here is this, OK? We own this game tonight on over/under! We own this information. Now go get your credit card, and let's start making money! You don't need to deal with anybody but me!

 

Stan: Wait�

 

Sonny: I own this game in over/under! I have the winner! Tonight! No what's your credit card number?

 

Stan: OK, lemme get back to you.

 

Sonny: Stan, you're not going to call me back! You know it as well as I do, and if you think I'm going to let you off the phone with that ___, you're crazy! OK? I've got the winner tonight! I own this game in over-under, and I'm going to own your bookmaker's ass! So get your credit card out and let's get going!

 

Stan: Lemme tell you what we're gonna do. I'm gonna think about it. Sonny (louder still): Stan, there's nothing to think about! Click.

 

Greco is ruthless, loud and scary. No wonder Feiner has given him his own sports service-Phil Bonvino's Locker Room Report. Says a former phone tout for a large Long Island service, "There were plenty of times when we'd tell a guy, 'Look, if you don't come across, I'm gonna tell your wife you're gambling again.' Or we'd tell high school kids that we were going to tell their parents." Says the ex-salesman for Kevin Duffy, "We'd call up anybody, even guys we knew were going to Gamblers Anonymous. We'd stay on them." Question: How do sports advisers get away with it? Better question: Who are customers supposed to complain to? Gamblers don't want to turn anybody in because most of them are breaking the law themselves. As a result, the touts go unpoliced.

 

Soon clients got a clue and stopped paying. That's when the people from the Seasons Edge group "got heavy-handed," says Robert Schroeder of the office of the US Attorney in Atlanta. "They'd threaten to kill members of the family, burn down their homes." One victim was told if he didn't send more money, he'd be "chopped up into little tiny pieces with a chain saw." Gamblers were bilked out of $413,000 before a victim's parents finally called the FBI when their son, a college student, lost his tuition money and resorted to using his father's credit card to try to obtain his "refund." Schroeder nailed conspiracy, wire fraud and extortion convictions on 12 people. They got the full package sentences ranging up to 87 months in jail.

It is also a business in which profits can be enormous, some services are believed by at least one close observer of the industry to make as much as $1 million annually. Last year the people at the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs looked into the advertising practices of the sports adviser business and came away with their hair on end. "These have been among the most egregious, outrageous claims we've ever encountered," says a department attorney, Fred Cantor.

Get this story!

"I remember once a guy needed a bailout game real bad," says a former salesman for a major tout operating out of New York City. "He was buried, so he wanted to put two or three dimes [$2000 or $3000] down on something good. I said I had a lock for him. I put him on hold, and I went into my boss's office and I said, 'Who do you want to pick, the Jets or Minnesota?' And he said, 'Take Minnesota. My mom likes purple.' So I gave this poor sucker Minnesota based on some lady's favorite color. He lost."

 

Ripoffs Rule the Roost.: "The Source", a sports adviser service in Farmingdale, NY, owned by Stu Feiner, who also owns a few 900 call-in lines. Another exhibit is Feiner's brother-in-law, the aforementioned Kevin Duffy, perhaps the nation's most successful scamdicapper, who became famous for running ads that said, "I will go 7-0 for you today, absolutely free." Too bad "absolutely free" meant you first had to sign up for a month's service at $350. Then, if Duffy didn't go 7-0 in the first week, you got the next month free. Duffy, who operates out of Massapequa, Long Island, also claimed to be no worse than 75% right, ever. Yet when his picks were audited by the Sports Monitor of Oklahoma City, one of the rare legitimate monitors (among the dozens of such outfits that purport to keep tabs on the performance of tout services), he never fared better than 58.8% in any regular football season between 1985 and 1988, and he sank as low as 39.7% for his college picks in 1987. Eventually the Sports Monitor refused to monitor Duffy because of his "deceptive ad practices."

