Hot Dog Money: Inside the Biggest Scandal in the History of College Sports

Hot Dog Money is something pf a redemption arc, as Marty Blazer attempts to stay out of jail by guiding the feds through the seedy underground of college sports recruiting. No one comes out of this story untarnished, not Blazer, the coaches, the athletes, their families, even the FBI agents purportedly investigating things all get seduced by the money sluicing around college sports. Even as it becomes clear that the scandals uncovered will cut to the very heart of the college sports world, Blazer is forced to live a double life, bribing college coaches and using “runners”, the shady go-betweens who grease the skids to move money between agents, shoe companies and boosters into the hands of players and their families, all in the hopes that a select few will bloom into professional superstars. At the same time, he is trying to put his life back together and become the husband and father he so desperately wants to be. Blazer is not perfect, and you might spend much of the book actively disliking him - I definitely did. But his story is compelling and Lawson has captured an era in college sports where money finally destroyed the traditions and any sense that the spectacle on the field or the court was anything more than a multibillion dollar business.

I enjoyed the book. I am not a big sports fan. I enjoy police procedurals and reading about crime that isn't murder. This was an interesting insight into the behind the scenes of college sports and the workings of the FBI, DOJ, and the courts.This book kept my attention. The main criticism I have is the author would bounce back and forth between referring to folks by first or last name. I felt like I needed a scorecard.

The story was interesting but was dragged out and became a bit tedious at times. You needed to have a strong link to the the sport to appreciate it more.

A fascinating and revealing story. It may change your opinion about big-time sport schools, coaches and even athletes. And the NCAA is almost on a whole different level. My only slight criticism of the book is that references to the many characters in the book is not consistent which can be a little confusing. That is, sometimes first names are used and sometimes last names. All in all though, a well written narrative.

The book was well researched and well written. If anyone needs proof/further proof of the corruption in the NCAA and its commitment to itself ONLY, then read this book!

Great story and excellent writing.

This book uncovers the shocking details of how corrupted our collegiate sports are and how the poor but talented young athletes are manipulated, benefiting everyone but themselves.It opened my eyes to the amazing details of what goes on behind the scene by coaches & assistant coaches, agents, etc to lure kids to their schools and how very little of billions of dollars made by colleges in college sports ever finds its way to the athletes themselves. Definitely worthwhile reading.

Excellent book covering the underbelly of the two major college sports: men’s basketball and football. I was sorry to see some thoughts turn true regarding recruiting. Yes, it was always this way but did not want to believe. Marty was courageous to do what he did regardless what you believe his reasons were. In some ways it is good the NCAA is losing its power. On the other, who is left to police the colleges and their alumni?!!

Great insight into how college sports is a billion dollar machine. How athletes are treated and how schools make billions of their hard work. Eye opening that even though the schools know this is happening, they turn a blind eye in the name of profits.

As someone interested in corruption in sport, I was fascinated to learn of this book, and even more stunned when I read the details of what has been going on in college basketball in America. The sheer scale and audacity of what was going on, and which was exposed, made every page a joy to read.

Great read into sports corruption at the university level