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Thoughts on NBA Gambling Scandals


It's been a fear for many leagues, especially as gambling and sports are closer than ever in the current climate that is sports betting - today, that fear becomes a reality. 

With the downfall of Chauncey Billups (didn't his name seem random?) and Terry Rozier (who has been connected for quite some time now), and the insane details coming out of leaked inside information, rigged poker games, and yes, altering participating in games - this is all terrible for the NBA, and for modern sports. 

No bueno. 

Here are a few more thoughts on this entire mess:

- Didn't we all know at some point we'd be here with how accessible and prevalent sports gambling is today?

- Regardless of the lawful outcome, we have to assume that both Billups, Rozier, and anyone else connected to this is done in the NBA, right? 

- Is Pete Rose still the standard in this space and punishment? 

- And wasn't he the ultimate poster boy for NOT betting in sports? What happened to that fear?

- Doesn't it make you think whether some of the outcomes we've all agonized about as fans were legitimate?

- Pro Wrestling and its "fakeness" seems about as good an option for your entertainment and fandom investment over a possible contest where the athletes are compromising the integrity of the competition. That was tongue in cheek from this wrestling fan, but it's also very real. 

- What else did we watch that was compromised?

- This current list is worrisome.

- Doesn't all of this open the door to the conspiracy theorists for the next game-winning pitch, dropped pass, or debatable foul called in a game? And isn't it awful that there is some credibility to the thought going forward?

- Is the ease and accessibility of the "prop bet" via a mobile device the most damaging thing in this entire sports gambling setup?

- This is more of a me-ponder, but are sports not enjoyable enough as is without the gambling? 

- The NCAA is going to NCAA (as always), and will allow student-athletes and athletic department staff to bet on professional sports beginning November 1. Great timing by the way...(yes, that was sarcasm).

- I miss when sports, for a few hours, took me away from reality. Now, with gambling, politics, and everything else, it's as intertwined, intersectional, and as real (a burden at times) as what you're looking to escape from. 

- The details of the rigged poker games are something out of Ocean's 16 - if there was such a movie. But for reals - like, what?!!

- Imagine if people put this much effort into beating a system to feed the poor. Or help kids. Or do something constructive? Just saying...

- I know Billups, Rozier, and Damon Jones are the headline-grabbing names...but what about the leaders of this entire thing? Who else is involved?

- The mafia still running things, huh? Just wild...

- Every league commissioner, I'm sure, is having meetings this week, next week, and the week after...

- Realistically, is this all preventable? 

- The steroid debate doesn't seem all that terrible now, huh?

- Put Barry Bonds in the Hall of Fame. He never bet on baseball...well, not that we know of. Is that how this is going to work going forward?

- I know older athletes come for the modern athlete for all sorts of comparisons these days; however, the modern athlete deals with so much. SO much. Some of the stories of death threats in athlete DMs are not because they lost or played horrifically, but because they prevented someone from winning a bet. What a world we are in now...

Lastly, for now, until more details are available...

- What a sad, sad, sad day for sports.
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