 

Stu Feiner agreed to be monitored by SI for four weeks in September. To his credit, he unfailingly gave us his choices. To his discredit, Feiner went 19-32, a 37% win rate, and lost us an imaginary $6,210 based on $100 per unit. During that same period, we were anonymously calling Feiner's 800 number, where, curiously, he claimed to be cleaning up. On Sept. 23, for instance, after Feiner had gone 3-11 for the week on his picks for SI, bringing his record for us to 11-25, one of his shills, Kenny Leeds, said in response to our anonymous call, "This week I [meaning the company] went 3-0, the week before, I was 3-1." On Oct. 3, after Feiner had gone 7-7 for the weekend, we again called anonymously and got another Feiner salesman, Larry Marco. "This past weekend, we swept the board," Marco said. Then Leeds called back. "This kid Feiner is making betting history," he said.

 

Yeah, so did Art Schlichter!

 

For you youngsters, Art Schlichter was a first round draft choice (DUDE HAD MAJOR SKILLS) as a quarterback coming out of Ohio State in 1982; what's more, he enjoyed an image so wholesome his biography was titled Straight Arrow. But Schlichter gambled away his $350,000 signing bonus during his rookie season with the Baltimore Colts. He was suspended and reinstated the next year, after declaring he had the disease of compulsive gambling for which he had gotten help. In 1985, he was cut by the Colts and never played football again. If success started Schlichter's addiction, failure really fueled it. In 1988 he declared bankruptcy, referring frequently to his disease. Schlichter's ex-wife, Mitzi Schlichter, helped found the Custer Gambling Treatment Center in Indianapolis after she left her husband in 1994. Schlichter, meanwhile, has spent four of the six years since then in prison. In 1997, he was pulled out of a court-ordered gambling treatment program and hauled back to jail when he was caught betting. Schlichter is currently awaiting trial on money laundering charges and stealing credit cards, all revolving around taking money, often from family members, in order to gamble. Schlichter takes no responsibility for his misbehavior — and, despite harping on his disease and although his wife created her own gambling treatment center, Schlichter has never shown any inclination to fly straight.

 

Feiner was fined $13,000 in February 1990 by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs for false and misleading advertising, yet he sent out a promotional brochure last month that reported a "1991 documented record college and pro: 9-3." Knowing Feiner's record as we did, we asked him how he could say this. "That's what I had the first week." he said, before you started documenting me." Fine. That would've been the weekend of Aug. 31-Sept. 2. The booklet, however, was dated Sept. 19-Oct. 7, 1991. During one of our anonymous calls, Leeds told us he had "strong information" on a game he wanted us to buy, so strong it was a dead mortal lock, so strong that he was putting $2000 of his own money on the game. We were dubious.

 

Here's the audio taped conversation:

 

Leeds: You don't believe me? I'll fly you out here [from Colorado].

 

SI: Fly me out there?

 

Leeds: I'll fly you to __ Long Island, and I'll have you take a ride with me!

 

SI: Why?

 

Leeds" To see how I pick it [his winnings] up and where I pick it up from.

 

SI: Can you fly me out this week?

 

Leeds: What I'm saying is�I'm using that's a little bit of a mild exaggeration. Don't get me wrong, but I've met a lot of my clients. I've met Dan Marino.

 

SI: You know Dan Marino? Leeds: Well, I stood next to him at the Super Bowl, and my friend took my picture with him.

 

Feiner says that if somebody calls his 800 number and doesn't sign up, "We'll call him every day for a couple months, because eventually they'll change their minds.

"Mike Warren (real name Mike Laskey - a degenerate horse bettor who was run out of business by the United States Attorney and fined heavily) is a former pathetic handicapper and a tremendous con artist," says Feiner. Says Warren, "Stu Feiner? He's got a big mouth, always talking big. He knows this hoodlum and that hoodlum-gonna break my legs. You know what? He can't break an egg. I gave him my address. He's so short, the only thing he can reach is my legs." Mike Warren was ordered by The United States District Attorney to run major advertisements in which he had to admit his frudulent claims of success.

If you think guys like Feiner and Warren will make you wish you have never installed your phone, Atlanta's John L. Edens, alias Johnny DeMarco, the Babe Ruth of 900 sales pitchers, will make you wish Alexander Graham Bell had never been born. According to published ads and SPORTS ILLUSTRATED taped phone calls, Edens:

Got on his 800 line and told listeners to call his 900 line for $25, "and if the game loses, there'll be no charge." That, of course, is a lie. Once a call is made on a 900 line, the charge is automatic.

