The Cheat

The Cheat chronicles Sarah Lawrence College student Brett Fahlgren's involvement in point-shaving during his school's basketball games in the 1990s. An avid sports gambler who makes wagers with local bookies, Brett sees an opportunity to influence game outcomes by paying players on his school's team. Brett's actions spark an FBI investigation when betting patterns around Sarah Lawrence games raise red flags. The true story follows both Brett's schemes and the law enforcement efforts to uncover the full scope of the point-shaving operation. What begins as a seemingly straightforward college sports gambling case expands into an examination of privilege, morality, and self-deception in elite academic settings. Pat Jordan's reporting reconstructs events through extensive interviews with the key players involved. The book explores universal themes about the seductive nature of risk and the rationalization of unethical behavior by those who believe rules don't apply to them. Jordan's narrative reveals how academic pressure, family expectations, and gambling addiction can intersect with devastating consequences.

There are not enough internet reviews to create a summary of this book. Instead, here is a summary of reviews of Pat Jordan's overall work: Readers praise Jordan's honesty and raw emotion in "A False Spring," particularly his detailed accounts of minor league baseball's harsh realities. On Goodreads, multiple reviews note his ability to capture the psychological toll of athletic failure. Readers value Jordan's journalistic profiles for their unfiltered perspectives on sports figures. One Amazon reviewer called his celebrity profiles "unflinching without being cruel." Common criticisms focus on Jordan's self-absorbed writing style. Several readers on Goodreads note his tendency toward excessive introspection and what one calls "wallowing in personal disappointments." Online ratings: - "A False Spring": 4.1/5 on Goodreads (300+ ratings), 4.4/5 on Amazon (50+ reviews) - "The Cheat": 3.8/5 on Goodreads (100+ ratings) - "A Nice Tuesday": 3.9/5 on Goodreads (75+ ratings) Review numbers are relatively low compared to other sports writers, but consistent across platforms. Professional athletes and coaches frequently cite "A False Spring" in interviews about career challenges.

The Fix by Declan Hill This investigation into match-fixing in professional soccer reveals the criminal networks and corruption that threaten the integrity of sports.

Gaming the Game by Sean Patrick Griffin The story exposes NBA referee Tim Donaghy's gambling scandal and its impact on professional basketball.

The Last Great Game by Gene Wojciechowski This account follows the point-shaving scandals in college basketball during the 1950s and their lasting effects on the sport.

Larceny Games by Brian Tuohy The book uncovers documented cases of game manipulation across multiple professional sports leagues through FBI investigations and court records.

Eight Men Out by Eliot Asinof This investigation details the 1919 Black Sox scandal where eight Chicago White Sox players conspired to throw the World Series.

📚 Pat Jordan, the author, was a former minor league baseball player before becoming a writer, giving him unique insight into the sports world he frequently writes about. 🎭 The book explores the complex relationship between cheating in sports and American culture, particularly focusing on how society often celebrates "clever" rule-breaking. ⚾ The narrative includes Jordan's personal experiences with cheating in baseball, from his playing days through his observations as a sports journalist. 📝 The Cheat was published in 1977, during a period when several major sports scandals were coming to light in American athletics. 🏆 The book was one of the first mainstream works to examine how systematic cheating had become ingrained in professional sports, predating many of the major doping scandals of later decades.