The Polo Report
By Steve Crowder

Some countries did exactly this in the Badminton sport in the Olympics.  It was swiftly removed as they were and Polo can learn from this. I know it is not simple and the situations are always some how different, but never the less, someone gets cheated and it is not just black and white. Players are paid to succeed and that means winning, but there is always a way to win without winning. This is the problem and to me this is the organization’s problem. As in the Olympics, they must deal with it.

First lets explain the fix. It is to improve your chances to reach the trophy round. It may be by winning by a certain number of goals.  It is fixed by letting another team win or achieve a particular score, but the outcome is obvious. It is good for whoever is doing it.

To keep any sport honest it is important, as in most cases it is a money game by bettin,g but in Polo it is more to make it past some obstacle with a favor attached. This is a problem. Polo does not have much betting and very seldom prize money, but so many games are fixed. Sometimes Patrons are unaware, but it is a fact.

Memo Gracida was punished for this several years ago and it was totally ridiculous because since then probably 50 % of the games have been fixed in major second rounds and past. No one even bothers to address it until Gonzalo Pieres says it. He knows and it is a fact. It may have happened  Friday in Santa Barbara if I were to guess. It may still happen, but first the Cub has to see it and maybe they could change game times. Usually this is the first line of defense.  Like yesterday, this may have been the cure. Simple switch games and most likely there will be a difference in the competition … maybe not the results, but in the game. That is why people come to watch.

First the Club has to see a possible problem. Second the USPA has to form something similar to an Olympic Committee. Terminate it.

We all want to get ahead, but we know when we are doing it.  Like drugs, we know it can get us in trouble so some stop and some do not, but we know where we ARE.

Tomorrow the finals of the Silver Cup will be Mansour vs Lucchese at 1 P.M it will not be fixed.