Amidst its worst losing streak since the franchise was named Gas on the Fire, two-time CSC Champion Boom Goes the Dynamite is embroiled in a game fixing scandal after losing 5-3 to the Voodoo Posse in questionable fashion this Tuesday at the West Bank Softball Complex.
Part-time Boom outfielder, full-time tanner Meghan Potter (Hibbing, Minn.), two-time defending Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl Playoff MVP Kevin Noth (Norwalk, Wis.) and Jeannie/Cowboy Bob Superfan Award hopeful Emily Wickstrom (Winona, Minn.) have been linked to a high-stakes gambling ring that has allegedly pre-ordained the results in Boom's last three games - all losses. Allegations of bribes paid to CSC officials, intentionally throwing games with poor on-field performances and events reminiscent of the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan saga have reportedly led to Boom being out-scored 32-19 in its last three games with Potter, Noth and Wickstrom pocketing upwards of $22 million in gambling receipts.
As part of his guilty plea to criminal charges of conspiracy and promoting gambling, former NHL star Rick Tocchet implicated Potter as one of his co-conspirators in his multi-million dollar sports bookmaking enterprise. Tocchet also named Janet Jones (Wayne Gretzky's wife) and the CSC Super Ump as part of his plea agreement.
"Ms. Potter played a huge role in arranging for Boom to lose its last three games," Tocchet said outside the Burlington County courthouse in Mount Holly, N.J. "She was instrumental in our plan to bribe that umpire who takes himself and slow-pitch softball way too seriously. The best part about it was Boom's team management, especially team president Jeff Keiser, thought all along that Super Ump was just incompetent. You think an umpire that wears ASA-approved umpire shirts, shorts and shoes in that joke of a league is going to make a mistake in a situation like that? (link) No way. The bribe worked perfectly. It was Ms. Potter's stroke of genius."
"Ms. Potter was also a major player in tanking games with her subpar performance on the field," Tochett added. "I mean, an All-Iron Range performer and 2003 Academic All-NCC honoree does not suddenly forget how to hit or catch. But you saw her in the last two games. She was making a mockery of Boom and its winning legacy. I'm shocked the authorities didn't figure this out sooner."
Reports have surfaced that Potter became involved in the gambling ring somewhat surreptitiously during her search for love among the nation's many arrogant hockey players.
"I had nothing to do with these gambling allegations," Potter said from happy hour at Billy's in St. Paul. "I'll admit that I came to know Mr. Tocchet through mutual friends in the hockey community, but when I learned that Mr. Tocchet was not only married, but really not all that arrogant, I cut all ties with him."
According to Tocchet, Noth was approached to help Tocchet and Potter throw Boom contests by pretending to revert to his pre-2007 play on the field. Prior to joining forces with the conspirators, Noth was one of Boom's top offensive performers this past spring, batting .780 in the playoff run before suddenly losing his ability to hit the ball out of the infield as Boom entered the summer session.
"I know Noth has a history of hitting under the Mendoza Line in the regular season before reinventing himself in the postseason, but there's no way he can be our best player one night and follow that up by hitting what looked like swinging bunts the next night," purple t-shirt wearer Steve Geller (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) said. "It's disappointing if these allegations are true. I never would have thought Noth would be involved in fixing games. Our team cancer, Kyle Coughlin, sure. But not Noth."
The final piece of the Tocchet gambling ring centers around a sordid tale involving Wickstrom and her pursuit of individual glory as one of Boom's top fans. According to Tocchet, Wickstrom became a scheming, hard-edged, jealous rival to Superfan Award winner Michelle Train (Taunton, Minn.) upon learning that Train had received 10 votes in the fan category to Wickstrom's one. Wickstrom allegedly employed some nefarious techniques to supplant Train as Boom's top supporter.
"Ms. Wickstrom was really angry that she got as many votes as Kevin Kurtt's dad (Jim Kurtt) in the Superfan voting," Tocchet said. "She told me that she was going to try to bump off Ms. Train by hiring well-known henchman Jeff Gillooly. When Gillooly swung and missed Ms. Train's knee, Ms. Wickstrom turned to me in an effort to get back at the voters on the Boom roster who voted for Traen.
"Seeing an opportunity to assure another Boom loss, I arranged for 10-day acquisition Aaron DeBerg to encounter some bad luck on the way to this Tuesday's game. With DeBerg in the hospital, Boom managed to scratch out only three runs. Pay day for me."
As a result of Tocchet's revelation of the involvement of Potter, Noth and Wickstrom in the gambling ring, New Jersey Attorney General Stuart Rabner and Criminal Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced that they will be opening an investigation into all Boom Goes the Dynamite game results from April 2006 to June 2007. Rabner did not rule out the possibility that Boom's back-to-back CSC Championships could be wiped from the record books if evidence is found of wrongdoing as it relates to the Tocchet gambling enterprise.
Notes from Tuesday's game
• Boom has out-scored its opponents 132-98 in 11 games in the 2007 season.
• Fans in attendance: Katie Fornasiere, Michelle Train, Emily Wickstrom
• Fan standings: Emily Wickstrom (2 appearances), Katie Fornasiere (1 app.), Michelle Train (1 app.)
• Mascots in attendance: None
• Mascot standings: Koda (1 appearance)
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