Broad Street Bookie

Let me start by acknowledging that all of the charges that Rick Tochett is facing are ALLEGED. Now-Damn it Rick, what the hell were you thinking? I really couldn't give a shit if Rick Tochett blows his entire fortune on gambling or if he runs the most lucrative gambling ring on Earth. I don't care if he's prosecuted or if he broke no laws as he claims. I also don't mind sports betting in general. What I care about is the fact that by having whatever involvement he( and the 6-12 other former and current NHL players about to be named) has had in the illegal operation, he has given hockey another black eye just when it is trying to pull itself off the mat. (Timeout. That was one helluva cliche-filled run-on sentence. My apologies. Now back to our regularly scheduled post.)

Unfortunately, in today's media climate perception is reality. Rumors are already running rampant that players bet on hockey, that players provided insider information to gamblers and that money might have been laundered through current players via TVs and other expensive merchandise. Even the Great One, through his wife, has been associated with this mess. Even if none of this is true the NHL will have trouble shaking off the stink associated with gambling. Gambling, especially on the game, but also by players who may be vulnerable to outside pressures if their losses mount, strikes right at the integrity of the game. The NHL has walked out of one PR nightmare ( the lockout) into another.

I thought Tochett was a scumbag when he played, but I guess he was just getting warmed up (ALLEGEDLY).