Gambling and Professional Sports

Gambling and professional sports have always had an uneasy coexistence. In current times, this coexistence is more congruent than ever before. With the recent indictments of NBA and Major League Baseball players and coaches it has shed light on the dark underbelly of professional sports.

How Did We Get Here?

Gambling on sports has always been around. There’s no denying that. I’ve gambled on college sports and professional sports from time to time during my life. However, I’ve never been in control of the outcomes of those games I’ve placed bets on.

The money that can be won by professional athletes, coaches, and referees by fixing games is so large that it’s becoming to hard to resist. It’s really the perfect storm for athletes and coaches whose personalities are based in a hyper competitive environment and lots of disposable income.

Athletes will spend their per diem on the team plane, their hotel rooms, or even the team bus on gambling. It’s a lifestyle that most people can’t relate to at all. These same players can get on their phone or laptop to make a bet. Once these bets are made whether it’s done above board or not they are risking their careers.

With a lifestyle out of reach of most people it was no wonder why many people shook their head when these indictments and arrests were made. The two alleged sports gambling arrests that were made shocked people. Most people I know just shook their heads in disbelief. Including myself.

“Why do these players and coaches need this extra money? They make millions playing a kid’s sport.” said my two kids who are grown adults.

Arrests and Indictments

The first arrest made was done on current Portland Trail Blazers head coach, Chauncey Billups. Billups, a Hall of Fame player, is accused of rigging poker games. However, Billups is also accused of doing this rigging in conjunction with several New York crime families. The other NBA employee involved is Terry Rozier of the Miami Heat. Rozier allegedly intentionally tipped bettors off about his game participation, allowing them to profit off of prop bets that involved him.

The second round of indictments came in Major League Baseball. Cleveland Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase. Both men are accused of allegedly working with co-conspirators to throw specific pitches in Major League Baseball games, coordinating with corrupt bettors to rig prop bets. The bets are alleged to have won $400,000 for bettors and Ortiz received $12,000 and Clase at least $60,000 for their roles in the scheme, according to the federal indictment.

Why?

The biggest question in all of this is the “why”? These players and coach involved in these indictments have access to tons of money. Their careers have set them up for a lifetime of fairly easy living, so why do something like this? Why take the risk? Do these individuals need the action? Do they need the competition? It’s anybody’s guess as to why they did it. However, I believe it’s part of their DNA. Professional athletes are hard wired to win at everything. Some more than others, but it’s certainly part of their personalities. However, the need to win and compete is the same thing that makes gambling so appealing.

When Michael Jordan was asked by 60 Minutes, Connie Chung, in 1993 about his high stakes gambling he had a succinct answer.

“I can stop gambling,” Jordan told Connie Chung. “I have a competition problem, a competitive problem.”

I’m not saying that every athlete slides into an ugly dark of gambling, but the opportunities are readily available to these athletes. For example, an NBA player could be at practice or at shoot around and someone says he can make this three pointer for a $100. It then goes to a half court shot or a full court shot for the money. From there other players get in on the action. The game fixing surprises me to a degree, but the poker doesn’t.

Final Thoughts

People want somebody to blame for all of this. That’s an easy one for me. I blame the players, coaches or anybody else that is involved with these indictments. These people knew the rules. They knew the possible consequences if the authorities became involved. The jeopardy that they have put themselves and their loved ones in is inexcusable. The family consequences in terms of tearing the family apart will be the thing that will shame these players for a long time. Finally, the consequence of possibly being banned for life from a sport they loved will loom large for those involved. I’m sure there is a bit of personal introspection being done by these players.

Michael J. Wilson-The Daily Waiver

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