* Told customers of one of his phone services that his special guest selector that day was "a former six-time NBA basketball All-Star who wishes to remain anonymous due to security matters." The anonymous "All-Star" then got on the line and offered his inside information on "three big plays, tonight."

* Told his customers on another occasion, "Sporting Illustrated magazine calls the Handicapping Hotline the Number One value in sports." Remarkably, there is no Sporting Illustrated.

* Wrote in a print ad, which appeared in the schedule of games he sent out to customers in early 1991, that his service was rated "the very best available by the Interstate Sports Commission, the nation's only legitimate monitoring service." The ad failed to mention that the ISC is owned by a company with which, DeMarco acknowledges, he is "affiliated."

* Got on his 800 line in March 1989 and said he had spoken with then N.C. State coach Jim Valvano and had "key" information on the Final Four. Valvano says he has never spoken to DeMarco.

Scripts at the a New York based sports service? Yep, The New York Consumer Affairs Commission got their hands on one! It will frighten you.

Here it is:

It read: "I'm glad I got ahold of you in time! We are releasing our biggest information game of the ____ (month/season) going off ___ (day of week). Now, ___ (name), listen carefully. Our inside sources have tipped us off to this game. We know exactly what's going to happen. We know the winner. (Lower voice) It's the kind of game I can't even talk about over the phone-you follow me, right? (Response) OK Good�All you gotta do is cover me with $___ How do you do it, Visa or MasterCard?"

The fix scam is essential to a tout's repertoire. "You'd lower your voice way down," says one employee who worked for this company for four years, "and you'd say, 'Is this line clean? No taps on it, right? OK Listen, we've got information on this game. you know what I'm saying? The winner of this game was already decided in a hotel room."

"You'd be talking with grown men who were crying on the phone," says one former tout Stu Feiner salesman "Guys who were losing everything but still betting. And I'd lie awake in the middle of the night hoping the guy would win. So I'd call the sports phone and get a late West Coast game at 4 a.m. and go, 'Damn, he lost again."

 

"It was like feeding drugs to an addict," says the ex-salesman. "We'd try to take whoever we got and make them bet more. We'd take college kids who were betting $25 and say, 'Hey, you got to bet $500 on this game. If you don't bet a nickel I'm not gonna give it to you.' If they won, they got a taste for big money. If they lost, they were desperate to get out [of the hole], and so they start chasing. How can anyone who works for Kevin and Stu have a conscience? Basically, I was just hurting people." And that, unfortunately, is the only absolute lock SPORTS ILLUSTRATED found.

 

Here's a recent publication about BLLLL:

 

We figured we'd check in with handicapping schizo Brandon Lang/Lane/Link/Long to see how he’s been doing since Two For The Money tanked at the box office, completely shattering any hopes for him elevating his career past that of an internet free pick hustler. Well, from the looks of it, the movie bombing may have rattled the golden boy's cage a bit as he stated in his open letter to his “clients” this month about his recent 1-12 (That’s ONE WIN AND TWELVE losses!

He wrote on his own site: “You see the records above. I can't be any more honest, any more truthful. I've never been a guy who hid his losers, because like I say, if I can brag about the winners, I've got to own up to the losers. I've owned college football in October. I absolutely sucked in the NFL. Can't be more direct than that. As you know, and as you've heard me say on hundreds of radio interviews and on national TV, I don’t win everyday. Cant and won’t. Simple as that.

Some days you have to give back to your man some of the money you won off of him. It happens. Always has, always will.

 

The past two weeks I've been dreadful in the NFL. Not the first time, not the last.

 

It’s a long season. There will be ups and downs. And that's why you've got always stay within your limits and follow my money management advice.

 

Now, of course, for those of you that came aboard the past two Sundays or Mondays for the first time, what can I say other than I lost? I mean, I'm not going into your homes, ordering you to buy. And I have no control over when you buy for the first time. But, I certainly understand you're disappointed. And that's the nature of the business, and you know it as well as me.

 

We win together, we lose together. And whether winning or losing, you expect the truth, and that's what I'm giving you. The past two weeks in the NFL were awful, but as I always say, if you're with me for the long haul, you should make money.

