I Bet You Won’t

The sports world is fun, exciting, and engaging. People investing thousands of dollars into it by purchasing jerseys, banners, just about anything you can think of. But at what point does it change to becoming too much?

I played sports all the way into college. If I were to say I never bet on myself, I’d be a liar. But that is just it, I didn’t bet on my team, the other team, or anyone other than myself. And it wasn’t for money. Most of the time it was the harmless “I’ll bet you a Gatorade I can strike this kid out.” Harmless enough. No money involved, nothing to deter me from playing at the best of my ability.

If you’ve watched any professional sport, I’m sure you have seen an abundance of ads that pop up during the game. Bet now! On your first bet we’ll give you $100 extra! An enticing proposition that makes you think “maybe today I will gamble a little.” And that’s fine. I’m not here to tell you that you should never bet on a game or place a fun wager here and there. I’m here to talk about those that shouldn’t be betting. The athletes.

Nowadays, the betting world seems to rule sports. MLB games don’t show the favorite by runs, but rather the betting line. If the Giants are playing the Dodgers, then the Dodgers would be -7000000. Sorry Giants fans (me included) we all know the sad truth at the moment. In case you didn’t catch on… that means the Dodgers would be HUGE favorites. Why does it need to be that way? The truth is, betting is what drives the sporting world nowadays. It used to be a thing where you watched the games and enjoyed them for what they are, now all people are concerned about is how much money they are going to win or lose. Just for a visual, global wagering on soccer exceeds $800 BILLION annually. Hell, you can even vote on when celebrities are getting married!

Betting can be fun. There’s no doubt with that. But when you’re on the court, gridiron, field, whatever, you shouldn’t be betting. For years now, and seemingly a lot more recently, athletes have been finding their way to the books. We all know the Brendan Sorsby story. Let’s take a moment of silence for that man’s football career…. Thank you. But, guess what happened today?

Photo Courtesy of: Associated Press/Arizona Sports

As I’m at work chugging along doing my thing, I get a notification from ESPN. “Malik Beasley indicted in gambling case.” Granted this case happened a few years back, in 2023, when he decided to manipulate his stats with the Bucks. But, after all this time, it still makes me sick. And he is just one of who knows how many that actually got caught.

Then I got to thinking. I wonder how many players are betting on the sports that we watch and love. There are always going to be accusations of different leagues having games scripted. I can’t tell you how many times I hear that. You know who you are! Does Vegas really control everything that happens in sports? Are players taking the dive for a few extra dollars? It can’t be. I don’t want to believe it. Then I had to look. I found a list on a New York news website that showed some players that were, allegedly, involved in gambling schemes.

Here’s the list:

NBA

Jontay Porter, Raptors

Malik Beasley, Pistons

Terry Rozier, Heat

Chauncey Billups, Blazers (head coach)

NFL

Josh Shaw, Cardinals

Calvin Ridley, Falcons

Miles Austin, Jets (coach)

Jameson Williams and Stanley Berryhill, Lions

Quintez Cephus, C.J. Moore and Demetrius Taylor, Lions

Nicholas Petit-Frere, Titans

Eyioma Uwazurike, Broncos

Shaka Toney, Commanders

Isaiah Rodgers and Rashod Berry, Colts:

MLB

Shohei Ohtani/Ippei Mizuhara, Angels

Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, Guardians:

Tucupita Marcano, Pirates:

Michael Kelly, Athletics:

Jay Groome, José Rodríguez and Andrew Saalfrank, minor leaguers

Pat Hoberg, umpire

That’s just naming a few.

Personally, I don’t get it. You work your tail off to get to the spot you are in, then throw it all away for what? A few extra dollars? Let’s be real, 100K is like 5 dollars to them. The integrity of the game is in jeopardy. If we keep going the way we are going, players will be allowed to wager on games. The stats won’t be legitimate and for all that matters, Vegas might as well write a script for sports.

It does, however, seem like the bigger name you have, the more you can get away with. Betting millions of dollars on games and getting away with it is insane. Perhaps I should walk around with an interpreter. Maybe then when I commit a crime and break rules, I too can pass the buck. Oh, wait, am I being too specific?

Photo Courtesy of: USA TODAY/VIA REUTERS

I could go on and on about how each league has their favorite players. And its pretty obvious who they are. With that comes the responsibility to protect their “babies.” At what point do we have to step back and look at things for what they are? A lifetime ban or a slap on the wrist, you decide. In my eyes, it does seem that certain players get away with things others don’t. Betting is at the core of these situations.

I guess what I’m getting at is, it is insane how many players are betting on games. Even games that involve themselves. I can understand trying to make a quick buck, but there are other ways. Don’t be an idiot. Sell crack, be a pimp, but don’t ruin the game!