A couple weeks ago, five NFL players, including four Detroit Lions, were suspended for violating the league’s gambling policy. This is the second straight offseason where a player has been suspended for betting on games.
Three of the recent suspensions were indefinite, due to players betting on NFL games. The other two received 6-game bans for placing bets on non-NFL games while inside a team facility. This comes one year after Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for the entire year for placing bets on his own team to win.
Sources: NFL suspended 5 players, including #Lions WR Jameson Williams, for violations of NFL gambling policy. #Lions’ CJ Moore & Quintez Cephus, plus #Commanders' Shaka Toney, are suspended indefinitely (at least 1 year). Williams & DET’s Stanley Berryhill are suspended 6 games. pic.twitter.com/Jnmzn8iKzj
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 21, 2023
I do agree with the leagues overall desire to be harsh against this kind of action. Being a part of a professional sports team gives players inside information that they can use to their advantage. Especially in football, player injuries can play a big part on who wins and loses games. Maybe a player is more injured than is being reported in the media, and a player is in a position to benefit from this information. I think it’s fair to say that many players probably pass on this kind of information to friends and families so that they can place bets themselves.
It’s also not wise to allow players to bet on their sport because of the threat to throw games. The infamous Black Sox scandal is an example of what can go wrong when money is thrown into the mix. Luckily, players are paid handsomely now, and would be less willing to take such an arrangement. The point remains that the integrity of the game is thrown into question when betting is included.
New episode of the show is up! We dive into the real history behind the Chicago Black Sox Scandal of 1919 in the classic Baseball movie Eight Men Out! Available anywhere you pod!#comedy #history #comedypodcast #historypodcast #sports #movie #baseball #EightMenOut #film #cinema… pic.twitter.com/18hie2WiNr
— Reviewing History Podcast (@rviewhistorypod) April 27, 2023
It seems like the punishment may be a bit extreme in some cases, especially for placing a bet inside a team facility. What’s so sacred about the facility that bets can’t be made in it? Especially when those bets had nothing to do with the sport the players were involved in. The Detroit Lions will now have to make due without one of their more promising players, Jameson Williams, due to a silly policy. Should we just open it up so players can bet on whatever they want, providing it’s not their own sport?
I think it’s ironic how big sports betting has become, and how leagues expect players to not partake in any of it. The NFL has completely embraced betting, as you’ll frequently see commercials advertising DraftKings and Bet 365 as well as other gambling websites. I think its about time that the NFL and other leagues revise their gambling policy to reflect the current climate of sports betting.