It may appear hypocritical that the NFL — and the rest of professional sports — are willing to shake hands and sign contracts with the legal sports betting companies and then turn around and punish the players for gambling, but it has to be done. For all of the ethical questions surrounding the NFL, the one standard that must always be upheld for the league to remain viable is the integrity of the game. Sorry, but that means your time with the Indianapolis Colts and possibly as an NFL player may very well be finished.
On Monday afternoon, news broke that a player from the Colts is being heavily looked into for gambling violations. ESPN’s Stephen Holder and David Purnam reported that the player is Rodgers. He allegedly placed over 100 bets on a sportsbook account in an associate’s name — most in the range of $25-$50 that included Colts games. On Monday evening, Rodgers issued an apology. He stated that he takes “full responsibility” for his actions — while giving no specifics — and that he “made an error in judgment.”
Ever heard of Pete Rose?
If he indeed did bet on the Colts, or the NFL in any way, he violated the one hard and fast policy that should be easy to understand. NFL personnel are not allowed to bet on NFL games. The Pete Rose ban was issued almost 34 years ago and the Boston College scandal with the real Henry Hill was 50 years ago, however, disgraced former NBA official Tim Donaghy was sentenced to prison for fixing games long after the beginning of the new millennium.
There can be no whiff of that type of malfeasance happening around in the massively profitable industry of sports. Enough people with aluminum foil hats already truly believe that major athletic competition is staged. Any credibility that claim can gain is capable of hammering a punch right in the gut of profitability.
Is this hypocritical? Absolutely. It’s ridiculous that Jalen Rose offers me a sportsbook-sponsored opinion to be wagered upon that could get a player harshly punished for acting on that information, except for the fact that those sportsbook sponsorships bring some extra Brinks trucks to the leagues.
Participation in the world economy involves overlooking, ignoring, or being plain ignorant of not simply inconsistencies, but also horrors. Smartphones, clothing, strawberries, the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup, and many more industries make this gambling paradox in professional sports palatable.
From MLB teams regularly refusing to put money into a legitimate payroll, up to the atrocities in Qatar, there should be room to be angry at all dubiousness in sports. All of that being said, at least the naked gambling hypocrisy gets players more money.
The rules are not perfect. Legislation has never proven to be a strong suit for the NFL. Jameson Williams and Stanley Berryhill were each suspended six games for placing bets on non-NFL games because it is against policy for NFL personnel to wager at NFL facilities. Miles Austin was suspended for violating the league’s gambling policy by betting on sports that, while non-NFL, coaches can still be punished for it. Austin appealed his late December suspension, and has been replaced as the New York Jets wide receivers coach.
Legal sports gambling is still in its infancy, and all of the major sports organizations are learning how to both profit from and prevent it at the same time. Hopefully, there will be grace granted to those who have had to learn the hard way, especially people in the margins who don’t have the talent of a Williams or a Calvin Ridley that will ensure their return.
Rodgers started nine games in his third season with the Colts. The use of a different person to place wagers indicates conspiracy, and that is a terrible look. If that is true his time in the NFL has likely ended, if not through punishment then the likelihood of him ever being on a roster again.
For all that the NFL should iron out regarding its gambling policy, there is one rule that should be clear as fresh glass. Do not ever, under any circumstance, place a bet on an event in a league that signs your check.