Walter East
Encyclopedia
Walter East was the Akron Zips men's basketball
head coach in 1909. In twelve games, he guided the team to a 5-7 record.
in 1906 between the Canton Bulldogs
and the Massillon Tigers
of the "Ohio League
". The scandal began when an allegation was made by a Massillon newspaper charging the Bulldogs coach, Blondy Wallace
, and East, a Tigers end, of conspiring to fix a two game series between the two clubs. The scandal called for Canton to win the first game and Massillon was to win the second, forcing a third game-with the biggest gate-to be played legitimately, with the championship at stake. Both Wallace and East denied the charges.
East then returned to Akron, Ohio
accusing the Tiger's coach Sherburn Wightman
, of masterminding the scandal. According to East, Wightman had first asked him to solicit two of his fellow players to throw the game, then had East find a backer who would pay Wightman $4,000. However Wightman backed out of the deal at the last minute. He later went on to add that no member of the Bulldogs or their backers, as far as he knew, were connected with the deal. He finally stated that the only reason that Tigers manager E.J. Stewart went public on scandal was to ruin the attendance for a future Canton game against the Latrobe Athletic Association
.
In Akron, East was seen as being the hapless victim of a crooked team. He was retained as manager of the Akron baseball team, until the team began losing. It should also be noted that East, boasted of fixing a college football game, as well as a baseball game in 1905.
Akron Zips men's basketball
The Akron Zips Men's Basketball team represents the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. The team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference East division. The team first played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 1986 when Bob Huggins was their coach. The Zips are currently...
head coach in 1909. In twelve games, he guided the team to a 5-7 record.
Scandal
He is best known for fixing a championship football seriesCanton Bulldogs-Massillon Tigers Betting Scandal
The Canton Bulldogs–Massillon Tigers betting scandal was the first major scandal in professional football in the United States. It refers to a series of allegations made by a Massillon newspaper charging the Canton Bulldogs coach, Blondy Wallace, and Massillon Tigers end, Walter East, of conspiring...
in 1906 between the Canton Bulldogs
Canton Bulldogs
The Canton Bulldogs were a professional American football team, based in Canton, Ohio. They played in the Ohio League from 1903 to 1906 and 1911 to 1919, and its successor, the National Football League, from 1920 to 1923 and again from 1925 to 1926. The Bulldogs would go on to win the 1917, 1918...
and the Massillon Tigers
Massillon Tigers
The Massillon Tigers were an early professional football team from Massillon, Ohio. Playing in the "Ohio League", the team was a rival to the pre-National Football League version of the Canton Bulldogs. The Tigers won Ohio League championships in 1903, 1904, 1905, and 1906, then merged to become...
of the "Ohio League
Ohio League
The Ohio League was an informal and loose association of American football clubs active between 1903 and 1919 that competed for the Ohio Independent Championship . As the name implied, its teams were based in Ohio...
". The scandal began when an allegation was made by a Massillon newspaper charging the Bulldogs coach, Blondy Wallace
Blondy Wallace
Charles Edgar "Blondy" Wallace was an early professional football player. He was a 240-pound, former Walter Camp second-team All-American tackle from the University of Pennsylvania. He also played two years at Peddie Institute, in New Jersey, winning state championships in 1896 and 1897...
, and East, a Tigers end, of conspiring to fix a two game series between the two clubs. The scandal called for Canton to win the first game and Massillon was to win the second, forcing a third game-with the biggest gate-to be played legitimately, with the championship at stake. Both Wallace and East denied the charges.
East then returned to Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
accusing the Tiger's coach Sherburn Wightman
Sherburn Wightman
Sherburn Wightman was a professional American football player-coach in the "Ohio League", which was the direct predecessor to the modern National Football League. He is best remembered for coach the Massillon Tigers to a Ohio League title in 1906, over the Canton Bulldogs. which led to accusations...
, of masterminding the scandal. According to East, Wightman had first asked him to solicit two of his fellow players to throw the game, then had East find a backer who would pay Wightman $4,000. However Wightman backed out of the deal at the last minute. He later went on to add that no member of the Bulldogs or their backers, as far as he knew, were connected with the deal. He finally stated that the only reason that Tigers manager E.J. Stewart went public on scandal was to ruin the attendance for a future Canton game against the Latrobe Athletic Association
Latrobe Athletic Association
The Latrobe Athletic Association was a professional football team located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, from 1895 until 1909. The team is best known for being the first football club to play a full season while composed entirely of professional players...
.
In Akron, East was seen as being the hapless victim of a crooked team. He was retained as manager of the Akron baseball team, until the team began losing. It should also be noted that East, boasted of fixing a college football game, as well as a baseball game in 1905.