Sports Gambling Is a Cancer; SF Giants' Bold Move; Kelly's Ouster

The news hit the NBA like a ton of bricks.

But many of us knew it was only a matter of time.

Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, an NBA Hall of Famer, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones were among 34 individuals arrested for illegal gambling by the FBI last week.

The news came two days into the NBA's new season and overshadowed a number of terrific games, including two double overtime wins by the defending champion OKC Thunder and two stirring wins by the Warriors over the Lakers and Nuggets.

Billups was apparently part of a scheme to rig high-stakes poker games. Rozier helped gamblers win prop bets by providing inside information and adjusting his own playing time. Jones, a former teammate and personal shooting coach for LeBron James, was involved in both cases and provided information to gamblers about injuries, including James' playing status.

Since 2019, Billups has been associated with Mafia crime families. Guys with last names like Gambino, Bonano and Genovese.

I'm not surprised by any of this. And I suspect it's just the tip of the iceberg.

What did the NBA expect when it began promoting gambling on all of its game broadcasts and studio shows?  Everyone from James, one of the greatest players in NBA history, to Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal, two other former league MVPs, are featured in these ads. James claims he was unaware that Jones was providing gamblers with information about his injuries, but you have to wonder. 

The NBA released a gratuitous, makes-you-want-to-gag statement that "the integrity of our game remains our top priority."

Really?

The top priority for the NBA is now, and has always been, to make money. If that means taking sponsorship and advertising dollars from gambling interests, well, what could possibly go wrong?.

The NBA, as well as virtually every other sports league, is now in partnership with FanDuel, DraftKings, MGM, and other bookmakers. Even ESPN has joined the sewage, with ESPN Bet. Nowadays, nearly every commercial break in an NBA or NFL game features a gambling ad.

And the NCAA, in its infinite wisdom, recently decided to permit "student-athletes" to bet on pro sports. But wait, since athletes sre now getting revenue shares and NIL compensation, aren't college sports actually "pro" sports, too?

I've always believed that sports gambling is a sickness, a cancer that is rife with danger.

As we've noted in this space on more than one occasion, former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, former baseball commissioner Fay Vincent, and even current NFL boss Roger Goodell have all warned of the dangers of sports betting.

But now it's become an epidemic. Last year the sports betting "handle," that is, the amount wagered on sports, reached $149 billion.

That's what happens when people are being encouraged to gamble by sports stars and celebrities in a constant drumbeat of TV ads. 

And when you have sports leagues and former players getting paid huge dollars by gambling interests, it's only natural that current athletes will want a piece of the action.

As the disease spreads, every missed shot, every errant pass, every injury, every turnover becomes suspicious.

And players are being threatened by bettors who blame them for their gambling losses if they make an error, drop a pass, or miss a free throw in the final minute.

There are additional concerns about athletes being forced into helping gamblers via blackmail, either to cover their own gambling debts or to prevent being exposed as a cheat.

Inevitably, more cases like Billups/Rozier/Jones are certain to follow and more players will be indicted as the FBI investigations continue. 

As Barkley said Thursday night--and I have to admit it was quite satisfying to watch him, Shaq and Kenny Smith (all of whom have been involved in gambling ads) squirm during their "Inside the NBA" discussion of the arrests--"there are a lot of nervous people out there tonight."

You bet there are. Because when you get in bed with the devil, you're gonna get burned.

And this fire will be a very hard one to extinguish.

Giants' Bold Move: The San Francisco Giants took the unprecedented step of hiring a manager from the college baseball ranks with no MLB experience as a player or coach, Tennessee's Tony Vitello.

A lot of folks are questioning the move.

Not here.

We think Bob Melvin was a classy guy, but honestly grew tired of his lack of emotion and stoic demeanor, not to mention the Giants' consistent fielding and baserunning lapses.

Giants' President Buster Posey realized that his team needed an injection of energy, enthusiasm and passion.  Vitello will provide all of the above. He's a proven winner who excels in motivation and player development.

And I've always been partial to fiery Italians.

Kelly's Ouster: LSU coach Brian Kelly, perhaps the most disliked college football coach in America, was fired Sunday night after an embarrassing loss to Texas A&M. It was LSU's third loss of the season, effectively eliminating the school from playoff consideration.

Athletic Director Scott Woodward, the same man who hired and fired Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M, forcing the Aggies to come up with a buyout of $73 million, now must pay Kelly a buyout of $53M.

With all the complaining about how NIL and the transfer portal have ruined college football, perhaps people should instead consider the incompetent athletic directors who pay coaches ridiculous salaries and agree to even more ridiculous buyouts.