Former Fiesta Bowl director pleads guilty
NCAA Football Betting Lines
02/21/2012 - Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The former longtime executive director of the Fiesta Bowl has pled guilty to a felony count of solicitation to commit fraud schemes.
John Junker, who was fired in March 2001 after a probe uncovered a scheme to reimburse improper political campaign contributions made by Fiesta Bowl employees, entered the plea in Maricopa County Superior Court on Tuesday.
Sentencing is set for April 26 in front of Judge Douglas Rayes.
Junker was long a prominent figure in college football and oversaw the Fiesta Bowl while it committed a wide range of infractions, including a scheme to pay back employees for at least $46,539 in campaign contributions, according to an investigation that uncovered a list of serious infractions.
Federal law prohibits reimbursement for federal campaign contributions.
The scandal cost Junker his job and prompted the Bowl Championship Series to fine the Fiesta Bowl $1 million, although it was allowed to remain in the BCS and keep its NCAA license.
The Fiesta Bowl was initially alerted by an employee who came forward to give information about the alleged misconduct. Its board of directors then formed an independent committee to investigate, resulting in a 276-page report with more than 1,500 footnotes.
In addition to the scheme to reimburse political contributions, the committee also found an apparent conspiracy to conceal the scheme from the Fiesta Bowl board of directors and state officials.
The probe also uncovered evidence of unauthorized and excessive compensation and non-business and inappropriate expenditures and gifts.
The board of directors, after reviewing the results of the five-month probe, voted unanimously to fire Junker for his role in the infractions uncovered.
Junker was found to have failed to cooperate with the investigation and had been placed on administrative leave more than a month before he was fired.
Former Fiesta Bowl chief operating officer Natalie Wisneski was indicted in November for making campaign contributions in someone else's name and filing false tax returns, among other counts.
She was also indicted by a federal grand jury for causing false statements to be made to the Federal Elections Commission and for conspiracy. She pled not guilty.
Dundee, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jon Daly converted a penalty for his 13th goal following the sending off of Liam Kelly and Dundee United rolled to a 4-0 win over short-handed Kilmarnock on Tuesday in the Scottish Premier League. Daly's
<< Almagro stays hot in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, Argentina (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fresh off his title in Sao
Paulo last week, reigning Buenos Aires champion Nicolas Almagro continued his
winning ways Tuesday with a first-round victory at the Copa Claro tennis
event.
The seco
<< Lightning acquire F Segal from Chicago
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday acquired
forward Brandon Segal from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward Matt
Fornataro.
Segal, 28, has 11 goals and 22 points in 92 games over three NHL season
<< Rockies minor leaguer Torres suspended
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Colorado Rockies minor league pitcher Joseph
Torres has been suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for a violation of
the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
The 29-year-old Torres, w
<< Ichiro Suzuki to move out of leadoff spot
Peoria, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ichiro Suzuki has been in the leadoff spot for
almost his entire 11 years with the Seattle Mariners, but that will not be the
case this season.
Mariners manager Eric Wedge announced Tuesday that Chone Figgi
Auburn, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Auburn women's basketball coach Nell Fortner will resign as head coach at the end of the 2011-12 season, the university's director of athletics Jay Jacobs announced on Tuesday. Fortner has served as the te
Sporting, U.S. defender Onyewu suffers knee injury >>
Lisbon, Portugal (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sporting Lisbon and U.S. defender Oguchi
Onyewu has suffered a torn ligament in his right knee and will be sidelined
two months, the Portuguese club announced Tuesday.
The 29-year-old Onyewu was injur
Ex-Brazil boss Luxemburgo to coach Gremio >>
Porto Alegre, Brazil (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ex-Brazil coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo
was named new boss of Gremio on Tuesday, one day after Caio Junior was fired.
Luxemburgo will be officially introduced Thursday, when the 59-year-old will
begin
Georgetown names Marino offensive coordinator >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Georgetown University football coach Kevin
Kelly announced Tuesday that Vinny Marino has joined the staff as the
offensive coordinator.
Marino has 20 years of coaching experience, including the last six as
Pervak, Erakovic win in Memphis >>
Memphis, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - No. 2 seed Ksenia Pervak was an easy first-
round winner Tuesday at the $220,000 Memphis International tennis event.
The Russian Pervak handled Canadian Rebecca Marino 6-2, 6-4 on the indoor
hardcourts
Super Bowl XLIII Betting - Super Bowl 2009
Super Bowl 2009, the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.Let’s take a look at the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds and the betting line and figure out where they’ve been and where they are going to go.
MySportsbook.com put up the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds late on Sunday night with the Pittsburgh Steelers favored by 6.5 points and a total betting line at 47.5 points.
Since then, however, the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds have seen a good deal of movement and you’ll want to be on top of where they are likely to move to make sure you get the best line value for the big game.
Since opening, the Super Bowl 2009 betting lines went to Steelers -7 in the span of roughly 3 hours but were quickly bought back down just minutes later to 6.5 again.
After that is took about 5-6 more hours before the betting line went back to -7 where it has sat for a while now and is likely to remain. The opening betting total of 47.5 was bet down right after the line became available and went to 47 within minutes.
Roughly a day later it has been bet even further down to the 46.5 tally it currently is set at.
Roughly 60% of gamblers seem to be on the Cardinals here so the point spread will be bet down and a 7.5 would not last very long at all with many taking the early 6.5 in hopes of finding a potential middle in the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds.
If you like Arizona and see a 7.5, I’d take it as soon as possible because it’s unlikely to last. For Pittsburgh backers, the -7 might be the best you’ll be able to find but a 6.5 is definitely possible close to game time.
Regarding the Super Bowl 2009 betting odds for the total, most tracked gamblers are already on the over and with those who took the under 47.5 already securing a middle on the over 46.5, the only way I see it moving is back up to 47 so if you like the over, I’d recommend betting now.
Get free Super Bowl XLIII Betting from top rated online sportsbook MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online Super Bowl betting with credit cards