I just finished reading Johnny Detroit's Blog post about the ridiculous claims that we still hear from sports services even in today's information era. To be perfectly honest, JD is much more experienced in this matter than myself, because even though I have been in this industry my entire life, it wasn't until recently that I actually took a closer look. Prior to Pregame, of course I had seen and heard so many of these "pro cappers" through the years and in my early days of bookmaking, I remember the explosion. Everywhere you turned you would hear about how someone had a "Lock" and how well he has done betting on sports and bettors lined up hoping to share in some of that "free money" that was out there waiting to be won. That led to 1-900 numbers and advertisements everywhere but as time passed, most of the so called "experts" proved to be nothing more than businessmen who found a way to seperate people from their money without ever having to prove what made them "experts"...so the industry began getting a terrible reputation and before long...most bettors began getting a laugh from all those "Locks" and weren't so easily hustled anymore...

It was at that time that I began moving "Steam" for one of the biggest outfits at the time and eventually established the outs needed to get the opportunity to move "Steam" for a few more...and it was at that time, that I had come to the conclusion that all of those "pro cappers" were a joke because the only bettors in the industry who actually had "Real Info" were the men I was fortunate to be working with...but then I was shocked to find out that some of these "pro cappers" were actually very good sports bettors and that some of these "outfits" were betting their plays or at the very least, using that info so that they are able to get a jump on line and move the number when there was going to be a big release that would get a lot of public action...I was really blown away because I didn't think that any of those services were even betting their own games.

That was about the time the internet became huge, and with it came the opportunity for even more so called "pros" to charge a price for their selections...and of course with it also came those who still continue to keep this industry filled with cappers who really have no right asking for anything for their work or opinions. That may sound harsh to you, but its the truth and I will not bite my tongue just because I now find myself in this industry. I have always believed that we all have a right to make a living, and if you aren't harming anyone, then feel free to do whatever you choose, but when you brand yourself as a source of " Winning Information", then you need to make sure that you are able to deliver. And that brings me back to what JD had written about...with these men and their 100,000* LOCK , ect and those ridiculous claims...Those type of claims are insulting to me and they should also be to any sports bettor who has been wagering long enough to know that there is no such thing as a "Lock".

Finally, we are now in 2008 and we are beginning to see another huge change in this industry....the consumer is now so much more sophisticated about sports wagering and their realistic understanding of how any market functions has made them much sharper when it comes to purchasing "sports gaming information"...these days they want to see a record, and not just one which goes back 3 weeks, but just like they do if they were going to invest in a business or company, they want to see the "books"...they demand to know more than just what this capper has done on his 10*s...they want to know about the 3*,5*, and 15* that have also been sold...Today's Pro-Capper know needs to realize that the internet will make his successes spread much quicker, but so too will his failures. Today, the Pro-Capper knows that if he makes a claim, he will be called on to back it up and failure to do so will get word out quickly that he just may be a fraud. To be honest, I am so glad that this industry has now been forced to answer for itself and all of us who now are willing to share our info for a price, need to respect the consumer and be understanding of their reluctance because of those who came before us.

I feel that this industry is headed in the right direction and as it does, more and more fake "pro cappers" will not be able to keep up and with that, I truely believe that it will not be long before the consumer begins to once again, trust the integrity of this industry. And it really is web-sites just like Pregame that will continue to bring that integrity to this industry that I love, because they do not allow their cappers to make any claims that can't be backed up...they make sure that the capper actually has something of value to offer....Sites like Pregame who has gone out to search for the right "pros" to bring to their members....I know that for myself personally, not only did they have about 3 different interviews which lasted a few hours each and in them I was asked to "tell all" about what I have done and what I can offer...but I know from friends in town that they went beyond the interview and actually spoke with many of the books that I was wagering with over the past 5+yrs to find out not only results, but the level of respect that I received as a Pro Bettor...and if that wasn't enough...they then asked that I post in the forum for Free for a few months so that it will allow for the opportunity to show Pregame's Members exactly what I was about. If only more and more sites would do that prior to allowing someone to sell plays, I think this industry would be much more respected.

Lets face it, the changing of the guard is upon us...all those older services are seeing that their old tricks just aren't working anymore...and their 50% capper who was the cash cow, now can't get anyone willing to pay for what he has to say. Like I said, I am so glad that we are heading in that direction because I believe that this industry does have the ability to regain the respect that its willing to earn, by doing things differently than back in the day. I think that there are a lot of really solid sports bettors out there who have proven that they have the ability to beat this market and do it consistantly...and I urge them to share that info with others just like I chose to do because I see now that there are so many good people who do understand that beating this market takes a lot and because they don't have the time it takes to do the work, and for many even the ability...they are willing to go out and pay for that info as long as its legit...and I believe that by more and more actual "Pro Bettors" doing what I did, it will eventually raise the bar and force those "scamdicappers" out of the business.

Information is just so important and the lack of it is a guarantee for failure...and today's sports bettors understand that better than ever...they want to know the "steam", they want to know how the market is reacting to wagers, and most of all they want to know that their source of info knows more than they do about the game...so in closing I just want to add that today's sports handicapper is so much different than when I first got into the sports betting industry, and we need to credit the consumer for that. Lets all continue to make this industry more respectful, lets demand more from our "pro cappers" than ever before, and lets continue moving forward to an even better sports handicapper tomorrow.