Columbia College Chicago Digital Commons @ Columbia College Chicago Columbia Chronicle College Publications 2-15-1999 Columbia Chronicle (02/15/1999) Columbia College Chicago Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.colum.edu/cadc_chronicle Part of the Journalism Studies Commons This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License. Recommended Citation Columbia College Chicago, "Columbia Chronicle (02/15/1999)" (February 15, 1999). Columbia Chronicle, College Publications, College Archives & Special Collections, Columbia College Chicago. http://digitalcommons.colum.edu/cadc_chronicle/440 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the College Publications at Digital Commons @ Columbia College Chicago. It has been accepted for inclusion in Columbia Chronicle by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Columbia College Chicago. VOLUME 32. NUMBER 15 WWW.CCCHRONICLE.COM FEBRUARY 15. 1999 Ca~npusl3 Sports Busta Sox, Cubs PathFinders provide move.1 AIDS/HIV awareness gea ~ up for Spnng Winning, losing: ~sin~ • u~~ Turner has the responsibility of collecting the large me. Now I just ask that he doesn't talk about it in my By Kimberly A. Brehm debts that people, even friends, lose to him. "I don't presence," she said. Staff Writer feel bad taking their money. It's a business. If you win, One thing Kathy still wishes to control are Turner 's I pay. If you lose, you pay. That's why it's called gam- mood swings, a sentiment echoed by Turner 's girl­ Sheehy's Bar on Chicago's South Side was packed bling. You're always taking a chance," he said. fr iend, Chrissy Spencer. "I don ' t like to be around him with football fans. It was Saturday afternoon, and the Like many other "bookies", Turner got into the busi- when he has a lot of money riding on a game. He's Denver Broncos were battling with the r-_,.r--------T-; either very excited or very Miami Dolphins in a playoff game. The depressed. It's too severe to fans were crowded around the television handle," she said. screen, each screaming encouragement and T urner stressed that advice to their favorite team. None of the Spencer knew what he did for fans, however, seemed as intensely a living prior to their fi rst date. involved in the game as Mike Turner, who "Gambling is a part of my life was staring at ti.e screen with a fi erce inten­ and any girlfriend of mine sity. Maybe that's because no other bar would have to accept that," patron had $20,000 riding on the outcome Turner told her. While Spencer of the game. agreed at the time, she said she Turner, pencil and scorecard in hand, failed to understand how was sitting at a small table directly left of involved Turner was in gam­ the television set. On the table, a cellular bling until she had already phone rested next to a Miller Lite bottle. formed strong feelings for The large man scrunched up his face as he him. "Gambling strains our concentrated on the game. Turner is a relationship but we arc trying "bookie," a man who covers illegal gam­ to work it out," said Spencer. bling bets on professional and college foot­ While Spencer spoke, the ball games. doorbell of the condo buzzed, There are an estimated two mi ll ion com­ letting Turner know a client is pulsive gamble rs in the United States. downstairs waiting to be let in. These gamblers aren't satisfied with legal A man entered the room after gambling options such as lotteries, casinos, Turner lets him, dropping and bingo games. Instead, they prefer to Jr.J<-nror.11c1'" ' $8,000 on the table to pay his add excitement to an already favorite pa:s t- >•...... .............. .. ............................ • ~:arrtou· ng debt from the week time- watching football games. In order to gamble on ness after many years of placing illegal bets himself. prior. When asked if he any ill feelings towards his these games, there must be someone w ill ing to cover That li fe proved very stressful, so Turner opted to cover "bookie" he responded, "Hell no. It's the risk you take the Wins and losses, someone like Mike Turner. the bets as a means to stabilize his life. Unfortunately, when you place a bet. I sure didn't feel bad two months Turne r estimates that he covers approximately Turner found the life of a bookie much more unpre­ ago when Turner had to pay me $12,000." $40,000 of gambling bets per day when either college dictable. Turner is quick to explain this isn't the attitude of a ll or professional football games are p layed. "I have "I could be up $28,000 one day and down $52,000 his clients. Many gamblers, he said, bet money they always loved to watch football, and with money riding the next. The only explanation I have for continuing don't have and end up losing