Tocchet: Caught Up In the NJ State Police Turbine
I have a very different perspective of Tocchet and all these charges against him.
First, if the NJSP are investigating him along with the state attorney general, that will bode well for Tocchet because these entities together couldn’t find an elephant with a bloody nose in a snow storm. I covered the NJ state police and attorney general’s office as a reporter for a very large newspaper in the 1990s and ripped them both to shreds, uncovering mistakes, blunders and potential crimes within the law enforcement community among many other things. I have very little respect for them and the media has gone haywire based on the claims of these clowns. It’s a dangerous gamble, no pun intended, because it is very likely that the evidence against Tocchet is weak, based on what I know about how these entities operate. They wanted a publicity grab and they got it … but it is doubtful that they will get Tocchet for much.
Tocchet will walk unless he pleads out. That’s my prediction. Then he’ll sue the hell out of these jackasses if he’s smart and likely win big, though it isn’t likely you’ll read too much ink on it if it goes down like this.
February 13th, 2006 at 12:53 am
Your Bullycast comments about the idea of deflecting the attention away from crooked cops by calling it “Operation Slapshot” makes a lot of sense. Not only do the NJ state police have to be ashamed of not noticing a cop helping run an illegal gambling operation while on the job for the past 5 years, but now it seems some clown from within is leaking sensitive information that could damage the prosecutions case …… or maybe it is being leaked on purpose and that proves your point.
I don’t agree with Jim Kelly about this being a possible turning point for the NHL as a business. I always figured that the whole reason they changed the rules and did away with the tie was to make hockey more gambler friendly, and thus in that way bringing hockey to a whole new type of paying audience. I figure that the only real damage of this whole case involves the tarnishing of Ambassador Gretzky’s image. Beyond that, who cares? Hockey players betting on other sports? Big deal.
I did a google search. News-fox Cecily Tynan looks like Mary Hart. Lisa Thomas-Laury has a naughty look about her as well. Scrolling down the WPVI pics I saw that Sarah Bloomquist and Erin O’Hearn also appear to be good journalists. Thanks BSB.