Oddsmaker Jimmy `The Greek' Dead at 76

LAS VEGAS Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder, who parlayed oddsmakingskills and a gift for gab into national prominence before histelevision career crashed over ill-advised remarks about blackathletes, died Sunday.

Snyder, 76, died of heart failure at a Las Vegas hospital aftera long illness, longtime friend Tommy Manakides said.

Snyder, who at his peak was a colorful and often-quoted CBSSports commentator, lived his late years in virtual obscurity afterbeing fired by the network in 1988 for saying that black athleteswere superior to whites."He really just went downhill after that," longtime Las Vegasgambler Lem Banker said. "It was a shame. He was real bitter. Hegot a …