One strike, you’re out
University of Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon was fired in May for his involvement in bets placed on an April 28 game between his team and the LSU Tigers. According to reports, he was in contact with Bert Eugene Neff, Jr., who was placing bets at the BetMGM Sportsbook at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. Alabama’s ace pitcher was about to be scratched from the game because of a back injury, replaced by a player who hadn’t started a game in quite some time. Neff was placing the bets against Alabama.
University of Cincinnati assistant coach Kyle Sprague and operations director Andy Nagle were also fired in mid-May for knowing about Neff’s betting activity and failing to report it. Neff’s son, Andrew, plays for the Cincinnati Bearcats, but is not suspected to have any involvement.
Guy is an absolute screwball
Now, Sports Illustrated is reporting just how moronic the elder Neff was when trying to capitalize on the information he received from Bohannon. He wanted to put more $100,000 on top-ranked LSU (the team that went on to win the Men’s College World Series) to beat Alabama, which was immediately problematic for a couple of reasons: a) the game had received almost no bets, so someone coming in with $100,000 raised all sorts of flags, and b) $100,000 was way over BetMGM’s limit on college baseball.
So right away, Neff drew all sorts of attention to himself. But then he “pleaded his case” with sportsbook staff, actually saying that he had inside information on the game. I mean, come on, man.
Even worse, he was texting with Bohannon as he was begging to wager ungodly sums of money, and even worse than that, his phone was so visible, that security cameras were able to see the conversation with Bohannon.
“It couldn’t have been any more reckless,” one of Sports Illustrated’s sources said.
Bohannon absolutely knew that Neff was placing bets against Alabama, says Sports Illustrated, though it is not known if he himself was risking any money. LSU did win, 8-6, and considering they were the top team in the country, all of Neff’s and Bohannon’s scheming could have been totally unnecessary.
One of SI’s sources said that Bohannon was in a text chain with Neff and his gambling associates.
U.S. Integrity, a betting integrity firm that works with BetMGM, flagged the bets, then contacted the Ohio Casino Control Commission and the Southeastern Conference, of which both Alabama and LSU are members. Betting on Alabama baseball games was quickly stopped in Ohio and other states.