 

"This is a marathon, not a sprint, to make money.”

Yes, those of you unfortunate enough to spend money on Brandon's services — $679 for 100 days — must be thrilled with that apology. Brandon Lang is the paid handicapping equivalent of Enron at this point. But those of us who are Brandon Lang fans can at least take solace in the fact that Two For The Money will most likely be seen on East Coast flights to Vegas in the next couple weeks.

 

ANOTHER DOCUMENTED STORY: "More of Brandon Lang’s Genius"

 

Finally, we've happened upon some information about our friend Brandon Lang/Lane/Link/Long and his curious background that we think should finally allow us to rest our weary heads about this. A classmate of Brandon's from high school e-mailed us to give us the whole rundown on what's real, what's not, and what's ridiculous about the mysterious Mr. Lane/Lang/Link:

 

Brandon Link: I went to high school with him; that's his real name. The Lane and Lang came later. He was a reserve player on his HS team, came off the bench, usually tried to do too much, fancy passes, etc. Could hit the outside shot, and was effective when he played under control, but he was no star. The claim in the article in his hometown paper that he was planning to walk on at UNLV after his stint in the Navy (before an injury sidelined him) led to a lot of chuckling. He couldn't start for a mediocre white boy HS team yet he was going to walk on at UNLV during the glory years? His pre-Internet gambling show was on PASS, a Detroit sports cable station. That's when he came up with the nickname “The King”. At his 10-year reunion he showed up in a car with the license “1-900-KING”. By the way, how's that for arrogance? At the reunion he drove up in that car, and one guy we know went up to him, pointed at the license, and said “1-900-KING? What is that, some *** phone line?” Brandon was too shocked to respond. When I saw the movie trailer last week and saw a shot of that license, I cracked up. He wasn't a bad guy, just a blowhard who overestimated his abilities. It’s clear from his current PR blitz that that tendency is still there.

 

ANOTHER PUBLISHED STORY: "Brandon Lang/Lane/Link Fluffs McConaughey"

 

Crazy-ass toutster Brandon Lang/Lane/Link, the sports handicapper whose life is retold in the box office clunker Two For The Money, took some time out from his busy schedule of promoting himself and making crappy picks to talk about Matthew McConaughey’s portrayal of him in the movie for, well, we guess his own website:

“Matthew is a big sports fan and has been known to try his luck in the Vegas sportsbooks. In speaking to Matthew prior to shooting the movie, the dialogue in the script told him all he needed to know.

The emotions that he had to draw to in order to play me were right there because he’s a sports bettor himself. I was thrilled to death with how Matthew played me in the movie and the roller coaster ride he takes viewers on properly portrays what I went through.

 

One of the greatest compliments I've ever received in my life came from Matthew, he said “Thank you for bringing me a character where I had to dig down and draw on the emotions that every actor dreams about. This was by far my most enjoyable role.”

Aw…who has warm fuzzies? We hope “Matthew” enjoyed the crap out of this role because we're pretty sure his leading man stock dropped around 30 points in the eyes of Hollywood after another stinker.

WANT ANOTHER PUBLISHED STORY?

Tout service guru and four-named evil genius Brandon Lane/Link/Lang/Long, whose story is being “retold” in Two For The Money has hooked up with omnipresent sportsbook Bodog for a special partnership and changed his name again in the span of 48 hours. In a press release Friday morning Bodog proudly gushes about their new partnership with Brandon LANG:

 

“Brandon Lang, the man who rocketed to fame as a sports handicapper, and Bodog.com, the company that revolutionized online entertainment, have teamed up. In an agreement signed earlier this week, Lang and Bodog will work in conjunction to build a dynamic Bodog presence on his website brandonlang.com. Lang is the subject of the Hollywood film Two for the Money, whose premiere was sponsored by Bodog.

 

“Teaming with Brandon Lang seemed like a natural for us,” says Bodog Founder and CEO Calvin Ayre. “We're very excited to be working with one of the most successful handicappers in the world.”

 

Obviously, Lang's not-so-impressive record suggests he probably should not be the subject of a sports handicapping film.

