Gambling scandal thread

[Cobra Mgr]

I'm thinking this subject needs its own separate place for discussion. We're going from a scandal a season, to a scandal a month to a scandal a week.

Cleveland pitchers indicted for pitch "rigging".

[Westheim]

To the oubliette with them!

And add the people that bet on individual pitches. How soulless can you be?

Meanwhile, this news report is brought to you by Draft Kings:

[Déjà Bru]

I'm not sure that we should segregate this topic from the sports in which it is occurring. It's part of those sports now and it should not be segregated or otherwise swept under the rug. People who are following MLB, for example, should have this in their face; this is what happens when fools are allowed to rule.

Incidentally, this is the first weekend for as far back as I can remember that I watched no sports. No sports at all.

[LD84]

As someone who bets on sports.
Betting on the next pitch being a ball or strike is borderline sociopathic.

[Cobra Mgr]

I think the totality of the crisis is missed when each individual incident is separated from the others. The Rozier situation looks like an NBA problem. The above situation looks like a baseball problem. The 6 college players who were banned looks like an NCAA problem. But put them all together and now we know sports betting, especially based on individual performances, is the problem.

That is why I made the JUSTICE thread. When you see every isolated event in a group, the magnitude of the situation is exposed.

[ForeverRoyalKC]

Simply, simply stupid, stupid f'n idiots. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

[Amazin69]

There is no rule, AFAIK, that says a subject can't be discussed in multiple threads. Otherwise I'd be in trouble every time I complained about the Mets in a different thread.

[monkeyman576]

If you don't like a thread don't click on it. No childhood trauma there.

I don't know how athletes can be so dumb to accept approches by gamblers. This is like Ethics 101, plus, you're a multi millionaire usually.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

I think the totality of the crisis is missed when each individual incident is separated from the others. The Rozier situation looks like an NBA problem. The above situation looks like a baseball problem. The 6 college players who were banned looks like an NCAA problem. But put them all together and now we know sports betting, especially based on individual performances, is the problem.

That is why I made the JUSTICE thread. When you see every isolated event in a group, the magnitude of the situation is exposed.

You make a good point. I will allow myself to wax optimistic even if only momentarily: Maybe some good will come from this. (That is, your thread in microcosm and public attention in macrocosm). Many, many more people are going to be needed to not only speak out but to BOYCOTT . . .

There, I said it. Boycott.

[Cobra Mgr]

Thought I posted this earlier (must have forgot to press send).

MLB & gambling sites agree to limit wagers on pitch bets.

[dsvitak]

Gambling scandals pre-date the Black Sox scandal, 106 years ago.

[Cobra Mgr]

14 arrested in Mafia-backed betting ring involving athletes

Reportedly several athletes operated betting operations at the behest of the mafia.

[Cobra Mgr]

NCAA will no longer allow college athletes to gamble on pro sports.

[Cobra Mgr]

20 indicted in college basketball cheating scandal.

[WhiskyTango]

Originally Posted by LD84

As someone who bets on sports.
Betting on the next pitch being a ball or strike is borderline sociopathic.

Only it isn't. What's the difference between betting the marble lands on red, the next card face value is under 4 or the next pitch is a strike. No question mark because it isn't a question. Obviously no difference.


Sports betting + phone apps = a serious crisis for pro sports because there are so many ways to bet now, and have been for years. College game, QB will throw out of bounds this snap? The instantaneous relay of digital makes so many bets available. And how do you track it? How can you know the QB threw out of bounds because he's compensated vs not? [edit: and obviously the QB doesn't have to be in on it which makes it actually cleaner than the days of throwing (npi) a performance. Before a fighter was paid to hit the canvas in the 4th. Now, you can make money betting on the number of hooks he'll throw and the athlete isn't even involved.]


Fortunately most sports fans are true believers so this sort of thing will never reach them or if it does it just bounces off. But it's what's going on All - The - Time. Especially college level. Anywhere you can get someone to take a wager. And with the easing of gambling prohibitions in the US, with sports betting leading the way, the money involved is ridiculous (ironic since the context is pro sports).

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by WhiskyTango

Only it isn't. What's the difference between betting the marble lands on red, the next card face value is under 4 or the next pitch is a strike. No question mark because it isn't a question. Obviously no difference.

There is obviously a difference. You can't slide the croupier a fiddy and ask him to make sure the marble lands on red, because this is outside the croupier's control.

But putting a grand in L.L. Ortiz' lunchbox with instructions that the second time he faces Bobby Witt, the first pitch has to be a ball outside - executing that is absolutely within Ortiz' control.

Regardless of that there is a discussion to be had whether ALL of the three actions you listed are, in fact, borderline sociopathic.