In the first half, leading expert on game fixing, Brian Tuohy, contended that the results of professional games and matches are often fixed to help support the betting and sports industries. He elaborated on the dual nature of game fixing, which he said involves both league manipulation for ratings and direct corruption by gamblers. "I believe the sports leagues manipulate their own games for television purposes and for ratings to get people to watch more," he asserted, while also acknowledging the reality of mob involvement in fixing games often related to the outcomes of point spreads in sports betting.
Sharing his concern about the integrity of sports, he noted the widespread nature of corruption, citing that "at least 50 countries around the world had active investigations into game fixing." Tuohy challenged the notion that American sports are immune to such practices. "The FBI used to really investigate game fixing in the United States...but they put it on the back burner," he reported, highlighting a shift in focus under Ronald Reagan's administration.
Delving into game-fixing mechanics, he pointed out how players can manipulate point spreads without altering game outcomes. "It's so easy, potentially, to fix games and not have people notice," he added, emphasizing the subtlety of such actions. He also revealed a troubling relationship between sports leagues and media, declaring that "these media outlets... don't want any negative information to come out." Intriguingly, he noted that some of the game fixing may not strictly be illegal, as the 1950s quiz show law and the 1964 Sports Bribery Act do not fully apply to modern sports.
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In the latter half, storyteller, paranormal researcher, author, and Anglican Priest Lionel Fanthorpe, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday, shared insights and mysterious tales. He recounted his childhood spent hiding in the library, engrossed in books by authors like Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, which sparked his passion for storytelling. His exploration of the paranormal reflects his curiosity about the universe, he noted, as he mused on the nature of mysteries like the inexplicable movement of coffins in a Barbados vault.
The conversation shifted to the enigmatic figure of Spring-Heeled Jack, a notorious character from Victorian times known for his ability to jump over high walls and his unsettling encounters with young women. Said to be nearly seven ft. tall, with disproportionately long legs, Fanthorpe pondered, "Was he human, or perhaps from another world?" He recounted a personal experience with a supposedly haunted Ford Capri, describing how he performed an exorcism on the car after its owner claimed it had a "mind of its own." On the topic of folklore, he contemplated the nature of goblins and leprechauns, suggesting they might represent subhuman yet intelligent beings: "I wonder if glimpses of them or encounters with them gave rise to the fairy legend."
Fanthorpe also delved into enduring mysteries surrounding the Vatican and ancient megalithic sites like Stonehenge. He suggested that the Vatican, built over older structures, holds secrets that warrant exploration, especially during the transition between popes. Responding to a caller's question about the possibility of ancient stones as portals to other dimensions, he resonated with this idea, saying, "I think it is not only possible, but probable, that there are gateways, doorways, portals that lead us through into... a parallel universe."
News segment guests: Lauren Weinstein, Mike Bara