In a tragic accident, popular sports handicapper and announcer Dave Malinsky has passed away. The 57-year-old missed a dinner date with his mother on April 14, leading to a massive search effort. His car was later found close to the Deer Creek North Loop, a popular hiking spot near Mount Charleston on the outskirts of Las Vegas.
Malinsky, who was an avid hiker, apparently fell while hiking the trail known for its Bristlecone Pine Trees, Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. He was well-known in the Vegas sports betting community, and once said, “To be the most successful in this endeavor were not the crunchers, but rather those that understood the various subtleties and dynamics of sport, so that they could maneuver their way around those long corridors that statistics can not [sic] explain properly. Those that understand the way the various sports play out still need the refinement of the numbers behind them in order to win, but those that do not understand how fragile statistics are, based on both the human component and the various odd bounces that make up sports results, are going to have difficult time treading water.”
The search brought out a large amount of volunteers, firefighters, drones, helicopters and friends and family. After his body was found, a Facebook poster said, “This past week has been filled with a host of different emotions; uncertainty, fear, love, and ultimately despair. One feeling that remained constant throughout the week was support. Some of the support came from people who knew David for decades, some from those who only knew him as an acquaintance, and some who had never met Dave at all, but still offered help. The outpour of support from the Las Vegas hiking and sports community has been truly remarkable. Words cannot describe how grateful we are for the volunteer hikers, Red Rock Search and Rescue, Metropolitan Police, and everyone who offered support to find David.”
Malinsky was active on the SportsBookReview.com website, as well as others. He was known for sparking lively content and for a unique talent for sports bets. A GoFundMe page, originally established to help in the search, is now collecting funds for the expenses of his untimely death. It has already raised over $15,000 of its $25,000 goal.