Commentary:
In the 1990s, sportscaster Al Michaels used to slyly sneak references to the point spread into his NFL broadcasts.
“That extra point will be significant to some of our viewers,” Michaels would say after a late PAT that was meaningless in terms of which team won the game.
Ever since the Black Sox scandal of 1919, when eight members of the Chicago White Sox were accused but not convicted of intentionally losing the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds, professional sports has treated gambling like a new, vaccine-proof strain of the smallpox virus.
Baseball responded by naming former federal judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis as its first commissioner. Seventy years later, when Pete Rose was accused but not convicted of betting on baseball games, he was banned for life, including selection to the Hall of Fame.
In 1963, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle suspended star running back Paul Hornung, better known as “The Golden Boy,” and defensive lineman Alex Karras for the season following allegations they had bet on games. There was no evidence of point-shaving or game fixing, Rozelle stressed.
Even as recently as 2003, the NFL rejected Super Bowl ads by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority because league officials didn't want their big game tarnished by the mention of Sin City during the commercial breaks.
Now, the Las Vegas Raiders are the trendiest new location for visiting fans, even if their team still stinks. Go Broncos.
And, sly references to the point spread have been replaced by a never-ending stream of “proposition bets.” Prop bets started with the Super Bowl for things like who would win the coin toss or what color Gatorade would they pour over the winning coach. They have evolved into an industry where new odds and bets are created after every play.
Gamblers who lose in the first inning can keep chasing their losses for eight innings more. For compulsive bettors, that has had predictable results.
Beyond that, prop bets have also led to violent attacks against college athletes who did not meet the artificial standard set by the oddsmakers. And, they have made it incredibly easy for athletes to cheat. Former Toronto Raptors Center Jontay Porter used others to place bets against him, then would intentionally have himself removed from games.
Sports gambling was a fairly rare thing during the days when leagues were the most concerned about it. To bet on a game, you either had to travel out of state or know a guy. Now, all you need is a phone.
In 2024, sports betting in the United States raked in $13.71 billion in revenue. The global sports betting market is expected to reach $187.39 billion in the next five years. And, everybody involved in the sport is getting a little taste of that sweet new revenue.
Finally, the hypocrisy got to be a bit much for the grand poobahs of baseball. Eight months after his death, they decided that maybe Pete Rose can get into the Hall of Fame after all. And you too, Shoeless Joe.
To be clear, I’m not calling for a return to the 1960s. But I wish that just one time the pendulum in this country would stop somewhere near the middle. And, I’d like to watch a game without endless references to the latest parlay, if that’s not asking too much.
Walter Rubel can be reached at waltrubel@gmail.com. Walter Rubel's opinions are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of KRWG Public Media or NMSU.