everything- their house, on the game, it's that much more interesting. It gives covering bets is the excitement it adds to my life. I car, and even their spouse. Turner related a story about the games an added rush," said Turner. " In fact, on the need the rush it brings me. I guess you could say I'm one man who accumulated over $30,000 in gambling way over here, I won $ 10,000 on the Atlanta - San addicted," he admitted. debts and had to sign over the deed to his house to Francisco game which added a lot of excitement to my Turner's mother, Kathy, agrees with his assessment. Turner in order to settle the bill. Turner's eyes nar­ day," he said. He added that the only thing to ruin his She is sitting in Turner 's two-bedroom, downtown con­ rowed as he said, "I don't have any sympathy for men day would be to lose on the current Denver - Miami dominium in Chicago's Gold Coast area. The condo's like this, men who bet thousands of dollars they don't game. art-deco interior gleams w ith glass surfaces and have. If you want to play, you better be able to pay." Turner explained this is typical in the life a gambler. chrome fixtures. Kathy continuously wrings her hands If not, said Turner, he may be paying a visit to your "My life is full of peaks and valleys. There are no as she talks. " I have asked Mike to stop being involved home or office to collect! plateaus. I' m either very high or very low, no in­ with gambli ng but I have no control. No amount of between," he said. nagging or threatening can stop it. He won't listen to Sex, lies, and journalism: Media guilty of poor reporting In Clinton scandal By Leon Tripplctt The behind-the-scenes historic vote "I ask all Americans, and I hope all Representative Dan Burton, the Indiana Foc11s Editor commenced with Chief Justice William Americans here in Washington and Republican, criticizing Bill Clinton for hi s Renquist's inquiry of "How say you?" throughout our land will rededicate our­ affair; the next day, they hear him forced to As the dust finally settled on a trial that The only acceptable answers took less than selves to the work of serving our nation admit that he fathered a child in an extra­ stole the headlines for 13 months, 30 minutes. and building our future;" Clinton said. marital affair. One day, they hear U.S. President Clinton rose victorious from two The Chief Justice then thanked the Months before the trial, there was Representative Helen Chenoweth, the articles of impeachment. Senators for how they conducted them­ already grave doubt that the Senate would Idaho Republican, denouncing Bill The Senate voted chiefly along partisan selves throughout the trial; many move to convict the President for fear of Clinton for lowering 'himself to this sor­ lines to reject the obstruction of justice Washington observers were hoping for the the backlash that would come from the did spectacle;' the next day they hear her article, 50-50, with five Republicans sid­ Senate to dignify itself, unlike the House electorate. forced to acknowledge that she engaged in ing with the unwavering Democrats. On had done after its deliberations. Thinktanks in the nation's capitol cited a six-year sexual relationship," the Globe the charge that President Clinton lied "I leave you now a wiser but not a sad­ a rosy economy, the sharp decline in wrote last year. under oath while giving his August 17 der man," Rehnquist said. "I've been crime, and an already weakening appetite "For good or ill, we live in a world of grand jury testimony, the Senate also gave impressed with the majority leader and the to see a President removed for his moral moral relativism, of situational ethics," thumbs down, voting 55·45. manner in which the majority leader and laxity, as reasons why he wouldn't be wrote Eileen McNamara, columnist with Republican Sens. Richard Shelby of the minority leader have agreed on proce­ removed from office. the Boston Globe. Alabama, Ted Stevens of Alaska, Susan dural rules in spite of the differences that Several lawmakers who had come out "Clinton is a man of his times. In a Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, separate their two parties on matters of last year to chastise Clinton for his sordid nation of political trimmers and rationaliz­ Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, John substance." affair with an intern were stomped in the ers, he is not the first to parse his words in Chaffe of Rhode Island, Fred Thompson of The President, looking solemn and press by revealing extramarital affairs they search not of the truth but of the legally Tennessee, Jim Jeffords of Vermont, John re lieved, in a two-hour speech asked again had previously been engaged in them­ accurate," McNamara said.