In this new age of legalized gambling, the NFL needs to worry about an NFL scandal increasing governmental scrutiny of the sport. The NFL also needs to worry about the potential impact of a gambling scandal in some other sport.
There’s no real oversight. There will be abuses. There will be violations. There will be shenanigans. If/when a sufficiently big controversy comes to light, Congress might decide to shine the brightest of bulbs on all American sports — not just the one that gave rise to the issue.
While the recent news about golfer Phil Mickelson likely won’t be such a catalyst, it’s enough to raise plenty of eyebrows. Via TheAthletic.com, gambling Billy Walters claims in a new book that Mickelson has wagered more than $1 billion over the past three decades. Most significantly, Mickelson allegedly tried to get Walters to make a $400,000 bet on the 2012 Ryder Cup team, of which Mickelson was a member.
Walters said he declined to do it, reminding Mickelson of Pete Rose. Walters also said he doesn’t know whether Mickelson made the bet elsewhere. (If he did, he lost.)
Mickelson addressed the issue on Thursday.
“I have never bet on the Ryder Cup,” Mickelson said in a statement, via TheAthletic.com. “While it is well known that I always enjoy a friendly wager on the course, I would never undermine the integrity of the game.
“I have also been very open about my gambling addiction. I have previously conveyed my remorse, took responsibility, have gotten help, have been fully committed to therapy that has positively impacted me and I feel good about where I am now.”
No American sports league should feel good about where things are right now. One big mess will result in the government bringing out an even bigger broom.
The Securities and Exchange Commission didn’t exist prior to the stock market crash of 1929. The SEC didn’t launch until five years later.
That’s how it goes. No oversight. No oversight. No oversight. Big mess happens due to no oversight. Big mess leads to overreaction.
Every sports league should be concerned about this, because they all stand to lose plenty of control over their business.
Then again, maybe that’s the only way to ensure true integrity and fairness in a gambling industry that features the NFL and other leagues grabbing cash with one hand and wagging a finger on the other.