NFL's Ravens fined for misleading injury report

 This World Series is so good it's causing problems in Casa Delon. My lovely wife Rebecca and I like to watch at least one program together during dinner. Of course we have our own personal favorite shows but it's important to have a similar interest in entertainment, especially if you're both busy all day. My wife likes reality tv...a lot. Right now her go to is MTV's The Challenge I don't know what season because I don't care, there's only so much bad acting and pretending errrr I mean competition I can take. Tulsa King, now that's different. As I mentioned in the last blog, we're in the middle of watching season three. Normally, we'll watch a couple of episodes but I had to check on the World Series. Such a fantastic game and it was refreshing to see that after blowing the last two games at home the Dodgers didn't roll over but fought hard and survived to force a game 7 which should be an instant classic.

My last blog was also about gambling in sports, in particular the NBA. I feel all sports leagues should randomly be investigated because there's just way too much money floating around and crossing the line between legal and illegal gambling is something no sport can afford. This is what can happen when you partner up with betting sites. One of the most hilarious things I watched the other day was some dude on one of ESPN's sports shows talking about honesty in sports gambling. 

This is incredibly bad timing for the NFL. It was only a matter of time before one of the league's teams or players dragged them into the gambling discussion. Now it should be noted that what the Baltimore Ravens did is not directly tied to any gambling investigation...not yet. It certainly could be used to influence the Las Vegas line though.

 The Baltimore Ravens were fined $100,000 for violating the injury report. QB Lamar Jackson is the MVP of the Ravens each and every game as we have all come to see how the team struggles to score points since his injury early this season. So whether or not Jackson plays has a significant impact on the teams betting lines. 

The Ravens incorrectly listed Jackson as a full participant in the October 24th practice. He was listed as a limited participant on Wednesday and Thursday earlier in the week but upgraded to full participant on Friday which was the last full practice of the week. Baltimore then listed Jackson as limited before ultimately ruling him out for the next game. In other words, by upgrading him they mislead opponents and Vegas by suggesting the 2 time NFL MVP would be in a position to play that week.

The Ravens avoided losing a draft pick because the league determined the violation was the result of negligence and not an attempt to gain a competitive advantage. Given everything going on with the NBA I'd say the Ravens got off light.

The Ravens did release a statement:

"It is critical that the Baltimore Ravens always operate with integrity and in full accordance with NFL guidelines. We clearly made an error regarding player injury reporting and cooperated transparently with the league's investigation. We accept the decision by the NFL that we violated policy and have taken steps to ensure that we will be compliant moving forward." The Ravens will not appeal the fine.

Jackson is currently a full participant and once again the starting QB as the Ravens just defeated the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night. Then again, the Dolphins are so bad right now the Ravens could've started a cab driver and gotten a win. The NBA is a mess and the NFL should be on egg shells and they'll be scrutinized even more for things like ref gate, penalty gate, Andy Reid chest bumping Travis Kelce, there's a chance of seeing all three at Swift gate...I hear Taylor Swift is supposed to be there which means bet on the Bills. Not saying she's a jinx but...ok yes I am... KC vs Buffalo tomorrow...now that's must see tv. 

Gambling scandal rocks the NBA and sports world

 The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays are in the middle of an epic World Series that's currently tied two games a piece as Shohei Otani got lit up last night. He is human, I was beginning to think dude was an alien...he's that good of a player. The new NBA season is about a week old and with a new season comes new talent, LeBron returning for what seems like his 30th season, players stepping up like Austin Reaves who just dropped 51 points for the Lakers, and a gambling scandal so big it can bring down the league.

I'm not the guy who can't wait to yell I told you so but in this case I'll make an exception. I knew it was only a matter of time. For years, gambling's been that taboo category sports commissioners didn't want to discuss. They would say things like, 'We're aware of sports betting, we can't focus on that, all we can do is play our game.' A few years ago that all changed and now the major sports leagues are all in bed with gambling.

You cannot watch a game or a pre-game show or a post-game show or Tulsa King season 3 which my wife and I are in the middle of binge watching...without seeing a DraftKings or Fanduel, or ESPN bet or one of what seems like endless companies telling you how easy it is and how much free money they're willing to "give" you if you're willing to get down. Place your wager with us and we'll give you $200 in free bets.

My mother used to tell me that nothing in life is free. At the end of the day, free will cost you something. The college students in the US have a gambling addiction which is double the rate of the general adult population. Double! Gambling has never been so prevalent, so easy to access. Anytime of day, if you have a credit or debit card, you can get down on your favorite teams or players...literally down as in going into debt.

Just when you think it can't get any worse, of course it can. The FBI announced last week that a current NBA player, a former NBA player and a current NBA head coach were involved in several gambling investigations.

Portland Trailblazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former player Damon Jones are all facing criminal charges related to illegal gambling on NBA games and being involved in rigged poker games. This is all connected to the investigation that got former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned for life from the NBA, and there are more than 30 co-defendants accused in the investigation.

Billups and Rozier have been placed on immediate leave from their teams. Rozier's attorney issued a statement saying his client is "not a gambler." The investigation has been going on for years. One of the most egregious acts happened in March 2023 in a game between the Charlotte Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans. The NBA had been alerted to unusual betting being placed on Terry Rozier's under prop bets. This is the game where Rozier faked being injured errr I mean, took himself out of the game after 9 minutes, meaning all his under prop bets would pay off.

Rozier's attorney Jim Trusty said the NBA interviewed Rozier twice. "They took his phone, downloaded everything, and, at the end of the day, they said there's nothing to see here and cleared him." 

Well, the FBI also interviewed him, and they did think there was something to see. I mean this is so bad for the NBA. The league is already dealing with LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer paying Kahwi Leonard $28 million under the table to avoid the salary cap errrr I mean, the tree planting service did right Steve? Ballmer says he got conned. You have the chosen one's son Bronny James proving just how much he belongs in the NBA with some pretty impressive stats. Two games in zero points! 

Then if you want to watch an NBA game if it's not on ESPN or NBA good luck! Trying to find certain games is like trying to find Carmen Sandiego. What a mess, I wonder how NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is going to lie errr weasel his way out of this one. The ratings are cratering and although it's not as bad as the WNBA, the NBA will be there in no time if nothing changes. I like Rozier's attorney going with the 'he's not a gambler' defense. So why did a couple of dudes show up to Rozier's house to count the winnings after dude took himself out of a game, allegedly! This is bigger than the NBA, I believe other sports leagues should be investigated as well because yes these leagues have talented players but an integrity with the audience that everything is legit. Once you lose integrity you're no longer an event but as real as a reality tv drama.