 

Apparently, superstud football picking phenom BLLLL has yet to recapture the magic touch of his youth which prompted the release of his life story on the big screen in the upcoming Two For the Money. So far this year, Lane's free picks have been rather ordinary to say the least. Brandon's free pick tally so far this year? 5-8-1. His pre-season picks? 0-3.

Could his poor record have anything to do with the time he's spending on a second career? A la Hollywood movie star?

 

Having Matthew McConaughey play you in a film will most certainly go to anybody's head we are sure.

..................................

 

Apparently our buddy Brandon is also an aspiring actor. Or he may have thought the small, uncredited cameo role he played in Two For the Money deserved an IMDB mention. And be sure to check out the photo page, which appears to show a picture of Lang/Lane/Link/Long dressed in some sort of pajama outfit standing in a family room with a deranged look on his face. We hope that's his family room and not some random family whose home he invaded.

 

And whose head hasn’t exploded yet? They ask. Jesus Christ. If this does not make blood squirt out of your eyes, what will?

 

First there was the unreserved excitement of Brandon “Lane” and his web page at Big Green Machine, which openly complains about the fact that the name was changed to “Lang” in the movie: “Funny thing - they changed by name to Brandon “Lang” for “artistic” purposes. Damn if I know what that means, but it’s still me no matter how they spell my last name!”

 

Then in the Lansing State Journal there is nice fluff piece about Midland, Michigan native Brandon “Link” and his experience about having a movie made about his life.

 

Then there was the IMDB (Internet Movie Database) page he made for himself under Brandon “Link” because of his stirring uncredited role in Two For The Money.

 

And now we have Bodog partnering with Brandon Lang, replete with a spanking new website for Brandon Lang with no acknowledgment anywhere of the fact that this man is out of his ****ing skull.

ANOTHER DOCUMENTED PUBLICATION WROTE - "Brandon Lane: Enjoying 15 Minutes More Intensely Than Most"

Friday marks the nationwide opening of the Matthew McConaughey, Al Pacino gambling drama Two For the Money, loosely based on the life of former superstud handicapper Brandon Lane. Lane was a former college football player who turned his freakish ability to pick football games into a lucrative career for a tout service. Well, Brandon has himself a website and from the looks of it, he’s really proud of himself and this movie coming out. He also appears to have a little problem with containing his own excitement, even in two paragraphs:

 

People, just had the Vegas premiere last night and it was fantastic. The Palms gave me a great suite and the photo ops were fantastic. This is what I worked hard for and now its my time to turn it on. The Chargers on Sunday, Green Bay on Monday and now “75 Dime” winner #2 in a row goes tonight. I like this MAC game and will deliver a nice winner. October thru January have always been my months. I have won more in those months than any other month. Not by accident but by design. I watch, I see, I adjust and I win. Your job is to jump on board, ride me and win money. It is in this run that you will see why they decided to make a movie about me. Nobody else, but me. Over the long haul, I will make you money. Sometimes in the midst of your losing streak, you don’t think so but this business is not about a day, a week or a month. It is about the year. You roll with me and you are not only a customer today, I want you for life. I want you part of my family. You give me that chance to earn you money and together, we will own your man. Lets own him tonight.

Well, that's a little ****ing insane. Anybody else want to bump chests or break a chair over somebody's head? But if you were wondering Two For the Money opens Friday. It’s based on Brandon's life. Jump on him and ride him to the money or something. It'll be fantastic.

And so it goes...There's a sucker born every minute.

 

One last point..A quote from BLLLL's website that will tell you all that you need to know.

"Listen, they only make movies about winners - and that's me!"

 

How many movies have you seen about losers? Gosh, just last night, I was watching Nick Cage's "Leaving Las Vegas". Was he a winner? The list could go on all day!

 

ANY QUESTIONS? No thanks. Please cease calling our office to have one hour conversations about this DOCUMENTED FRAUD. Soon, the hype will be forgotton and BLLLL will be washing men's balls again.

 

Hell, I should be nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in the writing category for this one!

 

Until next week,

Greg Allen

 

 

that is a great post and puts a real picture on pro football betting, thank you ....

 

i love gambling on football but i do it for the sport of it not for profit ,

[H8tank]

I'm in!