‘The Bookie’ started prop bet craze, dishes real reason Tyson lost to Douglas

The wild popularity of Super Bowl prop bets was ignited 40 years ago at Caesars Palace, where bookmaker Art Manteris posted a compelling proposition. Will Chicago Bears massive defensive tackle William “The Refrigerator” Perry score a touchdown in Super Bowl 20 against the New England Patriots? Perry scored one touchdown in the regular season but hadn’t touched the ball in the playoffs. “Coach Mike Ditka said publicly that Perry would never carry the ball again. The media loved this team, and as bookies we were trying to come up with new betting angles,” Manteris writes in his new book, “The Bookie: How I Bet It All on Sports Gambling and Watched an...